MAUSER 1914, SN 168278, PRUSSIAN EAGLE

MAUSER 1914, SERIAL NUMBER 168278, IMPERIAL MILITARY ACCEPTED, BEARING: PRUSSIAN EAGLE ON FRONT TRIGGER GUARD

Mauser started production of the Model 1914 in early 1914. Some of those produced during World War I bear a C/ script letter Army acceptance stamp on top of the slide forward of the rear sight. These are interspersed with commercial Mauser 1914s. Some of the later War production bear a “Prussian Eagle” (really a German test proof style eagle) on the front of the trigger guard. Forty four bearing the C/ script letter Army acceptance stamp are reported in the 14227 to 179249 serial range. Of these, 12 found in the 163570 to 179249 serial range, bear the Prussian Eagle on the front of the trigger guard. Procurement is estimated at about 100,000. In August 1917 the Prussian Army Arsenal offered the Mauser 1914 for sale to officers (Volume I, page 127).


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Figure 1. Left side, Mauser 1914, serial number 168278.


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Figure 2. Right side, Mauser 1914, serial number 168278.


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Figure 3. Mauser 1914, serial number 168278. Left side details. The slide bears the serial
number and manufacturing logo: WAFFENFABRIK MAUSER A.-G. OBERNDORF A.N. MAUSER PATENT. The Mauser banner is on the side plate.


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Figure 4. Right side, Mauser 1914, serial number 168278. It bears “Mauser-7,65"


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Figure 5. Mauser 1914, serial number 168278, top. The commercial C/C/U proof is stamped behind the sight and the C/ script letter Army acceptance stamp is located in front of the sight.


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Figure 6. Front, Mauser 1914, serial number 168278, showing the “Prussian Eagle” on the front of the trigger guard.


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14.17KBFigure 7. Mauser 1914, serial number 168278, showing details of the Prussian Eagle.


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Figure 8. World War I battle scene showing German infantry attacking a French trench line. Note: the soldier at the upper right is Mauser 1914 armed.

TRIGGER GUARD EAGLES

According to orders dated 23 July 1918, auxiliary Army pistols in use by troops are to have an Imperial Eagle (called Prussian Eagle by collectors) added by military armorers to the front of the trigger guard (Gortz, German Small Arms Markings, page 129).

If applied (as indicated by the orders) by regimental armorers scattered across the Eastern and Western Fronts, the styles of eagles* would be mixed according to pistol manufacturer or model**; some specimens of the earlier manufactured pistols would bear the stamp; and it would be certain that regimental armorers would be careless in the application (upside down, sideways, off center, and canted eagles would not be unheard of***)

This trigger guard eagle stamp is found on Mauser M1914 and Red 9, Beholla, Sauer 1913, Bavarian Steyr Hahn, 07 Dreyse, FL Selbstlader, P08, LP08 and commercial Lugers. In general the trigger guard eagle is scarce to rare.

The surviving examples of Mauser 1914's and Mauser M1896/16 Red 9's with the trigger guard eagle usually bear the same style of “Prussian eagle”; the eagles are neatly applied (as if applied at the Factory); and are mostly applied to late War pistols. This information from surviving examples suggests that a significant part of the eagle stamps on these models may have been applied at the Factory.

However, the data is sparse. Photographs of the “Prussian eagles” on the trigger guards of auxiliary pistols would help establish if this suggestion is supported by the facts of the surviving pistols. Please post photographs of the pistols with trigger guard eagles and detailed photographs of the eagle.

*There are at least five styles of eagles observed on the front trigger guard of auxiliary pistols.
**Also, some auxiliary pistols, Walther no.4, Jager and Frommer Stop, are not reported with the “Prussian eagle”.
***Late War unit markings (applied by regimental armorers) are sometimes carelessly applied; read the wrong way, and are often not applied according to orders.

Additional references-information:

Gortz, German Small Arms Markings, page 129

Volume I, Still, page 37, 41, 42, 46

1913 DWM, SN 5776, PRUSSIAN EAGLE Jan C Still
------------------------- http://www.gunboards.com/luger/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1120
Information in this article suggests that the “Prussian eagle” applied to some Lugers was accomplished at the factory.

Imperial Lugers, page 54

Mauser Pocket Pistols, Pender, page 117

The Broomhandle Pistol, Erickson and Pate, page 97

1914 Mauser marking W/PICs mauserdad http://www.gunboards.com/luger/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1062
Note: this 1914 Mauser has a different appearing eagle and is out of sequence with other 1914 Mausers bearing the “Prussian Eagle”.

Mauser 1914 Imperial Army garfield http://www.gunboards.com/luger/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=358