Carbine for professional hunting Mauser M03 (Mauser M03) - ideal shooting quality

Possessing excellent technical characteristics, modern hunting rifles provide the best shooting performance and allow you to get real pleasure from the shooting process. The thoughtfulness of the form, the ergonomics of all structural parts of such carbines and the attractive cost are the main advantages of this type of weapon offered on the market today.

And among analogues with similar data, we should dwell separately on the hunting rifle model Mauser m03, which has received many positive reviews both from buyers due to the optimal combination of wide application possibilities and affordable cost, and from the owners of this carbine, which has proven itself well in the event of defeat both small game and larger targets. A modern design that immediately attracts the attention of potential buyers, a well-thought-out shape and the use of valuable types of wood in the design of the carbine - all this should be considered the main advantages of the Mauser m03 model over analogues from third-party manufacturers.

Review of the Mauser M03 carbine

With the help of modern carbines, you can quickly and easily hit both stationary and moving targets. At the same time, such important indicators for shooting from firearms as accuracy and aiming are at the highest level in the model under consideration. Thanks to the thoughtfulness of the shape and design details, it became possible to use this carbine for people with very different builds: height adjustment ensures the tightest fit to the shoulder, minimal recoil when firing and convenience of the entire process of using the weapon.

The optical sight included in the basic configuration allows you to make the most effective shots, and the relatively low weight of the Mauser m03 model does not complicate the process of its transportation.

The thoughtfulness of the shape allows the weapon to be used both for professionals in hunting and for gaining initial shooting skills: the ergonomic shape of the butt and the thoughtfulness of the ratio of the length of the barrel and the entire carbine guarantee optimal and comfortable use for its intended purpose, both for men with large palms and for women of fragile design.

An overview of the Mauser M03 carbine is given in this video:

Advantages and disadvantages

By analyzing the positive characteristics of the rifle and the manufacturer's shortcomings, it is possible to obtain the most complete picture of the model in question. Thus, the main advantage of the Mauser m03 hunting rifle should be considered its excellent lethality, which is ensured primarily by the high speed of the bullet, excellent characteristics of the optical sight and the ability to adjust attachments on the rifle barrel.

The advantages of a rifle intended for hunting and sport shooting also include the following qualities and characteristics:

• optimal dimensions and weight for this type of weapon - compactness with low weight adds convenience to operation and transportation;
• original design, which is based on the use of modern polymer materials with high strength values ​​and natural wood, which retains its attractive appearance even under unfavorable external conditions: with high air humidity and even if the carbine gets into water, which can happen when using it in the field conditions, as well as high and low temperatures;
• the ability to replace the basic configuration: front sight and forend with different characteristics, an optical sight, as well as a magazine with a larger capacity;
• the presence of two types of buttons for locking the magazine in the place intended for it - to prevent the possibility of losing the magazine;
• the use of a rotating lever to close the crown ensures complete safety when using the Mauser m03 model;
• affordability, which is very important for those who seek to obtain high quality professional-grade weapons at a relatively low cost. This parameter is important for almost every buyer and plays an important role in the process of choosing a hunting rifle model.

A modern and surprisingly attractive appearance that immediately catches the eye of both a professional and an amateur, beautifully processed natural wood and optimal barrel length are the most important parameters of the Mauser m03 model, which distinguish it favorably from analogues from other manufacturers. Installing an optical sight with a mount on the surface of the barrel somewhat worsens the accuracy of shots due to minimal curvature of the barrel - some owners of the model considered this point to be a disadvantage.

Mauser .308 M03 EXTREME Special

Purpose

The use of the Mauser m03 carbine is not limited to professional hunting. Technical characteristics allow the carbine to be used for training in accuracy and shooting, and the relatively low weight and compact external dimensions ensure ease of transportation.

Varieties

Today, several modifications of this model are offered for sale in professional hunting weapons stores. All of them are characterized by excellent shooting performance, made of high-quality polymer and natural materials, as well as the ability to use cartridges of various calibers, which increases the degree of efficiency of shooting from a carbine.

Among the most popular are the following varieties of the model under consideration:

1. Professional Hunter , which has a distinct predatory appearance and exclusively black shades in the design of the carbine. For this model, cartridges of the largest caliber are used;
2. Stutzen with a convenient forend mounting option and a shortened barrel length;
3. Trail with signal inserts made of rubberized material and bright orange;
4. Extreme with black rubberized inserts on the buttstock handle and made of fiberglass with increased strength.

The use of calibers of various sizes (.308 and .223) allows you to hit both small and large targets.

Mauser M03: a carbine with a Russian soul

Photo: Mauser
Brothers Wilhelm and Paul Mauser, who began working with weapons at the ages of 14 and 16, at the time of the creation of the M98 system, had a wealth of experience working with rifled weapons, especially bolt-action systems with rotary locking.

For more than forty years, both brothers from a large family worked directly with weapons, and all their knowledge, all possible technical abilities of that time, were poured into this system. Through trial and error, as well as listening to customer requirements and constantly improving existing systems, they managed to create a base for practically the entire weapons world of today. From simple apprentices in the royal arms factory, they grew to become owners of their own production and provided work (roofing and bread) not only to their native Oberndorf, but to the entire region.

Over time, Wilhelm became more and more involved in financial and organizational issues, Paul focused on technology and production. The huge numbers of rifles and carbines produced, whose numbers are not even limited to many tens of millions (!), speak for themselves.

Starting from the first designs, namely Mauser-Norris (1867), M71, as well as a number of designs for countries such as Belgium, Sweden, Spain, Peru, Brazil, Chile, the name Mauser in the minds of many users is firmly associated with the concept of quality and precision weapons. The Mauser 98 system has been synonymous with reliability and reliability for more than a hundred years - it is still copied by dozens of manufacturers around the world. It is based on simplicity of design, which by the way is by no means cheap by today’s standards, reliability and strength.

Controlled feed, a non-rotating long spring-loaded extractor, a three-position safety and a closed receiver at the rear, behind which there is a handle and a third, spare lug, have become classics, as well as the two main lugs, which are located vertically when locked. The active reflector, which is combined with the shutter release/stop function, is also still used on other products to this day. The shutter consists of only ten parts, and all functions are distributed among them.

There is built-in protection against an overdose of gunpowder and the pressure of the powder gases of the cartridge and the penetration of the capsule by gases; provision is made for the removal of these gases into the bolt and then their release through the grooves in which the lugs go. The lock is equipped with a gas shield to prevent these gases from getting into the shooter's face.

The mounting pattern of the barrel in the receiver is classic, threaded. This makes it easier to adjust the mirror gap by turning the barrel. During production and assembly, this has a positive effect on the quality of the weapon itself - and on shooting results. You only need to maintain a minimum of strict dimensions. Much of what is built into this bolt group works for the benefit and safety of the shooter, even when he does not know it.

Later, this system was adapted for hunting, military stocks were replaced by hunting ones, a trigger with a trigger appeared, and after the First World War, optical sights became widespread. This system has been in operation for more than a hundred years, and is considered the standard of beauty, functionality and reliability - no matter whose production. It is the products that are closest to the original that are valued, without a modern technological production cycle. No light alloys, no plastic, no casting or anything else.

Only walnut stocks, only milled steel. This also affects the price - the simplest models cost twice as much as any modern carbine. But this is a classic - it will not go out of fashion in 10 or 20 years, such weapons will always be relevant.

We will not consider in this article the historical and political aspects of the development of the Mauser company - this would blow up the volume of a large book. Let's just say that in 1999 the Mauser company had three main branches - Mauser Messtechik (measuring systems), Mauser Wehrtechnik (defense systems) and Mauser Jagdwaffen (hunting weapons). The large and clumsy concern had one great success in the arms sector in the 60s and 70s - the Mauser 66 system (short rotary bolt). This system has long and firmly settled in the minds and hands of European hunters.

Unfortunately, government orders always brought more profit than hunting weapons, and over time, the Mauser Jagdwaffen essentially became a nuisance, useless appendage. Whether this was due to the management of the concern, which did not fully understand the meaning of the Mauser trademark, or to unsuccessful, unsuccessful designs, or something else - judge for yourself. The fact is that by the end of the 90s the hunting weapons department turned out to be so unprofitable that it was decided to sell it.

