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It’s one of the most famous trademarks in the firearm world—a rectangular banner with “Mauser” at its center. The company started using the logo in 1909, and it appeared on such famous guns as C96 “Broomhandle” pistols, interwar Oberndorf sporting rifles and on an export rifle called the “Standard Modell,” which would become known in collecting circles as the “Mauser Banner.”
Mauser’s Standard Modell grew out of a post-World War I trend to replace rifle and carbine versions of a country’s main battle arm with a universal or “standard” pattern of intermediate length. In the 1920s, with Mauser’s production of firearms restricted by the Versailles Treaty, two other manufacturers, Belgian’s Fabrique Nationale (FN) and Czechoslovakia’s Ceskoslovenská Zbrojovka (CZ) became the world’s top producers of Model 98-style bolt-action rifles. In 1924, both FN and CZ introduced “short” ’98 rifles with 23.25″ barrels, which they sold around the world.
Under the pretense of export sales and arming civil authorities, Mauser began developing its own version of the short rifle, calling the resulting product the Standard Modell. The rifle featured a 23.62″ (600 mm) barrel, but retained the horizontal bolt handle of the World War I Gewehr 98. It was offered for sale in 7.92×57 mm, 7×57 mm and 7.65×53 mm calibers.
Some of these export rifles had the famed Mauser banner on the front receiver ring. On others, the purchasing country’s crest occupied that spot, and the banner was moved to the rear receiver ring. The left-side receiver rail was first marked “Standard Modell” and later held the Mauser name and address. China was the largest purchaser of Standard Modell 98s, with other notable contracts going to Bolivia, Ethiopia and Paraguay. China made its own copy of the Standard Modell, with some Chinese-made rifles even featuring a crude facsimile of the Mauser banner on their receivers.
Later-production Standard Modells were modified with a turned-down bolt handle and side-mounted sling mounts. The modified Standard Modell was acquired for the German postal and rail services and was also supplied to the country’s rising political paramilitary organizations.
In 1935, the German military adopted its own standardized short rifle, designated as the “Karabiner 98 kurz,” or 98k. Standard Modells were still being made in Mauser factories after 98k production started, and they continued to be assembled from remaining parts through the end of World War II. Some were used by the German army and bear Waffenamt acceptance proofs. It is estimated that a quarter million Standard Modells were produced before 1945.
Distributed throughout the world, Standard Modells turn up with interesting histories. They were captured and re-captured, loaned and sold, and often end up bearing the markings of several owners. Most Mauser Banners in this country were imported from China in the 1980s. Many non-import-marked Standard Modell rifles were supplied to Spain during that country’s civil war to arm Franco’s Nationalist soldiers and the German volunteer Condor Legion. In the 1950s and ’60s these rifles, many of which had been arsenal-refurbished after the war, were sold on the surplus market and imported into the U.S. by Interarmco (later Interarms).
The rifle pictured, originally manufactured in 1936, was likely one of those Spanish imports. Its only markings are the Mauser banner, the “Standard Modell” label, the original German commercial proofs and Mauser military acceptance Waffenamts. It has been arsenal-refinished, has a polished, mismatched bolt (originals were blued) and is missing its cleaning rod. Pristine pre-war Standard Modell Mausers can bring $2,000-$3,000, and Chinese imports in good condition are worth $700-$900. The pictured rifle is worth $600.
Gun: Mauser 1898 Standard Modell “Banner” short rifle
Manufacturer: Mauser Werke
Chambering: 7.92×57 mm (8 mm Mauser)
Condition: NRA Good (Antique Gun Standards)
“Expeller of evil” (mušēṣu lemnūti) with white pigment and red spots “Catcher of the enemy” (kāšid ayyāb) with red pigment “Don’t think, bite!” (ē tamtallik epuš pāka) with white pigment “Biter of his foe!” (munaššiku gārîšu) with turquoise pigment “Loud is his bark!” (dan rigiššu) with black pigment
One of Duke’s most important quests was to have a home site where he could shoot right
in his front yard, which is exactly what he is doing with his MP40 submachine gun.
