grafsk8er
Member
what makes a mauser action so special? like what about them makes them more efficient than other bolt actions?
mauser actions
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Dgindlesperger
Member
I have no idea, but they always go boom !!!!!
Dionysusigma
Member
My vote lies with the Mosin action. Cannot be simpler. It's older than the 1898 design by seven years. It's quite robust. And if the Finns are still using 116-year-old receivers for their sniper units, that's saying something.
Aside from the ammunition (and even then, only the fact that it has a rim), there is nothing obsolete or ineffective about it.
The Mauser action is more popular simply because the vast majority of people have no taste.
Aside from the ammunition (and even then, only the fact that it has a rim), there is nothing obsolete or ineffective about it.
The Mauser action is more popular simply because the vast majority of people have no taste.
nitestocker
Member
they have a claw extraction which actually holds the cartridge as it enters the barrel and holds it till its fired then still holds it till it ejects it this way if your in a dangerous area like bear or pigs or the big 5 in Africa you cant double feed two shells at the same time like some people do when they get buck fever, with a push feed action . this is a very safe action the classic Winchester has this type of claw as well. there very strong as well i have one in 3006 . i hope this helped there is probably someone else who noes more about just keep looking back here have a nice day
Mauser, world standard
Wilhelm and Peter Paul Mauser virtually perfected the bolt action rifle in 1898. The 98 Mauser was an improvement of their earlier designs (92,93, &95), and features cock on opening, dual opposed front locking lugs, safety lug, claw extractor (controlled feed) staggered box magazine, and a positive safety.
The basic feature of front locking lugs has been used by nearly every bolt action design since. Mauser quality and marketing made them rifle suppliers to the bulk of the world at one time. Great Britain and Russia were the only major powers who used rifle designs that did not have Mauser as their basis during the heyday of the bolt action rifle. Small numbers of lesser countries did not use Mausers, but the majority did. Even the USA used a variant of the Mauser design, the 1903 Springfield rifle.
Robust, accurate, durable and effective, the Mauser rifle set the standard for the world until semi automatic and later select fire rifles became the military standard. Mauser rifles have been made or adapted to every caliber you can think of, and likely quite a few you can't.
Modern sporting bolt action rifles all owe their genesis to the Mauser design, even the ones that differ most still use some of the same features that can be found on mausers.
Mausers may not have been the ablsoute best military bolt actions, there is a strong case that can be made for the British SMLE, but they proved to be the best overall combination of features and craftsmanship (while some countries did manufacture their own Mauser variants, the majority were made in Germany), so as to become the world standard.
It is difficult to put into a short explanation, but while other rifle designs have had some features superior to the 98 Mauser, the Mauser was the best total package.
And, it is patently unfair to compare a design produced 50 or more years after the 98 Mauser to the original, without taking into account the fact that without Mauser the later designs likely wouldn't even exist.
Wilhelm and Peter Paul Mauser virtually perfected the bolt action rifle in 1898. The 98 Mauser was an improvement of their earlier designs (92,93, &95), and features cock on opening, dual opposed front locking lugs, safety lug, claw extractor (controlled feed) staggered box magazine, and a positive safety.
The basic feature of front locking lugs has been used by nearly every bolt action design since. Mauser quality and marketing made them rifle suppliers to the bulk of the world at one time. Great Britain and Russia were the only major powers who used rifle designs that did not have Mauser as their basis during the heyday of the bolt action rifle. Small numbers of lesser countries did not use Mausers, but the majority did. Even the USA used a variant of the Mauser design, the 1903 Springfield rifle.
Robust, accurate, durable and effective, the Mauser rifle set the standard for the world until semi automatic and later select fire rifles became the military standard. Mauser rifles have been made or adapted to every caliber you can think of, and likely quite a few you can't.
Modern sporting bolt action rifles all owe their genesis to the Mauser design, even the ones that differ most still use some of the same features that can be found on mausers.
Mausers may not have been the ablsoute best military bolt actions, there is a strong case that can be made for the British SMLE, but they proved to be the best overall combination of features and craftsmanship (while some countries did manufacture their own Mauser variants, the majority were made in Germany), so as to become the world standard.
It is difficult to put into a short explanation, but while other rifle designs have had some features superior to the 98 Mauser, the Mauser was the best total package.
And, it is patently unfair to compare a design produced 50 or more years after the 98 Mauser to the original, without taking into account the fact that without Mauser the later designs likely wouldn't even exist.
