Infantry Model 1889 (Belgian Mauser) Bolt-Action Service Rifle (1889)
The Model 1889 was nothing more than the proven German Mauser modified to suit Belgian Army needs.
When the modernizing Belgian Army required a new service rifle all their own, they turned to the existing and proven German design, bypassing any lengthy, and ultimately costly, indigenous initiative in the process. The German design served as the basic framework for the Belgian offering which was slightly modified to suit Belgian Army requirements. It was this very rifle that the storied Belgian firearms concern of Fabrique-National (otherwise abbreviated as "FN" - FN Herstal) was set up to manufacture in number. FN eventually survived two world wars and continues today as one of the top firearms designers and producers in the world.
One of the principle defining features of the Belgian version of the Mauser rifle was its thin sheet steel jacket fitted over the barrel - a very unique element not common to any other Mauser mark of note. The jacket was instituted as a feature intended to maintain the effectiveness of the barrel and the wooden body over time, otherwise lengthening its service life and long-term accuracy when exposed to excessive firing and battlefield abuse. Despite this approach, the jacketed barrel proved susceptible to moisture build-up and, therefore, introduced the problem of rust forming on the barrel itself - unbeknownst to the owner. Additionally, the jacket was not perforated in such a way as to relieve the barrel of any heat build-up and proved prone to denting. As such, barrel quality was affected over time regardless of the protective measure. One last item of note concerning this design initiative was the extra steel that was required to complete these rifles - an expensive resource particularly when the rifle was expected to reach tens of thousands of Belgian troops. By many accounts, the barrel jacket was not appreciated by its operators who depended on a perfect rifle in wartime.
Despite this drawback, the Belgian version of the Mauser held several "firsts" in Mauser rifle history. It was the first Mauser-based rifle to feature a charger-loading integral box magazine. In this fashion, prepared "chargers", each holding five rounds, were fitted into the integral box magazine which sat ahead of the trigger group. When loading the first round into the chamber through the standard bolt-action motion, the charger was ejected from the weapon - the cartridges effectively "stripped" from their holder. This left five well-stacked rounds ready to fire in the fixed magazine. The weapon was chambered for the 7.65x53mm Belgian Mauser cartridge and utilized a straight-pull, manually-actuated bolt-action mechanism (essentially a handle set at 90-degrees from the receiver). Individual cartridges could still be loaded in lieu of the charger method as normal but use of chargers improved reloading times considerably. Regardless, fighting men still respected the single-loading nature of such weapons. This Belgian Mauser also became the first Mauser rifle to fire a useful small-caliber cartridge of smokeless propellant (7.65mm) as previous offerings utilized an 8mm or 7.92mm caliber type. Another Mauser rifle "first" became the Belgian Mauser's use of the projecting integral box magazine and this was further a single-piece installation tied to the trigger ring which reduced the changes of a snag int he heat of battle.
The Belgian Mauser featured a single-piece solid wooden body running the length of the entire weapon, ending just aft of the muzzle. The body contained two bands and iron sights were fitted at the middle of the receiver top and at the muzzle. Overall length of the weapon was 50.5 inches with the barrel making up approximately 30.5 inches of this length. Of course a fixed bayonet added nearly another 10 inches to the design as doctrine of the period still relied heavily on the bayonet charge for the decisive victory. Unloaded weight was around 4 kilograms while muzzle velocity was rated at 2,000 feet per second under ideal conditions. The bayonet was optional though highly standard for this period of warfare and included a 9.8 inch blade-type design affixed under the muzzle.
At any rate, the Model 1889 gave a good account of itself and managed a very healthy service life. It was the standard Belgian infantry rifle of World War 1 and survived long enough to see combat in World War 2 - the Mauser origins no doubt playing some part in this longevity. During World War 1, the Belgian government was forced to flee its capital as the Germans took swathes of territory en route to Paris. With no home country (and therefore no Belgian factories to produce the rifle in the required numbers), Belgian soldiers were eventually equipped with French Lebel and Berthier rifles for much of the war. During the earlier years of the conflict (pre-1914), the Model 1889 was manufactured in a few notable forms: a carbine-type "short" version was equipping cavalry and artillery infantry (the "Gendarmerie, Foot Artillery & Fortress Troops Carbine Model 1889") while a "turn-down" bolt-handle version was issued to bicycle-mounted defense groups (as the "Garde Civique Rifle Model 1889"). Other short versions became the "Cavalry Carbine Model 1889" sans its bayonet mounting and reduced stock (and therefore lightened) and the "Mounted Gendarmerie Carbine Model 1899" with bayonet support, revised stock design and additional barrel band which identified the type. The Belgian Model 1889 Mauser continued service into the 1930s though the jacketed barrel was finally discarded during production. These new modernized forms emerged as "Infantry Rifle Model 1936" or "Model 1889/36" of 1936 seeing limited production and service with second line units. Their barrels were also shortened and a new front iron sight introduced. Text ©2003-2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • No Reproduction Permitted
MilitaryFactory.com does NOT sell equipment/weaponry. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information. Our disclaimer. Email corrections / Comments to MilitaryFactory at Gmail dot com.
