The 7x57 Mauser, also known as the 7 mm Mauser, 7 mm Spanish Mauser, and .275 Rigby, was developed as a military cartridge in 1893 for use by the military forces of Spain. It was subsequently adopted by several countries as the standard military cartridge. It was a milestone in cartridge design, and although obsolete as a military cartridge remains in production as a sporting cartridge. Mauser is the common name of German arms manufacturer Mauser-Werke Oberndorf Waffensysteme GmbH, as well as the line of bolt action rifles they built for the German armed forces. ... Rimmed, centerfire . ... 1893 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...

History

The Mauser Company, founded by the brothers Wilhelm and Peter-Paul Mauser, existed from the late 1860's until the end of WWII. After several innovations, and years of trying, the company's first major success was a contract to manufacture rifles for the Turkish army in 7.65 mm caliber. German soldiers at the Battle of Stalingrad World War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the worlds nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. ...

The Spanish military adopted a new Mauser design in 1893. The new rifle was chambered for a smokeless powder center firecartridge with a bullet with a nominal diameter of 7 mm (0.284 in), and a case length of 57 mm, hence "7 x 57 Mauser". It featured a 175 grain (11 g) bullet with a muzzle velocity of about 2,300+ feet per second (700 m/s). For the late 19th century, these ballistic factors were impressive. The change in bullet, from a rounded tip to a pointed tip, was partially responsible for the performance as it virtually eliminated wind resistance at normal combat ranges A rifle is any long gun which has a rifled barrel. ... Smokeless powder is the name given to any number of gunpowder-like propellants used in firearms which produce neglegible smoke when fired, unlike the older black powder which it replaced. ... Rimmed, centerfire . ... 0. ...

The Spanish-American War and the South African Boer War proved the qualities of the 7 x 57 Mauser as a military round. Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders took very heavy casualties attacking an inferior force armed with 7 mm Model 93 Mauser rifles. Likewise, the British soldiers fighting in South Africa were obliged to re-evaluate rifle design and tactics after facing the Boers firing the 7 x 57 rounds over open ground, easily outranging the .303 British cartridge. The Spanish-American War took place in 1898, and resulted in the United States of America gaining control over the former colonies of Spain in the Caribbean and Pacific. ... Boer guerrillas during the Second Boer War There were two Boer wars, one from December 16, 1880-March 23, 1881 and the second from October 11, 1899-May 31, 1902 both between the British and the settlers of Dutch, French and German origin (called Boers, Afrikaners or Voortrekkers) in South... Theodore Roosevelt (October 27, 1858–January 6, 1919) was the twenty-fifth (1901) Vice President and the twenty-sixth (1901-1909) President of the United States, succeeding to the office upon the assassination of William McKinley. ... Roosevelt and the Rough Riders atop San Juan Heights, 1898 The Rough Riders was the name bestowed by the American press on the 1st U.S. Volunteer Cavalry regiment during the Spanish-American War. ...

Sporting round

The ballistics of the 7 x 57 Mauser quickly became popular with hunters. The flat trajectory, along with the penetrating effects of the 7 mm sectional density, ensured its place as a big game cartridge. It was extremely popular in Africa, where it was used on everything up to, and including, elephants. Though not so popular today, the 7 x 57 is still loaded by most major ammunition manufacturers. Modern rifles are still chambered for the cartridge.

Due to the age and metallurgy of the rifles for which it was originally designed, many of which are still functioning, most American commercial loads do not exploit the full potential of the cartridge. European loads are loaded to higher velocities and pressures, and can only be safely used in modern rifles chambered for the 7 x 57 Mauser cartridge. This is not to say the older rifles, especially military rifles cannot fire full power loads, just that commercial ammo companies are not willing to take the risks of a lawsuit due to catastrophic failure. All firearms should be checked by a competent gunsmith and deemed safe before attempting to fire them.

The 7.92x57 (aka 8mm Mauser) and 7x57 (aka 7mm Mauser) cartridges are not the same cartridge, and cannot safely be exchanged. Attempts to interchange the two cartridges could result in damage to property, injury and possibly death.