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82-413: The MG 81 was developed by Mauser as a derivative of their successful MG 34 general-purpose machine gun . Development focus was to reduce production cost and time and to optimize the machine gun for use in aircraft. Developed in 1938/1939, it was in production from 1940 to 1945. A special twin-mount MG 81Z (the Z suffix stands for Zwilling , meaning "twin") was introduced in 1942. It paired up two of

164-475: A firing pin consisting of a long needle driven by a coiled conchoidal spring that fired the internal percussion cap on the base of the sabot . His adoption of the bolt-action breech-loading principle combined with this igniter system gave the rifle its military potential, as these factors allowed a much faster rate of fire. After successful testing in 1840, the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm IV ordered 60,000 of

246-618: A strip of rounds from the top of the open bolt. It still had only two locking lugs. The Swedish army was issued the Model 94. The similar Model 1895 was sold to Mexico, Chile, Uruguay, China , Persia , and the South African states of Transvaal and the Orange Free State ( Boers ). A safety feature offered by the Model 1895 was a low shoulder at the rear of the receiver, just behind the base of

328-587: A " Wehrmannsgewehr " was designed. These were made primarily as single shots; some only had a wood block in the magazine space. These became the 1936 Olympic team rifles for the Germans. As the restrictions on production were increasingly ignored by the Germans in the 1930s, a new Mauser, the Mauser standard model , was developed from the rifle-length Karabiner 98b. It was nominally intended for export and civilian sales. While many standard model rifles were indeed exported, it

410-533: A coil spring wrapped around the firing pin and a safety and a cocking piece attached to the rear of the firing pin. This rifle was shown to the Prussian government, and after some design changes to the safety, was accepted for service as the Infantry Rifle Model 71 on 14 February 1872. Although it is sometimes considered a close relative of the Chassepot rifle, and borrowing Dreyse's turning-bolt action lock,

492-460: A long 850 mm (33 in) barrel. Shorter versions were introduced with the 700 mm (28 in) barreled Jäger and 500 mm (20 in) cavalry carbine. Slightly modified versions were widely sold to other countries, firing bullets that would today be considered very large, typically 9.5mm to 11.5mm. Such large bullets were necessary due to the limitations of black powder, which hindered velocities. Serbia designed an improved version of

574-580: A merger of Ludwig Löwe & Company A.G., Deutsche Metallpatronenfabrik A.G., Rheinisch-Westfälischen Powder Company, and Rottweil-Hamburg Powder Company. Mauser A.G. was formed on 23 April 1897. After World War II, DWM was renamed Industrie-Werke Karlsruhe A.G. (IWK). Mausers were readily adapted as hunting rifles; in Africa, safari rifles were often made from Mausers. These rifles were often rechambered in larger rounds up to and including .50 caliber (12.7 mm). The adaptations usually consisted of shortening

656-581: A requested design change to the safety lock. The Mauser brothers received an order for 3,000 rifle sights, but actual production of the rifle was given to government arsenals and large firms. The sights were produced at the Xaver Jauch house starting 1 May 1872. After an order for 100,000 rifle sights was received from the Bavarian Rifle Factory at Amberg , the Mauser brothers began negotiations to purchase

738-522: A semi-automatic rifle cost Paul Mauser an eye when a prototype suffered an out-of-battery detonation. The mechanism was quite delicate, working reliably only when completely clean, which made the rifle unsuitable for infantry use. However, the Imperial German Flying Corps adopted the rifle for its aircraft crews in 1915, and more generally in 1916. Aerial combat provided the clean environment the rifle required, and its semi-automatic capability

820-459: A third "safety" lug on the bolt body to protect the shooter in the event that one or more of the forward locking lugs failed. In 1903 the improved 7.92×57mm Mauser S Patrone "spitzer" (pointed) round was introduced. Mauser had nothing to do with the development of this round. The S Patrone provided the accuracy and barrel life improvements the German military was looking for and it was in response to