It was acquired (together with the companies Blaser and Sauer) by two successful entrepreneurs, uniting all three enterprises in a new concern. By this time, the Blaser company was already firmly on the market with its Blaser R93 carbine, and the Sauer company with its model 202.

The Mauser Jagdwaffen company had to start from scratch, moving from Oberndorf to the city of Isny. In the shortest possible time, several prototypes of the new Mauser hunting carbine were designed and manufactured. As a result, in 2003, after the prototypes of the M99 (which was a twin of the R93, only with a rotary bolt) and M2000, the Mauser M03 carbine appeared.

The creator of the Mauser M03, who received a high-class education at TOZ, is Sergei Vasilyevich Popikov. According to him, he worked on it day and night, always looking for optimal solutions. The birth of a new type of weapon is a very interesting and exciting process. From the outside, everything is simple - they gave the technical specifications, and voila - after two or three years there is a production model. But during this time a huge amount of work was done.

It all starts with a technical specification - the company’s management, relying on its own experience and customer opinions, sets the “framework” of the new product. What a weapon should “be able to do,” what should be built into it structurally, what hunters will expect and demand from it. The deliberately incorrect use of weapons and countermeasures must also be taken into account. Based on the technical specifications, the first sketches of the main components of the weapon and their assembly groups are made, the simplest and most effective solutions to all issues are sought, the dimensions of the locking planes and the strength of the bolt are calculated, etc.

Over time, from a bunch of different thoughts and ideas, the principles of technical functions grow, from the functions - drawings, from the drawings - details, and then from a bunch of different “pieces of hardware” on the table grows a prototype, which needs to be tested by shooting, checked for “survivability”, for reliability in various climatic conditions, for ease of maintenance and ease of handling. With further development, the wishes of technologists are also taken into account - they, seeing a drawing, mentally go through all the machining paths in their heads, quite accurately determine the time and set of tools.

Often, design engineers change the appearance of a particular part, while maintaining the functions - but the part turns out to be much simpler to manufacture. Or they completely throw out an element if its function could be transferred to another part. The opinions of those who tested the weapon in a shooting range or on a hunt are also taken into account - as a result, over every (!) part of the weapon, be it even such a simple detail as a magazine latch or trigger guard, many copies were broken between the designer, technologist and management, which is directly involved in the development of any model.

At the moment, the Mauser M03 is a bolt-action carbine. The modular system allows for replacement of the barrel, bolt cylinder and magazine, and the list of possible calibers extends from .222 Rem to .458 Lott. One of the main requirements of the technical specifications was absolute safety. This means that, unlike the classical scheme, manual cocking of the mainspring was provided from the very beginning. Once uncocked, the weapon is unable to fire (similar to a "trigger", a horizontal gun with external hammers).

The hunter can load the weapon without cocking it, and without fear steal game or stand at the number. You don’t need to constantly check the safety lock to see if it has switched from being carried on your shoulder or from wading through thickets. But nevertheless, a shot is possible almost instantly - when raised, the thumb itself asks for the cocking lever, after a few minutes of training this movement occurs by itself. As far as possible, the designer strives to predict the so-called. “worst case” or “the worst case scenario.”

This means that the design, visibly or invisibly, contains several solutions that come into play in the event of abnormal operation. For example, a shot without a cylinder (with lugs located on it) is impossible - the firing pin and firing pin are separated, the firing pin is located in the cylinder. Or lock the bolt in the uncocked position - this will prevent accidental opening of the bolt and loss of the cartridge.

There is also a forced release of the cartridge case, gas release holes in case of excess pressure, forced removal of the firing pin from the shutter mirror, removal of the trigger from the cocked trigger when opening the shutter and many other important and necessary functions, and all of them are aimed at one thing - a shot is possible only when it is needed and consciously produced by the hunter. The likelihood of an accident caused by a weapon is reduced as much as possible.

The modular system mentioned above is not only interchangeable barrels. These are also interchangeable shutters, magazines, shutter heads and mounts for optics. Strict tolerances and even stricter quality control of parts and assembly guarantee that any part will fall into place without any modification or “piling.” A replacement barrel purchased yesterday can be placed in a stock purchased seven years ago - and everything will fall back into place “like original.”

When changing the caliber and the group of calibers itself, it is necessary to change the cylinder - because the diameter of the bottom of the .222 Rem caliber case is much smaller than the diameter of the bottom of the .300 WinMag caliber case. The new cylinder will also fit neatly into place in the old bolt without modification, and the new magazine will just as clearly fit into the magazine well of the receiver.

The modular system is not an invention of recent years - more than a hundred years ago, Emperor Nicholas II of Russia was shown the production of “three-line guns”, where workers disassembled the finished weapon into parts, which were then mixed, and as a result, a “Y” bolt was installed on the “X” rifle, etc. . At that time, this was possible due to large tolerances on certain assembly groups.

But only recently has the modular system fully revealed its potential - the latest CNC machines make it possible to produce parts with an accuracy of 2/1000 mm - that’s two microns! And this has a positive effect on the finished product - on the M03 there is no need for bedding, “pilling” and other “dancing with a tambourine”, so often performed on other weapons in order to get good accuracy.

With M03, everything is thought out and pre-designed for ease of use, reliability and accuracy. And it is a competent design that is the key to the success of the model.

Let's open the standard box in which the Mauser M03 is supplied. The stock itself is in a special case. There are currently several different ones - three wooden, one made of plywood and one plastic. Depending on the chosen model - M03 Africa, M03 Basic, M03 Alpine or M03 Extreme, the weapon is assembled according to the specified configuration. There are many models, they differ in the design of the barrel (long and weighted for the Africa and Jagdmatch versions, short and fluted for the Stalker version), stock and external design of the receiver, bolt and magazine.

The barrel is packaged in a blue plastic bag - a special VCI layer inside works as a corrosion inhibitor. Not because the barrels rust - no, they are reliably protected by nitriding in plasma and sandblasting - but because the barrel, after being packaged at the company, will remain in a warehouse for an unknown amount of time, on the road, at a cryo shooting, and after that, as a rule, uncleaned.

Therefore, the manufacturer tries to ensure that the client receives the barrel in the best possible condition; accidental fingerprints will not lead to stains on the barrel.

The box also contains the bolt, instruction manual, barrel change key and open sight adjustment key.

Assembling the carbine is very simple - remove the stock and barrel from the box, remove the covers from them and place the barrel on the so-called. trunk bed These four contact surfaces on the receiver must always be dry and clean and free of oil.

Only in this case the barrel fits absolutely accurately and its remarkable accuracy is possible. The screws screwed into the base of the barrel fit into the corresponding holes in the receiver. Now you need to tighten the barrel mounting nuts with a special T-shaped wrench.

We insert it into the holes at the bottom of the forend and tighten both nuts alternately - and the barrel is installed. The force with which the barrel is attached is approximately 11 Nm. If you don’t have a torque wrench at hand, you can let your wife or friend do this operation. This will approximately correspond to the recommended effort. There is no need to twist the key until it “crunches” in the thread.

The magazine is also easy to install - just insert it into the receiver and press until it clicks into place. We remove the bolt from the packaging box and take it in our right hand. With your left hand we hold the carbine in the area of ​​the trigger guard, with our thumb we press the shutter stop located in the rear left part of the bolt box, insert the bolt into the bolt box and close it. Release the shutter stop button and you're done.

The cocking lever on the bolt lock is usually moved to the “S” position. This means that the firing pin is not cocked and the bolt is locked from opening. In order to open the bolt without cocking the weapon (for example, to safely remove a cartridge from the chamber), you need to press the cocking lever towards “S” just a millimeter and a half. The shutter will be released and can be opened. The next time you close it, it will be automatically locked again.

When cocking the firing pin, the cocking lever should be moved to the “F” position. For right-handed people (and with a right-handed carabiner), this is easiest to do with your right thumb, holding it somewhat horizontally. In this case, you can easily hold the cocking release button (under the lever) with the bottom of your thumb - and cocking will be completely silent.

Which is not unimportant during a hiding place, when an animal with sensitive hearing can come out not far from the tower. Now the mainspring is cocked, a shot with subsequent reloading is possible. After reloading, the mainspring remains charged for a second shot if needed. If there is no longer a need to fire, press the cocking lever to the right with your thumb to the “F” position, hold it in this position and press the lock button with the bottom of your thumb, thereby releasing the lever.

