Actually the ground-off Coat of Arms was done by the Argentine military itself. A few had been sold to Chile, and some Chileans shot a few Argentinians, and were captured, and the soldiers were very upset that they were being shot at by their own guns (which at the time was the finest military rifle in the world), and so from then on all the rifles sold had their Coat of Arms ground off. Mine is the same way.

The book explains all the symbols. The shaking hands for instance is a symbol of the uniting of the southern provinces.

The advantage is that you will get all the essential elements at a glance. Quick reference guide.

Feb 26, 2012 - The serial number is printed on the barrel - Answered by a verified. Most Model 1891 Mauser rifles found in the U.S. Will have the crest ground. Aug 21, 2005 - I'm in need of approximate values on a couple of argentine mausers I found for sale locally. All rifles are. 1891 Engineers Carbine Leowe(sp?) Made in. One has matching serial numbers on blade and scabbard.

It is found in seven locations. MB in script is the test-firing mark, and there is also a Frigian Cap, Rising Sun, Oval, Anchor, Half-Moon, Four Point Star, Buckle, Five Point Star, Cross, Flattened Oval, Triangle, a different Four Point Star, and a Circle. But too bad about the shortened barrel. Ruined for collecting purposes but still cool to own. I paid $650 for mine last year, pretty much in perfect condition, but lightly fired.

Here is one that has a shortened barrel and shortened stock, and still estimated for 100-200 with matching numbers and a re-attached front sight. This auction house is very very conservative with estimates.

Most things 2x their estimates so maybe 200-400 is what it will really sell for. Might be an interesting item to watch. Of course the pictures are small, and there are no pics of the parts we'd like to see - the shortened barrel or the coat of arms. I've been to this auction before and the pics are always like that.

(l.) A 90-degree turndown bolt handle was standard on carbines. (ctr.) Graduated out to 2,000 meters, the rear sight also folds flat. (r.) Rollmarked from Berlin and shipped to Argentina, the 1891 Mauser would also have the Argentine national crest on the front receiver band. Whether made by Loewe or DWM, the 1891 Argentine Mausers are beautifully made firearms well-known for their spectacular receiver markings.

In addition to the model designation and the manufacturer information, the front receiver band of each rifle and carbine was beautifully rollmarked with the distinctive Argentine national crest. This emblem consists of a wreath enclosing three symbols important to the country’s national identity: a pair of hands in mid-handshake representing unity, a wooden pike representing power and a Phrygian cap representing freedom. At the apex of the crest, the sun shines down in a metaphor indicating a national aspiration and optimism that would not follow Argentina through the politically complicated 20th century.

The Phrygian cap and the shaking hands also appear on various parts and components of the 1891 rifles and carbines as proof and acceptance stamps, making each gun a handsome example of late 19th-century gunmaking craftsmanship. Collectors in the U.S., though, often find the national crest ground off of Argentine 1891 Mausers. This was done in the aftermath of the Chaco War of 1935, which pitted Bolivia and Paraguay against one another in a vicious albeit brief struggle for control of South America’s resource-rich Chaco Boreal. Argentina provided Paraguay with a large number of Model 1891 Mausers during the conflict in a move that jeopardized its relationship with Bolivia. The presence of unground national crests made it impossible to deny Argentina’s direct support for Paraguay, so after the war Argentina instituted a law requiring the removal of the national crest from any gun leaving the country. Although the government in Buenos Aires later dropped this requirement, by then most of the Argentine 1891 Mausers had been ground, and this accounts for why it is rare to find one with the crest intact. The German-made 1891 Argentine Mausers were ultimately phased out of active service when Argentina began licensed domestic production of the Model 1909 Mauser.

It serves to this day but in a ceremonial capacity only. If you’re ever in Buenos Aires, you might even spot sailors there guarding the Malvinas Memorial with it.