So the M1916 found a second lease on life. The rifles were stamped with the Guard's crest: a crossed sword and fasces. The M1916 served on, seeing judicious use against both common criminals and remnants of the Republican forces. The Guardia Civil was instrumental in bringing peace and stability to Spain, and indeed the time from 1939 to the early 1950s is known as Spain's "silent war". The M1916 was relegated to second line work, and issued to La Guardia Civil, the quasi-military national police force of Spain. Spain’s arsenals took to building newer Mauser type rifles, patterned after the German K98k, and chambered in the more powerful 8x57mm Mauser cartridge. Despite Franco’s militarism, he did keep Spain out of WWII, and like all good dictators, he quickly busied himself with securing his seat of power and rebuilding Spain’s military. Of course, we all know that the forces of Generalissimo Francisco Franco ( who is still dead) ultimately prevailed, and this instituted nearly forty years of fascist rule in the country. The M1916 saw extensive service on both sides during the war. Poor economic conditions, ineffective government, a lack of national unity, and a host of other factors all brought this situation to head in 1936, and Spain went to war against itself as elements of the Spanish military revolted against the left-leaning Second Spanish Republic. Spanish nationalist thought competed with regional separatism, and as the 20th century dawned, the ideals of communism, socialism, and fascism further divided the Spanish people. These governments were either ineffective or brutally repressive, and sometimes both. In the aftermath, Spanish government changed hands multiple times, alternating between monarchy, republic, and dictatorship. Spaniards struggled to find a sense of identity amidst the change, and reflected on their decline. The loss of its colonies in Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines left a profound mark on Spain. Defeated and humiliated, Spain ceded the last major pieces of its once vast empire. The M1916 was born during a rather tumultuous time in Spanish history. The country had been steadily losing standing as a world power for decades, something that started slowly with Napoleon’s invasion, and ultimately culminated in the Spanish American War in 1898. As powder technology improved, militaries realized they could standardize on one rifle type with a shorter barrel length for all troops, without having performance suffer. In the late 19th century, many armies issued rifles, short rifles, and carbines, with the latter two types going to cavalry, engineer, and artillery troops who (it was thought) wouldn't need the range of an infantryman, and whose duties meant that a cumbersome long rifle would just get in the way.
#1916 spanish mauser handguard full
The M1893 rifle had been developed before the advent of Spitzer bullets, and like most rifles of its day it had a very long (29”!) barrel to take full advantage of early smokeless propellants to generate maximum velocity and therefore range. At the beginning of the 20th century it was still formidable if not cutting edge. It was smooth and fast, and worked great with moderately powerful cartridges.
Its action is pure M1893, which to refresh your memory, is a "small ring" Mauser design that cocks on closing (which I prefer to the later, stronger 98 action which cocked on opening). Originally chambered in the hot-for-its-day 7x57mm Mauser cartridge, the M1893 wasn't the strongest bolt action on the block, but it didn't really need to be. I've blogged about two Spanish Mausers before: the very important M1893, and the interesting FR-8. Think of the M1916 as the M1893's little brother, so to speak.
0 kommentar(er)
