Mauser Rifle Series

Mauser 98

The Mauser 98 action incorporates two large locking lugs at the front of its one-piece bolt and a safety lug at the rear. It cocks its one-piece firing pin on opening and provides plenty of camming action to remove recalcitrant cases. The full length extractor takes a very large bite on the case rim and provided controlled feeding, and a fixed ejector kicks out the fired case when the bolt is fully withdrawn. There is a bolt guide to control bolt wobble as the action is operated. Two large gas relief ports on the underside of the bolt vent escaping gas into the magazine box, and a large flange at the back of the bolt deflects escaping gas away from the shooter's face in the event of a blown primer or burst case. The trigger guard, bottom iron, and magazine box are machined from one piece of steel. The Mauser 98 has an inherently fast lock time.

No more reliable bolt action rifle has ever been invented. Almost all modern bolt action rifles are based on Mauser 98 principles, and subsequent "improvements" to the Model 98 action seem to invariably be in the area of cutting production costs, not making a superior action.

The vaunted M1903 A3 Springfield rifle used by U.S. troops in WW I and to an extent in WW II, was one of the better "improved" Mausers, and yet was inferior to the original in several ways. For instance, the Springfield is not as strong as the Mauser 98, does not handle escaping gas as well, has a slower lock time, and uses a weaker two-piece firing pin. The Mauser 98 is the King of bolt action rifles; long live the King!

Gewehr 1871/84

Mauser Gewehr 1871/84 - 11.15 x 60mmR

Film:

• Japanese Imperial Army in The Last Samurai (2003)

Mauser 1891

Mauser 1891 - 7.92 x 57mm

Film:

• German Imperial Army in All Quiet on the Western Front (1976)

Mauser 1895

Mauser 1895 Rifle - 7x57mm Mauser

Film

• Spanish soldiers using the 1895 Mauser in Rough Riders

Mauser 98AZ Artillery Carbine

Mauser 98AZ Artillery Carbine - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Film

• Bedouin scout carrying in Sahara (1943)

Mauser 1903 Turkey

Turkish Mauser 1903 - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Film:

• Turkish Soldiers in All The King Men (1999)
• Turkish Soldiers in Gallipoli (1981)

M48 yugoslavian mauser

The M48 Mauser is a post World War II Yugoslavian version of the German Mauser K98k. Although similar in general appearance to that of the German rifle, many of the parts of these two rifles are not interchangeable, such as the bolt. The main difference between the M48 and the K98k is that the M48 uses an intermediate-length receiver. They are usually easily identified by the top handguard which extends behind the rear sight, and ends just in front of the receiver ring although this feature exists on other models as well. M48's are regarded as a military surplus firearm and can be collected in the US at a generally cheap price due to the numbers recently imported from Europe.