Mauser, originally Königlich Württembergische Gewehrfabrik ("Royal Württemberg Rifle Factory"), was a German
arms manufacturer
The arms industry, also known as the arms trade, is a global industry which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology. It consists of a commercial industry involved in the research and development, engineering, production, and servi ...
. Their line of
bolt-action
Bolt-action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by ''directly'' manipulating the bolt via a bolt handle, which is most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon (as most users are right-handed).
Most bolt-action ...
rifles and
semi-automatic pistol
A semi-automatic pistol is a type of repeating single-chamber handgun ( pistol) that automatically cycles its action to insert the subsequent cartridge into the chamber (self-loading), but requires manual actuation of the trigger to actuall ...
s has been produced since the 1870s for the German armed forces. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Mauser designs were also exported and licensed to many countries which adopted them as military and civilian sporting firearms.
The
Gewehr 98
The Gewehr 98 (abbreviated G98, Gew 98, or M98) is a German bolt-action rifle made by Mauser, firing cartridges from a five-round internal clip-loaded magazine. It was the German service rifle from 1898 to 1935, when it was replaced by the Ka ...
in particular was widely adopted and copied, and is the foundation of many of today's sporting bolt-action rifles.
History
King
Frederick I Frederick I may refer to:
* Frederick of Utrecht or Frederick I (815/16–834/38), Bishop of Utrecht.
* Frederick I, Duke of Upper Lorraine (942–978)
* Frederick I, Duke of Swabia (1050–1105)
* Frederick I, Count of Zoller ...
founded the enterprise as Königliche Waffen Schmieden (literally: Royal Weapons Forges) on 31 July 1811. Originally located partly at
Ludwigsburg
Ludwigsburg (; Swabian: ''Ludisburg'') is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about north of Stuttgart city centre, near the river Neckar. It is the largest and primary city of the Ludwigsburg district with about 88,000 inhabitants. It is ...
and partly in Christophsthal, the factory transferred to the former Augustine Cloister in
Oberndorf am Neckar
Oberndorf am Neckar (; Swabian: ''Oberndorf am Näggô'') is a town in the district of Rottweil, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated on the river Neckar, north of Rottweil. It historically was and currently is a major center of t ...
, where Andreas Mauser worked as the master gunsmith.
Of his seven sons who worked with him there, Peter Paul Mauser showed an outstanding ability to develop methods of operation that were faster and more efficient. His older brother Wilhelm assumed many of his father's duties as he became ill.
Early years
Peter Paul Mauser, often referred to as
Paul Mauser
Peter Paul von Mauser (born Peter Paul Mauser) (27 June 1838 – 29 May 1914) was a German weapon designer, manufacturer, industrialist and politician.
Early life
Mauser was born in Oberndorf am Neckar, in what was then the Kingdom of Württembe ...
, was born on 27 June 1838, in Oberndorf am Neckar,
Württemberg
Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart.
Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Würt ...
. His brother
Wilhelm
Wilhelm may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* William Charles John Pitcher, costume designer known professionally as "Wilhelm"
* Wilhelm (name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name or surname
Other uses
* Mount ...
was four years older. Another brother, Franz Mauser, went to America in 1853 with his sister and worked at
E. Remington & Sons.
Peter Paul was conscripted in 1859 as an artilleryman at the Ludwigsburg arsenal, where he worked as a gunsmith. By December 1859 he had so impressed his superiors that he was placed on inactive military service and assigned to the royal factory at Oberndorf. Paul engaged his older brother Wilhelm in working on a new gun system in their spare time after work. Paul was the engineer and designer but Wilhelm took on the task of manager for their interests with the Oberndorf factory.
Paul's first invention was a cannon and its ammunition. During his entire career he had a unique ability to produce both the gun and the ammunition for it. Following the success of the
Dreyse needle gun Dreyse may refer to:
* Johann Nicolaus von Dreyse (1787–1867), German firearms inventor
* Hitch Dreyse, a fictional character in '' Attack on Titan'' (''Shingeki no Kyojin'') series who serves in the military police.
* Dreyse needle gun, a German ...
(''Zündnadelgewehr'') Paul turned his energies to improving on that design and producing a new one. Paul and Wilhelm had separated due to differences during this time. After Paul developed a new turning-bolt design, Wilhelm was impressed enough to rejoin the business and succeeded in obtaining the financing to purchase machinery and continue development. While the original needle gun used a pin that pierced the base of the cartridge to ignite the primer in the middle, Mauser soon developed a needle that ignited the charge at the base, a superior design.
US patent
Locally the Dreyse needle gun had just been adopted, so the brothers turned to the Austrian ambassador to try to sell their own gun. He forwarded their new gun to Vienna for testing. It was here that American Norris of the
Remington
Remington may refer to:
Organizations
* Remington Arms, American firearms manufacturer
* Remington Rand, American computer manufacturer
* Remington Products, American manufacturer of shavers and haircare products
* Remington College, American c ...
company saw the new Mauser rifle design. In 1867 Norris hired the Mauser brothers to go to Liège to work on a new design. He also stipulated that patents were to be taken out in his name and that a royalty would be paid to the Mauser brothers for rifles sold. Norris was convinced that he could sell the design to the French to convert their Chassepot rifles. The Norris-Mauser patent was taken out in the United States. Remington was outraged at the behavior of Norris and never made an effort to sell the new rifle.
Based on the Dreyse needle gun, he developed a rifle with a turn-bolt mechanism that cocked the gun as it was manipulated by the user. The rifle initially used a firing needle; a later version used a firing pin and a rear-ignition cartridge. The rifle was shown to the Austrian War Ministry by Samuel Norris of E. Remington & Sons. Norris believed the design could be adapted to convert
Chassepot
The Chassepot (pronounced ''SHAS-poh''), officially known as ''Fusil modèle 1866'', was a bolt-action military breechloading rifle. It is famous for having been the arm of the French forces in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871. It replac ...
needle guns to fire metallic cartridges. Shortly thereafter, a partnership was formed in Oberndorf between Norris and the Mauser brothers. The partners went to
Liège
Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège.
The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far from b ...
in 1867, but when the French government showed no interest in a Chassepot conversion, the partnership dissolved. Paul Mauser returned to Oberndorf in December 1869, and Wilhelm arrived in April 1870. Before leaving Liège, the Mausers insisted that he submit the rifle to Royal Prussian School of Riflemanship. The results were impressive and Wilhelm was invited to the arsenal at Spandau.
Model M/71
Peter Paul and Wilhelm Mauser continued development of their new rifle in Paul's father-in-law's home. The Mauser rifle was accepted by the
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
n government on 2 December 1871, and was accepted for service until 14 February 1872, after a requested design change to the safety lock. The Mauser brothers received an order for 3,000 rifle sights, but actual production of the rifle was given to government arsenals and large firms. The sights were produced at the Xaver Jauch house starting 1 May 1872. After an order for 100,000 rifle sights was received from the Bavarian Rifle Factory at
Amberg
Amberg () is a town in Bavaria, Germany. It is located in the Upper Palatinate, roughly halfway between Regensburg and Bayreuth. In 2020, over 42,000 people lived in the town.
History
The town was first mentioned in 1034, at that time under t ...
, the Mauser brothers began negotiations to purchase the Württemberg Royal Armoury. A delay in the purchase forced them to buy real estate overlooking the
Neckar River Valley, where the upper works was built that same year. A house in Oberndorf was also rented to fulfill the Bavarian order.
Acquisition of the Königlich Württembergische Gewehrfabrik
The
Königlich Württembergische Gewehrfabrik
The Königlich Württembergische Gewehrfabrik (English "''Royal Württemberg Gun Factory''") was a state owned firearms manufacturer from 1812 to 1874 and the predecessor of the Mauser arms manufacturer.