902-561: Is the first major modification of the Mauser Model 1893 and was produced by Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken, known as DWM, and Ludwig Loewe Company from 1895 to 1900. On 3 November 1893, the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway adopted the 6.5×55 mm cartridge. As a result, the Swedes chambered their new service weapons, the m/94 carbine and m/96 rifle, in this round. The rifle action

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984-688: The Patrone 88 and officially entered German service as the Gew. 98 on April 5, 1898. This remains by far the most successful of the Mauser designs, helped by the onset of two world wars that demanded vast numbers of rifles. Noticeable changes from previous Mauser rifle models included better ruptured case gas venting, better receiver metallurgy, and a larger 35.8 mm (1.41 in) diameter receiver ring compared to previous Mauser "small ring" bolt-action designs that had 33 mm (1.30 in) diameter receiver rings for additional strength and safety. Mauser incorporated

1066-507: The Hitler Youth . The Gewehr 41 rifles, commonly known as the "G41(W)" or "G41(M)", were semi-automatic rifles used by Nazi Germany during World War II . By 1940 the Wehrmacht issued a specification to various manufacturers, and Mauser and Walther submitted prototypes that were very similar. Both Gewehr 41 models used a mechanism known as the "Bang" system (named after the designer of

1148-524: The M1922 Bang rifle ). In this system, gases from the bullet were trapped near the muzzle in a ring-shaped cone, which in turn pulled on a long piston rod that opened the breech and re-loaded the gun. Both models also included inbuilt 10-round magazines that were loaded using two of the stripper clips from the Karabiner 98k, utilizing 7.92×57mm Mauser rounds, which made reloading relatively slow. The Mauser design,

1230-651: The May Uprising in Dresden in 1849. Many German states subsequently adopted the weapon. The Sömmerda factory could not meet demand and produced only 30,000 rifles a year. Most of the Prussian infantry in the 1850s were still equipped with the obsolete 1839 Model Potsdam musket , a smoothbore weapon whose range and accuracy was far inferior to the French Minié and Austrian Lorenz rifle . The Prussian Army's low level of funding resulted in just 90 battalions being equipped with

1312-505: The Remington company saw the new Mauser rifle design. In 1867, Norris hired the Mauser brothers to go to Liège to work on a new design. Norris also stipulated that patents were to be taken out in his name and that a royalty would be paid to the Mauser brothers for rifles sold. Norris was convinced that he could sell the design to the French to convert their Chassepot rifles. The Norris-Mauser patent

1394-581: The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The rifle was patented in Austria by Samuel Norris on 24 December 1867. The bolt head did not rotate, a feature chosen by Paul Mauser to "protect the heads of paper cartridges from friction and possible damage while locking the bolt, and to provide a non-rotary seat for the extractor when metallic cartridges were used." An improved version of the rifle used

1476-412: The foregrip and barrel , rechambering to accommodate popular British rounds, and minor alterations to the action . In the late 19th century and early 20th century, companies that made alterations were generally Commonwealth -based. Several proprietary big-game rounds were specifically for hunting large and dangerous game. Today, large- and small-bore Mauser-derived rifles are made all over the world for

1558-438: The percussion cap and the black powder charge. The 15.4 mm (0.61 in) bullet was shaped like an acorn, with the broader end forming a point and the primer attached to its base. The bullet was held in a paper case known as a sabot, which separated from the bullet as it exited the muzzle. Between this inner lining and the outer case was the powder charge, consisting of 4.8 g (74 grains) of black powder. The upper end of

1640-463: The 1920s and 1930s, before their production facilities were absorbed by Nazi Germany to make parts or whole rifles for the German Army. Strictly speaking, these were not "Mauser" rifles, as they were not engineered or produced by the German company. To take advantage of the widespread and popular German single-shot 8.15×46mmR cartridge for use in a military firearm, a modified Gewehr 98 referred to as

