New member looking at a 1914 7.65mm

[GonzoGeezer]

Hello all, first time poster.



I have an opportunity to purchase an early 1914 7.65 with one mag and a holster.  The seller says it has a German Imperial Army acceptance stamp and a serial number in the 32000 range. The finish looks pretty good for a 100 year old.  Seller says it shoots, the bore is clean but not shiny. And a little bit of rust/pitting under the trigger guard. The holster looks too new to be contemporary with the gun, which I assume dates somewhere around 1915(?).   I'm going to inspect it Friday.


Here's a photo.





Opinions?


I know nothing about these pistols other than the few blurbs on the interwebz from unblinkingeye, world guns, etc. Any suggestions on what to look for during the inspection would be greatly appreciated.


-gonzo

[1914mauser]

Look for Matching numbers, correct split or T-tail magazine base. The holster could be from WWI era, look for markings. Value, I just sold an Imperial marked 1914 for $550 w/o holster so there is some idea on that. It looks nice and if it has the Imperial marking in front of thhe rear sight it is an early Imperial. Good luck!
 
 

[GonzoGeezer]

Look for Matching numbers, correct split or T-tail magazine base. The holster could be from WWI era, look for markings. Value, I just sold an Imperial marked 1914 for $550 w/o holster so there is some idea on that. It looks nice and if it has the Imperial marking in front of thhe rear sight it is an early Imperial. Good luck!

The photo suggests a square front on the base, which I believe is correct for the 1914.  I will definitely check for the cuts.


I have noticed in other photos the serial on the left front slide and back of the frame. Are those the only two areas?


Thanks, gonzo
 

[1914mauser]

Ckeck the side plate (inside the trigger guard and pull the slide back 1/4 " to see serial number on front barrel lug on left side. In these locations are partial serial numbers (the last 3 or 4 digits of the number).
 
 

[GonzoGeezer]

I inspected the piece this morning...and bought it for $375. I found four serial numbers, all matching.  There are three acceptance stamps behind the rear sight (crown, crown, U) and one in front that I cannot suss out.  I'll try to match it to something in the proof mark documents on the interwebz.  Holster is vintage but no stamps or marks except for four handwritten letters under the flap that I cannot decipher.  I'm guessing it's a any-32 holster.  It's had a repair, one of the belt loops had to be reattached.


Overall I think the gun looks very nice.  Better bluing retention on the left than the right.  Barrel is very clean if a bit dull in color.  Grip has some wear but no cracks, just a few small gouges on the butt. Magazine does have surface rust but no pitting.  Some freckling under the trigger guard and on the back of the slide around the cocking indicator. 


I will try to get some decent photos if there is any interest.  I will strip, lube (with Ballistol, natürlich) and then she goes to the range for some light exercise.


My thanks for the information exchange.  A nice introduction to the board and some of it's inmates.

[1914mauser]

You are welcome! When you disassemble it you will find that the internal parts have serial numbers too. Congratulations! it sounds like you did well.
 
Welcome to the forum.
Regards,
 
 

[GonzoGeezer]

You are welcome! When you disassemble it you will find that the internal parts have serial numbers too. Congratulations! it sounds like you did well.
 
Welcome to the forum.
Regards,

Yes indeed, I'm up to seven so far, all matching. I'm saving further disassembly for tomorrow (rainy day) so I soaked everything in Ballistol. There is some old dried up a tuff under the side plate.  I also started a new thread for magazine disassembly.

[GonzoGeezer]

Disassembly performed except for extracting the extractor, still need to figure out how that comes apart. Cleaned decades of old oil varnish and crud, everything went back together with no excess parts(!).  Amazing design, simple but elegant.  The machined parts, especially the ejector and hold-open are beautiful.


One last question...for now  .     The stamps at the rear sight: I assume the one in front is an Imperial acceptance, are the three behind the sight the proof marks?



BTW, I posted some more images here: [size=78%]https://picasaweb.google.com/103009137956482111219/Mauser1914?authkey=Gv1sRgCNbe75OayqTVSg[/size]

[1914mauser]

Yes, the one in front of the rear sight is the Imperial acceptance. The marking behinde is a double crown/U proof mark.
 
 

[GonzoGeezer]

Beyond the usual Mauser production stampings, the proof marks, and the Heer acceptance, my gun has no other marks.  Did the Heer  ever put unit stamps on their guns like the police did after the war?

[mike9905]

Gonzo, your pistol is beautiful.  Do any of you know why the frame has a milled panel above the right grip?  I have seen this on only some 1914's, some blank, some with inscriptions. 

[1914mauser]

The milled panel appears on early variations, from the Humpbacks to the first 250,000 or so. I believe the intention was to lighten the frame but at some point, the effort was determined not to be worth the result, so it was discontinued. It did provide a convenient place to put markings and some police armors did just that.
 
Regards,