Creation
The armoury was created when ...
was acquired on May 23, 1874, after an agreement between the Württemberg government and the Mausers to produce 100,000 Model 71 rifles. The partnership of Mauser Brothers and Company was formed between the Württemberg Vereinsbank of
Stuttgart
Stuttgart (; Swabian: ; ) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the Neckar river in a fertile valley known as the ''Stuttgarter Kessel'' (Stuttgart Cauldron) and lies an hour from the ...
and Paul and Wilhelm Mauser on February 5, 1874. By 23 May 1874, the Mauser partnership had three factories in Oberndorf.
Wilhelm Mauser suffered from health problems throughout his life, which were aggravated by his frequent business travels. A combination of these led to his death on 13 January 1882. The partnership became a stock company with the name of Waffenfabrik Mauser on 1 April 1884. The shares held by the Württemberg Vereinsbank and Paul Mauser were sold to Ludwig Löwe & Company on 28 December 1887, and Paul Mauser stayed as the technical leader. Ludwig Löwe & Company was fifty per cent owner of
Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre
Fabrique Nationale Herstal (), trading as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN, is a leading firearms manufacturer based in Herstal, Belgium. It is currently the largest exporter of military small arms in Europe.
F ...
, a company formed in 1889 to manufacture Mauser rifles for the Belgian government.
Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken
''Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken Aktiengesellschaft'' (German Weapons and Munitions public limited company), known as DWM, was an arms company in Imperial Germany created in 1896 when ''Ludwig Loewe & Company'' united its weapons and amm ...
A.G. (DWM) formed on 7 November 1896 as a merger of Ludwig Löwe & Company A.G., Deutsche Metallpatronenfabrik A.G., Rheinisch-Westfälischen Powder Company, and Rottweil-Hamburg Powder Company. Mauser A.G. was formed on 23 April 1897. After World War II, DWM was renamed Industrie-Werke Karlsruhe A.G. (IWK).
Civilian market
Mausers were readily adapted as hunting rifles; in Africa,
safari
A safari (; ) is an overland journey to observe wild animals, especially in eastern or southern Africa. The so-called "Big Five" game animals of Africa – lion, leopard, rhinoceros, elephant, and Cape buffalo – particularly form an importa ...
rifles were often made from Mausers. These rifles were often rechambered in larger rounds up to and including .50
caliber
In guns, particularly firearms, caliber (or calibre; sometimes abbreviated as "cal") is the specified nominal internal diameter of the gun barrel Gauge (firearms) , bore – regardless of how or where the bore is measured and whether the f ...
(12.7 mm). The adaptations usually consisted of shortening the
foregrip
A vertical forward grip or foregrip is a vertical pistol grip mounted on the fore-end of a long-barrel firearm, designed for grasping by the frontal support hand (or "off hand").
Use
Forward grips aid in the maneuverability of the firearm, ...
and
barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, ...
, rechambering to accommodate popular British rounds, and minor alterations to the
action
Action may refer to:
* Action (narrative), a literary mode
* Action fiction, a type of genre fiction
* Action game, a genre of video game
Film
* Action film, a genre of film
* ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford
* ''Action'' (1980 fil ...
. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, companies that made alterations were generally
Commonwealth
A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...
-based. Several proprietary big-game rounds were 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 popular with hunters.
Surplus military Mausers, many in mint condition, have also entered the civilian market, to be purchased by collectors and gun owners. A considerable number of surplus
Karabiner 98k
The Karabiner 98 kurz (; "carbine 98 short"), often abbreviated Karabiner 98k, Kar98k or K98k and also sometimes incorrectly referred to as a K98 (a K98 is a Polish carbine and copy of the Kar98a), is a bolt-action rifle chambered for the 7.92×5 ...
s were available after World War II, and some were used by
Schultz & Larsen
Schultz & Larsen is a Danish rifle and silencer manufacturing company that was founded in 1919 in Otterup. In 1994 it was acquired by Jørgen Nielsen, and the production plants split between Otterup and Rask Mølle near Horsens. Currently the com ...
in Denmark as the basis for target rifles. Some of these are still in competitive use, although with the benefit of new barrels.
The strong following enjoyed by surplus military Mausers is partly a testament to their reliability and quality of manufacture. Additionally, the comparative low cost of surplus military ammunition has served to continue their use by shooting enthusiasts, however, in recent years it is becoming more difficult to obtain as stocks dry up. That being said, vintage surplus ammunition usually requires specialized cleaning regimens to prevent aggressive and rapid metal oxidation caused by corrosive salts (moisture attracting) contained in their priming compounds. Care must be taken to thoroughly and promptly clean and neutralize these salts after firing corrosive ammunition, lest the weapon suffer metal and mechanical damage.
The first Western-made handguns introduced into South Asia were made by the Mauser company, and the term has entered the lexicon in India and the surrounding regions, to mean any heavy pistol.
Manufacturers
*
John Rigby & Company
John Rigby & Company (or John Rigby & Co. (Gunmakers) Ltd) is a gunmaking firm founded by John Rigby in 1775 in Dublin. The company was established by the first John Rigby in Dublin, Ireland, apparently in 1775; his grandson, also John, opened a ...
developed four distinct
rounds for its Mauser safari big-game rifles (
.275 Rigby,
.350 Rigby
The .350 Rigby and .350 Rigby No 2 are proprietary medium bore rifle cartridges developed by John Rigby & Company.
Design
The .350 Rigby and .350 Rigby No 2 are both bottlenecked centerfire rifle cartridges, originally both cartridges fired ...
,
.416 Rigby
The .416 Rigby is a rifle cartridge designed in 1911 by London based gunmaker John Rigby & Company, for hunting dangerous game. It is the first cartridge to use a bullet of .416 inch (10.57 mm) diameter. The rifles, as built by John Rigby & Co ...
, and the
.450 Rigby
The .450 Rigby is a rifle cartridge designed in 1994 by John Rigby & Co. for the hunting of large, thick-skinned dangerous game animals in Africa. The cartridge is based on the .416 Rigby necked up to accept a .458 in (11.6 mm) bullet and ...
).
*
Česká Zbrojovka manufactures various Mauser 98 variants, the most notable being the
CZ 550 CZ, C-Z, C/Z, or Cz may refer to:
* Czech Republic, ISO 3166 country code CZ
* .cz, internet country code top-level domain for the Czech Republic
Businesses and organisations
* C/Z Records, an American record label
* Česká zbrojovka firearms (Č ...
Safari Magnum, the
.375 H&H Magnum, and the
.458 Lott
The .458 Lott is a .458 caliber rifle cartridge designed for the purpose of hunting large, thick-skinned dangerous game animals in Africa. It is based on the full length .375 H&H Magnum case blown out and shortened to .
The .458 Lott was des ...
.
*
SIG Sauer
Several brother companies that design and manufacture firearms use the brand name SIG Sauer . The original company, ''Schweizerische Waggon-Fabrik'' (SWF), later ''Schweizerische Industrie-Gesellschaft'' (SIG), went through several selloffs, ...
makes a Mauser M98 rifle chambered in several medium and magnum chamberings and a M98 Safari rifle, chambered in .416 Rigby, .450 Dakota, .458 Lott, and
.500 Jeffery
The .500 Jeffery is a big-game rifle cartridge that first appeared around 1920, and was originally introduced by the August Schuler Company, a German firm, under the European designation "12.7×70mm Schuler" or ".500 Schuler". When offered by th ...
.
