Question about Swiss Model 1896/11

ammo guy

Is the Swiss Model 1896/11 a pre-1899 gun? I have been told that it is.
I plan to list one here and want to know if it qualifies as an antique. Thanks

1KYDSTR

I believe you are misinformed on that one. The earlier rifle, adapted to the M1911 Swiss cartridge specs, and having a shortened bolt assembly is NOT unaltered. Indeed, very few of the earlier rifles, unaltered, were actually made before 1899 so they don't qualify as a true antique. One that would?...a Ludwig Loewe made 1895 Chilean rifle. If made by DWM... then NO, as they were made after 1898.

The big issue you have here is a gun MADE or ALTERED after 1898. Un less they are unaltered, they generally can't be an antique according to BATF.

jonk

The 1889 Swiss would be an antique; and an unaltered 96 would be IF made before Jan 1 1899. The others wouldn't.

allen griggs

http://www.empirearms.com/pre-1899.htm

Defining which rifles are antique:
"Schmidt Rubin (Swiss) Rifles. Model 1889/96 or 96/11 (which were built on pre-existing 89/96 receivers) are pre-1899 if they have a serial number less than 236,500.
Note: Only the 96/11 (and later models) are safe to use the high pressure M11 cartridge!"

The criteria for antique status is whether or not the receiver was made before Jan 1 1899. The gun may have been rebarreled, restocked, or even drilled and tapped, and had a scope mounted, if the receiver was made in 1898 or earlier it is an antique according to federal law.
There is an informative tutorial on what constitutes antiques on that link.