Book Review: History of the Mauser Rifle in Chile, by David Nielsen

Available from Amazon:
amzn.to/2S1IfRr
Or direct from the publisher, Schiffer:
www.schifferbooks.com/history...
David Nielsen's newly released book on Chilean Mauser rifles is a tremendous piece of academic work - which is both good and bad. It is 192 pages dedicated to the testing and procurement of the Models 1895, 1912, and 1935 Chilean Model Mauser rifles and carbines (although the focus is much more on the 1895 than the other two). As an academic type of work, it is scrupulously detailed and references, with an extensive bibliography of primary sources. It is also relatively dry, unless one is already particularly interested in the subject matter. I cannot help but think of a comparison to Anthony Vanderlinden's book on FN Mauser rifles, which is about an equally esoteric topic, but does a tremendous job of drawing the reader into its story. Nielsen's work has more of the academic feel in which being too expressive is somehow vaguely uncouth.
That being said, this does not in any way detract form the book's value as a reference to the inside story of Chilean Mauser rifles adoption. It covers the state of the Chilean military (and its associated politics) prior to the arrival of the Mauser, and has a quite detailed account of the Chilean rifle and ammunition trials that eventually led to selection of the 1893 Mauser. The primary source basis for the book also allows wonderful insight into the behind-the-scenes machinations and negotiations between FN, Steyr, and DWM over who would win the Chilean contracts.
A few related topics are covered, like the Chilean 1895 Navy rifles, the conversion to 7.62mm NATO, and the Chilean purchase of embargoed Boer rifles/carbines. There are all dealt with quite briefly compared to the main focus of the book, however (which are the main contracts and rifle patterns). Could this book have been improved by much more and better photography? Yes, absolutely. However, the most important core material for historians is there, and was clearly the focus of the author. At $35 retail (and more like $25 on Amazon as of this writing), the book is a bargain for anyone interested in the subject.
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[@philm9593]

Given that the Chilean military was originally trained by Prussian instructors the choice of the Mauser is a no brainer. Check out youtube vids of the Chilean Parades, it's quite something. Ian, thanks for the review in depth books like this make great reference material. 😎

[@Fi1del]

yep some straight up goose-stepping mfkers

[@prichards5113]

Have my copy signed by Dave and congratulate him on his History of the Mauser Rifle and he's working on the Spanish Mauser now; thanks Ian for your review. Dave is also a very keen competition shooter with the Queensland Military Rifle Club (QMRC).

[@captain0080]

My regiment reenacts the battle of Arica every year, we use mausers instead of Comblain rifles which were the standard chilean army rifle used in the 1879 pacific war.

[@keanur6541]

Im curios do any of you know about the boer war mausers. They have engravings of OVS and ZAR. Many of the mausers from the boer war in america are mistaken for south american mausers

[@timgrungus2234]

@@keanur6541 there is a forgotten weapons video on that subject kzbin.info/www/bejne/mJu2hJuvlL6labc

[@krisvillavicencio-freeman5511]

Thanks for bringing this book to my attention. You did a review on a Chilean Mauser that belonged to the national police. I bought that rifle in part due to your review but also because I am a Chilean American (naturalized). It is with pride that I can display a bit my history in my adoptive country. Thank you again, not only for this review, but all that you do.

[@matthayward7889]

I’m not from Chile, I don’t collect Mauser’s but here I am enjoying a FW book review about them

[@MSh-vx3zv]

Hey Ian, this story isn’t related to Chilean Mausers but I thought you might find it cool. My hometown had a military history event at a local museum and many reenactors and living history groups were present. At one table a group had a decent variety of WWI to WWII bolt actions. They began presenting the guns to me, and because I was the only one at their booth, the presenter gave me a mini lecture at all the guns. Lastly he picked up a rifle and called it a Lebel. Thanks to you I recognized it immediately for a berthier, and politely asked if I could look at it. Along the side was a Remington logo and the proper 1907/15 markings. I then automatically started filling the guy in on the general history of the berthier, and it’s colonial roots as well as the difficulty Remington had with it being metric. The guy kinda looked at me real funny, probably because it was his job to tell me about the guns. I felt a little bad because I wasn’t trying to be condescending. If I’d seen that booth a year ago and that same guy tell me he had a Lebel, I would’ve believed him. But your video helped me have a greater awareness for the lesser known weapons in history. And somewhat helped that booth guy get an accidental crash course in his own firearms.

