10 Little-Known Facts About Mausers

[Elderberry]

American Rifleman by Jeremiah Knupp posted on March 5, 2022



Everyone knows the name “Mauser” and the bolt action rifles associated with it. Here are 10 facts you may not have known were associated with the Mauser story:

One: There Were Two Mausers - Paul And Wilhelm

The Mauser firm was the work of brothers Peter Paul (known simply as “Paul” ) and Wilhelm Mauser. Following military service, the Mauser brothers’ father Franz became a gunsmith at the royal armory at Oberndorf, a small town on the Neckar River in Germany. The younger brother Paul would develop an interest in artillery through his own military service, which eventually led to small arms design. Wilhelm served as business manager for the company. 

Wilhelm died in 1882 at the age of 47. Paul remained the technical director of the company through its major developments and would live to the age of 76 in 1914.

Three: Mauser Had An Early Connection To America

The Mauser brothers came from a large family and an older brother, Franz, went to the U.S. and would eventually work for the Remington arms company.

Samuel Norris, who was Remington’s agent in Europe, would be influential in the infant Mauser company. Norris was impressed with Mauser’s early design and became convinced it could be used to convert needle guns, like the French Chassepot, to fire metallic cartridges. Norris partnered with Mauser and provided financial backing, moving the Mauser brothers to Liege, Belgium.

Four: Mauser Took Out An Early Patent Of Its Designs In The U.S.

As a result of the partnership with Norris, Mauser would apply for its first patent in the United States. Granted on June 2, 1868, Patent No. 78,603 for “Improvements in Breech Loading Firearms” was taken out in the name of “S. Norris & W. & P. Mauser.” The patent would cover features like the rifle’s cock-on-opening bolt system and the interface between the sear and firing pin.

Six: The First Mauser Handgun Was Not A Semi-Automatic…Or A Revolver

In 1878, Mauser developed a revolver for an upcoming German military handgun trial. The M78 was a single-action revolver, the first generation of which had a solid frame with a separate ejector rod, as was common in European revolvers of the time. The second generation M78 had a break-open action with a hinge at the top of the frame that was made in both single-action and double-action forms.

Seven: Mauser Perfected The Clip-Loading System

With the stripper clip loading system came several other innovations to the Mauser rifle design. The locking lugs were moved to the front of the bolt, allowing the bolt handle to be moved behind the rear receiver bridge. This placed the bolt handle closer to the firing hand for quicker manipulation. It also meant that the rear receiver bridge didn’t have to be split to allow the bolt handle to pass through, a design element that would eventually become important for the mounting of telescopic sights.

The success of designs like the 1889 meant that the “stripper clip” form of loading and the box magazine would go on to become the dominate design for all non-Mannlicher military bolt action rifles, from the 1903 Springfield to the Schmidt-Rubin straight pulls.

Eight: Mauser Was Influential In The Creation of FN

When Belgium adopted a Mauser design in 1889, they wanted to produce their new rifle in-country. In response, a conglomerate of the nation’s gunmakers formed

Fabrique Nationale d’Armes de Guerre or as it was more simply known “FN.” In the early days, 50 percent of FN stock was owned by Ludwig Loewe & Co., a German corporation that also owned Mauser.

More: https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/10-little-known-facts-about-mausers/

[sneakypete]

Six: The First Mauser Handgun Was Not A Semi-Automatic…Or A Revolver

In 1878, Mauser developed a revolver  for an upcoming German military handgun trial. The M78 was a single-action revolver,

@Elderberry

Uhhhh.........

[Elderberry]

In 1878, Mauser developed a revolver for an upcoming German military handgun trial. The M78 was a single-action revolver, the first generation of which had a solid frame with a separate ejector rod, as was common in European revolvers of the time. The second generation M78 had a break-open action with a hinge at the top of the frame that was made in both single-action and double-action forms.

The M78 got its “Zig-Zag” nickname from its method of cylinder rotation. A lug attached to the hammer mechanism engaged the angled grooves on the cylinder to rotate and lock it when the hammer was cocked or the trigger was pulled.



But the Zig-Zag was also not the first Mauser handgun. In 1877, Mauser designed a single-shot pistol that used a falling block mechanism. A thumb-actuated latch dropped the breech, ejecting the spent case and allowing for another cartridge to be loaded. Pulling the trigger cocked and fired an internal striker. As a single-shot handgun was outdated by the late 1870s (though other European manufacturers were still designing and building them at the same time as Mauser), only about 100 of these C77 pistols were produced before Mauser moved on to a revolver design and ultimately, semi-automatic handguns.

[sneakypete]

In 1878, Mauser developed a revolver for an upcoming German military handgun trial. The M78 was a single-action revolver, the first generation of which had a solid frame with a separate ejector rod, as was common in European revolvers of the time. The second generation M78 had a break-open action with a hinge at the top of the frame that was made in both single-action and double-action forms.

