In 1880, Serbian Major Kosta "Koka" Milovanović (Коста "Кока" Миловановић) developed an updated version of the

Mauser Model 1871 The Mauser Model 1871 adopted as the ''Gewehr'' 71 or ''Infanterie-Gewehr'' 71, or "Infantry Rifle 71" ("I.G.Mod.71" was stamped on the rifles themselves) was the first rifle model in a distinguished line designed and manufactured by Paul Mauser ...

, still single-shot, but chambered in its unique 10.15×63R caliber. It had unique additions in that it had a bolt guide (much like the

M1870 Italian Vetterli The M1870 Vetterli was the Italian service rifle from 1870-1891. In 1887, it would be modified into the repeating M1870/87 Italian Vetterli-Vitali variant. The Vetterli rifle used the 10.4mm Vetterli centrefire cartridge, at first loaded with b ...

) and the "progressive rifling" that was developed by Koka. The Kingdom of Serbia adopted the rifle in 1880. It was designated Serbian Model 1878/80, also known as Mauser-Koka, Mauser-Milovanović, and known in Serbian as Kokinka (Кокинка). The grooves reduced in diameter from breech to muzzle. The muzzle velocity of the Mauser-Milanović was . It saw first combat in the

Serbo-Bulgarian War The Serbo-Bulgarian War or the Serbian–Bulgarian War ( bg, Сръбско-българска война, ''Srăbsko-bălgarska voyna'', sr, Српско-бугарски рат, ''Srpsko-bugarski rat'') was a war between the Kingdom of Ser ...

. Approximately 110,000 Mauser-Milovanović rifles entered the Serbian arsenal. It was further developed in 1907.

Mauser-Koka 1884

The Mauser Model 1884 "Artillery

Carbine A carbine ( or ) is a long gun that has a barrel shortened from its original length. Most modern carbines are rifles that are compact versions of a longer rifle or are rifles chambered for less powerful cartridges. The smaller size and lighte ...

" was produced in 1884 in 4,000 units at the Oberndorf plant for the use of the Serbian cavalry. It was based on the M71/84 and had a five-round tubular magazine. In the late 1930s, all remaining Model 1884 carbines were converted to the 1870s vintage 13.78mm "LAK" cartridge, which was in good supply in Yugoslav Army depots.

Mauser-Koka-Đurić

Starting 1907, about half of the Mauser-Koka inventory was converted in Kragujevac to shoot the 7×57mm from a 5-shot magazine; the new barrels were purchased from Steyr. Both the old and new guns (designated M80/07) saw action in the Balkan Wars and

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. The converted M80/07 are often referred to as "Đurić Mausers" (Ђурић-Маузер). The ''M80/07 C'' rifles captured from the

Royal Yugoslav Army The Yugoslav Army ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, Jugoslovenska vojska, JV, Југословенска војска, ЈВ), commonly the Royal Yugoslav Army, was the land warfare military service branch of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (originally Kingdom of Serbs, ...

by the

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

during the

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

were designated Gewehr 223 (j).

References

Sources

* *John Sheehan
1 of 110,000. The Serbian M78/80 is one of the Rarest of Mauser Rifles", ''Guns'' magazine, May 2012, pp. 36-39
* {{Use dmy dates, date=June 2017 Rifles of Serbia Royal Serbian Army Mauser rifles Zastava Arms 1880s establishments in Serbia World War I Serbian infantry weapons Single-shot rifles

Mauser-Koka 1884

Mauser-Koka-Đurić

See also

References

Sources