1722-551: The 19th century, as a Prussian soldier could fire five (or more) shots, even while lying on the ground, in the time that it took his Austrian muzzle-loading counterpart to reload while standing. Production was ramped up after the war against Austria and when the Franco-Prussian War broke out in 1870, the Prussian Army had 1,150,000 needle guns in its inventory. In 1867, Romania purchased 20,000 rifles and 11,000 carbines from

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1804-452: The 89 Belgian (with a barrel shroud) and the 91 Argentine (with a 71 layout) Mausers, identical in their function and feed system. The main features were the ability to use stripper clips to feed the magazine (a revolution in rate of fire), and its rimless 7.65×53mm Mauser ammunition, advanced for the time. The system proved impressive at the 1884 Bavarian Arms Trials. Both firearms were a success, but decision-makers were not convinced that

1886-598: The Argentine Small Arms Commission contacted Mauser in 1886 to replace their Model 71s; since they wished to keep retraining of their armed forces to a minimum, they went for the Mauser 91. As with other early Mausers, most such arms were made by the Ludwig Loewe company, who in 1896 joined with other manufactures to form Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken. All variations used the same 7.65 mm round-nosed cartridge. Many parts were interchangeable, with

1968-744: The Austrian War Ministry by Samuel Norris of E. Remington & Sons. Norris believed the design could be adapted to convert Chassepot needle guns to fire metallic cartridges. Shortly thereafter, a partnership was formed in Oberndorf between Norris and the Mauser brothers. The partners went to Liège in 1867, but when the French government showed no interest in a Chassepot conversion, the partnership dissolved. Paul Mauser returned to Oberndorf in December 1869, and Wilhelm arrived in April 1870. Before leaving Liège,

2050-571: The British trials, the Dreyse was shown to be capable of six rounds per minute, and to maintain accuracy at 800–1,200 yards (730–1,100 m). The trials suggested that the Dreyse was "too complicated and delicate" for service use. The French carabine à tige muzzle-loading rifle was judged to be a better weapon, and an improved version was adopted as the Pattern 1851 Minié-type muzzle-loading rifle. After

2132-418: The French adoption of a pointed boat-tail bullet, which offered better external ballistic performance. The bullet diameter was increased from 8.08 mm (0.318 in) to 8.2 mm (0.323 in). Pointed or spitzer bullets give bullets a lower drag coefficient (C d ) making them decelerate less rapidly and also markedly decreases the lateral drift caused by crosswinds, improving the effective range of

2214-461: The G41(M), failed as it, along with its G41(W) counterpart, suffered from gas system fouling problems. Only 6,673 G41(M) rifles were produced before production was halted, and of these, 1,673 were returned as unusable. The Mauser C78 zig-zag was a revolver manufactured by Mauser during the late 19th century. It was Paul Mauser's first handgun design. Dreyse needle gun The Dreyse needle-gun

2296-826: The Mauser Company began mass-producing the Mauser 13mm Tank Abwehr Gewehr Mod. 18 in Oberndorf am Neckar. Following the collapse of the German Empire after World War I, many countries that were using Mauser models chose to develop, assemble, or modify their own G98-action rifle designs. The most prolific of them were the Czechoslovak M1922 CZ 98 and M1924 CZ and the Belgian Fabrique Nationale M1924 and M1930 . The Belgians and Czechs produced and widely exported their "Mausers" in various calibers throughout

2378-548: The Mausers insisted that he submit the rifle to Royal Prussian School of Riflemanship. The results were impressive and Wilhelm was invited to the arsenal at Spandau. Paul and Wilhelm Mauser continued development of their new rifle in Paul's father-in-law's home. The Mauser rifle was accepted by the Prussian government on 2 December 1871, and was accepted for service on 14 February 1872, after

2460-580: The Model 1887 to fill the remainder of the Turkish order. This clause was utilized after Belgium adopted the Model 1889 rifle. After the Mauser brothers finished work on the Model 71/84 in 1880, the design team set out to create a small caliber repeater that used smokeless powder. Because of setbacks brought on by Wilhelm Mauser's death, they failed to have the design completed by 1882, and the German Rifle Test Commission ( Gewehr-Prüfungskommission )

