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. Their designs were widely popular and have been exported to a number of countries, and their design remains the model on which almost every successful bolt action rifle has been built. Mauser logo from [1] This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... A bolt-action firearm is one that is manually operated (i. ... A rifle is a firearm that uses a spiral groove cut into the barrel to spin a projectile (Usualy a bullet), thus improving accuracy and range of the projectile. ...

History

What was to become Mauser started on July 31, 1811, when Friedrich I of Württemberg established a royal weapons factory in Oberndorf, a small town in the German Black Forest. The factory opened for business the next year, employing 133 workers. July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining, as the final day of July. ... 1811 was a common year starting on Tuesday (see link for calendar). ... Friedrich I of Württemberg, or Frederick I of Württemberg (November 6, 1754 - October 30, 1816) became Duke of Württemberg in 1797 on the death of his father: he assumed the title of Elector in 1802, and the title of King in 1806. ... Oberndorfbei Salzburg is an Austriantown, some 17 km north of Salzburg. ... A map of Germany, showing the Black Forest in red. ...

Mauser Model 71

Mauser Model 71/84

In 1867 Wilhelm and Paul Mauser developed a rifle using an improved rotating bolt system for breechloaders based off the Chassepot (fusil modele 1866), itself an improved version of, and based off an earlier Prussian design. The Franco-prussian war had shown their rifle inferior to the Chassepot, so in 1871 the most recent version of their design became the standard German infantry rifle beating out the M1869 Bavarian Werder. The Mauser design was known in service as the Gewehr 71 (rifle model 1871), Gew 71 or G71 for short. 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. 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. Download high resolution version (1008x251, 22 KB)Mauser M71 Rifle This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (1008x251, 22 KB)Mauser M71 Rifle This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Mauser M71/84 Rifle This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Mauser M71/84 Rifle This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Paul von Meisner, born June 27, 1838 in Oberndorf am Neckar, died May 29, 1914 in Oberndorf am Neckar, was a German industrialist and weapon designer. ... The chassepot, officially known as fusil modèle 1866, was a military breechloading rifle, famous as the arm of the French forces in the Franco-German War of 1870 and 1871. ... The word caliber (American English) or calibre (British English) designates the interior diameter of a tube or the exterior diameter of a wire or rod. ... Serbia and Montenegro  â€“ Serbia    â€“ Kosovo and Metohia        (UN administration)    â€“ Vojvodina  â€“ Montenegro Official language Serbian1 Capital Belgrade Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % water  88,361 km²  n/a Population  â€“ Total (2002)     (without Kosovo)  â€“ Density  7. ...

8mm Mauser, Spitzer head

In 1886 the French Lebel Model 1886 introduced the clearly superior smokeless powder to the industry, allowing for high-powered smaller rounds with accuracy out to 1,000 yards. The next year Vetterli-Vitali introduced the box magazine to rifle design, dramatically improving reload times and general reliability. The German army introduced both of these features into their own service with the Mannlicher Model 1888, better known as the 1888 Commission Rifle, which was chambered for a round designated "7.92 x 57I". The design had a round head however, and it would not be until later that a spitzer bullet with a sharp point was developed and entered service, which was done in response to the French changing over to a pointed bullet. Only later versions of their rifles, or converted ones could fire the differently shaped rounds. Mauser 8MM Bullet This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The French Lebel Model 1886 rifle, or officially Fusil dInfantrie Modele 1886 was the first rifle designed to use smokeless gunpowder. ... Smokeless powder is the name given to any number of gunpowder-like propellants used in firearms which produce negligible smoke when fired, unlike the older black powder which it replaced. ...

Model 92

Mauser 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 a box magazine he had been struggling with. Four hundred of a shorter carbine version known as the Model 92 were sold to the Spanish Navy using a new smokeless powder in a 7.65 mm caliber round. Mauser M92 Rifle This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Mauser M92 Rifle This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ...