The M78 got its “Zig-Zag” nickname from its method of cylinder rotation. A lug attached to the hammer mechanism engaged the angled grooves on the cylinder to rotate and lock it when the hammer was cocked or the trigger was pulled.



But the Zig-Zag was also not the first Mauser handgun. In 1877, Mauser designed a single-shot pistol that used a falling block mechanism. A thumb-actuated latch dropped the breech, ejecting the spent case and allowing for another cartridge to be loaded. Pulling the trigger cocked and fired an internal striker. As a single-shot handgun was outdated by the late 1870s (though other European manufacturers were still designing and building them at the same time as Mauser), only about 100 of these C77 pistols were produced before Mauser moved on to a revolver design and ultimately, semi-automatic handguns.

@Elderberry

Not to mention selective-fire handguns. Let's not forget the Broomhandle Mauser. I have seen them in both 7.62mm and 9mm calibers,and at one time it seemed like they (the semi-auto versions,anyway) were for sale all over the place in the 60's and 70's at realy cheap prices for the common versions. I even owned a Chinese version in 7.62 at one time,but sold or traded it for something long,long ago. They were all over Asia,but I THINK the 7.62 caliber ones were rare in the west,where we all preferred the 9mm.

Truth to tell,they were kinds clumsy to carry,handle,and shoot,and the full-auto versions mostly shot up the sky unless you were shooting up a bar. DEFINITLY a close-range weapon. Looked impressive as hell,though.

Now I honestly can't remember the last time I even saw one. I guess they are all locked away in glass "collection cages" or just stuffed into boxes in attics and forgotten about.

IF any of you happen to run across a nice 9mm version with the wooden buttstock/holster while rummaging through grandpa's attic and want a quick 50 bucks,let me know,ok?

[Elderberry]

I don't think You'll find one for a Grant Bill.

MODEL 9MM LUGER C96 BROOMHANDLE MAUSER WITH HOLSTER MMH492413



PRICE: $1,110.00
CONDITION: Used
SOLD: 1 month ago
LOCATION: Dallas, TX 75205
CALIBER: 9mm Luger

[sneakypete]

I don't think You'll find one for a Grant Bill.

@Elderberry

1100 bucks with the holster and accessories?

That was a good buy at that price 30 years ago,if it is all really as nice as it looks in the photo.

[Elderberry]

10 More Little-Known Facts About Mausers

American Rifleman by Jeremiah Knupp posted on May 12, 2022

https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/10-more-little-known-facts-about-mausers/

Everyone knows the name “Mauser,” and the bolt-action rifles associated with it. Yet, there is far more that goes with the famous name than that. There were already 10 little-known facts covered previously, but thats not all. Here are 10 more facts you may not have known were a part of the Mauser story:

One: The U.S. Military Tried The Mauser, But Had to Be on the Business End Before They Were Convinced

The U.S. Army included Mausers in their 1892 trial to replace the single-shot Trapdoor Springfield. Versions of the Belgian Model 1889, including some modified to fire the rimmed .30 Government (later to be known as the .30-40 Krag) round, were evaluated. Alas, America’s first bolt-action, smokeless cartridge service rifle ended up being the Danish Krag-Jorgensen design.

In a few years, the Army would see the error of their ways when their Krag and Trapdoor Springfield-armed rifleman encountered Mausers on the battlefield. The Spanish-American War brought the U.S. under the sights of Model 1891 and 1893 Mausers, which had a clip-loading system that gave them a distinct firepower advantage over the Krag, which had to be reloaded one round at a time in its side-hinged magazine. The Mauser didn’t turn the tide for the Spanish, however, and thousands of Mausers were captured and brought back to the U.S. where they were sold as surplus through the Bannerman Company.



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Two: One Of The Biggest Fans of Mauser Designs Was China

One of the earliest modern firearms used by China was the single-shot Mauser Model 1871, which they first purchased in 1876, followed by the repeating 71/84 version. Starting in 1894, China began buying the ‘88 Commission rifle which, though not a Mauser, would be one of the most prolific bolt action designs used by that country. Yet they continued to look for more modern bolt-action rifles, and in 1896, they would purchase some Model 1895 Mausers in 7 x 57 mm. -----

Three: Mauser Started Experimenting With Semi-Auto Rifle Designs Well Before WWII (And Even Before World War I)

While the German Army would start and finish World War II with the Mauser 98K as their standard service rifle, early in the war, they recognized the need for a “selbstlader” (“self-loader”) battle rifle and they started experimenting and issuing several designs. In 1941, both Mauser and Walther came up with competing designs, both of which used the Bang muzzle gas trap principle to operate the action.  -----

Four: Mauser Produced the First Anti-Tank Rifle…It Did and Didn’t Influence The Development of the .50 BMG

One of the innovations to appear on the World War I battlefield was a heavily armed and armored vehicle, codenamed the “tank.” As tanks slowly became successful on the battlefield in late 1917, methods to counter them were developed. Because tanks could withstand even armor-piercing rounds from conventional cartridges, something more powerful was needed.

