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Mauser is the common name of a German arms manufacturer, maker of a line of Bolt-action Rifle s from the 1870s to present. Their designs were built for the German armed forces, and have been exported and licenced to a number of countries in later 19th and early 20th century, as well as being popular civilian firearm. In the late 20th century Mauser continued making sporting and hunting rifles. In the 1990s it became a subsidiary of Rheinmetall . Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH was split off and continues making rifles, while the Rheinmetal subsidiary, called ''Mauser-Werke Oberndorf Waffensysteme GmbH'' made other products for a time before being merged into ''Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH''. The Mauser name has also somtimes been licensed by other companies. HISTORY 19th Century to 1920 What was to become a Mauser factory started on July 31 , 1811 , when Friedrich I Of Württemberg established a royal weapons factory in Oberndorf , a small town in the Prussian Black Forest . The factory opened for business the next year, employing 133 workers. In 1867 Wilhelm and Paul Mauser developed a rifle using an improved rotating bolt system for breechloaders based on the Chassepot (fusil modele 1866), itself a much improved version of an earlier Prussian design, the Dreyse . The Franco-Prussian war had shown their rifle inferior to the Chassepot, so in 1871 the most recent version of the Chassepot, modified by Mauser, became the standard German infantry rifle beating out the M1869 Bavarian Werder . The new Mauser Model 1871 rifle was adopted as the Gewehr 71, or Infanterie-Gewehr 71 (''I.G.Mod.71'' was printed on the rifles themselves). Production started at the Oberndorf factory for the infantry version firing an 11 x 60 mm round from a long 850 mm barrel, and shorter versions were introduced with the 700 mm barreled jaeger and 500 mm cavalry carbine. It was adopted by the German Empire but not Bavaria . A number of slightly modified versions were widely sold to other countries, with rounds that would today be considered very large, typically 9.5 to 11.5 mm in Caliber . Serbia designed an improved version of the Model 71 in 10.15mm caliber, produced in Germany, called the Mauser-Milovanovich M1878/80. In 1884 an 8-shot tubular magazine was added by Mauser, who offered the Model 71/84. In 1886 the French Army introduced the Lebel Model 1886 using Smokeless Powder , allowing smaller diameter rounds to be propelled at higher velocities, with accuracy out to 1,000 yards; most other military rifles became obsolete. Its disadvantage was a tube magazine. The German army introduced the best features of the Lebel in the Gewehr 88, also knowns as the Model 1888 Commission Rifle (''Judenflinte''), along with a modified Mauser action and a Mannlicher style box magazine. There was also a Carbine version, the Karabiner 88;both would be updated in the 1900s and see limited use in WWI. Note this was ''not'' a Mauser engineered rifle. This weapon was designed around the new "7.92 x 57" cartridge commonly known today as the 8mm Mauser; which incorporated the advantages of smokeless powder and higher velocity found in the Lebel. The cartride was rimless which allowed smoother feeding for both rifles and machine guns. The original bullet had a round head; several redesigns including the adoption of the''spitzer'' bullet with a sharp point and boat-tail brought the cartridge to its current potency. Only later versions of Gewehr 98, or converted 88 and 98 rifles could fire the improved "S" cartridges. The names of Mauser rifles is split between company designations and German military designations. For example, the Mauser Model 92 was not adopted by Germany, but the Mauser Model 98 was adopted as the Gewehr 98, though some designations also use Model. Model 1871 and M.71/84 The Mauser Model 1871 was Mauser's first rifle. ''See above'' Model 92 Paul started work on his own designs using box magazines, but had trouble with the design and instead used a long spring-loaded tube under the barrel for several models. In 1892 he designed a new extractor, the small claw that pulls the empty cartridges out of the barrel after firing, that did not rotate with the bolt and helped prevent "double feeding" of rounds from the box magazines he had been struggling with. Four hundred of a shorter carbine version known as the Model 92 were sold to the Spanish Navy using smokeless powder