Model 93

Mauser Model 93

The next major 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". This model was widely employed by the Spanish Army, and was used to tremendous effect during the Battle of San Juan Hill in Cuba where 750 Spanish regulars held off an attack by 15,000 US troops armed with .30-40 Krag-Jørgensen for twelve hours. This led the US to develop their own version of the Mauser design, which would become the Springfield 1903 rifle. Mauser M93 Rifle This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Mauser M93 Rifle This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... 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. ... 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. ... Battle of San Juan Hill Conflict Spanish-American War Date July 1, 1898 Place near Santiago, Cuba Result American victory The Battle of San Juan Hill was the bloodiest and most famous battle of the Spanish-American War. ... Krag-Jørgensen Nationality Norway Type bolt action repeating rifle Inventor O H J Krag and E Jørgensen Date of design 1886 Service duration 1886-1945 Cartridge 8x58R rimmed (Danish Krags) .30-40 Krag (US Krags) 6. ... M1903 M1903A1 M1903A3 M1903A4 with M84 sight The Springfield 1903 rifle (designation United States Rifle, Caliber . ...

Model 94

Mauser Model 95

The results of this battle were seen around the world, and orders soon poured in for Mauser rifles. Turkey purchased the Model 93, Brazil and Sweden the Model 94. The Model 95 was very similar to the Model 93, and was sold to Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, the South African Republic (Boer Transvaal and Orange Free State), China and Iran. The South African versions faced the British during the Boer War and proved deadly at long ranges, forcing the British to design their own rifle on the Mauser pattern, eventually delivering the SMLE which would remain the standard British infantry weapon until the 1950s. Mauser M95 Rifle This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Mauser M95 Rifle This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Flag of Transvaal The Transvaal (lit. ... Flag of the Orange Free State The Orange Free State (Afrikaans: Oranje Vrystaat) was the historical precursor to the present day Free State province of the Republic of South Africa. ... 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... Lee-Enfield No4 Mk1 with bayonet, scabbard attached The Lee-Enfield was the British armys standard bolt action, magazine-fed, repeating rifle from 1895 until 1956. ...

C96

Mauser Model C96 Pistol

In 1896 Mauser also branched out into pistol design, producing the design of another team of brothers, Fidel, Friedrich, and Josef Feederle as the C96. This design was rather impractical due to the forward mounting of the magazine making it so nose heavy 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. Mauser C96 Pistol This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Mauser C96 Pistol This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... For the coin, see pistole For the part of a flower, see pistil. ... Mauser C96 Country Germany Type Semi-automatic pistol Inventor Paul Peter Mauser Date of design 1895 Service duration 1899-present(?) Cartridge 7. ...

In 1897 the Mausers were given control of the factory, forming Waffenfabrik Mauser AG.

Model 98

Mauser Model 98

In 1898 the German army also purchased a Mauser design, The Model 98 incorporated all of the improvements of earlier models, and entered German service as the Gew. 98 (see also Gewehr 98). 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 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. Mauser M98 Rifle This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Mauser M98 Rifle This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... The Gewehr 98 was the standard German infantry rifle from 1898 to 1935, when the Karabiner 98k replaced it. ...

A number carbine versions known as Karabiner 98's had been introduced and used in World War I, some were even shorter than the later K98k. 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 K98k or often just KAR 98. World War I was primarily a European conflict with many facets: immense human sacrifice, stalemate trench warfare, and the use of new, devastating weapons - tanks, aircraft, machineguns, and poison gas. ... Nazi Germany, or the Third Reich, commonly refers to Germany in the years 1933–1945, when it was under the firm control of the totalitarian and fascist ideology of the Nazi Party, with the Führer Adolf Hitler as dictator. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that engulfed much of the globe...

Contrary to popular belief, the U.S. Springfield Rifle, Model 1903, (See 1903 Springfield) was NOT a product-improved Model 98 Mauser. The War Department had exhaustively 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 1894-1898, and the Mauser Model 93, to produce the U.S. Springfield Rifle, Model 1903.

K98k

The K98k "Mauser" was the most common infantry rifle in service within the German Army during World War II. The design was based off 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.

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 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 1000 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 push 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.

Full name: Karabiner 1898 Kurz; Caliber: 7.92 x 57 mm; Weight: 4 kg (8.9 lb); Length: 1250 mm Barrel: 740 mm, 4 grooves, right hand twist Mechanism: Mauser bolt action Magazine: 5 round integral box Effective Range: 700 m

See Karabiner 98k for more. Karabiner 98 Kurz Type Service Rifle Nation Germany Era WW2 History Date of design 1935 Production period 1935-1945 Service duration 10 years Operators Germany War service WW2 Variants Mauser Gewehr 98 (predecessor) Number built 10 million + Specifications Type Long Rifle Calibre 8 mm Mauser Barrel length 600 mm Ammunition...