*
Zastava Arms
Zastava Arms ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Застава oружје, Zastava oružje) is a Serbian manufacturer of firearms and artillery, based in Kragujevac, Serbia. It was founded in 1853 when it cast its first cannon. It is the leading producer of firear ...
manufactures several 98 Mauser variants, the best known of these being the LK M70 and M85 series, in various popular calibers ranging from
.22-250
The .22-250 Remington is a very high-velocity, short action, .22 caliber rifle cartridge primarily used for varmint hunting and small game hunting. It is capable of reaching over 4000 feet per second. It does find occasional use by women and yo ...
to
.458 Winchester Magnum
The .458 Winchester Magnum is a belted, straight-taper cased, big five game rifle cartridge. It was introduced commercially in 1956 by Winchester and first chambered in the Winchester Model 70 African rifle. It was designed to compete against t ...
. A number of the LK M70 slightly modified versions have been widely sold in other countries.
*
Carl Gustav Sweden national armory took over the manufacturing of the M94/96 and the famous target rifles CG63 and CG68.
*
Husqvarna Vapenfabrik
Husqvarna Vapenfabriks Aktiebolag or simply ''HVA''; {{IPA-sv, ˈhʉ̂ːsˌkvɑːɳa, pron, sv-Husqvarna.ogg) was a Swedish firearms manufacturing company in the town of Huskvarna by lake Vättern.
History
In 1689 the manager at the nearby sta ...
made M94-96, variant M38, M38-96, and many other civilian variations; Model 46 (46A,46B, and 46AN) in cal.
6.5×55mm,
9,3×57mm and
9.3×62mm
The 9.3×62mm (also known as 9.3×62mm Mauser) is a rimless, bottlenecked rifle cartridge designed in 1905 by German gunmaker Otto Bock. It is suitable for hunting medium to large game animals in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. At ...
; Model 640 (646 – 6.5×55, 648 –
8×57IS, 649 – 9.3×62) without the thumb notch. They used FN action for later models 640 and 140 series. The cross-over model 1640 Improved Mauser (over the M96) is a cross between the M98 and M96. They also produced the 1900 actions.
*
Fabrique Nationale de Herstal
Fabrique Nationale Herstal (), trading as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN, is a leading firearms manufacturer based in Herstal, Belgium. It is currently the largest exporter of military small arms in Europe.
...
made a M98 series, the early production being small ring and later large ring of "C" (early) and "H" (late) design. The FN actions were also used by Sako of Finland as their Hi-Power rifles, by Browning on the early Medallions, as Husqvarna small ring model 146 and large ring late model 640, and by Kodiak Arms, Connecticut. Many other arms manufacturers used the FN action.
Mauser firearms pre-1945
Rifles
Mauser-Norris Model 67/69 rifle
Between 1867 and 1869, the Mauser brothers and Samuel Norris developed a single-shot bolt-action rifle. The caliber and number produced are not known. Ludwig Olson wrote that an example had at one time been on display at the
Smithsonian Institution
The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...
in Washington, D.C. The rifle was patented in Austria by Samuel Norris on 24 December 1867. The bolt head did not rotate, a feature chosen by Paul Mauser to "protect the heads of paper cartridges from friction and possible damage while locking the bolt, and to provide a non-rotary seat for the extractor when metallic cartridges were used."
An improved version of the rifle used a coil spring wrapped around the firing pin and a
safety
Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk.
Meanings
There are ...
and a cocking piece attached to the rear of the firing pin. This rifle was shown to the Prussian government, and after some design changes to the safety, was accepted for service as the Infantry Rifle Model 71 on 14 February 1872. Although it is sometimes considered a close relative of the Chassepot rifle, and borrowing Dreyse's turning-bolt action lock, the most innovative features of the new weapon were the work of Peter Paul Mauser.
Model 1871 and derivatives
The
Mauser Model 1871
The Mauser Model 1871 adopted as the ''Gewehr'' 71 or ''Infanterie-Gewehr'' 71, or "Infantry Rifle 71" ("I.G.Mod.71" was stamped on the rifles themselves) was the first rifle model in a distinguished line designed and manufactured by Paul Mauser ...
was the Mauser brothers' first rifle. It was adopted by the
German Empire
The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...
(except for the
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria (german: Königreich Bayern; ; spelled ''Baiern'' until 1825) was a German state that succeeded the former Electorate of Bavaria in 1805 and continued to exist until 1918. With the unification of Germany into the German E ...
) as the Gewehr 71 or Infanterie-Gewehr 71 (I.G.Mod.71 was engraved on the rifles). Production began at the Oberndorf factory for the infantry version, which fired a
black powder
Gunpowder, also commonly known as black powder to distinguish it from modern smokeless powder, is the earliest known chemical explosive. It consists of a mixture of sulfur, carbon (in the form of charcoal) and potassium nitrate (saltpeter). Th ...
11×60mm round from a long barrel. Shorter versions were introduced with the barreled Jäger and cavalry carbine.
Slightly modified versions were widely sold to other countries, firing bullets that would today be considered very large, typically 9.5mm to 11.5mm. Such large bullets were necessary due to the limitations of black powder, which hindered velocities.
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
designed an improved version of the Model 71 in 10.15mm, made in Germany and called the
Mauser-Milovanović M1878/80. In 1884 an 8-shot tubular magazine was added by Mauser to the Model 71/84. The
Turkish
Turkish may refer to:
*a Turkic language spoken by the Turks
* of or about Turkey
** Turkish language
*** Turkish alphabet
** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation
*** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey
*** Turkish communities and mi ...
model 1887 rifle was the first of a series of rifles produced for the Turkish Army. Its design echoed that of the German Gewehr 71/84 service rifle: a bolt-action weapon with a tubular magazine beneath the barrel. The Turkish contract specified that if any other nation ordered Mauser rifles with more advanced technology, that design would be used in the Model 1887 to fill the remainder of the Turkish order. This clause was utilized after Belgium adopted the Model 1889 rifle.
Models 1889/90/91 and Experimental Model 92
After the Mauser brothers finished work on the Model 71/84 in 1880, the design team set out to create a small caliber repeater that used smokeless powder. Because of setbacks brought on by Wilhelm Mauser's death, they failed to have the design completed by 1882, and the German Rifle Test Commission (''Gewehr-Prüfungskommission'') was formed. The commission preferred to create their own design. Paul Mauser created two different variations of the same rifle, one with a stock strengthened with a barrel shroud and a traditional design following the layout of the 71 series in hope he might be able to overturn the commission's decision, or at least sell his design to the Kingdom of Bavaria, which adopted its own arms. The two rifles became known as the 89 Belgian (with a barrel shroud) and the 91 Argentine (with a 71 layout) Mausers, identical in their function and feed system. The main features were the ability to use
stripper clips
A stripper clip (also known as a charger or charger clip, especially in British and in Commonwealth military vocabulary) is a speedloader that holds several cartridges (usually between 5 and 10) together in a single unit for easier and faster lo ...
to feed the magazine (a revolution in rate of fire), and its rimless
7.65×53mm Mauser
The 7.65×53mm Mauser (designated as the 7,65 × 53 Arg. by the C.I.P.) is a first-generation smokeless powder rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge developed for use in the Mauser Model 1889 rifle by Paul Mauser of the Mauser company. It is also ...
ammunition, advanced for the time.
The system proved impressive at the 1884 Bavarian Arms Trials. Both firearms were a success, but decision-makers were not convinced that the stripper feed was superior to the en-bloc system employed by
Mannlicher. In response, Mauser started small-scale production of the design in an effort to interest foreign nations, but failed to convince any of the European major powers.