Outlaws
Member
AKA controlled feed.
and something else not mentioned here, the level of manufacturing is in credible. IVe read the cnc controlled hot wire cutters used by some companies to make bolt action recievers, can even give the same tolerance, quality, or finish as what is found on typical masuer bolt actions.
its directly linked with fancy cars versus plain ones. Sure the new imports from south east asia will get you where you want, but my cutlas seirra made in 1995 in oklahoma, is luxury. and the engine, ever feel the difference between a REAL american 3100 v6 engine when it hits 50 mph versus the engine on a rice burner?
its directly linked with fancy cars versus plain ones. Sure the new imports from south east asia will get you where you want, but my cutlas seirra made in 1995 in oklahoma, is luxury. and the engine, ever feel the difference between a REAL american 3100 v6 engine when it hits 50 mph versus the engine on a rice burner?
JesseL
Member
Don't forget that the Mauser 98 handles gas escaping from popped primers and case separations better than almost any other design. The thoughtfulness of the design in this regard is remarkable. The shape of the firing pin, the gas vents on the bottom of the bolt, the flange on the bolt shroud, along with many other features, and the way they complement each other is amazing.
Jim Watson
Member
It is an assured employment plan for gunsmiths. You will note that for all the Mauser's real and imagined good qualities, NOBODY shoots one in stock form, barring a few milsurpers who usually end up wanting cheap scope mounts. They are worse on modifications than 1911 pistols.
Aguila Blanca
Member
You must be very young, because when the Cutlass Ciera [not "sierra"] came out, American car lovers universally puked over it. The car was considered small, tinny and poorly constructed, and the puny little V6 engine was absolutely anemic compared to just about anybody's V8. If your idea of a REAL American car and engine is a V6 Ciera, you haven't lived. The 3.1L version puts out less horsepower and torque than my aging Jeep that's ten years older than your Ciera. And I don't consider my aging Jeep to be a "tower of power."Bezoar said:
But I digress. Back to our original topic.
HammerBite
Member
Can a reasonable deal be gotten from Mitchell's Mausers?
rangerruck
Member
they are heavy duty, with great parts, very good specs right out of the gate, using the best materials. perfected in Czech with the design that standardized the whole action/bolt, etc., it is called the vz 24 mauser action.
A whole bunch of benchrest dudes, when they wanna start a new project, look for this action to true and setup, for their new chambering. 50,000,000 Elvis fans can't be wrong.
A whole bunch of benchrest dudes, when they wanna start a new project, look for this action to true and setup, for their new chambering. 50,000,000 Elvis fans can't be wrong.
cbsbyte
Member
Left out that France, Italy and the Austrian-Hungarian empire did not use the Mauser rifles.
kungfuhippie
Member
Comparing American cars to German rifles is just plain wrong. 
Sure the Garand is awesome, as can be American cars but it is a totally different feel.
My Volkswagen GTI is what a Mauser was-thoughtfully engineered, refined, fast, well built, with a feel that a 3.1L V6 can't hold a candle to-all in a turbo charged 20 valve 1.8 liter engine. 60 mph is a whole different feel in German engineering.
Sure a Mustang is a great car (for comparison only), nice to drive, tons of power, but a whole different car than my GTI.
The Mauser is a great bolt action gun, with all the great features mentioned before, Not to mention the quality of a 98k. Also, the 8mm dimensions have led to easy caliber conversion projects. They were really cheap for a long time. They earned their status as a quality rifle, but IMHO as Mosins are the new cheap rifle this thread will take place in another 20-30 years about how great they are too...
Sure the Garand is awesome, as can be American cars but it is a totally different feel.My Volkswagen GTI is what a Mauser was-thoughtfully engineered, refined, fast, well built, with a feel that a 3.1L V6 can't hold a candle to-all in a turbo charged 20 valve 1.8 liter engine. 60 mph is a whole different feel in German engineering.
Sure a Mustang is a great car (for comparison only), nice to drive, tons of power, but a whole different car than my GTI.
The Mauser is a great bolt action gun, with all the great features mentioned before, Not to mention the quality of a 98k. Also, the 8mm dimensions have led to easy caliber conversion projects. They were really cheap for a long time. They earned their status as a quality rifle, but IMHO as Mosins are the new cheap rifle this thread will take place in another 20-30 years about how great they are too...
cracked butt
Member
Mosins and enfields have some very big shortcommings when compared to a mauser for purposes of anything other than a military rifle.
Mosins: Rear receiver bridge is split requiring a scope mounted to the side of the receiver resulting in a scope mount that is very heavy in order to be stiff enough to hold its zero. The single stack magazine is also a problem- noone is interested in developing new rimmed rifle cartridges for anything other than lever actions. Another problem is the safety- it works, but its noisy and cumbersome. The large amount of extra mass attached to the back of the firing pin in the form of a safety and cocking piece increase the locktime considerably as well.