Civilian Market

Modern Mauser Model 94 with telescopic sight

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 rounds, 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 civilan market and are very popular with hunters in Africa, Australia, North America, and Europe. Mauser M94 Rifle This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Mauser M94 Rifle This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Hunting is, in its most general sense, the pursuit of a target. ... A rifle is any long gun which has a rifled barrel. ... Safari as a distinctive way of hunting was popularized by Ernest Hemingway and Teddy Roosevelt. ... The barrel of a firearm is the tube, usually metal, through which a controlled explosion is released in order to propel a projectile out of the end at great speed. ... Rimmed, centerfire . ... In firearms terminology, an action is the system of operation that the firearm employs to seal the breech (in a breech-loading firearm), and to load consecutive rounds. ... The Commonwealth of Nations is an association of independent sovereign states, almost all of which are former colonies once governed by the United Kingdom as part of the British Empire. ... Rally Committee running Cal flags across the field at the 2002 Big Game. ... Africa is the worlds second-largest continent and second most populous after Asia. ... World map showing location of North America A satellite composite image of North America North America is a continent in the northern hemisphere, bounded on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the south by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west... World map showing location of Europe When considered a continent, Europe is the worlds second smallest continent in terms of area, with an area of 10,600,000 km² (4,140,625 square miles), making it larger than Australia only. ...

Manufacturers

• Rigby developed no less than four distinct rounds used in hunting big game for its Mauser Safari rifles.
• Ceska Zbrojovka manufactures a 98 Mauser variant, CZ 550 Safari Magnum, from .375 HHMag to .458 Lott.
• Sigarms currently makes a Mauser M98 Safari rifle, chambered in .416 Rigby, .450 Dakota, .458 Lott, and .500 Jeffry.
• Zastava manufactures several 98 Mauser variants, the best known of these being the LK M70, in various popular calibers ranging from .22-250 to .458 Winchester Magnum. This rifle is sold in North America by the Charles Daly firm.

John Rigby & Co. ... Rimmed, centerfire . ... Hunting is, in its most general sense, the pursuit of a target. ... Rally Committee running Cal flags across the field at the 2002 Big Game. ... Safari as a distinctive way of hunting was popularized by Ernest Hemingway and Teddy Roosevelt. ... A rifle is a firearm that uses a spiral groove cut into the barrel to spin a projectile (Usualy a bullet), thus improving accuracy and range of the projectile. ... Ceska Zbrojovka a. ... Safari as a distinctive way of hunting was popularized by Ernest Hemingway and Teddy Roosevelt. ... SIGARMS is the American incarnation of Swiss manufacturing firm Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft (SIG), a company most famous for its firearms, as SIG Arms AG. SIGARMS was set up in 1985 in order to manufacture and import SIGs firearms into the USA, although as of 2000 it has been a... Safari as a distinctive way of hunting was popularized by Ernest Hemingway and Teddy Roosevelt. ... Zastava is a Serbian manufacturer based in the city of Kragujevac, 86 miles (138 km) southeast of Belgrade. ...

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. The Gewehr 41 (G 41) was a German World War II semi-automatic rifle design. ... Carl Walther GmbH Sportwaffen is a German arms manufacturer. ... The gas-operated system for implementing automatic reloading of a firearm is one of five such systems, the others being recoil-operated, gatling, chain, and blowback. ...

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 US Army commander. 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, now a subsidiary of Rheinmetall, still manufactures autocannons, such as the Mauser BK-27 revolver cannon used in the Eurofighter. Heckler & Koch Logo Heckler & Koch GmbH (H&K) is a German weapons manufacturing company famous for various series of small firearms, notably the MP5 submachine gun, the MP7 personal defense weapon and the G3 and G36 assault rifles. ... Rheinmetall is a German defense company with factories in Düsseldorf and Unterlüß. It has a long tradition of making guns and artillery pieces, such as the WW2 88 mm gun. ... M242 Bushmaster autocannon on an M2 Bradley. ... The BK 27 (also BK27 or BK-27) (Translation: Board Cannon) is a 27 mm autocannon manufactured by Mauser Oerlikon. ... A revolver cannon is a type of autocannon. ... The Eurofighter Typhoon is a twin-engine multi-role canard-delta fighter aircraft, very similar to the US-German Rockwell-MBB X-31 prototype and designed and built by a consortium of European nations formed in 1983. ...

External links

• Nazarian's Gun's Recognition Guide on G98 / K98k
• Nazarian's Gun's Recognition Guide on C-96
• Persian Mauser
• Zastava Arms