Has anyone ever seen one of the Mauser made Newton rifles that were shipped right around the beginning of WW1? I was reading about them in the "Mauser Archive" by Jon Speed and he had not found one and I was wondering....They were in .256 caliber.

Bruce Jennings' Newton book says only 24 were delivered from the first DWM order in 1914. He goes on to say that it is doubtful if any of second DWM order or any from the Sauer & Sohn order were delivered because of the war.

Sure would like to know what they are like if any still exist in original form.The more I learn about the Mauser and Newton the more impressed I become.

I believe two or three have been found. I sent a link to a gentleman and he may weigh in on the topic.
Art

A good while ago, I was gifted with a .256 Newton Mauser. As I remember ,it was a good piece of work. It was stolen, along with about 70 other guns from my ranch in Colorado...Somewhere I know I have a picture of it, taken for insurance purposes...I am out of the country for the next 5-6 months, or I'd look for it and post it...

I came into possession of a 1922 Newton Mauser by spotting it on the internet and recognizing it for what it was. The bolt handle design and the unique set triggers were what called the rifle to my attention. I realise that this is a different rifle from the pre-WW I version, but since only about 100 of them were delivered, is interesting in its own right.

The seller reported that it had belonged to his grandfather, who at some point in the 1930's had sent it to the Niedner Rifle company to be rebarrelled in caliber .270 Winchester. This was about the time .256 Newton ammunition ceased to be available commercially, so that, plus presumable effects of firing ammunition with corrosive primers, may have led to the decision to rebarrel. At any rate, it is a unique combination of rifle history, combining the names of Newton, Mauser, J. P. Sauer & Sohn (who reputedly assembled the rifles for Newton), and Niedner.

There were two forms of Newton Mausers. The first was imported in 1914 and to date no specimens have been positively identified as from the batch of two dozen contracted for. A second group of a hundred rifles were imported in 1922, all .256 Newton, with reversed double set triggers and a butterknife bolt handle. A few had a clover leaf arranged muzzle venting system. When I was collecting Newtons, I had three of the 1922 Newton Mausers, one of them restocked by Shellhamer. Bruce Jennings had two of them. They remain the scarcest model of Newton rifle. The one pictured by xausa shows a Model 1922. Several years ago I wrote an article on that model which appeared in ARMS AND THE MAN.

I have a Newton-actioned Newton with the reversed DST. Not much of a rifle. The triggers and the ratchet rifled barrel are the only reasons I keep it. I really like the triggers. Other than that, I have a Win.54 made the same year. The 54 is a far better rifle.

Was this the Arms and the Man which became The American Rifleman, or is there a newer version that I don't know about? Is the article available on the internet?

Waterman - you have one of the no good Buffalo Newton rifles, guite the contrast quality wise from the Original Model or the 1922 Newton Mauser, which were both examples of first rate riflemaking.

xausa - I should have said MAN AT ARMS, my thoughts are pretty much stuck in pre-1920 mode. I don't think any MAN AT ARMS articles are available on the internet, but I could mail you a xerox.

PM sent

I used to own one of these Newton Mausers barreled by Niedners. Its barrel number was 1262 and it was also barreled by Carlyn Behrmann. Sold it because I didn't like the triggers. Caliber 30-06 and it retained its original stock and only had a Niedner barrel and I think a Niedner front sight.

Larry Wales, author of The Newton Rifle, has one of the original 24 and will be along shortly with more details.

Art

The Newton Mausers that were imported, probably in August of 1914, are, of course, very rare since only one shipment of 24 came in and two or three other planned shipments were never received due to the beginning of the War. Newton wrote this in a note and without searching my files, I am not sure where it appeared. Along with the help of a friend (a contributer to this site) I was able to find and identify one of these 1914 Newton Mausers. I won't go into the long story of researching the data to verify the rifle altho it was quite extensive and involved the opinions of several well known Newton authorities and other firearms researchers. As of now, I know of of three examples of these rifles, all with serial numbers within 8 numbers of each other. This one and another are consecutively numbered. Both share the same features and look much alike. Newton imported these rifles and had them rechambered to .256 Newton. Most of his early rifles offered in the first catalogs, Mausers and Sauers, were rechambered in his calibers if they were ordered from the Newton Arms Co. Inc. I would like to include some pictures of this rifle however I do not understand the process involved.