Under the action of the spring, it will return to the “S” position - the mainspring is relaxed, a shot is impossible in principle - despite the presence of a cartridge in the chamber. Well, exactly like on the trigger. These operations can be carried out without problems in the cold, wearing gloves, in the rain - the ergonomics of this unit are seriously thought out and dimensional.

The reloading itself is done classically - turn up, pull back, push forward and turn down. The locking angle is 60°, the lugs are arranged in threes in two tiers. Locking is done directly in the barrel, and not like on classic rifles in the receiver. The cylinder and the barrel form a closed system of forces between themselves - gas pressure does not act directly on the receiver.

With the classics, it’s the other way around - the bolt rests with lugs on the area in the receiver into which the barrel is screwed onto the thread. That is, in a more modern system there is one less element whose tolerances can affect the accuracy of the manufacture or connection.

By the way, after the purchase you will probably notice the stamp in the form of an eagle with the letter N - this is a stamp of the state shooting. It is carried out after the barrel is made by an official from a special department, who checks each barrel and each cylinder by shooting two cartridges that are equipped with an enhanced charge. Their gas pressure is 30% higher than the maximum gas pressure of the caliber used in this barrel.

If the barrel and cylinder can withstand this pressure (and they always do, thanks to excess strength and a reasonable margin) and then meet the established parameters, then the weapon is considered fit for use.

But now the weapon has been assembled, an optical sight, an original Mauser DSM mount and several types of cartridges have been purchased. Why several? In order to be able to select a variety that will “fly” better than all others, or one that will have the best effect on the type of animals that you hunt.

Thoughts about the rifling pitch (often referred to by the foreign word “twist”) and the weight of bullets at the beginning will not bother you. The manufacturer has manufactured the barrel with a rifling pitch that matches the widest selection of bullets. By purchasing a barrel in caliber .223, .243, 6.5x55 .308, .30-06, 8x57IS or 9.3x62 (or any other well-known and not super-specialized one), you can be sure that the rifling pitches will work perfectly with any hunting cartridges these calibers that are in the store.

Ideally, for your hunts, you purchased a hunting scope (and not a tactical, heavy one, with rough monstrous drums and a sniper reticle overloaded with many lines, guided by the thought “what if tomorrow there is a war / alien invasion / zombies - underline as appropriate) on an internal tire, such as Zeiss, Swarovski, Schmidt & Bender, Meopta, Kahles, Leica, etc.

Why on a bus? Because this is the most technically competent solution, it attaches better and more firmly than conventional rings and is installed as simply as possible - without shamanism with setting the horizon, gluing and lapping of rings. The sight is selected based on considerations of future use. For example, in the forest or on a driven hunt, a scope with a higher magnification will not be as useful as a scope with a lower one. But when ambush, from a tower - you will need a higher magnification - you can see the animal and make a more accurate shot.

My choice was the ZEISS 2.5-10x50 variable power scope. And for a corral it will work at a magnification of 2.5, and for a tower - at a magnification of 10x. But this is ideal. Of course, you can install any sight you like. It is better to do this in a workshop, especially if this is the first “cutting” and there is a fear of doing something wrong. The technician will set the correct distance from the eye to the eyepiece in accordance with your tab (as a rule, you can take the so-called “Cooper line”, where the line from the eyepiece straight down passes near the front lower part of the pistol grip socket) and will probably tell you something useful , which I cannot take into account here.

After connecting the optical sight and bracket, it is logical to connect them to the weapon. With the Mauser M03, this is done very simply - each bolt box (in “expert” circles is often called the incomprehensible foreign word receiver) is prepared to accept a proprietary bracket. No need to saw or drill anything, no need to order toothy picatinny rails and glue them on.

On the bracket, you need to press the locking tabs of the levers, thereby unlocking them, and move them to the rearmost position one by one. The bracket with the optical sight is installed in the corresponding seats on the receiver, the levers are rotated one by one to the extreme forward position - and you're done! The levers' locking tabs will lock automatically, and the bracket with optics will be securely fastened.

A few words should also be said about zeroing the weapon and sight. An experienced shooter will use a couple of shots to align the crosshair (or dot) of the aiming reticle with the point of impact of the bullet at the desired distance, usually 100m. Since the optical sight is located at a height of 4-5 cm above the barrel, and the bullet flies along the ballistic curve after exiting the barrel not directly, but with a decrease, the sight on the bracket with the tire looks slightly down.

This tilt is 12 minutes of arc (MOA) per 100m (or 0.2°) and allows for more adjustments in the scope itself. The flight curve of the bullet and the optical axis of the sight intersect twice. When zeroing at 100m, their intersection is located exactly on the target - and therefore, when aiming at , the bullets fly there. At other distances, bullets will land either above or below the aiming point.

The farther away, the lower the bullet will fall “out of place”; at best, a successful kill; at worst, a hundred or more kilograms of tasty meat will go to wolves, foxes and smaller predators. This is not good, it is wrong.

A hunter must make sure that every shot he takes is like a good sniper's - namely, one. One shot, and the handsome stag, raising his head for a couple of seconds, falls on the spot. So many emotions, so much joy, so much pride, so much admiration for the trophy!

With a good hit, he dies before the sound of the shot reaches him. Therefore, in many countries hunting with coated bullets is prohibited. Such a bullet pierces the beast right through. It uses less than half of its kinetic energy and does not deform. It’s good if the bullet hits the shoulder joint or the base of the neck. But hunting is not a shooting range. Sometimes several seconds are allotted for one shot.

In such situations, a good hunting bullet (although not cheap) is much better than a jacket. It “forgives” the shooter his mistake or a not entirely correct shot. When it enters the body of an animal, it usually opens into petals and increases in diameter. There are those that break into fragments - in order to hit the veins, veins, arteries, nerve plexuses, and there are those that remain one massive “mushroom”, causing great damage to the musculoskeletal system when they hit the bones.

Such bullets release almost all their energy in the animal’s body, thereby reliably killing it, without minor wounds, without suffering. And in this context, their high cost is relatable - one cartridge worth 100 or even 200 rubles will deliver you from 20 to 100 kg of the best meat. You go to the next super-, hyper-, megamarket or just to the bazaar, look how much a kilogram of meat of dubious origin costs, and compare it with the weight of a hunted elk or roe deer, or ibex, or, or, or...

Another argument (not in favor of expensive high-quality cartridges and bullets) but against casings and low-quality cartridges - their effect on game is not only bad, but the shooting results themselves are not impressive. A hunting weapon, although it is not recognized to collect groups of 10-12mm at 100m, should, coupled with a good scope and cartridge (and an experienced shooter), have a high probability of hitting the game with the first shot at any hunting distance.

You won’t get far with bad cartridges and “Chinese” optics. Many, starting with this very budget option, gain experience over time and eventually take good optics, good ammunition and good weapons. After all, hunting is everything to us, and we want to spend those short days or forays into nature not only as efficiently as possible, but also comfortably.

You can take it as a rough rule that the optical sight should approximately correspond to the basic design of the weapon. It may seem unreasonably expensive, but it's worth it. There is no need to skimp on the scope. It’s better to give up an expensive walnut in favor of plastic than to give up an excellent scope for a good one. Your eyes will thank you, seriously.

Let’s not deviate too far from shooting, because there is another method often used by hunters. On a pack of cartridges (especially German ones, such as RWS, GECO, Brenneke, Blaser CDP and many European ones) you will find a ballistic table that indicates the size of the reduction when zeroing at 100m and at the GEE distance. This is the recommended shooting distance.

As a rule, its use involves zeroing at 100m not at zero, but 4 cm higher. Why? Let's explain now. The heart size of an average animal hunted with a rifle is about 7-8 cm. That is, a weapon shot at 100m with an excess of 4 cm at 100m will also fall into the killing zone. The GEE distance is indicated, depending on the caliber, from 150 to 200 m.

At this distance, the bullet crosses the optical axis of the sight twice. On the segment of the bullet’s trajectory from 40m to a distance of 30-40m beyond the GEE (that is, with a GEE of 170m from 40m to 200-210m), the bullet will be within a radius of 4 cm from the optical axis, sometimes higher, sometimes lower.