The Belgian attache, however, urged his government to contact Mauser, hoping the design might give them a chance to found a domestic arms industry. The heavy-barreled Mauser with the barrel shroud resulted in the founding of arms manufacturer
FN Herstal
Fabrique Nationale Herstal (), trading as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN, is a leading firearms manufacturer based in Herstal, Belgium. It is currently the largest exporter of military small arms in Europe.
F ...
. FN could not keep up with orders, so they outsourced production to the
Birmingham Small Arms Company
The Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited (BSA) was a major British industrial combine, a group of businesses manufacturing military and sporting firearms; bicycles; motorcycles; cars; buses and bodies; steel; iron castings; hand tool, hand, po ...
in England.
The Belgians' talks with Mauser prompted the Ottoman Empire to consider the design. In the end they ordered their own simpler variation of the 91 Argentine Mauser known as the 90 Turkish. While this was taking place, the Argentine Small Arms Commission contacted Mauser in 1886 to replace their Model 71s; since they wished to keep retraining of their armed forces to a minimum, they went for the Mauser 91. As with other early Mausers, most such arms were made by the
Ludwig Loewe
Ludwig Loewe (27 November 1837 – 11 September 1886) was a German merchant, manufacturer, philanthropist and a member of the Reichstag. Loewe's companies became involved in the production of armaments, employing famous designers and creating not ...
company, who in 1896 joined with other manufactures to form Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken.
All variations used the same 7.65 mm round-nosed cartridge. Many parts were interchangeable, with the exception of the bayonets of the 89 and 90/91; the barrel shroud made the
bayonet
A bayonet (from French ) is a knife, dagger, sword, or spike-shaped weapon designed to fit on the end of the muzzle of a rifle, musket or similar firearm, allowing it to be used as a spear-like weapon.Brayley, Martin, ''Bayonets: An Illustr ...
ring too wide. The 89 Mauser rejected by Germany in 1884 entered service in 1940 with the second-line units of Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark.
A non-rotating Mauser claw extractor was introduced in the Model 92. Several variations of this model participated in rifle trials for the
U.S. Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
of that year; the Norwegian
Krag–Jørgensen
The Krag–Jørgensen is a repeating bolt-action rifle designed by the Norwegians Ole Herman Johannes Krag and Erik Jørgensen in the late 19th century. It was adopted as a standard arm by Norway, Denmark, and the United States. About 300 wer ...
rifle was ultimately chosen.
Spanish M93
The Mauser Model 1893 is a
bolt-action
Bolt-action is a type of manual firearm action that is operated by ''directly'' manipulating the bolt via a bolt handle, which is most commonly placed on the right-hand side of the weapon (as most users are right-handed).
Most bolt-action ...
rifle
A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves ( rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with ...
commonly referred to as the "Spanish Mauser", though the model was adopted by other countries in other calibers, most notably the Ottoman Empire. The M93 introduced a short staggered-column box magazine as standard, holding five smokeless 7×57mm Mauser rounds flush with the bottom of the rifle, which could be reloaded quickly by pushing a
strip of rounds from the top of the open bolt. It still had only two locking lugs.
Swedish M1894 rifle
![Karbin m-1894 - 6,5x55mm - Armémuseum](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/Karbin_m-1894_-_6%2C5x55mm_-_Arm%C3%A9museum.jpg)
The Swedish army was issued the Model 94. The similar Model 1895 was sold to Mexico, Chile, Uruguay,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Persia
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, and the South African states of
Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal.
* South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...
and the
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State ( nl, Oranje Vrijstaat; af, Oranje-Vrystaat;) was an independent Boer sovereign republic under British suzerainty in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, which ceased to exist after it was defeat ...
(
Boers
Boers ( ; af, Boere ()) are the descendants of the Dutch-speaking Free Burghers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries. From 1652 to 1795, the Dutch East India Company controlled this area ...
). A safety feature offered by the
Model 1895 was a low shoulder at the rear of the receiver, just behind the base of the bolt handle, which would contain the bolt in the unlikely event that the front locking lugs sheared off due to excessive pressure. South African Mausers were highly effective against the British during the
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...
; these proved deadly at long ranges, prompting the British to design their own Mauser-inspired high-velocity cartridge and rifle. These rare Mauser carbines and rifles—especially the Model 1895—can be easily identified by the letters "OVS" (Oranje-Vrijstaat
utch for "Orange Free State" either marked on the weapons' receiver ring and the stock directly below, or otherwise carved into the right side of the buttstock. The British
Pattern 1914 Enfield
The Rifle, .303 Pattern 1914 (or P14) was a British service rifle of the First World War period. A bolt action weapon with an integral 5-round magazine, it was principally contract manufactured by companies in the United States. It served as a ...
with a Mauser-style lug might have replaced the Lee–Enfield, but the exigencies of World War I prevented this from happening. The Lee–Enfield continued to see service until it was replaced by a
semi-automatic L1A1 after World War II. The Germans had faced the
U.S. M1917 rifle during World War I, which was the Pattern 14 rifle adapted to fire the U.S. .30-06 cartridge of the American M1903 Springfield rifle.
Chilean Mauser Model 1895
The Mauser Model 1895 adopted as Fusil Mauser Chileno Mo 1895
by
Chilean forces, is a bolt operated magazine fed rifle using the 7×57mm Mauser cartridge. It is the first major modification of the Mauser Model 1893 and was produced by Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken, known as DWM, and Ludwig Loewe Company from 1895 to 1900.
Model 1896
On 3 November 1893, the
United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two fi ...
adopted the
6.5×55 mm cartridge. As a result, the Swedes chambered their new service weapons, the m/94 carbine and m/96 rifle, in this round. The rifle action was manufactured relatively unchanged from 1896 to 1944, and the m/94 Carbine, m/96 Rifle, m/38 Short Rifle, and m/41 Sharpshooter models are known by collectors as "Swedish Mausers". They are still sought after by military service rifle shooters and hunters. Initial production of the weapons was in Germany by Waffenfabrik Mauser, with the remainder being manufactured under license by Sweden's state-operated Bofors Carl Gustaf factory. The m/38 short rifle was produced by
Husqvarna; additional m/38s were converted from Model 96 rifles.
"Swedish steel" is a term for the steel used by the German Mauser, and later by Swedish manufacturing facilities, to make the m/96 rifles. Swedish iron ore contains the proper percentages of trace elements to make good alloy steel. Thus, though lacking the industrial base necessary for mass-producing steel and iron, the Swedish steel industry developed a niche market for specialty high-strength steel alloys containing
nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel is a hard and ductile transition metal. Pure nickel is chemically reactive but large pieces are slow to ...
,
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
, and
vanadium
Vanadium is a chemical element with the symbol V and atomic number 23. It is a hard, silvery-grey, malleable transition metal. The elemental metal is rarely found in nature, but once isolated artificially, the formation of an oxide layer ( pas ...
. Swedish steels were noted for their strength and corrosion resistance and were especially suited for use in toolmaking, cutlery, and firearms. When Mauser was contracted to fabricate the initial production runs of Swedish Mausers in Germany due to production delays, Sweden required the use of Swedish steel in the manufacturing process. The Swedish Ordnance Office continued to specify the same Swedish steel alloy in Swedish-made Mausers until the last new-production m/38 barrelled actions were completed in 1944.
Model 1898
![Mauser m98](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Mauser_m98.jpg)
In 1898 the German Army purchased a Mauser design, the Model 98, which incorporated improvements introduced in earlier models. The weapon was originally chambered for the ''
Patrone 88
The ''Patrone 88'' (cartridge 88) or M/88 is a rimless bottlenecked rifle cartridge. It was a first-generation smokeless propellant cartridge designed by the German ''Gewehr-Prüfungskommission'' (G.P.K.) (Rifle Testing Commission) as the then new ...