2542-508: The Model 1895—can be easily identified by the letters "OVS" (Oranje-Vrijstaat [Dutch for "Orange Free State"]) either marked on the weapons' receiver ring and the stock directly below, or otherwise carved into the right side of the buttstock. The British Pattern 1914 Enfield with a Mauser-style lug might have replaced the Lee–Enfield, but the exigencies of World War I prevented this from happening. The Lee–Enfield continued to see service until it

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2624-457: The Model 1898. The K98k was first adopted by the Wehrmacht in 1935 as their standard-issue rifle, with many older versions being converted and shortened. The Mauser KKW cadet rifle is a single shot, .22 caliber rifle that was introduced in 1938. It is virtually identical to the Karabiner 98k. These cadet rifles were used by all German military, paramilitary and police organizations, especially

2706-757: The Model 71 in 10.15mm, made in Germany and called the Mauser-Milovanović M1878/80 . In 1884 an 8-shot tubular magazine was added by Mauser to the Model 71/84. The Turkish model 1887 rifle was the first of a series of rifles produced for the Turkish Army. Its design echoed that of the German Gewehr 71/84 service rifle: a bolt-action weapon with a tubular magazine beneath the barrel. The Turkish contract specified that if any other nation ordered Mauser rifles with more advanced technology, that design would be used in

2788-573: The Norwegian Krag–Jørgensen rifle was ultimately chosen. The Mauser Model 1893 is a bolt-action rifle commonly referred to as the "Spanish Mauser", though the model was adopted by other countries in other calibers, most notably the Ottoman Empire. The M93 introduced a short staggered-column box magazine as standard, holding five smokeless 7×57mm Mauser rounds flush with the bottom of the rifle, which could be reloaded quickly by pushing

2870-604: The Prussian army received a 25% increase in funding and was reformed by Wilhelm I , Albrecht von Roon and Helmuth von Moltke the Elder from 1859 to 1863, the Dreyse needle gun played an important role in the Austro-Prussian victory in the Second Schleswig War against Denmark in 1864. The introduction of cast steel barrels made industrial mass production of the weapon possible in the early 1860s. The new 1862 model and

2952-461: The Prussian government. These were used to great effect in the Romanian War of Independence . Sometime in the late 1860s, Japan acquired an unknown number of Model 1862 rifles and bayonets. These were marked with the imperial chrysanthemum stamp. China also acquired Dreyse rifles for the modernisation of their armed forces. The cartridge used with this rifle consisted of the paper case, the bullet,

3034-472: The Swedish steel industry developed a niche market for specialty high-strength steel alloys containing nickel , copper , and vanadium . Swedish steels were noted for their strength and corrosion resistance and were especially suited for use in toolmaking, cutlery, and firearms. When Mauser was contracted to fabricate the initial production runs of Swedish Mausers in Germany due to production delays, Sweden required

3116-472: The United States. It was intended for high accuracy range shooting. The company also produced a .22 caliber training rifle during this time frame. The Karabiner 98k "Mauser" (often abbreviated "K98k" or "Kar98k"), adopted in the mid- 1930s, became the most common infantry rifle in service in the German Army during World War II. The design was developed from the Karabiner 98b, one of the carbines developed from

3198-706: The Württemberg Royal Armoury. A delay in the purchase forced them to buy real estate overlooking the Neckar River Valley , where the upper works was built that same year. A house in Oberndorf was also rented to fulfill the Bavarian order. The Königlich Württembergische Gewehrfabrik was acquired on May 23, 1874, after an agreement between the Württemberg government and the Mausers to produce 100,000 Model 71 rifles. The partnership of Mauser Brothers and Company

3280-481: The ammunition for it. Following the success of the Dreyse needle gun ( Zündnadelgewehr ), Paul turned his energies to improving on that design and producing a new one. Paul and Wilhelm had separated due to differences during this time. After Paul developed a new turning-bolt design, Wilhelm was impressed enough to rejoin the business and succeeded in obtaining the financing to purchase machinery and continue development. While

