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Back in 1811, Friedrich I of Wurttemberg launched an arms factory in Oberndorf, Germany. Employing 133 workers, the company officially started its business in the following year serving as the royal weapon forge. The initial moderate success of the company was refined in 1867 when Wilhelm and Paul Mauser came up with an innovative rotating bolt system used for breechloading rifles. Most of their rifles at the time were built around a 7.9x57J cartridge which eventually became known as the 8mm German cartridge.
Alongside the Model 93 release, the smaller, 7x57mm cartridge was introduced. The United States spotted the potential of German ingenuity; hence they incorporated many features of Mauser design into their 1903 Springfield and so did the United Kingdom with their SMLE rifle that was the standard of British infantry units up until the 1950s. Soon after, many countries around the world, such as Turkey, Brazil, South Africa, Iran, Sweden and even China had recognised the outstanding performance of Mauser 93 and began flooding the company with new orders.
Along with their rifle production success, Mauser also broke new ground in 1896 with the introduction of their autoloading C96 pistol that was produced up until 1936. In 1897 the Mauser family were given control over the factory and renamed it Waffenfabrik Mauser AG. Only a year later, one of the most recognisable Mauser rifles of all time was presented by the company – Mauser Gewehr 98. The rifle had been redesigned with some of the noticeable changes being better-ruptured case gas venting, a stronger receiver with a larger receiver ring and an extra third locking lug providing additional safety. In later years, numerous rifles were derived from the original Gewehr 98 design, a lot of them being manufactured by various German contractors.
In the first decades of the 20th century, Mauser introduced a myriad of hunting rifles such as Type A, Model B, Model K, Armee-Model C and Africa Model. Up until the 1960s, various other models were presented including M1916, Mauser 1925 Special range, Karabiner K98, Mauser KKW cadet rifle, Gewehr 41 etc. Alongside their rifle production, the company additionally focused on the production of hand and pocket pistols, with some of the most recognizable models being Mauser 1910, Mauser 1914, Model 1934, and Mauser HSc.
After World War II, when the company was seized by Allied forces and placed under French control, the factory was torn down, and its records were destroyed. The former Mauser engineers Edmund Heckler and Theodor Koch, together with their associate Aled Seidel founded Heckler and Koch arms firm in the following years, recovering some leftovers of Mauser company which remained in the arms of Allied forces until 1952 when it was again permitted to continue manufacturing firearms. In the second half of the 20th century, the company presented some new models such as Model 66, Model 77, Model 86SR, Mauser SP66, Models 94 and 96, Mauser SR 97, Mauser 90SA and Mauser 90DA.
The Rheinmetall Berlin AG bought the firearms division of the company in 1996 and renamed it to Mauser-Werke Oberndorf Waffensysteme GmbH. In 1999, part of the Mauser was sold to Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft company often referred to as SIG, which later became known as Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH.
Today, the company is under the parentage of the Blaser Group, which also manufactures rifles under the J.P. Sauer & Sohn brand. Mauser has presented some new models in the last few years, such as Mauser M03, M12, and M18, attesting to the company’s rich and successful history once again.
Based on Karabiner 98k, Mauser M98 Magnum is a long version of a bolt-action hunting rifle introduced in 1998 and still manufactured today. However, it should not be confused with an eponymous Mauser M98 rifle, most often referred to as Gewehr 98 that was produced for military purposes from 1898 until 1935.
It uses a controlled round feed bolt action system which consists of a non-rotary claw extractor and is one of the most recognizable Mauser designs, originally patented by Paul Mauser back in 1895. Compared to previous Mauser models, the M98 comes with an enlarged receiver for added strength and durability. The bolt body features three locking lugs, two at the front and one at the rear end of the bolt that lock up safely with the action’s housing. Additionally, the action comes with gas relief holes and a double square bridge for mounting purposes. The barrel and all steel parts are plasma nitrated.
There is an updated horizontal three-position safety positioned at the rear of the bolt securing the firing pin which cocks when the bolt is opened. The rifle comes equipped with an internal spring box magazine holding up to five standard cartridges, a detachable floorplate and a single-stage trigger that is factory pre-set at a pull weight of 1361g (3lbs). Iron sights are pre-mounted at the factory.
Possible barrel lengths for Mauser M98 are 600mm (23.6-inch) and 620mm (24.4-inch).
Figure 1: Mauser M98 Magnum, chambered for .416 Rigby (Source: https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/rifles/mauser-rifles---sporter-post-war/mauser-m98-magnum--416-rigby.cfm?gun_id=101781126#lg-1)
Mauser M98 Magnum can be chambered for the following calibres:
.375 H&H Mag.
.416 Rigby
.450 Rigby
The rifle is available in the following variants:
Mauser M98 Magnum Expert
Mauser M98 Magnum Diplomat
All Mauser M98 magnum receivers come with a double square bridge for mounting purposes.
Figure 2: The receiver of Mauser M98, chambered for .375 H&H Mag.
For two-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces must match in all dimensions except the B distance. B distance can vary because two-piece mounts can be installed and adjusted closer or further apart.
For one-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces on these rifles must match in every dimension.
There are numerous types of pivot mounts available on the market. Mauser M98 Magnum uses a double square bridge mounting surface suitable for rear-dovetail pivot mounts. Many rifles, such as Rigby Big game, New England Custom Gun (NECG), Prechtl M98 Custom Rifles have the same mounting surface, based on the M98 Magnum design.
This pivot mount manufactured by the German company MAK is a perfect fit for Mauser M98 Magnum. It is made of aluminium alloy and comes with a thirty-year warranty.
If you are looking for a reliable mounting solution that allows for numerous optics mounting possibilities, we recommend this lever lock Picatinny rail manufactured by the German company MAK.
If you happen to own this or any other rifle, we would appreciate it if you could help us expand our database by sending us some photos of the rifle receiver (the bare mounting surface of the rifle without the mounts installed). For your help, our company offers a fair return in terms of practical rewards.
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