I just got the bid on this M.95 long rifle from East Africa. Pretty? Heck, no. EXC condition? Not even. A real tack driver? Perhaps not, but Friends here you see
history.
This was made in Vienna sometime in 1915. It was then used in the bitter fighting of WW1. When those hostilities ceased, it went to Italy as part of the war reparations.
After a cursory inspection by armorers, the Steyrs were then sent to East Africa for use by native levies. Actually some were used by Italian colonial troops, but those have a different mark.
That it's in rough condition clearly shows it was carried all over Eritrea, Ethiopia and possibly Libya by some fuzzy-haired native. Notice the broken stock - I have a mental image of it being dropped from a bucking camel... but then my imagination is known to run amok.
When I have it in hand, I'll write an article in the Italian forum. SW
Here's the AOI brand = Africa Orientale Italiana
zAOI5.jpg [ 188.93 KiB | Viewed 2320 times ]
The Austrian regimental marking is still present on the butt plate. Infantry regiment?
zAOI6.jpg [ 137.37 KiB | Viewed 2320 times ]
This is a field-expedient broken stock repair. Possibly from when it somehow fell from the camel.
zAOI7.jpg [ 88.33 KiB | Viewed 2320 times ]
And it all its ugliness:
zAOI8.jpg [ 124.3 KiB | Viewed 2320 times ]
Made my week!!
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