This means that weapons sighted using the GEE method can be used without twisting the drums and without exceeding the aiming mark, aiming “at the point,” since the bullet will always hit the kill zone. And when hunting, a shot from the hands or from a staff, further than 150-170m and even at a running animal, is in many cases an irresponsible act; Bayanai will not approve of it and will not make him happy with the trophy.

In general, you have zeroed your M03 carbine yourself - ideally. A gunsmith at a gun store or a friend can shoot it for you. But please, after shooting with another person, check how you will shoot from this carbine. You probably have different anthropometric data, a different tab, different eyes. It is quite possible that you will have to make some adjustments a couple of cm.

But you can be sure that now everything is ready and you can go hunting. You can shoot a weapon at a shooting range, or in the forest, ensuring that the bullets are caught by an embankment or cliff, from a good shooting position, as a rule, lying down from a bag. Standing, handheld, firing three times and barely hitting the A4 sheet at 50m - this is not zeroing and you cannot be content with this! In no case. Although, they say, this still doesn’t happen...

Of course, ardent high-precision specialists and snipers will grin at this method and point their fingers at ballistic calculators and tables, talk about reticle ranges and the inevitable zero-point shooting, but hunting is not shooting at paper. However, you have the right to try both methods and choose the one that suits you best.

Hunting.. This word first appeared in my mind at the age of four or five years. In winter or autumn, on weekends, dad often left the house, belted with a bandolier, with a knife on his side and a gun on his shoulder. He came tired, wet or cold, not always with booty, but always with brightly burning eyes, with ineradicable enthusiasm. Then we cleaned the gun together or separated the loot, it was very interesting and educational. The feeling of gun oil on your fingers, the music-sounding metallic clicks of cocking guns, the smell of spent cartridges! And the opening of the autumn hunt, and the caches under the straw next to the lake, and the cries of the geese! Those who have not been will not understand.

A quarter of a century has passed since then, but his passion for hunting has not diminished one iota; on the contrary, it has flared up and even spread to me. Much has changed, much water has flown under the bridge. Now rifled weapons have appeared, and the game itself has become more varied - you can’t go after everyone with a smoothbore.

Hunting is something special. And hunting with a Mauser is even more so. This is a tribute to the centuries-old traditions of hunting itself. This is the genetic memory of our ancestors - they hunted mammoths with spears and traps, and we hunted with Mauser. But in principle, nothing has changed - we go hunting with serious preparation.

Relying on excellent and safe technology, like our ancestors - on a spear hand-planed and burned over the clan fireplace. They sneaked up to the pastures, and we, choosing a place for each step, concealed the game. There is still a confrontation between nature and man; if you make a mistake, there will be no production. My Mauser M03 makes this confrontation direct and immediate.

A weapon, along with a good sight and a good cartridge, will do the job when I want. But I, and not Mauser, need to sneak up unnoticed closer to grazing roe deer, deer, or a herd of feeding wild boars, for example. It is up to me, not the scope, to decide which specimen to choose. I, and not the weapon and the cartridge, need to take aim and make an accurate shot.

Early in the morning we get up, shake for an hour in a UAZ along the sleepy streets of a provincial town, and then along potholed field roads. The game manager lands, points out landmarks, and gives final instructions. It doesn’t seem far to go—5 kilometers, but I can walk no more than a kilometer in an hour. I don’t want to run cross country, I want to try sneaking for the first time. You can get either a moose cow or a calf, or a yearling wild boar.

We discuss my route for the last time parallel to the clearing at a distance of up to half a kilometer, through the forest, and after three minutes the engine is almost inaudible. The cartridges are pre-loaded into a detachable magazine; the remainder from the pack is kept in your jacket pocket, just in case.

When going hunting, I removed the optics, disassembled the weapon and put it in a case, reducing the length for transportation. Before leaving, I gathered the game warden in a minute, knowing that the sighting remained in place, in this regard, the weapon will not fail, there is no need to scare the game with a test or sighting shot. I left the case in the UAZ - I don’t need it now. The magazine is in the shaft, but you can lock it with a special button - it won’t get lost, you won’t be able to press the button. I’m sneaking through the forest - there’s a cartridge in the chamber, but it doesn’t bother me. On the contrary, I don’t think about the weapon at all, I don’t monitor the safety every minute to see if it has moved. No need to watch - I have manual cocking on my M03.

As long as I sneak around with it in my hands, it is absolutely safe. And if I need to, when I jump up, I’ll silently cock it in one movement—you won’t have time to blink. It’s good in the forest, somehow it’s right. The soul rests, thoughts flow more calmly. I even like how the frost pricks my cheeks, I like how the snow falls, I like that there are boar tracks. You’ll get used to all this at work, in the car, and in civilization in general.

I make my way through small snowdrifts and through a wild, untouched forest, sometimes choosing a difficult area, sometimes easier. Suddenly freezing at the edge of the forest, holding your breath, you can hear a ringing, absolutely empty silence. Far away, about a hundred meters away, a raven flies - and in such silence the whistle of its wings can be heard. The snow creaks underfoot, and in some places last year’s grass sticks out from under the snow—it’s wild beauty. There are increasingly more footprints on the trees - moose were feasting on them, scraping the bark. The snow falls on the Mauser and no longer freezes - the weapon has cooled down in a couple of hours. The plastic stock is scratch-resistant. Nothing rattles or knocks. I’m also not afraid of snow and twigs in the barrel - a special plug, Muzzle Safe, is inserted into the groove of the barrel. If I don’t have time to take it out, I can shoot through it; it doesn’t affect the flight of the bullet. And the barrel is reliably protected.

Ahead, in the thickets of a young birch tree, there is a noise, the crackling of dry frost-covered twigs. Slowly put the butt into the shoulder, thumb on the cocking lever and to the right, silently. The weapon is ready! It’s a stone’s throw to the birch forest, I turn the Zeiss multiplicity to 2.5. It will be easier to catch the target. I’m standing there, not moving, afraid to breathe. A barely noticeable breeze carries the steam behind me - you won’t be able to smell me! And the noise and crackling got closer and closer, and then a grayish carcass flashed! There, among the branches!

Adrenaline surge, heart faster and faster boom-boom-boom, slow turn a little to the right, cheek on the ridge of the butt, eyepiece in front of the eye. Moving her ears like locators, a young moose cow comes out towards me. He glances at me and stops. Already through the scope I look at her - I admire, for the first time I see her so close, 30 meters away from her! The dark eyes look at me without fear, but the ears are warily directed at me, steam is pouring out of the nostrils. It stands at an acute angle, just as it came at me, you can’t shoot.

For a minute, or maybe just ten seconds, it is impossible to accurately determine this period of time, we look into each other’s eyes, both motionless. From the tension I exhale a little sharply, deciding that I will shoot when he turns away from me, or when he runs sideways towards me. The moose, twitching her ears, leaves, takes a few steps, turning more and more sideways towards me. The crosshair of the sight, or rather the red dot in the middle, is on the shoulder blade, I wait for the moment, never ceasing to admire the beauty of the animal.

I don’t remember whether I thanked the owner of the Bayanai forest for giving me this moment or not - but a few seconds later a shot rang out. The moose falls, the large carcass twitches in convulsions - yes! Automatic reload using reflex. I run up to finish off the beast with a second shot and reduce the suffering. But there’s no need anymore, the eyes went dark, the convulsive movements died down.

I uncock the M03, leaning on the carbine, bending my knee, placing one palm on the warm, soft one. Satisfied with the catch, I freeze for a few moments, absorbing this majestic moment. I unload the Mauser by snapping the magazine and cartridge out of the chamber, turn off the illumination in the sight - the hunt is over for today. Mauser showed its best side. Convenient, accurate, reliable and high-quality weapon. Nothing can be taken away from it, nothing can be added - everything is done as it should be.

After several hunts, I realized that a weapon is not just a tool, although at the beginning I viewed it as such. With each hunt it becomes known better and better, all manipulations with it are carried out intuitively, everything is clear and understandable. With each hunt, it grows more and more close to you, becoming not a tool, but an equal participant in the hunt. Without it you are useless, without you it is useless.

I would like to somehow preserve the memories of successful hunts, of frost, snow, the ringing “bang” of a shot and, oddly enough, warm blood on my hands during butchering. Well, about the taste of freshly fried tenderloin, in the forest, over the fire! And again a parallel with the ancestors emerges - they painted their hunts on the walls of caves, certainly successful, clumsily, but understandably - in a bison or elk there are spears and arrows sticking out, the family will not starve. That's what I want too.

