In 1893 a very slightly modified version of this rifle was manufactured by Loewe for the Spaniards and shipped to Cuba. 30,000 rifles and carbines were delivered to Spanish troops there. These rifles were the backbone of the Spanish defense in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.
Spanish Mauser Model 93. Spanish Infantry Rifle. Right Side View Of Action: The receiver metal on the right side of the bolt opening has been cut away to facilitate ejection. This is a feature of all later Mauser rifles. The introduction of this rifle marked a great advance in the field of bolt action rifle design. Modern 7mm Mauser ammunition can be used. Bullet types and weights, as well as powder charges, differ with place and time of manufacture, but all will interchange. The 7mm is commonly called “.276” in the U.S., but that described in European catalogs as “7mm Mauser (.275)” will interchange.
At the battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba, 15,000 of our troops attacked the hill defended by a mere 700 Spaniards, armed with Model 1893 Spanish Mauser rifles. The fact that the cartridges were smokeless, that the rifles were rapidly loaded with Mauser clips, and that in velocity and range they were far superior to both our single shot Springfield .45-70’s and our Krags produced results which could not be overlooked.
At the outbreak of the War our Regular Army of 27,000 was equipped with .30 caliber rifles on the Krag-Jorgensen system. The Navy had purchased 10,000 Lee straight pull rifles of 6mm (.236) caliber. Most of the volunteers were armed with .45 caliber black powder rifles.
Model 1893. Spanish Mauser. Right Side View Of Rifle With Action Closed And Cocked.
With only 700 men defending the hill, the Spaniards actually inflicted over 1400 casualties on our attacking forces! Twenty-one thousand one hundred fifty-four of these rifles and carbines were finally seized by our forces after the fall of the Spaniards.
After experimenting with numerous designs, we finally developed and adopted our famous Springfield Rifle of 1903, a Mauser pattern rifle better than any Mauser made before or since. With the adoption of the M1 (Garand) semi-automatic rifle in 1936 we again forged ahead of the Germans in the field of rifle development for our armed forces; though for sniping and sharpshooting the Springfield continues to be the last word in military rifle design.
Model 1893. Spanish Mauser. Top View Of Action: Note the improved style of bolt removal. This has been carried through on all later Mauser rifles. When the bolt is in full rear position, pushing out on the pivoted thumb piece seen at the rear left of the receiver, permits withdrawal of the bolt as a unit to the rear. The camming surfaces on the top of the receiver show clearly how upward movement of the bolt handle compels the turning and withdrawing movement essential to effective primary extraction.
Other Mauser Rifles Based on the Spanish Mauser Model 1893 Pattern
The following Mauser rifles are merely minor modifications of the Spanish Mauser Model 1893:
The Turkish M93, the Swedish M94 (Caliber 6.5mm), the Brazilian Model 94, the Swedish Infantry Rifle Model 96, the Chilean Model 95, the Uruguayan, Peruvian, Chinese, Transvaal, and Orange Free State (all Models of 95), and the Serbian Model 99.
Further slight modifications of these types have been made since the original issue. In general, however, the designs are the same.
Spanish Mauser Model 1893. Spanish Infantry Rifle. Phantom View Of Right Side Of Action Showing Bolt Withdrawn And Rifle Ready For Loading: A comparison of this drawing with that of the Spanish Model 91, and Model 92-93, will show the principal differences in design. The magazine follower and spring construction and the magazine base plate removal system vary in all these models. The sear and trigger system of the 92-93 and 93 Models are alike and are improved over the Model 91. Note that in this type of design while the initial opening movement of the bolt withdraws the point of the firing pin back within the bolt head, the spring is only partly compressed. Lifting and then thrusting down the bolt handle will compress the striker spring and cock the weapon if desired. A comparison of the bolt and cocking-piece shape with that of earlier models will show graphically the alterations in design. This arm in 7mm Spanish Caliber is the basis for the rifle designs of many South American nations. This rifle was manufactured not only by Mauser and by Ludwig Loewe & Co., but also at the Oviedo Arsenal in Spain and by Steyr in Austria.Spanish Mauser Model 1893. Spanish Infantry Rifle. Right Side Phantom View Showing Action Closed, Magazine And Chamber Loaded: This drawing shows the magazine fully loaded and an additional cartridge in the firing chamber. In rifles of this design, after a loaded clip has been inserted in the magazine guide and the 5-cartridges stripped down into the magazine, the top cartridge may be thrust further down into the magazine with the thumb of the left hand, while the bolt is eased forward with the right hand, until it clears the top of the cartridge in the magazine and is past the point where it can feed from the magazine. A sixth cartridge may then be inserted directly into the firing chamber and the bolt pushed home and turned down to lock. Note that this rifle does not have a magazine cut off. Therefore, at the end of each rearward stroke of the bolt, the magazine spring brings a cartridge up in line for feeding. If it is desired to close the bolt on the chamber and retain the magazine loaded, it is necessary to manually thrust the cartridges in the magazine down and ease the bolt forward over the top cartridge.
