SOLD - Siamese Type 46/66 Mauser Rifle

Description

7/27/23 - This is a nice example of the Siamese Type 46/66, manufactured between 1903-1908. The Kingdom of Siam (modern day Thailand) wanted to modernize its military and replace their outdated 1888/90 Mannlicher Rifles. The Gewehr 98 design, licensed from Mauser, was chosen as the basis for these new infantry rifles. Lacking the necessary manufacturing capabilities, Japan was contracted to manufacture the Type 46/66, which combined the Gewehr 98 action with some Type 35 Arisaka features such as sliding dust cover and long receiver tang. The metal on this one has retained about 80% of its bluing, with visible wear around the muzzle, edges of the front sight, and bolt. The dust cover has noticeable discoloration, and the receiver has two small areas of finish loss along the lines where it interacts with the dust cover. The metal in front of the trigger guard has some minor pitting. The receiver is stamped with the Siamese Chakra on the top, proof marks and the Koishikawa Arsenal on the side, and serial number in Siamese numbers. Rifling is strong, but the bore is dark. Stock is in good shape with some nicks and dings here and there. Rear barrel band is slightly loose.