I will take the next Mauser M03 with my own engraving, exactly in this style of Neolithic rock paintings. It will not be a weapon - an extension of the hand. Hunting, as the most ancient occupation of man, as the most ancient passion for nature, passion, the need to feed the family, and a faithful, reliable weapon - that’s all that you can always rely on in our turbulent, hectic times, something that will remain and never will change. The drawings of my ancestors, immortalized in steel, will go hunting with me like a talisman. Successfully. Why is it successful? Because I have a Mauser M03 with me.

Evgeniy Fester January 31, 2022 at 02:51 pm

Specifications

The technical capabilities of the model in question allow it to be used for a variety of purposes. But, since the manufacturer provides the possibility of using the carbine in professional hunting, simpler purposes (for example, sports shooting, accuracy training) are also available when using the model.

The combination of several possibilities (replacing the basic configuration, tuning and improving the model) ensures a high level of demand for the carbine, and many positive reviews from buyers and owners immediately attract attention to it when analyzing the advantages and disadvantages.

Mauser 98 rifle – video

The Mauser 98 rifle was in service with many armies around the world until the end of World War II and gained a reputation as an accurate and reliable weapon.

Mauser Gewehr 98 rifle, right view

Mauser Gewehr 98 rifle, left view

Mauser 98k (Mauser 98k) is a repeating rifle (in German sources: Karabiner 98k, Kar98k or K98k), officially adopted for service in 1935. It was the main and most widespread small arms of the Wehrmacht. Structurally, it is a shortened and slightly modified modification of the Mauser 98 rifle.

Karabiner 98k produced in 1942, left view

Karabiner 98k produced in 1942, right view

The Gewehr 98 rifle was patented by Paul Mauser on September 9, 1895. This repeating rifle is a further development of the 7.92 mm Model 1888 rifle, created based on the experience gained by the German army during the wars of 1864, 1866 and 1870–71. By decision of the Gewehr-Prüfungskommission (GPK), the Gewehr 98 (also designated G98 or Gew.98 - rifle of the 1898 model) was adopted by the German army on April 5, 1898.

The first combat use of Mauser 98 rifles was their use in suppressing the “Boxer Rebellion” in China in 1900–1901.

In 1904, contracts were signed with Waffenfabrik Mauser for 290,000 rifles and with Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken (DWM) for 210,000 rifles.

In the spring of 1915, it was decided to select 15,000 Mauser 98 rifles, for their exceptional shooting accuracy during factory tests, to install optical sights on them and use them as sniper rifles. To install an optical sight, the bolt handle was bent down. 2.5x and 3x optical sights from manufacturers such as Görtz, Gérard, Oige, Zeiss, Hensoldt, Voigtländer, as well as models from various civilian manufacturers Bock, Busch and Füss were used. By the end of the war, 18,421 Gewehr 98 rifles had been converted, equipped with optical sights, and issued to German snipers. Sniper versions of the Gewehr 98 rifle entered service with the Reischwehr and then the Wehrmacht and were used in World War II.

An SS sniper conducts surveillance through the scope of a sniper rifle on the Eastern Front.

The new rifle turned out to be so successful that it served almost unchanged in the German army until the end of World War II, and was also exported in various versions and produced under license in various countries (Austria, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, etc.).

Carbine Kar.98a

Together with the Gew.98 rifle, the Kar.98 carbine was also released, but it was produced in its original form only until 1904 or 1905, when the Gew.98 system underwent the first changes in connection with the adoption of the new 7.92x57 mm cartridge, having a pointed bullet instead of a blunt one. The new bullet had much better ballistics and the rifles as a result received new sights, re-calibrated for a longer-range cartridge. In 1908, another version of the carbine based on the Gew.98 appeared, which from the early 1920s received the designation Kar.98a (K98a). In addition to the reduced length of the stock and barrel relative to the Gew.98, the K98a had a downward-curved bolt handle and a hook for mounting on a sawhorse under the muzzle of the barrel. The next, most widespread modification was the Karabiner 98 Kurz - a carbine released in 1935 and adopted as the main individual weapon of the Wehrmacht infantry. The carbine was distinguished by minor improvements, the mounting pattern of the gun belt, and sighting devices (front sight in the front sight).

German cavalrymen in training before World War II.

The original designation “carbine” for this sample is not correct from the point of view of Russian-language terminology: the Mauser 98k is more correctly called a “shortened” or “lightweight” rifle, since the German term “carbine” (Karabiner) in its meaning used in those years does not correspond understanding of this word accepted in the Russian language. In terms of its dimensions, this “carbine” was only very slightly inferior, for example, to the Soviet “three-ruler”. The fact is that this word in the German language at that time only meant the presence of more convenient side, “cavalry” belt mounts - instead of “infantry” swivels located below on the stock. For example, some German "carbines" were significantly longer than rifles of the same model. This terminological difference gives rise to a certain confusion, aggravated by the fact that subsequently in German the term “carbine” acquired its “usual” meaning and also began to designate a very shortened rifle.

During the war, in order to rationalize production and reduce the relatively high cost of the 98k carbine, which became the main model of small arms of the Wehrmacht, the following changes were made to its design:

– for the manufacture of the stock they began to use beech plywood instead of walnut wood (which resulted in an increase in the weight of the carbine by 0.3 kg); – some parts began to be made from sheet steel by stamping; – spot welding of individual parts was introduced; – a simplified sight and bolt were used; – instead of bluing, the outer surfaces of the parts were phosphated; – the handle linings of a bladed bayonet began to be made not from wood, but from bakelite.

For the Wehrmacht and SS troops, the Mauser 98k was produced by the following companies:

– Mauser Werke AG, plant in Oberndorf am Neckar; – Mauser Werke AG, plant in Borsigwald, a suburb of Berlin; – JP Sauer und Sohn Gewehrfabrik, plant in Suhl; – Erfurter Maschinenfabrik (ERMA), plant in Erfurt; – Berlin-Lübecker Maschinenfabrik, plant in Lübeck; – Berlin-Suhler-Waffen und Fahrzuegerke; – Gustloff Werke, plant in Weimar; – Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG, plant in Steyr (Austria); – Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG, workshops in the Mauthausen concentration camp (Austria); – Waffen Werke Brunn AG, plant in Povazska Bistrica (Slovakia).

Until 1945, German industry, as well as the industry of countries occupied by Germany (Austria, Poland, Czech Republic) produced more than 14 million rifles and carbines of this system.

Options and modifications

Sniper version - standard rifles were used as sniper rifles; specimens that gave maximum accuracy were selected from the batch. For shooting, SmE cartridges were used (Spitzgeschoss mit Eisenkern - a pointed bullet with a steel core).

Sniper variant Karabiner 98k, right view

Sniper variant Karabiner 98k, left view

The first type of telescopic sight officially adopted by the German army was the ZF 39 (German: Zielfemrohr 1939). Otherwise, this sight was called Zielvier (“four-fold”), this name was also applied to other sights that provide four-fold magnification. In 1940, the sight received a standard graduation for a distance of up to 1200 m. It was installed above the bolt; during the war, the mounting design was repeatedly improved.

Mauser Kar.98k with ZF 41 sight

In July 1941, another sight was adopted - the ZF 41 (German: Zielfernrohr 41), also known as the ZF 40 and ZF 41/1. Kar.98k rifles equipped with ZF 41 began to enter troops at the end of 1941. With a length of 13 cm, it provided only one and a half times magnification; it was attached to the left side of the rear sight, so it did not interfere with loading the magazine from the clip. Due to its 1.5x magnification, this sight could only be used for medium-range shooting. A rifle with such a scope was positioned as a rifle for high-precision shooting, and not as a sniper. At the beginning of 1944, ZF 41 sights were removed from many rifles, but their production continued until the end of the war.

German snipers clean their weapons and equipment between battles.

The ZF 4 telescopic sight (or ZF 43, ZFK 43 and ZFK 43/1) was intended for the G43 self-loading rifle and was a copy of the Soviet sight. It was not possible to produce the G43 in sufficient quantities; the new sight had to be adapted to the old rifle. The sight was placed above the bolt on a swept-back mount, adopted a few months before the end of the war and produced in a limited series.

