Rare Uruguayan Model 71/94 Dovitiis Rifle by St. Denis Arsenal

Serial #92053, 6.5mm Daudeteau, 31 1/2" barrel with a fine, bright bore that has some minor freckling within the grooves. This is a French conversion of an 1888-made Gew. 1871 Mauser rifle to a small-bore, high-speed smokeless cartridge for the Uruguayan military in the 1890s. The rifle consists of a standard Gew. 1871 action with mismatched bolt, mated to a St. Denis-made barrel fitted with Lebel-Berthier type rear sight. The metal has an overall pewter gray patina with some mild surface freckling mixing in, and a single area of moderate pitting on the plum-brown bolt handle. The walnut stock has numerous small handling marks and blemishes scattered throughout the reapplied military oil finish. The rifle is accompanied by a correct cleaning rod and the action is fully functional. These rifles worked well, but were quickly replaced by Mauser Model 1895 rifles soon after their arrival. This is a very good example of a rarely seen Franco-German rifle built for the South American market. Antique