[@JohnLeePedimore]

I've got a 1912 Chilean made by Steyr. I bought it at Big 5 for $119 decades ago.

[@williamprince1114]

Them were our good old days.

[@MrJodete23]

Chile, my country!

[@hiya9935]

We are the better country of Chile

[@hermeticchonk371]

@@hiya9935 chile is the best country in chile

[@josem.p.8439]

@@hermeticchonk371 BEFORE OR AFTER LEFT-WING WOKE BORIC ???

[@chubbycatfish4573]

That is a very specific book... but I like esoteric things.

[@emeteriosilva6901]

Genial yo tengo un MAUSER CHILENO DE 1912 ...SALUDOS DESDE CHILE. 👍

[@illyakuriakin1697]

Primer chileno que me encuentro aqui

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

Emeterio Silva English please

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

illya kuriakin English please

[@matiasojedaoporto8663]

Encuentro casi injusto que no se pueda encontrar tan fácil ese fusil como para comprarlo

[@doraran2138]

I wish there were more of these academically researched, professional and serious books on small arms.

[@knutdergroe9757]

The Mauser 98 was my first love. So yes this is of interest....... Thank Ian, For the review.

[@keanur6541]

There are quite a few boer war mausers,mistaken for chile mausers in america. The boer war mausers have a OVS or ZAR engraving on it. It is a war unbeknownst too many people. That war can almost be said to be the introduction into what can be seen as the birth of modern warfare.The boers with a mere 50,000 men took on 500,000 men of the british empire for 3 years,only to be defeated when the british put in motion a scorched earth policy and put their women and children into concentration camps to die. Jan smuts said that boers could easily have continued the war. boer jan smuts who became a leader under the british empire signed the treaty of ww1 and ww2 the only person to do so.

[@daniedupreez6678]

Shortly before the outbreak of the Anglo-Boer War, the British Navy blockaded the Lorenco Marques harbor in Mozambique, used by the land-locked Boer republics for imports. One shipment of model '95 Mausers were turned back as a result. These Boer contract rifles were then sold to Chili. That's how some Chilean Mausers ended up with OVS (Oranje Vrij Staat - Orange Free State) stamped on the receiver.

[@cjoutdoors1991]

I once bought a bayonet that I was told was for an Argentine Mauser but my research so far suggests it was for a Chilean Mauser M1895. It's nearly identical to the schematic at @1:30, so I think I can confirm it. Thanks, Ian and David Nielsen!

[@user-jm4nj7nz6t]

As someone with a very keen interest in South American arms I am thrilled to see a book like this! Thanks for bringing this to light Ian, just the ticket for me! 😀

[@jamescastle9606]

I own a Chilean Mauser M1895 and I would like to read this book, but as Ian pointed out, it is kinda dry and isn't illustrated very well.

[@tafino]

Interesting that there was so much information for the Chilean rifles. Was that common in Latin America, or are the Chileans more thorough in general? Will there be books about Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, etc?

[@redtormaximo5530]

The Army back then was mostly trained by prussians officers, everything had to be written down somewhere and everything is still available if you search hard enough.

[@chasem8419]

Just saw a Vickers tactical video of the mg74. Any chance you can get one of those and review that? Seems very interesting to see the 42 reborn

[@ecthelionalfa]

I would like if you could make a video on the famae sig 542 and how does compare with the other sig 500 series

[@greatestcheeseofswisinswit3932]

I have a question. Can you review the C96 Broom-handle?

[@alicialecroix411]

oh and nearly forgot this one kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYiVoWydoNJ7rq8

[@redcat9436]

The Chilean Mauser was my first gun.

[@sneakeypete]

Calling QUT UQ... That's a big difference! (It's an intertown rivalry)

[@lenny329]

I own a modelo 1912 made by steyr. Its been coverted to a 7.62x51 carbine but all my parts match (execpt the barrel). Id like to read this book boring or not

[@AlejandroGarcia-mu4ww]

Hi Ian,Can you point me in the right direction where I can learn more about Mexican Mauser rifles

[@demian7567]

Hello from a chilean fan!