There were other types of sights. For example, the Opticotechna sight. Quadruple telescopic sights Dialytan and Hensoldt & Soehne. Rare Carl Zeiss Jena Zielsechs six-power telescopic sight.

According to a very rough estimate, about 200,000 Kar.98k rifles were equipped with telescopic sights. About half of this amount is for the ZF 41 scope, and the other half is for other types of scopes.

Special options for paratroopers - German paratroopers received a fairly large number of small arms, developed taking into account the requirements of the Airborne Forces command.

Collapsible Karabiner 98k Fallschirmjäger, with the barrel mounted in the receiver on an interrupted thread (German: Abnehmbarer Lauf).

Karabiner 98k Fallschirmjäger, right view

Karabiner 98k Fallschirmjäger, left view

A shortened Kar 98/42, created on the basis of the infantry 98k and differing from it only in slightly shorter length and weight.

Folding - with folding wooden stock 33/40 Klappschaft. The length of the weapon without a bayonet was 995 mm, the barrel length was 490 mm. Weight without bayonet - 3.35 kg.

Folding carabiner 33/40, right view

The folding unit was located immediately behind the end of the bolt and the trigger guard. The initial bullet speed was 820 m/s, the target range reached 1000 meters. The rifle was equipped with a standard German knife-shaped bayonet. In parachute units, there were also sniper versions of folding rifles 33/40, equipped with an optical sight (indicated by the ZF index).

Carbine 33/40 folded

Rifle Vz. 24 (Czech Puška vz. 24, rifle model 1924) is a Czechoslovak bolt-action repeating rifle.

Rifle Vz. 24, right view

Rifle Vz. 24, left view

Produced in Czechoslovakia from 1924 to 1942. Structurally, it was a modification of the German Mauser 98 repeating rifle. The rifle had a different design, it was shorter and more convenient than the Mauser 98. It was produced in the city of Povazska Bistri

Soldiers of the Czechoslovak Armed Forces with Vz. 24

Carbine Vz. 33 - a carbine created on the basis of the Vz rifle. 24, intended for the police, treasury security and other similar services, was distinguished by a barrel shortened to 490 mm, a total length of 995 mm and a curved bolt handle, as well as a new bayonet with a shortened handle. In production since 1934.

Carbine Vz. 33 and a bayonet for it, right view

Carbine Vz. 33, left view

After the occupation of Czechoslovakia, the carbine was slightly modified and its production continued until 1942, already for the needs of the Wehrmacht, where it was adopted by mountain rifle and parachute units under the name Gewehr 33/40(t).

A Wehrmacht private on guard duty on the North Sea coast in Holland. The soldier is armed with a Mauser Gewehr 33/40 carbine

Rifle wz. 98a (Polish: Karabin wz. 98a) - Polish Mauser. Produced in Poland from 1936 to 1939. Captured rifles of the Polish army entered service with the Wehrmacht under the name Gewehr 299 (p).

Polish soldier at a firing position in the suburbs of Warsaw

Carabiner wz. 29 (Polish: Karabinek wz. 29) - a shortened version of the Polish rifle wz. 98a. Produced in Poland from 1930 to 1939. Captured carbines of the Polish army entered service with the Wehrmacht under the name Gewehr 298(p).

Polish carbine wz. 29

The M24 rifle (Serbian-Chor. Sokolska puška M. 1924) is a Yugoslav variant of the Mauser rifle, similar to the Czech Vz. 24. Produced in Yugoslavia from 1925 to 1945.

Rifle M1935 (French Fusil Mle. 1935) - a Mauser rifle adopted by the Belgian army, is a development of the Belgian rifle of the 1924 model produced by FN Herstal for export sale. The main difference is the front sight of its own design and a modified mount for the needle bayonet.

The Zhongzhen-type rifle (Chinese: 中正式), known as the Chiang Kai-shek Rifle or Type 24 (Chinese: 二四式) is a Chinese rifle, a licensed copy of the German Mauser 98 rifle, the predecessor of another Wehrmacht rifle, the Mauser 98k. Production of the Chiang Kai-shek rifle began in August 1935 (or 24 according to the calendar of the Republic of China, after which it was named Type 24). Later it received the name Zhongzhen type. It was known as the Type 79 in the Chinese Red Army. Despite the fact that the Type 24 was adopted in 1935, it was not the most common rifle in the history of the Republic of China, and it only began to be actively used during the Sino-Japanese War. The weapon was used until the end of the Korean War.

Type 24 rifle, right view

Type 24 rifle, left view

Chiang Kai-shek's rifle is an exact copy of the Mauser 98: a cylindrical bolt, a long stock and a muzzle extending from it, a bayonet handle, finger recesses in the front and one stock ring are the main visible parts. The Type 24 was superior to the Japanese Arisaka rifle in terms of rate of fire and range, and was also more compact.

A soldier of the National Revolutionary Army of the Republic of China with a Type 24 rifle guards P-40 fighters from the American volunteer squadron "Flying Tigers"

Volkssturmkarabiner 98 (VK.98) - literally translated from German - “Volkssturm carbine”. It is a greatly simplified version of the Mauser 98k. Produced by Mauser at the end of World War II, both in single-shot and magazine versions.

Volkssturmkarabiner 98, right view

Volkssturmkarabiner 98, left view

At the end of World War II, other German manufacturers produced Volkssturmgewehr 1 (VG 1) and Volkssturmgewehr 2 (VG 2) carbines, which, despite the similarity of names, have significant differences from the Volkssturmkarabiner 98.

Design

By its design, the rifle is a magazine rifle with a sliding bolt that rotates when locked. The bolt is locked by turning 90 degrees and has three lugs, two of which are located in its front part and one in the rear. The charging handle is located on the rear of the bolt. The bolt has gas outlet holes, which, when gases break through from the cartridge case, remove the powder gases back through the hole for the striker down into the magazine cavity. The bolt is removed from the weapon without the help of tools - it is held in the receiver by a bolt lock located on the left of the receiver. To remove the bolt, you need to put the safety in the middle position, pull the front part of the lock and remove the bolt back. A special feature of the Mauser bolt design is a massive non-rotating ejector, which captures the rim of the cartridge during its removal from the magazine and rigidly holds the cartridge on the bolt mirror. Such a system, together with a short longitudinal displacement of the bolt back while turning the handle when opening it, ensures the initial release of the cartridge case and reliable extraction of even cartridge cases that are very tightly seated in the chamber. The cartridge case is ejected from the receiver by an ejector mounted on the left wall of the receiver and passing through a longitudinal groove in the bolt. The barrel bore is locked by symmetrically located lugs of the bolt stem. The cartridges are fed from a double-row magazine with a staggered arrangement of 5 cartridges. The magazine is completely hidden in the stock. Loading from clips or one cartridge at a time. Loading cartridges directly into the chamber is not allowed, as it may lead to breakage of the ejector tooth.

Complete disassembly of the rifle

Striker-type trigger mechanism, trigger stroke with warning. The firing pin is cocked and armed by turning the handle when opening the bolt. The mainspring is located inside the bolt, around the firing pin. The position of the firing pin can be easily determined visually or by touch by the position of the shank protruding from the rear of the bolt. The fuse is three-position, reversible, located in the rear of the bolt. It has the following positions: horizontally to the left - “safety on, shutter locked”, vertically up - “safety on, shutter free” and horizontally to the right - “fire”. The “up” safety position is used to load and unload the weapon and remove the bolt. Operating the safety is simple and easy to use with your right thumb.

Safety on, bolt locked

The rifle has a sector sight, consisting of an aiming block, an aiming bar and a clamp with a latch. The sighting bar has divisions from 1 to 20. Each division corresponds to a change in range by 100 m. The front sight is attached to the base of the muzzle of the barrel in a dovetail groove with the possibility of making lateral corrections. An adjustable rear sight is located on the barrel in front of the receiver. On some samples, the front sight is covered with a semicircular removable front sight.

The stock is wooden with a semi-pistol grip. The butt plate is made of steel and has a door that closes a cavity for storing accessories; the cleaning rod is located in the front of the stock under the barrel. To clean a weapon, a standard cleaning rod is assembled from two halves.

