Artifact of the Month: M1871

1982.17.47 – Gift of American Legion Post 197

Turtle Bay has a collection of historic artifacts from around the world that tell rich stories. The Collections and Exhibits Department can tell one of these stories every month. For the month of April, we are sharing an over 150-year-old rifle that began a company that would go on to produce guns for the entire world. This M1871 .43 caliber Mauser bolt action rifle from 1875 came to Turtle Bay as a gift from the American Legion Post 197. The original note with the donation reads, “Captured Coblenz Lutzel arsenal after the Armistice - donated to the collection by U.S. Government as a WW1 souvenir.”

The Infanterie-Gewehr (Infantry-Rifle) M1871 was the first rifle produced by the Mauser Brothers, Peter Paul and Wilhelm. It replaced the Dreyse Needle Gun, the first firearm with a rotating bolt to open and close the breech. Despite the use of a bolt action style, the Dreyse Needle Gun still used “a paper-cased black powder cartridge that was internally primed so that a needle-like firing pin had to pierce the case to reach it.” (americanrifleman.org). The Dreyse was adopted by Prussia in 1841 and was the standard until its replacement with the M1871.

The M1871 was the first European military rifle to benefit from being manufactured using the ‘American System’, which entailed production on an assembly line using interchangeable parts. This system and the brass cartridge made it easy to build and use. The M1871 went on to be manufactured in the millions and was the first regulation brass cartridge rifle of the German Imperial Army. Starting in February 1872, the German Empire, principally Prussia, officially adopted the Mauser, the leading German Empire at the time. Mauser is still producing guns today, and they have continued to be the standard for bolt-action rifles.

Some comparable rifles in our collection here at Turtle Bay! Another bolt-action .22 caliber rifle made by O.F. Mossberg & Sons first manufactured 1936-1938.

Another antique rifle from around the some era is our .58 caliber single shot Springfield muzzleloader produced in 1862. The Springfield was one of the most commonly used rifles during the American Civil War. Despite being produced not long before the Springfield, the M1871 would begin to look more like a modern rifle opposed to the musket style with paper casings still being used throughout the world.

Learn more about this rifle by visiting the Artifact of the Month display in the Turtle Bay Museum. As always, these displays are included with memberships and daily park admission.