'' and officially entered German service as the Gew. 98 on April 5, 1898. This remains by far the most successful of the Mauser designs, helped by the onset of two world wars that demanded vast numbers of rifles.
Noticeable changes from previous Mauser rifle models included better ruptured case gas venting, better receiver metallurgy, and a larger diameter receiver ring compared to previous Mauser "small ring" bolt-action designs that had diameter receiver rings for additional strength and safety. Mauser incorporated a 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 1903 the improved
7.92×57mm Mauser ''S Patrone'' "spitzer" (pointed) round was introduced. Mauser had nothing to do with the development of this round. The ''S Patrone'' provided the accuracy and barrel life improvements the German military was looking for and it was in response to the French adoption of a pointed boat-tail bullet, which offered better external ballistic performance. The bullet diameter was increased from to . Pointed or
spitzer bullet
The spitzer bullet (or spire point) is a pointed projectile that is primarily used in small-arms. The pointed nose shape, which was developed for military purposes in the late 19th and early 20th century, was a major design improvement compared ...
s give bullets a lower
drag coefficient
In fluid dynamics, the drag coefficient (commonly denoted as: c_\mathrm, c_x or c_) is a dimensionless quantity that is used to quantify the drag or resistance of an object in a fluid environment, such as air or water. It is used in the drag equ ...
(C
d) making them decelerate less rapidly and also markedly decreases the lateral drift caused by crosswinds, improving the effective range of the cartridge.
Most existing early Model 98s and many Model 88s were modified before World War I to take the new round, designated "7,9mm" or "''S Patrone''" by the German military. Modified Model 88s can be identified by an "S" on the receiver. Due to the possibility for overpressure from the undersize barrel, the spitzer round cannot safely be used in unmodified guns, particularly with Model 88 rifles.
Paul Mauser died on 29 May 1914, before the start of World War I that August. The war caused a spike in demand for the company's rifles. The 98 carbines were sold, as well as an experimental version with a twenty-rather than five-round box magazine. The extended magazine was not well received, however.
A number of carbine versions known as Karabiner 98s were introduced and used in World War I, some even shorter than the later K.98k. These carbines were originally only distributed to cavalry troops, but later in the war to the special storm troop units as well.
G98 derivatives
Many military rifles derive from the M98 design. Some of these were German-made by various contractors other than Mauser:
*
M1902 &
M1936 Mexican in 7×57mm Mauser
*
M1903 Turkish in
7.65×53mm Argentine
*
M1907 Chinese in 6.8×57mm
*
M1904 Portuguese in
6.5×58mm Vergueiro
The 6.5×58mm Vergueiro is a centerfire rimless cartridge designed in 1904 specifically for the Mauser-Vergueiro, chosen as service rifle of the Portuguese Army. It was adopted to replace the rimmed 8×60mmR Guedes and 8×56mmR Kropatschek Corto ...
, 7×57mm Mauser and 7.92×57mm Mauser
* M1907 and
M1908 Brazilian in 7×57mm Mauser
* M1908 Uruguayan in 7x57mm produced by the Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken
*
M1910 Serbian in 7×57mm Mauser
*
M1909 Argentine in 7.65×53mm
*
Steyr Model 1912 Mauser
The Steyr Model 1912 were Gewehr 98 pattern bolt-action battle rifles produced by Steyr before World War I. They were designed for export market. During the war, they were also used by the Austro-Hungarian Army.
Design
The rifle was a close cop ...
for Mexico, Chile and Colombia, in 7×57mm Mauser
*
Type 24 Chinese in 7.92×57mm
*
Belgian Mauser Model 1935
The Mauser Model 1935, officially the ''Fusil Modèle 1935'', was a Belgian Mauser bolt-action rifle. Derived from the Belgian Mauser Model 1889 and the Mauser 1898, it was used during World War II.
History and design
The Belgian Armed Forces h ...
* M1943 Spanish short (not to be confused with the M93 Spanish Mauser) in 7.92×57mm manufactured in the Spanish arsenals. Will have "La Coruna" or the Spanish Air Force Eagle stamped on the top of the receiver. Virtually identical to the K98k.
*
vz. 98/22 Often made from G98 parts, rebuilt in the BRNO factory in Czechoslovakia.
The
Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr
The Mauser 13 mm anti-tank rifle ( ger, Tankgewehr M1918, usually abbreviated ''T-Gewehr'') is the world's first anti-tank rifle—the first rifle designed for the sole purpose of destroying armored targets—and the only anti-tank rifle to s ...
was the world's first
anti-tank rifle
An anti-tank rifle is an anti-materiel rifle designed to penetrate the vehicle armor, armor of armored fighting vehicles, most commonly tanks, armored personnel carriers, and infantry fighting vehicles. The term is usually used for weapons that c ...
—the first rifle designed for the sole purpose of destroying armored targets. The weapon, essentially an enlarged G98, fired 13×92mm (.525-caliber) TuF (''Tank und Flieger'', "tanks and aeroplanes") semi-rimmed cartridges. In May 1918, the Mauser Company began mass-producing the Mauser 13mm Tank Abwehr Gewehr Mod. 18 in Oberndorf am Neckar.
Following the collapse of the German Empire after World War I, many countries that were using Mauser models chose to develop, assemble, or modify their own G98-action rifle designs. The most prolific of them were the Czechoslovak M1922 CZ 98 and
M1924 CZ and the Belgian Fabrique Nationale
M1924 and M1930.
The Belgians and Czechs produced and widely exported their "Mausers" in various calibers throughout the 1920s and 1930s, before their production facilities were absorbed by
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
to make parts or whole rifles for the German Army. Strictly speaking, these were not "Mauser" rifles, as they were not engineered or produced by the German company.
To take advantage of the widespread and popular German single-shot 8.15×46mmR cartridge for use in a military firearm, a modified Gewehr 98 referred to as a "''Wehrmannsgewehr''" was designed. These were made primarily as single shots; some only had a wood block in the magazine space. These became the 1936 Olympic team rifles for the Germans.
File:M61411451.jpg, An 8.15×46R Mauser ''Wehrmannsgewehr''
File:M61411306.jpg, The top of the receiver on an 8.15x46r ''Wehrmannsgewehr''
As the
restrictions on production were increasingly ignored by the Germans in the 1930s, a new Mauser, the
Mauser standard model
The Standardmodell rifle (also known as Mauser Model 1924 or Mauser Model 1933) is a bolt-action rifle designed to chamber the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge. The rifle was developed in 1924 but entered full-scale production in 1933. Officially d ...
, was developed from the rifle-length Karabiner 98b. It was nominally intended for export and civilian sales. While many standard model rifles were indeed exported, it was meant primarily for use by the revived German military. It rapidly evolved into the
Karabiner 98 Kurz, which was adopted by Nazi Germany as the standard infantry rifle in 1935 and saw service until the end of World War II.
Type A, Model B, Model K, Armee-Model C, Africa Model
A series of very successful hunting rifles were developed in the first decades of the 20th century. The Special Rifle Type A was the top-of-the-line sporting rifle of the early 20th century. The Model B (B for Büchse) and Model K were sport rifles offered in many configurations. The Model C, made from 1903 to 1930, was a cheap rifle made to accommodate a range of cartridges for hunting. The Mauser Africa Model, introduced around 1904 or 1905, was used mainly by settlers in Africa.
Model M and model S
The Model M was introduced in 1914. A Model S (S for ''stutzen'' or short) was also offered.