The design of the Mauser 98k is generally similar to that of the Mauser 98. The main features of the Mauser 98k include:

– shorter barrel (600 mm instead of 740 mm for the Mauser 98); – shutter handle bent down; slightly reduced length of the stock and the presence of a recess in it for the bolt handle; – a metal disk in the through hole of the butt (grommet), used as a stop when disassembling the bolt; – “cavalry” sling fastening (instead of “infantry” swivels on the Mauser 98) - the front swivel is combined into one part with the rear stock ring, and instead of the rear swivel there is a through slot in the butt; – for the Mauser 98 rifle, the clip must be removed manually after loading the magazine with cartridges; for the Mauser 98k, the clip was ejected when the bolt moved; – the feeder device has been changed - after the cartridges from the magazine are used up, it does not allow the bolt to close, which is a kind of signal to the shooter about the need to fill the magazine.

Both the rifle and the carbines were equipped with blade-type bayonets attached to the tip of the stock. The family of rifles in Germany alone included 7 main models, with blade lengths from 523 mm to 345 mm. Mauser 98k were equipped with standard SG 84/98 bayonets, significantly shorter and lighter than the bayonets provided for the Mauser 98. This bayonet had a blade 25 cm long with a total length of 38.5 cm. To be worn on a waist belt, the bayonet was placed in a special sheath. Massive bayonet battles were uncharacteristic of the Second World War, therefore, in order to save money, from the end of 1944, rifles were no longer equipped with bayonet knives; they even lacked a bayonet mount and a ramrod. In addition to the standard bayonet, the SG 42 model was adopted for service, although it was not included in the series. SG 42 had a length of 30 cm with a blade length of 17.6 cm.

Bayonet SG 84/98 with scabbard

Additional accessories

During World War II, a muzzle grenade launcher and curved attachments (smoothbore) were adopted for the Mauser 98k rifle, making it possible to fire from behind cover (from around a corner, etc.).

The standard Gewehrgranat Geraet 42 rifle grenade launcher was attached to the barrel using a folding clamp. The maximum firing range is up to 250 m. There were approximately 7 types of grenades for the grenade launcher.

The GG/P40 (Gewehrgranatgeraet zur Panzerbekämpfung 40) barreled anti-tank grenade launcher was designed specifically for paratroopers. It was lighter and smaller than the standard GG 42, produced in a small batch, attached to a rifle like a bayonet, and was intended to combat enemy armored vehicles.

Krummlauf - a device for shooting from behind cover, capable of turning the bullet's travel by 30 degrees. It was attached to the rifle barrel using the same mechanism as the barrel grenade launcher. Developed in 1943, after several prototypes were produced, the main focus of work on barrel curvature was transferred to assault rifles.

Winter trigger (German: Winterabzug) is a device for firing a rifle in winter. Developed in 1942, officially adopted in 1944. The winter release consisted of an oval tin container with a lever inside and an external trigger located on the side. The container was placed on the trigger safety guard. By turning the outer trigger back, the shooter carried out the descent. A similar device was used on the MP 40 submachine gun. It is not known how many such devices were made, but it was widely used by snipers, since it allowed them to shoot in winter without taking off their mittens.

Karabiner 98k sniper with ZF4 scope and winter trigger

Silencers. There are two known silencers for the Kar.98k: one 25.5 cm long with a spiral surface, the other 23 cm long. They were put on the barrel using a clamp similar to the mount for a barrel grenade launcher. Subsonic cartridges were used. No further details available.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

– High muzzle energy - 3828 J (carbine - 3698 J), good penetrating and lethal effect of the bullet.; – The design of the shutter ensures high reliability and smooth operation, durability and long service life, ease and safety of handling; – Stopping the bolt in the rear position warns the shooter about the need to load the weapon and eliminates attempts to fire from an unloaded weapon; – Placing the handle at the end of the bolt allows you to reload the rifle without removing it from your shoulder, without losing sight of the target and without disturbing the monotony of aiming, which increases the accuracy of fire; – The magazine hidden in the stock is protected from mechanical damage; – The Mauser system of the 1898 model and its development - the Karabiner 98 Kurz have become the most successful in their class, evidence of which is the huge number of different samples of military and hunting rifles and carbines, the basis of which is the Mauser design.

Flaws

– Small magazine capacity. – The rifle, despite its large mass, has strong recoil, a sharp and loud shot sound; – Some other bolt action rifles, such as the British Lee-Enfield, have a higher rate of fire; – The main disadvantage of this system is the impossibility of fast and cheap mass production.

Usage

In addition to the Wehrmacht, the Mauser rifle during the Second World War was in service with the armies of Belgium, Spain, Poland, Turkey, Czechoslovakia, Sweden and Yugoslavia.

Design

An important design element of the model under consideration is the receiver, to which the remaining structural parts are attached. The barrel is most optimally designed taking into account the impact of attachments, which can affect the aiming of fire.

The presence of a rotating bolt allows the use of various calibers when firing, and manual cocking provides control over the shots being fired.

Mauser M03 Solid

Operating principle

The simplicity of the design makes it easier to operate the carbine. The process of loading cartridges into the magazine is carried out from above, which is especially convenient if there is an optical sight on the barrel. To eliminate the risk of losing it, the magazine is fixed using a special button that locks the magazine.

The firing pin, which strikes the installed cartridge, is cocked when the flag is brought to the position indicated by the letter “F”.

A comparison of Tikka T3 and Mauser M03 carbines is shown in this video:

Disassembly

The disassembly process of this model does not require special tools and can be easily done even in the field, which is especially important when using it in hunting conditions. The bolt, consisting of 4 parts, is easy to disassemble, which takes a minimum amount of time even without special skills in handling firearms.

On the receiver there is a barrel, bolt, trigger and optical sight, which can be easily removed with a screwdriver and attached in the same way.

MAKSIMOV.SU

Shotguns converted from military rifles are a huge and unfairly forgotten area of ​​​​gun history.

The peculiarities of the domestic arms industry once determined the widest distribution of a wide variety of converted weapons, not only among hunters, but also among a significant part of amateur hunters.

With help

More furs, birds and animals were harvested from a single-barreled “Berdank” than from a specialized shotgun or rifled weapon. Affordability, maintainability and sufficient efficiency are the main factors that contributed to the spread of converted shotguns since the second half of the 19th century.

Mauser 32 caliber, general
view

Of course,

in Russia and the USSR, conversions from Krnka, Berdan and Mosin rifles were more common. But shotguns of foreign systems, with alteration marks of domestic craftsmen or weapons factories, are still very common. And most often these are guns based on the Mauser system mod. 1898.

Mauser 32 caliber

In future

We will also talk about domestic models of conversion rifles, which have made a huge contribution to the development of the economy of our country. A wide variety of “krynki”, “berdankas” and “frolovkas”, rifled and smoothbore - deserve a separate and respectful discussion.

These old systems

give me spiritual trepidation and nostalgic memories of a happy Soviet childhood spent in the Caucasus mountains, where my whole life was imbued with hunting. When the Stolypin agrarian reform of the early 20th century, quite ambiguous in its consequences, but widely known to everyone, began, my great-grandfather from Belarus moved not to Siberia, but to the then little-explored Caucasus. People settled along mountain ranges, about 15-20 km from the coast.

Mauser 32 caliber

Besides

Due to the complex adaptation of agricultural methods in the middle zone to the completely different climatic conditions of the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus, the settlers were actively involved in hunting. Judging by the shell casings found at the sites of former settlements, hunters of the late 19th and early 20th centuries had them in their hands. there were a wide variety of military and hunting firearms systems.

Certainly,

by 50-70 In the 20th century, they hunted more with small-caliber Berdans and Frolovkas than with converted Arisakas and Enfields. Moreover, they still hunt with Mosin “frolovkas” of 24-28-32 calibers.

Moreover

this is relevant not only when remembering hunting rifles in the Caucasus - in Siberia they still hunt with real rarities to this day, often using very exotic systems, even the so-called. "Siberian" rifles.

Mauser 32 caliber

Smoothbore Mauser

One of

operational shortcomings of the Mauser - a very long bolt stroke when reloading. The tales that you can shoot quickly and accurately from a Mauser without lifting the butt off your shoulder are just tales.

When

the conversation turns to all kinds of “berdans”, hotheads immediately begin to remember our “poverty and backwardness”. At the same time, completely unwilling to understand the peculiarities of the geopolitical and economic development of Russia, starting at least from Suvorov’s times.