3362-532: The barrel shroud resulted in the founding of arms manufacturer FN Herstal . FN could not keep up with orders, so they outsourced production to the Birmingham Small Arms Company in England. The Belgians' talks with Mauser prompted the Ottoman Empire to consider the design. In the end they ordered their own simpler variation of the 91 Argentine Mauser known as the 90 Turkish. While this was taking place,

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3444-591: The barrel, making cleaning necessary after about 60–80 shots. This was not a large problem because the individual soldier carried fewer cartridges than that and Dreyse created an "air chamber" by having a protruding needle tube. (The Chassepot also had this, but it was more likely to jam after fewer shots because its chamber had a smaller diameter.) A soldier trained before the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 had to finish field cleaning in less than 10 minutes. [REDACTED]   This article incorporates text from

3526-712: The benefit of new barrels. The strong following enjoyed by surplus military Mausers is partly a testament to their reliability and quality of manufacture. Additionally, the comparative low cost of surplus military ammunition has served to continue their use by shooting enthusiasts, however, in recent years it is becoming more difficult to obtain as stocks dry up. That being said, vintage surplus ammunition usually requires specialized cleaning regimens to prevent aggressive and rapid metal oxidation caused by corrosive salts (moisture attracting) contained in their priming compounds. Care must be taken to thoroughly and promptly clean and neutralize these salts after firing corrosive ammunition, lest

3608-464: The bolt handle, which would contain the bolt in the unlikely event that the front locking lugs sheared off due to excessive pressure. South African Mausers were highly effective against the British during the Second Boer War ; these proved deadly at long ranges, prompting the British to design their own Mauser-inspired high-velocity cartridge and rifle. These rare Mauser carbines and rifles—especially

3690-460: The cartridge, since it is virtually impossible to set the primer off accidentally. There was also a blank cartridge developed for the needle gun. It was shorter and lighter than the live round, since it lacked the projectile, but was otherwise similar in construction and powder load. British trials in 1849–1851 showed that: Its effective range was less than that of the Chassepot , against which it

3772-449: The cartridge. Most existing early Model 98s and many Model 88s were modified before World War I to take the new round, designated "7,9mm" or " S Patrone " by the German military. Modified Model 88s can be identified by an "S" on the receiver. Due to the possibility for overpressure from the undersize barrel, the spitzer round cannot safely be used in unmodified guns, particularly with Model 88 rifles. Paul Mauser died on 29 May 1914, before

3854-467: The civilian market and are popular with hunters. Surplus military Mausers, many in mint condition, have also entered the civilian market, to be purchased by collectors and gun owners. A considerable number of surplus Karabiner 98ks were available after World War II, and some were used by Schultz & Larsen in Denmark as the basis for target rifles. Some of these are still in competitive use, although with

3936-502: The enhanced M/55 ammunition type expedited the use and widespread adoption of the weapon in the 1860s. The success of German private industry in delivering the necessary amount of armaments for the army marked the definite end of government-owned army workshops . The Prussian Army infantry had 270,000 Dreyse needle guns by the outbreak of the Austro-Prussian War in 1866. The employment of the needle-gun changed military tactics in

4018-465: The exception of the bayonets of the 89 and 90/91; the barrel shroud made the bayonet ring too wide. The 89 Mauser rejected by Germany in 1884 entered service in 1940 with the second-line units of Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark. A non-rotating Mauser claw extractor was introduced in the Model 92. Several variations of this model participated in rifle trials for the U.S. Army of that year;

4100-441: The factory was transferred to the former Augustine Cloister in Oberndorf am Neckar , where Andreas Mauser worked as the master gunsmith. Of his seven sons who worked with him there, Peter Paul Mauser showed an outstanding ability to develop methods of operation that were faster and more efficient. His older brother Wilhelm assumed many of his father's duties as he became ill. Peter Paul Mauser, often referred to as Paul Mauser ,