Mauser M1916
![Automatgevär m-1916 02](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Automatgev%C3%A4r_m-1916_02.jpg)
The Mauser M1916, or Mauser ''selbstladekarabiner'' (self-loading carbine), was a semi-automatic rifle that used a delayed
blowback mechanism and fed from 25-round detachable magazine. The process of developing a semi-automatic rifle cost Paul Mauser an eye when a prototype suffered an out-of-battery detonation. The mechanism was quite delicate, working reliably only when completely clean, which made the rifle unsuitable for infantry use. However, the
Imperial German Flying Corps
Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism.
Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to:
Places
United States
* Imperial, California
* Imperial, Missouri
* Imperial, Nebraska
* Imperial, Pennsylvania
* Imperial, Texas
...
adopted the rifle for its aircraft crews in 1915, and more generally in 1916. Aerial combat provided the clean environment the rifle required, and its semi-automatic capability was an advancement over bolt-action rifles.
However, the rifle was expensive to make. The air service turned to the Swiss-produced
Mondragón rifle
The Mondragón rifle refers to one of two rifle designs developed by Mexican artillery officer General Manuel Mondragón. These designs include the straight-pull bolt-action M1893 and M1894 rifles, and Mexico's first self-loading rifle, the M1908 ...
, which was tested by the army; though less accurate than Mauser's design, it cost about a third as much. The widespread adoption of machine guns then made all self-loading rifles obsolete in the air service.
Mauser 1925 Special range rifle
The 1925 Special range rifle was a commercial product introduced in 1925 and sold in the United States. It was intended for high accuracy range shooting. The company also produced a .22 caliber training rifle during this time frame.
Karabiner 98k
![Kar 98K - AM](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c5/Kar_98K_-_AM.021488.jpg)
The Karabiner 98k "Mauser" (often abbreviated "K98k" or "Kar98k"), adopted in the mid- 1930s, became the most common infantry rifle in service in the German Army during World War II. The design was developed from the Karabiner 98b, one of the carbines developed from the Model 1898. The K98k was first adopted by the ''
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previous ...
'' in 1935 as their standard issue rifle, with many older versions being converted and shortened.
Mauser KKW cadet rifle
The Mauser KKW cadet rifle is a single shot, .22 caliber rifle that was introduced in 1938. It is virtually identical to the Karabiner 98k. These
cadet rifle
Springfield Model 1922 cadet rifle
A tangent sight on a CZ 452 rifle, with calibrated markings for ranges out to 300 meters
Australian Air Force Cadets using the CZ 452 during firearms training
TOZ-17
L81 A2 Cadet Target Rifle
C12A1 Canadian ...
s were used by all German military, paramilitary and police organizations, especially the
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth (german: Hitlerjugend , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth organisation of the Nazi Party in Germany. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. ...
.
Gewehr 41
![Automatgevär m1941 Mauser - Tyskland - AM](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/de/Automatgev%C3%A4r_m1941_Mauser_-_Tyskland_-_AM.045875.jpg)
The
Gewehr 41
The Gewehr 41 (German for: rifle 41), commonly known as the G41(W) or G41(M), denoting the manufacturer (Walther or Mauser), are two distinct and different battle rifles manufactured and used by Nazi Germany during World War II. They were larg ...
rifles, commonly known as the "G41(W)" or "G41(M)", were
semi-automatic rifle
A semi-automatic rifle is an autoloading rifle that fires a single cartridge with each pull of the trigger, and uses part of the fired cartridge's energy to eject the case and load another cartridge into the chamber. For comparison, a bolt-act ...
s used by Nazi Germany during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. By 1940 the ''Wehrmacht'' issued a specification to various manufacturers, and Mauser and
Walther
Walther is a masculine given name and a surname. It is a German form of Walter, which is derived from the Old High German ''Walthari'', containing the elements ''wald'' -"power", "brightness" or "forest" and ''hari'' -"warrior".
The name was fir ...
submitted
prototype
A prototype is an early sample, model, or release of a product built to test a concept or process. It is a term used in a variety of contexts, including semantics, design, electronics, and Software prototyping, software programming. A prototyp ...
s that were very similar. Both Gewehr 41 models used a mechanism known as the "Bang" system (named after the designer of the
M1922 Bang rifle
The Model 1922 Bang rifle is a US semi-automatic rifle designed by the Danish arms designer Søren Hansen Bang. It was a modification of the earlier Models of 1909 and Model 1911 Bang rifles, both chambered in the .30-06 Springfield round.
Overv ...
). In this system, gases from the bullet were trapped near the muzzle in a ring-shaped cone, which in turn pulled on a long piston rod that opened the breech and re-loaded the gun. Both models also included inbuilt 10-round magazines that were loaded using two of the stripper clips from the Karabiner 98k, utilizing 7.92×57mm Mauser rounds, which made reloading relatively slow. The Mauser design, the G41(M), failed as it, along with its G41(W) counterpart, suffered from gas system fouling problems. Only 6,673 G41(M) rifles were produced before production was halted, and of these, 1,673 were returned as unusable.
Handguns
Mauser C78 "zig-zag" Revolver
![Mauser zig zag 11mm](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Mauser_zig_zag_11mm.jpg)
The Mauser C78 zig-zag was a revolver manufactured by Mauser during the late 19th century. It was Paul Mauser's first handgun design.
C1896 Pistol
![Mauser C96 M1916 Red 4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Mauser_C96_M1916_Red_4.JPG)
Mauser branched out into
pistol
A pistol is a handgun, more specifically one with the chamber integral to its gun barrel, though in common usage the two terms are often used interchangeably. The English word was introduced in , when early handguns were produced in Europe, an ...
design in 1896, producing the
C96, commonly known as "broomhandle," designed by the three brothers Fidel, Friedrich, and Josef Feederle (often erroneously spelled "Federle"). All versions used detachable shoulder stock holsters. Over a million C96s were produced between 1896 and the late 1930s.
Mauser 1910 and 1914 pocket pistols
![Mauser 1914 (6825675948)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Mauser_1914_%286825675948%29.jpg)
The Mauser Model 1910 was a small self-loading pistol chambered for
.25 ACP
The .25 ACP ( Automatic Colt Pistol) (6.35×16mmSR) is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled centerfire pistol cartridge introduced by John Browning
John Moses Browning (January 23, 1855 – November 26, 1926) was an American firearm designe ...
(6.35 mm). It was introduced in 1910; an updated model chambered for
.32 ACP
.32 ACP ( Automatic Colt Pistol, also known as .32 Automatic) is a centerfire pistol cartridge. It is a semi-rimmed, straight-walled cartridge developed by firearms designer John Browning, initially for use in the FN M1900 semi-automatic pi ...
(7.65 mm), the
Mauser Model 1914
The Mauser Model 1914 is a semi-automatic pistol made by Mauser. A derivative of the .25 caliber Model 1910 designed by Josef Nickl, it uses 32 ACP
.32 ACP (Automatic Colt Pistol, also known as .32 Automatic) is a centerfire pistol cartridge ...
, came out in 1914. Most of these were used by the ''Wehrmacht'' and the ''
Kriegsmarine
The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the a ...
''. They were also sold commercially.
Mauser Model 1934 pocket pistol
![1934 Model Mauser pistol, and 9mm Browning](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f1/1934_Model_Mauser_pistol%2C_and_9mm_Browning.JPG)
This was a small pocket pistol chambered for .32 ACP (7.65 mm) based on the earlier Model 1910/14. The
Mauser Model 1934
Mauser, originally Königlich Württembergische Gewehrfabrik ("Royal Württemberg Rifle Factory"), was a German arms manufacturer. Their line of bolt-action rifles and semi-automatic pistols has been produced since the 1870s for the German arme ...
is virtually identical to the 1914 except for the grip, which has a more curved back. It was used by the ''Kriegsmarine'' and was also sold commercially.
