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axel wrote about a gun similar to this
Again, I can only repeat here what I wrote on nitroexpress forum on two other such DWM rifles, especially #388:
Though this rifle may look like a sporterized surplus military rifle, it is not. At the time it was proofed there were no "surplus" M98 rifles, as these were still state of the art military rifles.
The CROWN-crown/N proofmark shows it was civilian proofed according to the rule of July 23, 1893, using the special "4000 atm proof powder". This proof was in use mainly before 1912, though Zella-Mehlis apparently sometimes used up left-over powder up to 1922. IMHO this rifle was proofed before WW1.
In those innocent days around 1900 it was usual practice to include some sporting rifles in the military calibers into each shipment of military rifles to foreign countries. These were meant as "presents" to the decision-making officers. Mauser, Oberndorf sent C-type "Army Hunting Rifles", for example some in 7.65 mm for Argentinia, see Jon Speed's first book "Mauser-OOSR" page 111. Some South American military rifle contracts even demanded a number of sporting rifles to be sent with the military ones.
Ludwig Loewe/DWM also had sporters, the so-called "Plezier rifles" (Plezier is Dutch/Afrikaans for pleasure, fun or sport) built on left over M93 Spanish Mauser actions and shipped them, together with the military M95 7x57 Mausers, to the South African republics Orange Free State and Transvaal, where the sporters were not only used for hunting, but for shooting Brits too. These Plezier Mausers are now rare and sought-after collector items. All these rifles show civilian proofmarks.
IMHO this DWM made, civilian proofed sporter served as a present (or bribe) when it was shipped to a South American country. At least, it looks somewhat similar to a Mauser C-type with the military stepped barrel and front sight base. The commercial market was left to DWM's subsidiary Mauser, Oberndorf. Though DWM did not offer sporters to the public, they made several hundred such simple sporters at least, but not for sale.
Interesting to me on this rifle is the set trigger arrangement. The spring of the double set trigger is the long Mauser factory type, not the short V-type of the contemporary Suhl-made rifles. But the set trigger asembly is mounted into the triggerguard with a seperate housing, other than the Mauser commercial ones. The two small crosspins holding the housing are visible in one of the photos. The Magazine-triggerguard unit with hinged, button release floorplate apparently comes from either Argentine 1909 or Portuguese Vegueiro production, both are the same.
The load information "2.57 gramm Gewehrblättchenpulver = rifle flake powder / Stahlmantelgeschoss = steel jacketed bullet" is of the type used up to 1912, so this rifle was civilian proofed before.
IMHO the stock looks more like a pre-1912 Mauser B one instead of the usual "sporterized military" C type one. The red rubber recoil pad certainly is a later add-on, as is the Lyman #35 peep sight.
I am waiting for your photos to learn more about these rifles. At the moment I don't know the meaning of the "four circles" mark. Maybe it only served to obliterate a previous mark that would show the original destination of the part?

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