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CONDITION: Excellent with 97% original blue finish
overall. The stock and handguard are also excellent,
both with a nice matching light blond European
walnut that shows some minor handling marks on
the lower buttstock and along the sides of the butt.
There is a small arsenal repair directly behind the
barrel band on the left side, none of which really
detracts from this super rare rifle. The
drum magazine retains 75% of the
original blue/black finish overall with
the balance having flaked off and
turned a nice pleasing brown patina
that blends in very nicely with the
original finish.
This is a super
condition rifle
with a one-of-
a-kind drum
magazine. This is
a rare opportunity
to acquire this Mondragon Model 1908 rifle, the only
example accompanied with a drum magazine that
we have ever offered at auction!
Estimate: 40,000 - 60,000
The bolt itself takes its direct lineage from the Schmidt-Rubin rifles and employs four locking lugs
at the front of the bolt and four at the rear that rotate to lock and unlock. It is fitted with the correct
military style tangent rear sight graduated up to 2,000 meters and an inverted “V” front sight with a
bayonet lug on the underside of the barrel. The sights very strongly resemble the sights seen on the
Mexican Mausers then in service. The rifle action is unmarked. All matching visible serial numbers with
“2578” marked on the left side of the action, top of the bolt, cocking handle, and magazine release
lever. The stock and handguard are both correctly made from a light colored European straight grained
walnut with a flat steel buttplate, and the stock is stamped with numbers “81.5” on the lower left side.
The rare drum magazine itself is a very heavy and robust assembly that has a small serial number plate
on top of the flat that is marked “6” over “2272”. The back plate of the drum has a single winding lever
in the middle and is numbered “10”, “15”, “20”, “25” and “30” to indicate the number of loaded rounds.
The markings and operation are both very similar to the subsequent German “snail” drum magazines
as also used in Artillery Luger pistols, with both drum magazines designed by the same individual,
Friedrich Blum, indicating this rifle drum magazine is the evolutionary predecessor.