4182-400: The firing needle was enclosed in black powder when the gun was fired, causing stress to the pin, which could break over time and render the rifle useless until it could be replaced. Soldiers were provided with two replacement needles for that purpose. The needle could be easily replaced in under 30 seconds, even in the field. Because the rifle used black powder, residue accumulated at the back of

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4264-417: The front of the charge is wasted, as it is forced down and out of the barrel and burns in the air as muzzle flash. It also ensures that the whole charge burns under the highest possible pressure, theoretically minimising unburnt residues. Consequently, a smaller charge can be used to obtain the same velocity as a rear-ignited charge of the same bullet calibre and weight. It also increases the handling security of

4346-560: The hollow tail cone of the Dornier Do 217 K-2. Designated R19 (R for Rüstsatz ) as a factory designed field conversion/upgrade kit, it allowed the pilot of the Do 217 to shoot at pursuers. Another application was the Gießkanne (Watering can), an externally mounted pod with three gun pairs, making a total of six guns and their ammunition. Able to fire at a cyclic rate of 9,000 rounds per minute, this

4428-576: The most innovative features of the new weapon were the work of Peter Paul Mauser. The Mauser Model 1871 was the Mauser brothers' first rifle. It was adopted by the German Empire (except for the Kingdom of Bavaria ) as the Gewehr 71 or Infanterie-Gewehr 71 (I.G.Mod.71 was engraved on the rifles). Production began at the Oberndorf factory for the infantry version, which fired a black powder 11×60mm round from

4510-594: The name of Waffenfabrik Mauser on 1 April 1884. The shares held by the Württemberg Vereinsbank and Paul Mauser were sold to Ludwig Löwe & Company on 28 December 1887, and Paul Mauser stayed as the technical leader. Ludwig Löwe & Company was fifty per cent owner of Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre , a company formed in 1889 to manufacture Mauser rifles for the Belgian government. Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken A.G. (DWM) formed on 7 November 1896 as

4592-563: The new rifles. Dreyse set up the Dreyse-Zündnadel factory in Sömmerda with the help of state loans to ramp up production. It was accepted for service in 1841 as the leichtes Perkussionsgewehr Model 1841 , but only 45,000 units had been produced by 1848. It was used in combat for the first time during the German revolutions of 1848–49 and proved its combat superiority in street fighting during

4674-487: The original needle gun used a pin that pierced the base of the cartridge to ignite the primer in the middle, Mauser soon developed a needle that ignited the charge at the base, a superior design. Locally, the Dreyse needle gun had just been adopted, so the brothers turned to the Austrian ambassador to try to sell their own gun; the ambassador forwarded their new gun to Vienna for testing. It was here that Norris, an American, of

4756-404: The paper case is rolled up and tied. Upon release of the trigger, the point of the needle pierces the rear of the cartridge, passes through the powder and hits the primer fixed to the base of the sabot. Thus the burn-front in the black powder charge passes from the front to the rear. This front-to-rear burn pattern minimizes the effect seen in rear-igniting cartridges where a portion of the powder at

4838-400: The royal factory at Oberndorf. Paul engaged his older brother Wilhelm in working on a new gun system during their spare time after work. Paul was the engineer and designer, while Wilhelm took on the task of manager for their interests with the Oberndorf factory. Paul's first invention was a cannon and its ammunition. During his entire career, he had a unique ability to produce both the gun and

4920-530: The start of World War I that August. The war caused a spike in demand for the company's rifles. The 98 carbines were sold, as well as an experimental version with a twenty-rather than five-round box magazine. The extended magazine was not well received, however. A number of carbine versions known as Karabiner 98s were introduced and used in World War I, some even shorter than the later K.98k. These carbines were originally only distributed to cavalry troops, but later in

5002-474: The stripper feed was superior to the en-bloc system employed by Mannlicher . In response, Mauser started small-scale production of the design in an effort to interest foreign nations, but failed to convince any of the European major powers. The Belgian attache, however, urged his government to contact Mauser, hoping the design might give them a chance to found a domestic arms industry. The heavy-barreled Mauser with

