Product Description
This 96/11 infantry rifle is in excellent condition with 95% original finish. 5/5 Bore. 5/5 Stock. Stock matching serial number. Non-matching handguard serial number. Bolt matching serial number. Magazine matching serial number. Small chip in the charging handle knob. Stock finish is shiny, features tiger striping, and exhibits very few handling marks; the only notable mark is a small dent in the stock on the left side, forward of the pistol grip. There is a round medallion inlaid in the bottom of the stock, behind the front barrel band. Receiver finish is dark and consistent with little wear. Barrel bands also have a dark, even finish. Minor edge wear on the magazine. Includes muzzle cover and leather sling. Discrete import engraving.
Manufactured for Private sale instead of military service, this is a rare piece as less than 5000 pieces overall were manufactured for private sale. This is compared to the almost 140,000 96/11 rifles manufactured for military service.
The 1896/11 rifle is a modernized version of the 1889 that was designed to handle the more powerful 7.5x55mm Swiss Gewehrpatrone 1911 (GP11) cartridge. GP11 has similar ballistic qualities to that of the 7.62x51mm NATO / .308 Winchester round. Other improvements were made in order to make the 1896/11 lighter and easier to handle, such as a new barrel and a 6 round capacity box magazine.