Mauser HSc
The Mauser HSc was a self-loading handgun introduced in the 1940s. It was a compact
double-action
Double action (or double-action) refers to one of two systems in firearms where the trigger both cocks and releases the hammer.
* Double-action only (DAO) firearms trigger: The trigger both cocks and releases the hammer. There is no single-action ...
blowback design in .32 ACP. Production ran from 1940 until the end of World War II, and into the 1960s and early 1970s. The post-war models were also available in
.380 ACP
The .380 ACP (9×17mm) ( Automatic Colt Pistol) is a rimless, straight-walled pistol cartridge developed by firearms designer John Moses Browning. The cartridge headspaces on the mouth of the case.Wilson, R. K. ''Textbook of Automatic Pisto ...
.
After 1940
In 1940 the Mauser Company was invited to take part in a competition to re-equip the
German Army
The German Army (, "army") is the land component of the armed forces of Germany. The present-day German Army was founded in 1955 as part of the newly formed West German ''Bundeswehr'' together with the ''Marine'' (German Navy) and the ''Luftwaf ...
with a semi-automatic rifle, the Gewehr 41. A number of impractical requirements were specified, including that the design should not use holes drilled into the barrel to take off gas for the operating mechanism, thereby requiring mechanisms that proved unreliable. Two designs were submitted, and the Mauser version, the G 41(M), failed miserably in testing. It was canceled after a short production run. The resulting design did not see real success before it was switched to a simpler
gas-operated
Gas-operation is a system of operation used to provide energy to operate locked breech, autoloading firearms. In gas-operation, a portion of high-pressure gas from the cartridge being fired is used to power a mechanism to dispose of the spent ...
system in the
Gewehr 43
The Gewehr 43 or Karabiner 43 (abbreviated G43, K43, Gew 43, Kar 43) is a 7.92×57mm Mauser caliber semi-automatic rifle developed by Germany during World War II. The design was based on that of the earlier G41(W), but incorporated an improved ...
. During World War II, the Mauser factory in Oberndorf was strategically bombed by the Allies, resulting in the deaths of 26 workers and the destruction of the company's power plant. French forces entered Oberndorf (which they subsequently occupied for some time) on 20 April 1945 when the town's
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...
and
planning committee
A planning committee in the United Kingdom is a committee of local authority councillors that sit as the local planning authority to determine planning applications.
Advice is usually given to the committee by planning officers who provide a reco ...
surrendered without any resistance; no blood was shed there on that day.
![K98kclip](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9f/K98kclip.jpg)
After the war in Europe, the factory was briefly put back in order to produce weapons for the now under-equipped and exhausted French military. The plant was dismantled by the occupying forces for the purpose of
war reparations
War reparations are compensation payments made after a war by one side to the other. They are intended to cover damage or injury inflicted during a war.
History
Making one party pay a war indemnity is a common practice with a long history.
R ...
, most factory buildings (approximately 60% in total) were demolished and the records destroyed on orders of the local French Army commander. For a number of years, Mauser Werke manufactured precision measurement instruments and tools, such as
micrometer Micrometer can mean:
* Micrometer (device), used for accurate measurements by means of a calibrated screw
* American spelling of micrometre
The micrometre ( international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; ...
s.
Edmund Heckler
Edmund Heckler (2 February 1906 – 2 July 1960) was a German engineer & weapons manufacturer, born in Tuttlingen, Germany. After completing his apprenticeship at the Mauser company in the city of Oberndorf, he attended the Württemberg State ...
,
Theodor Koch
Theodor Koch (13 May 1905 – 21 October 1976) was a German engineer and weapons manufacturer, born in Zuffenhausen, Germany. As a young man, Koch apprenticed as a precision mechanic. After completing his apprenticeship he attended an engineer ...
, and
Alex Seidel
Alex Seidel (4 July 1909 – 24 October 1989) was a German weapons manufacturer and the co-founder of Heckler & Koch along with Theodor Koch and Edmund Heckler
Edmund Heckler (2 February 1906 – 2 July 1960) was a German engineer & weapo ...
, former Mauser engineers, saved what they could and founded
Heckler & Koch
Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK; ) is a German defense manufacturing company that manufactures handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and also ...
, which has since become Germany's main small-arms manufacturer. Mauser continued to make hunting and sporting rifles. In 1994, it became a subsidiary of Rheinmetall, a manufacturer of
autocannon
An autocannon, automatic cannon or machine cannon is a fully automatic gun that is capable of rapid-firing large-caliber ( or more) armour-piercing, explosive or incendiary shells, as opposed to the smaller-caliber kinetic projectiles (bull ...
s such as the
Mauser BK-27
The BK 27 (also BK27 or BK-27) (German abbreviation for ''Bordkanone'', "on-board cannon") is a caliber revolver cannon manufactured by Mauser (now part of Rheinmetall) of Germany. It was developed in the late 1960s for the MRCA (Multi Role Com ...
and other munitions until 2004, when it was merged into Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH. In 1999 the civilian manufacture of hunting, defense, and sporting rifles were split off from Rheinmetall.
Mauser ammunition
Peter Mauser
Peter Paul von Mauser (born Peter Paul Mauser) (27 June 1838 – 29 May 1914) was a German weapon designer, manufacturer, industrialist and politician.
Early life
Mauser was born in Oberndorf am Neckar, in what was then the Kingdom of Württemb ...
designed the 7.65×53mm Mauser (1889) and 7×57mm Mauser (1892) rifle cartridges. These cartridges were chambered in military Mauser service rifles and were high-performance service cartridge designs compared to other contemporary
smokeless powder
Finnish smokeless powderSmokeless powder is a type of propellant used in firearms and artillery that produces less smoke and less fouling when fired compared to gunpowder ("black powder"). The combustion products are mainly gaseous, compared to a ...
service cartridges such as the
8mm Lebel 8 mm or 8mm may refer to:
;Film technology
* 8 mm film, a photographic cine film format principally intended for domestic use. The term may also refer to later variants:
** Super 8 mm film
** Single-8 film
** 8 mm video format, a type of video reco ...
(1886),
8×50mmR Mannlicher
The Austro-Hungarian 8×50mmR Mannlicher or 8×50mmR M93 is a service cartridge dating back to the days of semi-smokeless powder. It was later replaced by (and many weapons were rechambered for) the 8×56mmR cartridge.
History
M90
In approxi ...
(1890) and
.303 British
The .303 British (designated as the 303 British by the C.I.P. and SAAMI) or 7.7×56mmR, is a calibre rimmed rifle cartridge. The .303 inch bore diameter is measured between rifling lands as is the common practice in Europe which follows th ...
(1891). Mauser also developed the 6.5x57mm, about 1890, and the 6x57mm, about 1895, both not used by any military, but saw use as hunting cartridges. The 6.5x57mm probably influenced the design of several 6.5 military cartridges. The 6x57mm became obsolete.
[Cartridges of the World third edition by Frank C. Barnes]
Mauser firearms after the Second World War
Mauser was formally re-established in the 1950s.
1960s
A rifle design by
Walter Gehmann
Walter may refer to:
People
* Walter (name), both a surname and a given name
* Little Walter, American blues harmonica player Marion Walter Jacobs (1930–1968)
* Gunther (wrestler), Austrian professional wrestler and trainer Walter Hahn (born 19 ...
was purchased, and went into production in 1965 as the model 66.
