Vol. VIII No. 2

‘Mauser Japonés’ & ‘Remington Ruso’: A History of the Arisaka and Mosin–Nagant Rifles in the Mexican Revolution

Luis Gonzalez

Abstract

During periods of arms scarcity, the Mexican army imported several different patterns of bolt-action rifles to address shortages and maintain firepower. During the Mexican Revolution (ca. 1910–1920), the Mexican Army—facing multiple domestic rebellions, European reluctance to supply weapons, and a U.S. arms embargo—turned to Japan to fill the growing gaps in its rifle inventory. Once the U.S. arms embargo was lifted, Mexico purchased numerous bolt-action rifles from the United States, including U.S.-produced Mosin–Nagant rifles. This article seeks to elaborate the historical background of these two unconventional and intriguing arms deals, and examines how a country engulfed in continuous civil wars managed to utilise the purchase and disposition of foreign surplus arms as part of its diplomatic agenda in the 1930s. The author presents a narrative of a twenty-year period of Mexican history as viewed through the histories of two obscure, yet important, rifles.

Issue: Vol. VIII No. 2
Published: 31 December 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52357/armax73331
Peer-reviewed?: Yes

Keywords: Fabrica Nacional de Armas, Mexico, bolt-action rifles, Arisaka, Mosin–Nagant, Mexican Revolution

Bibliographic Information

Luis Gonzalez, ‘‘Mauser Japonés’ & ‘Remington Ruso’: A History of the Arisaka and Mosin–Nagant Rifles in the Mexican Revolution’, Armax: The Journal of Contemporary Arms, Vol. VIII № 2 (2022), pp. 1–24, <https://doi.org/10.52357/armax73331>.

About the Author

Luis Gonzalez is an independent researcher with a passion for Mexican historical small arms and ordnance. He has spent long hours in Mexican archives to unveil details on the development of the military industry of that country, and holds a deep interest in the design and production of domestic arms such as the iconic Mondragón rifle. He is the author of several books, including Mendoza´s Automatic Weapons: Serving Mexico Since 1911 (2021), Machine Guns of the Mexican Revolution (2022), and Artillery of the Mexican Revolution (2023). He continues to publish original research and shares some of his work via his ‘Mexican Military Firearms’ Facebook page.