in a 7.65 mm caliber round. The Model 92 lost to the Krag-Jørgensen (adopted as the M1892)in U.S. rifle trials in the 1890s. Model 93 The next innovation was the Model 93, which introduced a short staggered-column box magazine holding five 7 X 57 Mm rounds flush with the bottom of the rifle, which could be quickly reloaded by pushing a strip of rounds down from the top of the open bolt. The new 7 x 57 round became the standard round for the Spanish armed forces, as well as for the militaries of several Latin American nations, and is dubbed, in common usage, the " 7 Mm Mauser ". A updated version of this model in a Spanish cartridge was employed by the Spanish Regulars in Cuba. It gained a reputation for its use during the 1898 Battle Of San Juan Hill in Cuba where 750 Spanish regulars were defeated by 15,000 U.S. troops armed with a mix of .30-40 Krag-Jørgensen and some older Springfield Rifles . There was little difference in performance between the Spanish M93 and the Krags at the ranges involved, but, in general countries were moving to higher velocity bullets in the 1890s. The US had been trying to go higher velocity rounds, but the Krag was having trouble handling the pressures. All of this likely played a role in the U.S. in licensing the Mauser locking technology for the Krag's replacement the Springfield 1903 Rifle . Model 94 and Model 95 The results of the Spanish-American War were noticed around the world, thus orders soon poured in for Mauser rifles. Turkey purchased the Model 93, Brazil and Sweden the Model 94, and the similar Model 95 was sold to Mexico , Chile , Uruguay , China , Iran and the South African states of Transvaal and The Orange Free State (Boers). South African Mausers were highly effective against the British during the Second Boer War ; these proved deadly at long ranges, prompting the British to design their own Mauser inspired high velocity cartridge and rifle. The British Pattern 1913 rifle with Mauser style ballistics might have replaced the Lee-Enfield, but the exigencies of WWI kept a replacement from happening; thus the Lee-Enfield continued in use until replaced by a semi-automatic weapon post WWII. Ironically, the Germans faced the U.S. M1917 rifle during WWI, which was the Pattern 13 rifle adapted to fire the U.S. .30-06 cartridges. C96 ''See C96 for main article'' In 1912 Mauser also branch out into Pistol design, producing the design of another, Fidelity, and Josef Feederle as the C96 . This design was rather impractical due to the forward mounting of the magazine making it so that many were equipped with a small stock to keep it under control. Nevertheless its distinct "broomhandle" shape remains well known to this day. Over a million C96's were produced between 1896 and 1936 when production ended. There was also a Chinese version produced during the cold war. In 1897 the Mausers were given control of the factory, forming Waffenfabrik Mauser AG. Model 98 ''See Gewehr 98 for main article'' In 1898 the German army also purchased a Mauser design, The Model 98 incorporated improvements of earlier models, and entered German service as the '''Gew. 98''' (see also Gewehr 98 ) officially on April 5, 1898. Noticeable changes from previous Mauser rifle models included better ruptured case gas venting, better receiver metallurgy and larger receiver ring dimensions for handling the pressures of the 8x57 cartridge. Mauser also incorporated a new, third "safety" lug on the bolt body to protect the shooter in the event that one or more of the forward locking lugs failed. In 1905 the "spitzer" round was introduced, in response to the French adoption of a pointed round, which offered better ballistic performance. The bullet diameter was increased from 0.318" to 0.323". This improved round also copied the pointed tip design instead of the previous rounded nose profile, and most existing Model 98's and some Model 88's were rechambered for the round, designated "7.92 x 57IS". Pointed rounds gave the bullet a better ballistic coefficient, improving the effective range of the cartridge by decreasing aerodynamic drag. Paul Mauser died May 29, 1914 before the start of World War I that November. World War I would see very large spike in demand for the companies rifles, as well as a number of variants of it. This included the several 98 carbines as well as one with a 20, rather than 5 round box magazine. The extended magazine would not be well received however. A number carbine versions known as Karabiner 98's had been