Some self-loading pistols were also offered, such as the
Mauser HSc
The Mauser HSc is a 7.65mm pistol introduced in Nazi Germany during World War II, and manufactured until 1977. The designation HSc stood for ''Hahn Selbstspanner'' ("self-cocking hammer") ''Pistole'', third and final design ''"C"''. Production w ...
.
* Model 66
* Model 66 S
* Model 66 P
1970s–1990
![Mauser sp66](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Mauser_sp66.JPG)
* Model 77
* Model 86 SR
*
Mauser SP66
Mauser, originally Königlich Württembergische Gewehrfabrik ("Royal Württemberg Rifle Factory"), was a German arms manufacturer. Their line of bolt-action rifles and semi-automatic pistols has been produced since the 1870s for the German arme ...
– a sniper rifle based on the Model 66. A further upgraded model was the
Mauser 86 SR
Mauser, originally Königlich Württembergische Gewehrfabrik ("Royal Württemberg Rifle Factory"), was a German arms manufacturer. Their line of bolt-action rifles and semi-automatic pistols has been produced since the 1870s for the German arm ...
.
* Mauser Parabellum
1990–2004
In 1995 the firearms division of Mauser was bought by Rheinmetall Berlin AG; the sale was completed in 1996 and the company is named Mauser-Werke Oberndorf Waffensysteme GmbH.
Rheinmetall Berlin AG was renamed Rheinmetall AG in the same year.
In 1999 part of Mauser was sold to
Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft
SIG Combibloc Group AG, originally founded as ''Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft'' (German for Swiss Industrial Company; in French, as ''Société Industrielle Suisse''; and, in Italian, as ''Societa Industriale Svizzera''), and later know ...
(SIG) (no longer in the arms industry). This became
Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH
Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH is a German manufacturer of hunting rifles in the Lüke & Ortmeier group.
History 1999–2003
In 1999, the Mauser civilian gun segment was separated from the military segment and was purchased by the German investors Mic ...
.
The division owned by Rheinmetall was named Mauser-Werke Oberndorf Waffensysteme GmbH.
In 2000 Mauser Jagdwaffen GmbH was sold to Luke & Ortmeier Group during the divestiture by SIG of all its firearms businesses, but remains an operation.
In 2004 Rheinmetall Waffen Munition GmbH was formed by a merger of Rheinmetall W & M GmbH, Mauser-Werke Oberndorf Waffensysteme GmbH, Buck Neue Technologien GmbH, Pyrotechnik Silberhütte GmbH and the NICO pyrotechnics Hanns-Jürgen Diederichs GmbH & Co. KG.
*
Mauser SR 93
Mauser, originally Königlich Württembergische Gewehrfabrik ("Royal Württemberg Rifle Factory"), was a German arms manufacturer. Their line of bolt-action rifles and semi-automatic pistols has been produced since the 1870s for the German arm ...
sniper rifle
A sniper rifle is a high-precision, long-range rifle. Requirements include accuracy, reliability, mobility, concealment and optics for anti-personnel, anti-materiel and surveillance uses of the military sniper. The modern sniper rifle is a por ...
* Model 94
*
Model 96 / model 96 S – a
straight pull action rifle
*
Mauser SR 97
Mauser, originally Königlich Württembergische Gewehrfabrik ("Royal Württemberg Rifle Factory"), was a German arms manufacturer. Their line of bolt-action rifles and semi-automatic pistols has been produced since the 1870s for the German arme ...
* Mauser 80SA – a
Browning Hi-Power
The Browning Hi-Power is a single-action, semi-automatic pistol available in the 9×19mm Parabellum and .40 S&W calibers. It was based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and completed by Dieudonné Saive at FN Herstal. ...
clone manufactured by
Fegyver- és Gépgyár
Fegyver- és Gépgyártó Részvénytársaság ("Arms and Machine Manufacturing Company"), known as FÉG, is a Hungary, Hungarian industrial conglomerate founded on 24 February 1891 in Csepel (now part of Budapest). The company came under the ow ...
(FÉG) and finished by Mauser
* Mauser 90DA – a DA/SA Hi-Power derivative, also manufactured by FÉG
Autocannons
;Pre–World War II
: 20 mm
FlaK 30/38 cannon
: 20 mm
MG FF cannon
The MG FF was a drum-fed, blowback-operated, 20 mm aircraft autocannon, developed in 1936 by Ikaria Werke Berlin of Germany. It was a derivative of the Swiss Oerlikon FF F cannon (its ''FF'' suffix indicating ''Flügel Fest'', for a fixed- ...
—derivative in 1936 by
Ikaria Werke Berlin
Icaria, also spelled Ikaria ( el, Ικαρία), is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea, 10 nautical miles (19 km) southwest of Samos. According to tradition, it derives its name from Icarus, the son of Daedalus in Greek mythology, who was be ...
of Swiss
Oerlikon FF
The FF were a series of 20mm autocannon introduced by Oerlikon in the late 1920s. The name comes from the German term ''Flügel Fest'', meaning ''wing mounted, fixed'', being one of the first 20mm guns to be small and light enough to fit into a fi ...
: 20 mm
MG 151 cannon
The MG 151 (MG 151/15) was a German 15 mm aircraft-mounted autocannon produced by Waffenfabrik Mauser during World War II. Its 20mm variant, the 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon, was widely used on German Luftwaffe Fighter aircraft, fighters, ni ...
/20
: 20 mm
MG 213 cannon
MG, Mg, or mg and variants may refer to:
Organizations
* MG Cars, an automotive marque of the now defunct MG Car Company
* MG Motor, a present-day car manufacturing company
*MG JW Automobile, a Pakistani automobile manufacturer
* Champion Air (IA ...
—developed during war but not put into production
: 30 mm
MK 108 cannon
The MK 108 (German: ''Maschinenkanone''—"machine cannon") was a 30 mm caliber autocannon manufactured in Nazi Germany, Germany during World War II by Rheinmetall‑August Borsig, Borsig for use in aircraft.
The cannon saw widespread use as an ...
developed in 1940 by Rheinmetall-Borsig
;Post–World War II
: 27 mm
BK-27 cannon
: 30 mm
RMK30 cannon
See also
*
Heym Express Magnum
The Heym Express Magnum is a luxury bolt-action rifle designed for the purpose of hunting big game. The rifle is available in 5 different calibers from the .375 H&H Magnum to the powerful .450 Rigby. Rather similar in appearance to the Karabiner ...
*
Mauser M18
Sauer 100 is a bolt-action rifle manufactured by Sauer & Sohn that was launched in 2016. It is an entry level rifle from Sauer, and is produced on the same factory and shares many parts with Mauser M18.
Technical
The stock comes with a propriet ...
*
Antique gun
An antique firearm is a term to describe a firearm that was designed and manufactured prior to the beginning of the 20th century. Although the exact definition of what constitutes an "antique firearm" varies between countries, the advent of smok ...
References
Note: The reference from Sportsmansvintagepress is a reprint of the W.H.B. Smith: ''Mauser Rifles and Pistols''
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
Persian MauserZastava ArmsLuger Artillery and Mauser ParabellumThe website from Mauser-Waldeck SafesPaul Mauser Archive web siteby Mauro Baudino and Gerben van Vlimmeren.
Nazarian's Gun's Recognition Guide: A member of NZR Para (PMC) with a somewhat modified K98kNazarian's Gun's Recognition Guide FN 98 Manual (.pdf)*
{{Authority control
Companies established in 1874
Companies disestablished in 2004
Mauser firearms
Firearm manufacturers of Germany
Defence companies of Germany
Companies based in Baden-Württemberg
Rheinmetall
1874 establishments in Germany
Bolt-action rifles