The pictures for 40NT

Larry: Are you at liberty to share the Mauser serial numbers?

I will not be specific altho I will tell you they are in the early 70,000 range,

I have a couple questions, how is the pictured rifle marked?

Please refresh my memory, which Newton-Mauser had the serial number on the buttplate? I believe that my rifle (now long gone) was marked "Made in Germany for Chas. Newton Rifle Corporation USA".

Is this number a Newton number or a Niedner number?

If the 1914 Newton-Mausers were rechambered to .256 Newton, what was the original caliber? Obviously 6.5 mm, but 6.5 mm what?

The Newton Mauser 1922 Model were marked "made in Germany for Chas. Newton Rifle Corp". I had one marked on the buttplate, and one marked "made in Germany" on the inside curve of the pistol grip. It's been a while since I've looked at one, but it seems the barrels were stamped as well.

The early 70,000 range would be a build date of 1913. The Mauser factory calibers offered at that time in a standard length action would be 6.5x55 Swede, 6.5x57 or 6.5x58 Portuguese.

I am again amazed at the knowledge possessed by forum members on this site.Thanks for the input to everyone.

Right, 1922 model now I remember. I also remember sending the one I had with the numbers on the butt to you.

The rifle is marked on the top of the receiver;
Waffenfabrik Mauser A-G Oberndorf A/N
The Model 1922 had the Sauer assembly number on the buttplate; usually a 5 digit number in the late 20,000 range. The Made in Germany.....marks were on the Model 1922.
The serial number is the Mauser number and Niedner was not involved with this rifle.
The Mauser caliber on the side of the receiver is 6,5 and after the serial number "P.P." for Portugese Patrone which is
6.5x58.

So the rifles were ordered by Newton in the 6.5 PP chambering and rechambered when they got to his shop?

Yes, rechambered by Newton or under his direction by Adolph or some other gunsmith. I am not sure if Newton had a "shop" at that time. He located at 42-44 Niagara in Buffalo when he started to make his First Model 1916 and I am not sure what date he started at that location. That building is no longer standing altho he moved to the Jewett address in early 1917. That building is still being used by a fabricating firm and I was able to go thru it and take pictures of the area Newton used at that time.
Larry Wales

One of the interesting facets of the research that partly led to the idea of Newton rechambering Mauser rifles was a statement on the side of the box cover of the first or at least one of the earliest ammo boxes. The cartridges were loaded with a 123 grain bullet as opposed to most later boxes with 129 grain bullets. Newton first proposed the 256 with the 123 garin. The statement read as follows;
“ For use in rifles calibered in .256 Newton
manufactured or chambered by the undersigned.”
The undersigned being Newton Arms Co. Inc.
Larry

I believe if Newton had been born in 1925 we would all be hearing a lot more about his rifles. He really was an innovator with a great inquisitive spirit,not too much of a businessman though.Has anyone found any of his .40 caliber rifles? Sounds like a real powerhouse and I imagine it would have been deadly on both ends in those light rifles.

I have only talked to one person who claimed to have a 40 Newton altho when I pressed him about it, the facts he supplied did not seem to support the rifle as being original. I was able to purchase a 1922 Fred Adolph rifle in .40 Newton. It would have been made just after the time Newton put out his chamber dimention chart for his calibers in 1919. The chart lists the 40 with a .408 bore and this rifle has that bore size along with the other chamber dimentions listed in Newton's chart.
Larry

That is a Niedner number.

One shipment of 1922 Mausers was received with bore dimensions not meeting Newton's 6.5mm specifications but was small enough be be salvaged by reboring and re-rifling. In a period circular Newton stated that the barrels were dismounted, reamed and re-rifled by "one of the best known private makers ( Adolph?) of rifle barrels." One of my rifles showed unmistakeable marks of having been removed. This costly set back came at a time when it could have hardly been afforded.

I remember Phil Sharpe saying that german smiths had trouble with bore dimensions/tolerances in his book.