introduced and used in World War I , some of which were even shorter than the later K.98k. These carbines were originally only distributed to cavalry troops but later in the war to the special stormtroop units as well. A version developed in the 1930's from the Karabiner 98b, the Karabiner Kurz (carbine, short) was adopted by Nazi Germany as the standard infantry rifle in 1935, and would serve until the end of World War II , known in service as the '''K.98k''' or often just '''KAR 98'''. Contrary to popular belief, the U.S. Springfield Rifle, Model 1903 , was ''not'' simply a product-improved Model 98 Mauser. The War Department had studied and dissected several examples of the Mauser Model 93 rifle (See 93 Mauser, above) captured during the Spanish-American War, and combined features of both the U.S. Krag Rifle Models 1892-1898, and the Mauser Model 93, as well as improvements introduced in the G98 (such as the third locking lug) to produce the U.S. Springfield Rifle, Model 1903. Type A, Modell B, Modell K, Armee-Modell C, Afrika-Modell The Special Rifle Type A was the top of the line sporting rifle of the early 1900s. The Modell B (B for Büchse) and Modell K were sport rifles offered in many configurations. The Modell C was made from 1903 to 1930. It was cheap rifle made in range of cartridges, such as for hunting. Despite its name it was not a major military rifle, though it was purchased by some. The Mauser Afrika Modell was used mainly by Settlers in Africa, and introduced around 1904. Modell M and Modell S The Modell M was introduced in 1914. A Modell S (S for ''Stutzen'' or short) was also offered. 1920 to 1945 Mauser 1925 Special Range Rifle The 1925 Special Range Rifle, was a commercial product sold in the United States introduced in 1925. It was intended for high accuracy range shooting. Karabiner 98k See Also: Karabiner 98k The Karabiner 98k "Mauser" (often abbreviated "K98k" or "Kar98k") was adopted in the mid 1930s and would be the most common infantry rifle in service within the German Army during World War II. The design was based on developed from the Karabiner 98b, one of carbines developed from the Model 1898 mentioned before. The K98k was first adopted by the Wehrmacht in 1935 to be the standard rifle, with many older versions being converted and shortened as well as the design itself entering production. Made by Gewehren begrenzt In the name K98k, the first "K" stands for ''karabiner'' (carbine) and the second "k" for ''kurz'' (short). The "98" is derived from the earlier rifle's year of adoption (1898), though the carbine itself was adopted in 1935. The K98k is often confused as being the earlier Model 98 design; however, there are notable differences between them. The easiest to spot are its shorter length, and bent, rather than straight bolt handle. Less obvious are that it has different, simpler sights, and that is was a "universal rifle" for all parts of the Heer rather than having both Carbine and full length versions. The rifle has a bolt-action and uses 7.92 X 57 Mm Rounds (referred to as 8mm Mauser). It has an effective range of about 700 metres, but when fitted with a high-quality scope, its range increases to 1,000 metres. The K98k has a 5 round internal magazine and is loaded from 5 round stripper clips that are inserted into a slot in front of the opened bolt and pushed into the magazine with the thumb. The empty stripper clip is then ejected from the gun when the bolt is pushed forward into position. A trench magazine was also produced that could be attached to the bottom of the internal magazine by removing the floor plate, increasing capacity to 20 rounds, though it still required loading with 5 round stripper clips. Over 14 million of these rifles were produced by various manufacturers. However, this number includes versions of the rifle other than the K98k. From 1950 to 1965, Yugoslavia produced a near-carbon copy of the K98k called the Model 1948, which differed only from the German rifle in that it had the shorter bolt-action of the Model 1924 series of Mauser rifles. In addition, in 1953, the Spanish were manufacturing a slightly modified version, but with a straight bolt handle. Mauser HSc See Also: Mauser HSC The Mauser HSc was a self-loading handgun introduced in the 1930s. It was offered in .32 ACP and .380 ACP . It was a compact Double Action Blowback design. Production ran from 1937 till the end of production in WWII, and for a period in 1960s and early 1970s. Mauser Post 1940 In 1940 Mauser was