Conversion guns

- an inevitable phenomenon for the post-war period in any country. After all, only the United States, after both world wars, became fabulously rich from the world massacre it initiated outside the country and could afford to supply its hunters with specialized weapons.

But also in America

, in spite of everything, to this day there is a huge amount of both authentic military weapons and so-called on sale. “sported” rifles – lightweight and shortened. What can we say about other countries?

Mauser 32 caliber

In Russia

Boring worn-out rifle barrels and converting combat rifles into small and medium-caliber commercial shotguns has been practiced for a long time - well, don’t throw away old weapons when they can be given a second life, saturating the huge market for commercial weapons!

And they did

, both private and state-owned factories, and artisans, converting berdans and three-line guns into hunting weapons. Moreover, with great success and on an equally considerable scale. After all, the army of the Russian Empire was unlikely to be much larger in number than the number of hunting people, who could not afford not only to order a double-barreled shotgun “from Europe” from Lebo-Kurali or Perde, but even to buy a hammer produced by the Tula Imperial Arms Factory.

After the Great War

1914-1918, when in Soviet Russia the people successfully and radically resolved the class contradictions of 300 years ago, an unimaginable mess reigned in Weimar Germany, crushed by indemnities, thickly diluted by the political impotence of the authorities and the catastrophic collapse of the economy.

Mauser 32 caliber

In these conditions

, reminiscent of the madness of the American Great Depression, German gunsmiths tried to somehow survive. The Germans had previously, without much hesitation, engaged in “conversion” on a grand scale, remaking Mausers mod. 1871 and 1871/84 in hunting rifles and shotguns. So they had experience, and it was not the remnants of industry exported by the Entente and the gunsmiths who were not sent to the trenches of the fronts of the First World War that made it possible to launch the production of shotguns based on the Mauser rifle mod. 1898.

One of

The most famous German companies converting rifles into shotguns was . The bolt group and magazine were left from the rifle, the stock was shortened, but the barrel was not a bored rifle barrel, but a newly made one, thickened to the required dimensions.

Eventually

The result was a good 16-gauge shotgun, having a high-quality barrel with a normal choke, with a magazine for 2 rounds, relatively light, quite reliable and inexpensive. Nowadays you can find such a gun in excellent condition. The cost varies, but the relatively high price of such a gun today is solely due to the interest in old weapons created on the basis of legendary combat models.

In Russia

with trophy Mausers they did it much simpler - they simply bored the barrel to 32 caliber, dismantled the front sight and sector sight, cut a rear sight on the top of the receiver breech, soldered a hunting-type front sight, shortened and lightened the stock.

Gun

could be either single-shot or with a working magazine. In any case, achieving normal feeding from the magazine and clear extraction on a “smooth” Mauser is much more difficult than on a “frolovka” made from a Mosin rifle.

Mauser 32 caliber

Relative rarity

Mausers 32 caliber, a Soviet conversion, also determined their higher cost these days. Initially, the difference in price was unlikely to be significant, but problems with the operation of mechanics and maintainability certainly gave pause to a hunter choosing between a Mosinka and a Mauser shotgun.

An even bigger problem

They were shotgun conversions from exotic systems like Vetterli or Ross rifles, but they also went into production in the country both in the 20s and in the 30s and 40s. There was an urgent need for foreign currency furs. And a significant number of the population also had to get food in the forest, so everything that was shot was used.

Here

I’ll allow myself a small remark - one of my relatives in the 50s, as a teenager, accidentally killed a wild boar from a “trellis” chambered in a small-caliber cartridge made from some kind of tube, a primitive bolt and an elastic band as a mainspring.

And

from which guns hunters sometimes used to obtain incredible quantities of game for themselves and the state for decades - we’ll also talk about this someday. So, in such conditions, it truly does not matter what system your gun was - you would have experience and dexterity. And there were no problems with birds and animals in the forest before...

Mauser 98k 32 caliber

On photos

, illustrating this article, you see a radical “tuning” of the converted Mauser 32 caliber, which was “bored” for the needs of the domestic hunter back in the pre-war years. At the Izhevsk plant, the barrel of this gun was slightly shortened while the latter was being bored, making it a very ordinary shotgun that shoots a good bullet and fires a very mediocre shot.

Store

there was none, the stock was shortened and muffled from the side of the magazine shaft. In short, an ordinary cheap “Berdank”, of which there were a ton, except perhaps those with German roots. A hunting gun, the main purpose of which is to shoot down a squirrel from a 10-meter height with a half-shot shot or to catch a hazel grouse.

Mauser 32 caliber
Flag safety gun. They say it is more convenient than the safety catch of the Mosin rifle, which is very debatable.
Mauser 32 caliber.
Trigger guard and gun magazine cover. The design of the Mauser magazine is very perfect, but the descent, contrary to expectations, is usually “oaky”. However, what to expect from the trigger of a combat rifle?

And in the end

, after “refinement”, the result was something very similar to the combat Mauser 98k, except that instead of a sector sight it was possible to install a rare, original and not very convenient product of the creativity of the “German gloomy genius” - the Lange sight.

On the picture

The front sight is standard, but literally after the shooting, a front sight from a Mauser carbine of the Latin American order of the late 19th century was installed. For the surroundings, so to speak.

Mauser 32 caliber.
The sight is simply a masterpiece

Mauser 32 caliber,
scope

Mauser 32 caliber
shotgun from the muzzle of the barrel. It is clearly seen that the thickness of the barrel walls allows the use of strong charges, since the design of the gun itself provides an excess margin of safety

Rifle stock

, we managed to get the magazine to work, and used an elongated cartridge reflector as a cartridge reflector. In short, what happened is what happened. The gun looks interesting, shoots quite accurately with a bullet and has intermittent but working mechanics.

Mauser 32 caliber
Cartridge fed from the magazine, kept from falling out by an extended reflector

Mauser 32 caliber
Cartridge fed from a
Mauser 32 caliber
Feeding a cartridge into the chamber

Mauser 32 caliber
The cartridge, with its welt, is well held by the bolt, which, in theory, should have a beneficial effect on the reliability of extraction. In practice, this does not happen; the use of heavy arrow-shaped bullets makes it possible to successfully use 32 caliber on animal hunts

Hunt

it is possible, but, as is usually the case, problems with feeding a cartridge or extracting a cartridge case usually arise not at the shooting range, but precisely during hunting and, naturally, at the most inopportune moment.

That's why

Such guns are increasingly being given the role of a kind of “icon”, a kind of monument to weapons history, which is interesting not only structurally and historically, but also as a shooting rarity.

Conclusion

Recently

opinion about the Mauser rifle mod. 1898 and its modifications were formed only on the basis of the stories of front-line soldiers and folk tales from the category “I haven’t tried it, but I have an opinion.” At the same time, of course, the Mauser acquired the aura of some kind of super-rifle, unconditionally superior to our three-line rifle.

In the 1990s.

Several articles were published in domestic weapons periodicals devoted to a biased comparison of the Mauser and the Mosin rifle: the time of the Solzhenitsyns from weapons science has come - a time of opportunistic lies and unprecedented denigration of everything Russian and Soviet. While simultaneously praising everything Western. Weapons – including. We have experienced the essence of the information war in all its “glory” and will be dealing with its consequences for a long time (if possible).

Today we

we can compare legendary rifles “live”. And, as it turns out, the much-vaunted Mauser is by no means an ideal rifle. Moreover, many were disappointed in him.

Not considering

features of the production technology of this rifle, its combat use and design in general, as well as the specifics of the German economy in the first half of the 20th century - one cannot speak of the “Mauser” as a rifle “of all times and peoples.” We will definitely talk about the Mauser as a hunting rifle, compare it with the three-line rifle and think about it together. But that comes later.

Today

— let’s not forget that the Mauser-98 is a mass-produced military rifle of the European army, with all the ensuing production and operational features. And, on the eve of the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory over Germany in the Second World War, it would not be superfluous to remember that May 1945 once again more than convincingly showed that any statements regarding the superiority of German weapons can be considered somewhat incorrect.

Mauser 32 caliber
And this is what our world looks like through a Mauser sight mod. 1898. Obviously, a conventional sector sight, without protruding “ears,” provides much better visibility and rate of fire

Mauser 32 caliber

The article was published
in the magazine "Hunting"