Specifications for the
Infantry Model 1889 (Belgian Mauser)
Bolt-Action Service Rifle
Country of Origin: Belgium
Manufacturer: Fabrique National / State Arsenals - Belgium
Initial Year of Service: 1889
Overall Length: 1295mm (50.98in)
Barrel Length: 780.00mm (30.71in)
Weight (Empty): 8.82lbs (4.00kg)
Cartridge: 7.65x53R Belgian Mauser
Action: Manually-actuated straight-pull bolt; repeating
Feed: 5-round integral box magazine
Muzzle Velocity: 2,000ft/sec (610m/sec)
Rate-of-Fire: 8 rounds per minute
Sights: Iron front and rear
Variants:
Infantry Rifle Model 1889 - Base Service Rifle
Civil Guard Rifle Model 1889 - Turn-down bolt handle; revised bayonet mountings (for different bayonet).
Gendarmerie, Foot Artillery & Fortress Troops Carbine Model 1889 - Shortened/lightened carbine model for mounted specialist troops; turn-down bolt handle; standard infantry bayonet.
Garde Civique Rifle Model 1889 - Turn-down bolt handle; issued to bicycle Civic Guard units.
Cavalry Carbine Model 1889 - Lightened short carbine model for mounted troops; sans bayonet mountings.
Mounted Gendarmerie Carbine Model 1899 - Based on Cavalry Carbine Model 1889 for mounted police; bayonet mountings; revised stock.
Infantry Model 1936 - Modernized Model 1889 rifles; limited production.
Operators: Belgium
BY YEAR:
• 1700 to 1799
• 1800 to 1899
• 1900 to 1909
• 1910 to 1919
• 1920 to 1929
• 1930 to 1939
• 1940 to 1949
• 1950 to 1959
• 1960 to 1969
• 1970 to 1979
• 1980 to 1989
• 1990 to 1999
• 2000 to 2009
• 2010 to 2019
• VIEW ALL
• Compare Guns
BY TYPE:
• Anti-Aircraft Weapons
• Anti-Material Rifles
• Anti-Tank Weapons
• Automatic Rifles
• Bolt-Action Rifles
• Carbine Guns
• Flamethrowers
• Flintlock Guns
• Grenade Launchers
• Hand Grenades
• Lever-Action Rifles
• Machine Guns
• Mortars
• Musket Guns
• Pistols / Handguns
• Recoilless Rifles
• Revolvers
• Rocket Launchers
• Shotguns
• Silenced Guns
• Sniper Rifles
• Special Weapon Systems
• Submachine Guns
• VIEW ALL
SPECIAL:
• 18th Century Warfare
• 3 Soldiers Statue
• Battle of Mogadishu
• Chainmail Armor
• Firearm Types Defined
• French Military Victories
• Medieval Crossbow
• Medieval Longbow
• Vietnam War Casualties
• Vietnam War Memorial
WORLD WAR 2:
• British Guns
• French Guns
• German Guns (ALL)
• German Rifles
• Italian Guns
• Japanese Guns
• Soviet Guns
• US Guns
• US Infantry Regiment-Level Guns
• Machine Guns
• Pistols
• Rifles
• Submachine Guns
• Sniper Rifles
• VIEW ALL
WORLD WAR 1:
• Pistols
• Rifles
• Machine Guns
• Mortars
• US Guns
• VIEW ALL
KOREAN WAR:
• Machine Guns
• VIEW ALL
VIETNAM WAR:
COLLECTIONS:
• Ancient Weapons
• British SAS Weapons
• Civil War Guns
• Colt Guns
• Glock Guns
• GROM Polish Special Forces
• Guns of Libya
• Guns of North Korea
• Guns of Syria
• Guns of WW1 & WW2
• Heckler & Koch Guns
• Kalashnikov Guns
• Modern Russian Guns
• Navy SEAL Weapons
• Spetsnaz Weapons
• Weapons of Desert Storm
• Wild West Guns
• Winchester Guns
HOLLYWOOD/GAMES:
©2013 www.MilitaryFactory.com • Content ©2003-2013 MilitaryFactory.com • All Rights Reserved • Site Contact Email: militaryfactory at gmail dot com. The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® trademarks and protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws.
Top MF Stuff: 2013 Military Pay Scale | Military Ranks | WW2 Weapons | Sniper Rifles | Kts to Mph | WW1 Aircraft | Automatic Rifles | Aircraft Cockpits | Vietnam War Weapons | Main Battle Tanks | Submachine Guns | Shotguns | French Military Victories
Most photographic images appearing on this site are courtesy of the United States Department of Defense and are approved for public use. Other images acquired through the public domain. Digital art work courtesy of Dan Alex. Business Consulting by Kyle Williams. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance or general operation. Please consult manufacturers for such information.