invited to take place in a competition to re-equip the German army with a semi-automatic rifle, the Gewehr 41 . The requirements specified that the design should not drill holes into the barrel, thereby requiring mechanisms that proved unreliable. Two designs were submitted, and the Mauser version, the G 41(M) failed miserably in testing and was cancelled after a short production run. Walther 's version did not do much better, but was later improved with the addition of a simpler Gas-Operated system. With the fall of Germany at the end of the war, Oberndorf came under French control, and the entire factory was dismantled by the occupying forces. All records in the factory were destroyed on orders of the local French Army commander. For a period of years after WWII, Mauser Werke manufactured precision measurement instruments and tools, such as micrometers. Edmund Heckler, Theodor Koch and Alex Seidel, former Mauser engineers, saved what they could and used it to start Heckler & Koch . Heckler & Koch has since taken over the role of Germany's main small-arms manufacturer. Mauser continued to make hunting and sporting rifles. In 1994 it became a subsidiary of Rheinmetall , who manufactured Autocannon s, such as the Mauser BK-27 and munitions under the name until 2004 when it merged into another unit. In 1999 a the civilian manufacture of hunting, defense, and sporting rifles had been split off from Rheinmetall. CIVILIAN MARKET Mausers were readily adapted as Hunting Rifles . In Africa, so called Safari rifles were often made from Mauser rifles. These rifles were often rechambered in larger rounds up to and including .50 cal (12.7mm). The adaptions usually consisted of shortening the foregrip and Barrel , rechambering to popular British Round s, and minor alterations to the Action , although the rifle was left fundamentally Mauser designed. In the late 19th century and early 20th century companies who made alterations were generally Commonwealth based and developed several proprietary Big Game rounds specifically for hunting large and dangerous game. Today large and small bore Mauser derived rifles are made all over the world for the civilian market and are very popular with hunters in Africa , Australia , North America , South America and Europe . Additionally many surplus military Mausers have entered the civilian market through the activity of importers. Many of these rifles were left in their original condition and purchased by collectors or even by ordinary gun owners who continue to use them for casual shooting. The strong following enjoyed by surplus military Mausers is not only a testament to their reliability but also to the widespread availability of affordable surplus ammunition for these rifles. Ironically, this ammunition can also pose a significant threat to these rifles, as much of the ammunition uses a corrosive primer. Corrosive ammunition will remain useful for decades if it is stored in the right conditions but care must be taken to thoroughly clean the gun after firing lest the gun suffer irrevocable damage in short order. Still, if proper care is taken one can use corrosive ammunition with few ill effects and of course one can always have recourse to non-corrosive surplus ammunition. Manufacturers
MAUSER FIREARMS 1954-1999 In the 1950s Mauser was formally re-established. 1960s A rifle design by Walter Gehmann is purchased, and goes into producion in 1965 as the Modell 66. Some self-loading pistols are also offered again, such as the Mauser HSc .
1970s-1990
1990-1999 In the 1990s Mauser is bought by ''Rheinmetall Berlin AG'', completed in 1996. (Rheinmetall Berlin AG renamed Rheinmetall AG that same year). In 1999 the firearms maker is split off from the Rheinmetall. The Mauser name is divided between the traditional civilian rifle company and a division of Rheinmetall.
2000-2004 In 2004 Mauser-Werke Oberndorf Waffensysteme GmbH is incorporated into Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH, along with several other companies.
MAUSER 2004 - PRESENT Availabilty depends on the laws of each country. The importer in the U.S. at this time was Briley . Rifles offered circa 2006:
Mauser M2 The Mauser M2 is a Mauser branded handgun offered in the United States. It is a self-loading double-action pistol offered in .45 ACP intially. It was offered by SIGARMS, though by 2006 it no longer appeared on their website. SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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