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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.
Mauser M12 is a push-feed bolt action rifle introduced in 2012 and still manufactured today. It features the same mounting surface as Mauser M98 Standard, which was changed in 2019 when the receiver shape was replaced with the one of the Remington 700 LA. Other structural components of the rifle stayed mostly the same. Moreover, the rifle shares some parts with Sauer 101 such as hammer-forged barrels, full-diameter bolt bodies with six forward lugs that lock up directly into the barrel and high-capacity, rugged polymer detachable magazines.
The action is opened at the top which allows for fast and easy top-loading of the cartridges. M12 uses a traditional three-position SRS safety positioned at the rear right of the bolt, behind the bolt handle. Users can also choose a rifle with a manual cocking mechanism that comes as an optional feature. There is a bolt release push-button placed at the left rear end of the receiver which makes the removing of the bolt easy. The twin plunger-type ejectors on the bolt face throw the empty shells out with ease, preventing unnecessary jams. A high-quality polymer detachable magazine that seats flush with the floorplate can hold up to five standard and four magnum cartridges. The trigger and the guard are a tad wider than usual with the trigger breaking at a light pull weight of 950 g (2.1lbs). On the M12 the barrel is fully free-floated and comes with pre-mounted sights.
Note that the radius of the front and rear mounting surface and the receiver dimensions are the same as those on Mauser M98 Standard and so are the drilled holes, therefore the mounting solutions can be interchanged between the two rifles.
Possible barrel lengths for Mauser M12 are 620 mm (26.4-inch), 560 mm (22-inch), 510 mm (20-inch), 47 mm (18.5-inch).
Figure 1: Mauser M12, chambered for 9.3x62 Spr. (Source: https://www.africahunting.com/threads/just-purchased-a-mauser-m12-in-9-3-x-62.11459/)
Mauser M12 can be chambered for the following calibres:
.22-250 Rem.
.243 Win.
6.5x55 SE
.270 Win.
7mm Rem. Mag.
7x64
.308 Win.
.30-06 Spr.
.300 Win. Mag.
8x57 JS
.338 Win. Mag.
9.3x62
The rifle is available in the following variants:
Mauser M12 Pure
Mauser M12 Expert
Mauser M12 Max
Mauser M12 Extreme
Mauser M12 Impact
Mauser M12 Trail
All Mauser M12 receivers manufactured before 2019 are based on Mauser M98 shape and come with four holes for mounting purposes, two on the front and two on the rear mounting surface.
Figure 2: The receiver of Mauser M12, chambered for .243 Win. (Source: https://www.gunsinternational.com/guns-for-sale-online/rifles/mauser-rifles---m12/mauser-m12--243-win.cfm?gun_id=101307638#lg-2)
A: 21.9 mm
B: 102.4 mm
C: 12.7 mm
BHU: 4 mm
Ø: M3.5
R1: R14/30°
R2: R18
All the rifles listed in the category below have two-piece mounts interchangeable with Mauser M12. To meet interchangeability conditions, two-piece mounts 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. Rifles that meet such criteria are:
Remington 798
Mauser K98
Kuffstein 2165 Voere
Zastava Mod 70
Parker Hale Safari 1200
Heym SR 20
Mauser M98 Standard
All the rifles listed in the category below have one-piece mounts interchangeable with Mauser M12. For one-piece mounts to fit on a rifle, mounting surfaces on these rifles must match in every dimension. The rifle that shares the same dimensions and mounting surface with Mauser M12 is:
If you are looking for a fixed mounting solution for your Mauser M12, we recommend this reliable two-piece mount produced by the German company MAK that is made of steel and comes with a thirty-year warranty.
Detachable mounts can be easily installed and removed from the rifle which is especially useful for cleaning and maintenance purposes as well as versatility in using multiple optics on a single weapon. We recommend this detachable two-piece pivot mount made by the Croatian company Rusan that comes with a ten-year warranty and is an ideal fit for the Mauser M12.
If you are looking for a reliable mounting solution that allows for numerous optics mounting possibilities, we recommend this Picatinny rail manufactured by the German company EAW. It is made of high-quality steel and comes with a thirty-year warranty.
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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