In my humble opinion a life should contain quests, or in more modern parlance, “bucket list” items. Mine have been rather humble. The two most far-fetched ones I entertained as a kid in the 1950s was flying in a B17 and visiting the island of Iwo Jima. As an older fellow, more prominent quests including finding a wonderful wife, seconded by a nice home with lots of land so I could shoot on it freely. I’m happy to say all those quests have been satisfied.
However, more minor quests have kept me busy unto this day. Those were quests for various firearms, and brothers I have been mostly successful. I’ll detail one right now.
Yahoos Miss Out
Back in my native West Virginia, it seemed older S&W .44s were fairly common in gun stores and pawn shops. I even got to borrow a target-sighted triple lock (S&W Hand Ejector, First Model) for some shooting. Another triple lock with target sights and a 5″ barrel had actually belonged to one of Mingo County’s Hatfield clan and was offered to me. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the coin to afford it at the time.
Much later at a Montana gun show, an older gent with whom I was acquainted approached holding a holstered revolver under his arm. I could tell at a glance it was an older Smith & Wesson N-Frame revolver. He said, “I’ve waved this under the noses of several of these yahoo dealers and they have offered me a pittance for it. Are you interested?” I looked the gun over, instantly recognizing it as a target-sighted triple lock with 6 1/2″ barrel. I made him what turned out to be a sufficient offer, he accepted and we both left the gun show happy.
A Day At The Museum
Quest guns can appear unexpectedly. A few years later, I was in a gun store/military museum in Los Angeles of all places. Therein on the used gun shelf was a Smith & Wesson Hand Ejector 2nd Model with fixed sights and a 6 1/2″ barrel. I paid for it and had it shipped to Montana. When lettering it, what did I find? It had been shipped to West Virginia in 1929. With this bit of good luck, my quest then became having Smith & Wesson .44s in all four basic models.
Later, after some diligent searching on the Gunbroker.com auction site, the quest for all four basic permutations of Smith & Wesson .44s was fulfilled. The next one was a Hand Ejector Third Model with fixed sights and 6 1/2″ barrel. It lettered to an army officer based in California in 1939. Finally, after more diligent online searching, a target-sighted Model 1950 Target with 6 1/2″ barrel appeared (the later model number was M24). I nabbed it. Those four big .44 Specials sure look good in a photo!
Both of these N-Frame S&W revolvers are Hand Ejector, Fourth Models. Top is target-sighted
Model 1950 Target aka Model 24. Bottom is Model 1950 Military aka Model 21.
Not Done
But — I wasn’t finished. As a teen poring over catalog sections in things like Gun Digest, I took note of another .44 Special Smith & Wesson revolver. It was their N-Frame fixed sight Model 21 which came with 4″, 5″ and 6-1/2″ barrel lengths. Sadly I learned Smith & Wesson discontinued Model 21s, along with several fine N-Frame revolvers, right about the time I discovered them. A further frustration was only 1,200 Model 21s had been made, including those pre-model numbered ones named Model 1950 Military. (S&W adopted model numbers in 1957.) Satisfying this quest seemed unlikely.
Decades passed without ever encountering even one of those Model 21s. Then, in my early 50s, I walked into a gun show in Bozeman, Montana. Upon the first table visited there sat a Model 21 with a 4″ barrel. Its price was steep but I didn’t hesitate. It’s odd how things happen, because within a year I came across two more with 5″ barrels. I bought them too.
So — do all these .44s I quested for sit safe in my gun vault? No, they don’t. Only two remain. They are the triple lock and the Hand Ejector Second Model. Why would I let go of such valued quest objects. Well, questing is an ongoing thing (ailment?). Over the half-century plus of my gun-buying quests arose for Colt SAAs, Winchester lever guns, Sharps single-shot rifles and even World War II full-autos. Sometimes satisfied quest objects must make room for new quest objects.