| Fusil M-1908 "Mondragón" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | Semi-automatic rifle |
| Place of origin |
 Mexico |
| Service history | |
| In service |
1911-1949 (Mexico) |
| Used by | See Users |
| Wars |
Mexican Civil War World War I |
| Production history | |
| Designer | General Manuel Mondragón |
| Designed | 1884 |
| Manufacturer | Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft |
| Produced | 1908 |
| No. built | ~4000 |
| Variants |
Automatic rifle |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 4.18 kg (9 lb 3oz) empty |
| Length | 1105 mm (43.5 in) |
|
| |
| Cartridge | 7 x 57 mm Mauser |
| Caliber | 7x57mm Mauser |
| Action | gas-operated, rotating bolt |
| Muzzle velocity | 710 m/s (2300 ft/s) |
| Effective firing range | 200 m to 550 m sight marks |
| Maximum firing range | 2,000m (2,200 yd) |
| Feed system |
8 round box, 10 round box, 20 round box, 30 round drum, |
| Sights | Iron sights |
The Mondragón was the world's first[1] semi-automatic rifle adopted by a military power, and was designed by Mexican general Manuel Mondragón. He began work in 1882 and patented the weapon in 1887. It was long stroke gas-operated with a cylinder and piston arrangement, now very familiar but unusual at the time, and rotating bolt, locked by lugs in helical grooves in the receiver; it was also possible to operate it as a simple straight-pull bolt action. The caliber was 7 mm (.284 in) Mauser with an 8-round box magazine.
Features and uses[]
The Mondragón was known for its stopping power but suffered from high recoil and poor accuracy[1] . Their intended use was to be mass issued as a standard infantry rifle but only around 400 were purchased by Mexico before the Mexican Revolution. Mondragóns had issues with reliability when subject to dirt and debris in the field.
Initial production[]
Because of the Mexican Revolution, few facilities in Mexico were able to mass-produce it and those that could were not able to shut down their assembly plants for the required retooling time needed to initiate production of the new rifles. Mondragón attempted to interest a U.S. firm, without success as they thought that semi-automatic rifles were not practical and could not be produced in the numbers that Mexico wanted . He then turned to Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG), of Neuhausen am Rheinfall, who agreed to manufacture the rifle. In 1901 the first rifles were shipped to Mexico and issued to the army as the Fusil Mondragón Modelo 1900 with an 8 round magazine. In 1908 During the Mexican revolution a Mexican version was again issued to the Mexican Army as the Fusil Porfirio Diaz Sistema Mondragón Modelo 1908 this time with the 20 round magazine.
Use in World War I[]
With World War I, Germany bought the remainder of SIG's stock that had not been sent to Mexico, tested by the German Army, they proved highly susceptible to mud and dirt in the trenches (a problem familiar even to less complex bolt action rifles such as the Ross). Instead, realizing their potential as portable yet powerful semi-automatic weapons, they were withdrawn by the Central German command and reissued, with 30-round helical magazines, to aircraft crews as the Fliegerselbstlader Karabiner 1915 (Pilot's Selfloading Carbine Model 1915), until enough numbers of machine guns were available. Very few of the Mondragón rifles survived the war,[1] although almost all of the rifles were still in use by the Imperial German Navy when the First World War ended. The usage of the Mondragón in the German Imperial Navy would involve destroyer crews and Seabattlions Pioneers being entirely issued Mondragón and pistol carbines.
International sales[]
There is no documentation that shows the Mondragon was made anywhere except Switzerland. No rifle with a serial number higher than 4,000 has been documented or found. About 500 total were purchased by Mexico and 3500 purchased by Germany
The BAR was designed as a squad automatic weapon and would have issued sparingly, the Mondragon was designed as the Mexican infatryman's primary weapon. The Mondragon rifle would have been issued as the M1 Garand would have been issued, to every infantryman. However, the contract was cancelled due to the start of the Mexican Revolution.
Later Use[]
Few of the German versions with the helical magazine survive, however the Mexican army still uses the Mexican version in parades and other military celebrations as a ceremonial rifle.[2]
Users[]
Mexico
Austria-Hungary- Brazil
- Chile
- German Empire
- Weimar Republic
- Peru
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.cruffler.com/historic-february01.html
- ↑ Fitzsimons, Bernard, ed. "Mondragón", Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weapons and Warfare, Volume 18, pp.1933-35. London: Phoebus Publishing Company, 1978.
External links[]
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