Thinking about German rifles of WWI, one generally thinks of the Mauser Gewehr98 and Kar98A. Also used in huge numbers was the Gewehr88. However, as for all the countries at war, having enough weapons was always a struggle. So, obsolete weapons were also in use.
Mauser introduced his first major military rifle in 1871, with the I.G. 1871, the Infanterie Gewehr 1871. It was a single shot blackpowder rifle.
The need to counter the French repeating rifle led to the Gewehr 71/84, really an I.G.1871 with an added tube magazine beneath the barrel, and an elevator to bring the rounds up from the magazine and into the lock.
Both rifles used the long M1871 bayonet with brass grips.
And, with the perpetual need for weapons, captured rifles were used, as well as obsolete blackpowder rifles.
Now, the best and most modern rifles went to the frontline units, and the blackpowder rifles saw very little, though some, frontline use. They were issued to Landwehr and Landsturm units, and mostly used behind the lines by sentries, POW camp guards and suchlike. The Landwehr were mostly used behind the lines, and only stepped into the frontline trenches when needed, and were to quite an extent armed with the Gew88, however every now and then some armed with the Gew71/84 will have been brought forwards.
So, definitely to be counted as WWI rifles, these old guns were used mostly by units that were not at the front.
Here are my 71/84 rifles, an 1887 Amberg and an 1887 Spandau.
The original photos show an old LandwehrMann with I.G.1871 and POW camp guards with Gew71/84.