Mauser answered the call with the world’s first anti-tank rifle, called the “Panzerjäger” or “Tank Gewehr.” The rifle was basically a single-shot, oversize Model 98 that was 66.5” long and weighed 41 lbs. It fired a 13.25 mm (0.52”) semi-rimmed cartridge that had been designed as a heavy machine gun round, which launched its 809-grain hardened steel core bullet at 2,575 f.p.s. The cartridge, called the “TuF” (“Tank und Flieger” - "tank and aircraft") could penetrate about an inch of hardened steel tank armor at 100 yards (if struck at a perfect right angle), more than adequate to deal with the tanks of the day. Nearly 16,000 T-Gewehrs would be produced by the war’s end.-----

Five: Mauser Actions Formed the Backbone of the British Custom Rifle Industry and the Rest of the Hunting Rifle World

When most people think of British sporting rifles, a finely-made double rifle is what comes to mind. Bolt action “magazine rifles” were also an important part of the British custom rifle industry, and the Mauser 98 action was the basis of many of those rifles. - - - - -

Six: Mauser Made Cars

Everyone knows that FN made bicycles and motorcycles, but did you know that Mauser made cars? When the terms of the Versailles Treaty prevented the company from making and exporting firearms they looked into other manufacturing fields. Their company’s first automotive model was the Einspur-Auto (“Single Track”). As much motorcycle as car, the Einspur-Auto used a tandem set of wheels with two outriggers that retracted when the vehicle got up to speed. -----

Seven: Mauser Designed and Built Machine Guns and Cannons

In addition to rifles and handguns, Mauser also designed and built machine guns and automatic cannons. World War I made the German military realize the need for a portable, belt-fed machine gun. While the terms of the Versailles Treaty limited German efforts to develop weapons technology themselves, the Rheinmetall-designed MG30 was refined and manufactured by Solothurn in Switzerland.

The magazine-fed MG30 was brought back to Mauser, where engineer Heinrich Vollmer refined it into the MG34. The MG34 was the world’s first successful general purpose machine gun. It was light enough to be transported by one man and fired from a bipod, yet its quick-change barrel and belt feed mechanism meant it could be utilized on a tripod in a sustained fire role.-----

Eight: Mauser Almost Disappeared After World War II

Portions of Mauser’s factory in Oberndorf were destroyed in 1945 by Allied bombing, and the plant was occupied by the French Army in April of that year. Mauser continued manufacturing firearms for two years, including 98K rifles and HSc pistols for use by the French military. In 1947, the company was ordered to be liquidated and much of its machinery removed and the original factory records destroyed. The Mauser company survived over the next decade making sewing machines and automotive parts.

Mauser returned to the firearm business in 1965 with the Walter Gehmann-designed Model 66. The Model 66 was a departure from pre-war Mausers. It utilized a short action telescoping bolt and interchangeable barrel system. More conventional bolt action sporting rifles were made for Mauser by Heym. Production of HSc and Luger pistols also resumed.   -----

Nine: Heckler & Koch, and Their Roller-Delayed Blowback System, Got Their Start At Mauser

Following World War II, former Mauser employees Edmund Heckler, Theodor Koch and Alex Seidel joined together to form Heckler & Koch, a machine tool and engineering firm in Mauser’s home town of Oberndorf.

H&K returned to their firearms roots when the German Army was in the market for a new infantry rifle. They took on the Spanish CETME design, based on the roller-delayed blowback concept that Mauser was perfecting at the end of World War II, and refined it into a rifle that Germany would adopt as the G3. The G3 would go to become one of the world’s most prolific battle rifles ever made, with more than eight million produced.   -----

Ten: The Mauser Model 1898 is One of the Most Produced and Influential Firearms Designs of All Time

https://www.americanrifleman.org/media/wfuduabz/knupp-49mauser-fact20.jpg?width=1920&height=437
The most successful turn-bolt rifle design ever, the Mauser Model 1898, shown in its Gewehr 98 form.

That the Mauser 98 is one of the most produced and influential designs of all time is certainly not a little known fact, but it bears repeating at the summation of this series. Mauser 98 rifles and copies are probably the second most widely- produced firearm design, after the AK-47 and its derivatives. Conservative estimates put production of Mauser 98-type rifles at over 100 million, approximately 10 times the total number of Glock handguns produced to date. Mauser’s heritage lives on in nearly every modern turn bolt rifle and in the company’s own contemporary products, like the M12 and M18.