Oviedo 1916 Spanish Mauser

The M1916 Spanish Mausers was introduced in 1916 by Fabrica Nacional de Armas in Oviedo, Spain for the Spanish Army. Production started in 1916 and lasted to 1936. Arround 325.000 of them were made in that time. It was a shortened version of the M1893 rifle with a straight stock chambered in 7×57mm Mauser which was a common round in use by the Spanish military. Approximately 60,000 of them was converted by Oviedo Arsenal to the more plentiful .308 Winchester to make them more popular for the U.S. market. Most of them were imported by Samco Global Arms Imports. Many were also converted by La Coruna into FR7 rifles at the end of the 1950s by re-barreling them to accept the 7.62×51mm CETME and 7.62×51mm NATO rounds for military training and Guardia Civil use. The Oviedo-marked 1916's are very similar to the Model 1893, and have the following features: Oviedo markings (Crown, "Fabrica de Armas Oviedo" and the year of manufacture) on the receiver. Approximately 22" barrel. Thumb cutout in the left side of the receiver rail. Gas escape hole in the left side of the receiver. Most have the tangent leaf "rollercoaster" rear sight. Some models have the "lange vizier" sight. Lange vizier sights have been reported from 1921 to 1927. Most others have tangent leaf sights. Original bolts have curved handles.