Enfield: Same scope mounting problems as the Mosin. The two-piece stock handicaps the rifles potential accuracy. The detachable magazine is nice, but for purposes other than a military rifle, the Mauser 98 is much more compact and durable. The rear lugged receiver doesn't help accuracy either or brass life if a shooter happens to be a reloader (A more modern rear lugged rifle would be the long discontinued Rem 788 that was rough on brass if loaded to their full potential).
Mosins: Rear receiver bridge is split requiring a scope mounted to the side of the receiver resulting in a scope mount that is very heavy in order to be stiff enough to hold its zero. The single stack magazine is also a problem- noone is interested in developing new rimmed rifle cartridges for anything other than lever actions. Another problem is the safety- it works, but its noisy and cumbersome. The large amount of extra mass attached to the back of the firing pin in the form of a safety and cocking piece increase the locktime considerably as well.
Enfield: Same scope mounting problems as the Mosin. The two-piece stock handicaps the rifles potential accuracy. The detachable magazine is nice, but for purposes other than a military rifle, the Mauser 98 is much more compact and durable. The rear lugged receiver doesn't help accuracy either or brass life if a shooter happens to be a reloader (A more modern rear lugged rifle would be the long discontinued Rem 788 that was rough on brass if loaded to their full potential).
Erinyes
Member
It's not the rear lugs that kill brass life in an SMLE, it's that massive cave of a chamber that's only vaguely shaped like a .303 British cartridge.
cracked butt
Member
Right, but the .303 is a low pressure rilfe cartridge (45,000 psi) when you start running cartridges at 60,000 psi, a rear lugged bolt action starts to get springy requiring a lot more working of brass while resizing, regardless of whether or not the chamber is oversized or not.
MilsurpShooter
Member
No, no, no, no, nonononononononononononononononononononono
no
no
Back away from Mitchells Now. When I fist started getting into collecting I saw the Mitchell's ad. They have been prone to confusing advertising. Let's just say I spent way to much for what I thought was a WWII K-98, but was in reality, a post-war Yugo M48a, very nice rifle don't get me wrong, almost un-issued condition, but alot more then it was worth. They are not the same, action lengths are different and it's not a historical piece. I've seen new ads for them (in Amercian Rifleman unfortunately) that have them selling K-98's. I've gone over the advertising with a fine tooth comb and can't say they're doing the same thing as they used to, but I would have a feeling that the K-98's they are currently producing are mix-masters with force matched parts.
If you want a decent K-98 you'd be best off at a gun show or one of the importers, Inter-ordnance and the like. Better price and a guranteed piece of WWII.
Essex County
Member
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- Mar 9, 2005
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Years ago they have been used as a platform for everything from 50's Vintage bench guns to light Mountain rifles to heavy sporters. I can't think of too many bolt guns not based on the '98 action that have made it in the marketplace.......Essex
cbsbyte
Member
The most refined military Mauser rifles where made in Sweden. They are beautiful, and very accurate. If you can find one of them for a good price buy it since none are being imported.
I have a safe drawer full of derelict 98 Mauser actions.
Every now and again I build one up into a complete rifle. The 98 Mauser action is gunsmith-friendly, and very versatile when it comes to selecting a chambering. Trying the same with a Lee-Enfield, Mosin-Nagant, or Mannlicher gets somewhat "iffy". This one's a 1916 C.G. Haenel, in 6.5-06:
Every now and again I build one up into a complete rifle. The 98 Mauser action is gunsmith-friendly, and very versatile when it comes to selecting a chambering. Trying the same with a Lee-Enfield, Mosin-Nagant, or Mannlicher gets somewhat "iffy". This one's a 1916 C.G. Haenel, in 6.5-06:
alamo
Member
They're selling cleaned up Russian captures. They strip everything off the bolt so it's white (which was never how the Germans had them) and clean up the stock and then sell them for double what they cost at AIM.
http://www.mauser.org/rifles/german_k98/index.htm
the mosin was not made to be scoped. matter of fact i dont believe there are ANY known sniper m91's the relatively small numbers of sniper rifles compared to the number of infantry rifles, and the obvious ease of production are undoubtly in the mosins favor. this ease of production and simplicity easily offsets any dificulty in scoping the relativly small number of sniper rifles.
your using feature that is not relevant to the rifles purpose.
the safety is one of the most silent safetys iv ever used. and since it literaly locks the firing pin at 2 points it is the most positive safety i know of
the single stack magazine is due to the rimmed cartridge obv. but how is it a problem? rimlock is easily avoided with a good spring and any basic knowledge on how to load. like all things firearms, proper employment requires practice
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