[@elsoldadomarquez]

I wish there was something like this for Mexico and its Mauser.

[@fuwa2432]

cool !

[@charlesadams1721]

Sometimes I think that an actual use, not often recognized is the selection and implementation process for the implements of conflict are more a comment on the processes that lead to conflicts and maintained the conflicts. From my poor understanding of South American politics in the period roughly between the mid-1800’s and the mid-1900’s, South America was not the more or less peaceful backwater the rest of the world presumes it to have been. Reading about some of the conflicts between the nations rivals some of the European “incidents” and some provocations and responses would, had they been in Europe were more than enough to spark extensive wars. Perhaps its credit to the leaders of their respective nations that conflict didn’t spread to the whole continent. Please don’t presume to think that South America was considered to be but a backwater to the World Powers in Europe (after all, the North American continent was considered a backwater) as many European nations were dependent upon South American resources. So the selection of a rifle, and the source, caliber, etc. would be important to why and how a decision was made.

[@vicenteabarca1855]

hola quería saber porque el libro no esta en Chile y si lo esta en tu país

[@somerando3718]

I’m from Chile so this book was a no brained for me to buy. Was a interesting read but most of it you had to use your imagination.

[@patriciocordova449]

Hey ! I’m a Chi-Le-Ann from Australia!...AND lucky enough to be a gun owner here, but unfortunately this book may be classified by police as a highly prohibited fully semi automatic terrorist black high capacity gun book under Our “Appearance” laws, so it may not be available..now, I’ll be expecting a knock at the door to have my registered air rifle confiscated under our “unsuitable person” law.

[@charles_wipman]

Sounds really interesting, from a political/economic point of view IMO.

[@kahe4237]

interesting book

[@elblitzb]

im trying to buy a Chilean Mauser (here in Chile) and i want to estudy the topic so i think its a very good option.

[@NerpMcDerp]

Sounds delicious!

[@user-ks2dv8ir3n]

Have you ever fired some Thailand rifle ww1 and 2 ?

[@kurtvanduran7725]

The Siamese Mauser ya he has an old video on them ( don’t recall if he ever fired it) most Americans haven’t shot them the ammo isn’t readily available here and only started to be commercially available within the last year or 2. The rifles themselves are rather inexpensive because the ammo isn’t super available, the channel milsurp world talk about the pretty often as one of the host’s is quite a fan.

[@SpetsnazGRU1979]

Another fine review! Any recommendations for books about colonial troops and there firearms?

[@anthonyhayes1267]

Yeah, I think I'll take 10

[@highlandoutsider8148]

Was the lack of high quality photography maybe because if your reading this the author assumes that you already know what they are talking about or more just a poor choice?

[@LukeBunyip]

The lack of an index is IMHO more betwixting. Maybe he didn't have the budget for good quality photography?

[@melikecomedy]

@@LukeBunyip price makes sense, id imagine having a lot of photos in the book would be more expensive but honestly I have no perspective.

[@hermeticchonk371]

dude you gotta tell me where you got that robe. You look like baron von ungern-Sternberg reborn

[@calvingreene90]

If you are a compulsive note taker make an index for it on the internet.

[@ARNEKKEvd]

HEY IAN

[@goldrooster7754]

Now here's a new idea right here gun Jesus, doing book reviews and stuff, would be interesting.

[@YS3D]

Queensland Gang rise up

[@balin1600]

hello there

[@olaznog900]

Estas te las pasan en la escuela naval

[@mrtayyab4575]

Coool

[@JhosepSantoro]

Holaaa!! Soy chileno!! ¿Alguien me puede explicar un poco de lo que hablan en el video? es que no me manejo mucho con el ingles jajajaja

[@dobypilgrim6160]

Most Americans will wait for the comic book edition.

[@vwertix1662]

22rd

[@cer0mmyto513]

In my country we would say: Aguante chile chuchetumareeee!!! xD 🇨🇱 🇨🇱🇨🇱🇨🇱🇨🇱

[@hermeticchonk371]

HAY ALGUN SACO WEA AQUI?