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5084-466: The use of Swedish steel in the manufacturing process. The Swedish Ordnance Office continued to specify the same Swedish steel alloy in Swedish-made Mausers until the last new-production m/38 barrelled actions were completed in 1944. In 1898, the German Army purchased a Mauser design, the Model 98, which incorporated improvements introduced in earlier models. The weapon was originally chambered for

5166-522: The war to the special storm troop units as well. Many military rifles derive from the M98 design. Some of these were German-made by various contractors other than Mauser: The Mauser 1918 T-Gewehr was the world's first anti-tank rifle —the first rifle designed for the sole purpose of destroying armored targets. The weapon, essentially an enlarged G98, fired 13×92mm (.525-caliber) TuF ( Tank und Flieger , "tanks and aeroplanes") semi-rimmed cartridges. In May 1918,

5248-519: The weapon in 1855. Dreyse consented to state manufacture of the rifle to increase production. The Royal Prussian Rifle Factory at the Spandau Arsenal began production in 1853, followed by Danzig , Saarn  [ de ] and Erfurt . At first, the Spandau factory produced 12,000 Dreyse needle guns a year, rising to 48,000 in 1867. The British Army evaluated the Dreyse needle gun in 1849–1851. In

5330-464: The weapon suffer metal and mechanical damage. The first Western-made handguns introduced into South Asia were made by the Mauser company, and the term has entered the lexicon in India and the surrounding regions, to mean any heavy pistol. Between 1867 and 1869, the Mauser brothers and Samuel Norris developed a single-shot bolt-action rifle. The caliber and number produced are not known. Ludwig Olson wrote that an example had at one time been on display at

5412-453: The weapons on one mount to provide even more firepower with a maximum cyclic rate of fire of 3,200 rounds per minute without requiring much more space than a standard machine gun. Towards the end of the war many specimens were delivered to the army and equipped for use in ground battles with shoulder rest and bipod. After West Germany 's entry into NATO in May 1955, Mauser offered the MG 81 chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO . The twin-barrel MG 81Z

5494-465: Was a 19th-century military breech-loading rifle , as well as the first breech-loading rifle to use a bolt action to open and close the chamber. It was used as the main infantry weapon of the Prussians in the Wars of German Unification . It was invented in 1836 by the German gunsmith Johann Nikolaus von Dreyse (1787–1867), who had been conducting numerous design experiments since 1824. The name "ignition needle rifle" ( German : Zündnadelgewehr )

5576-474: Was a cheap rifle made to accommodate a range of cartridges for hunting. The Mauser Africa Model, introduced around 1904 or 1905, was used mainly by settlers in Africa. The Model M was introduced in 1914. A Model S (S for stutzen or short) was also offered. The Mauser M1916, or Mauser selbstladekarabiner (self-loading carbine), was a semi-automatic rifle that used a delayed blowback mechanism and fed from 25-round detachable magazine. The process of developing

5658-445: Was an advancement over bolt-action rifles. However, the rifle was expensive to make. The air service turned to the Swiss-produced Mondragón rifle , which was tested by the army; though less accurate than Mauser's design, it cost about a third as much. The widespread adoption of machine guns then made all self-loading rifles obsolete in the air service. The 1925 Special range rifle was a commercial product introduced in 1925 and sold in

5740-559: Was attached to Junkers Ju 87 or Ju 88 in an underwing mount and used to strafe ground targets. Mauser Mauser , originally the Königlich Württembergische Gewehrfabrik , was a German arms manufacturer . Their line of bolt-action rifles and semi-automatic pistols was produced beginning in the 1870s for the German armed forces. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Mauser designs were also exported and licensed to many countries, which adopted them as military and civilian sporting firearms. The Gewehr 98 in particular

5822-511: Was based on its firing pin , since it passed like a needle through the paper cartridge to strike a percussion cap at the base of the bullet . However, to conceal the revolutionary nature of the design, the rifle entered military service in 1841 as the leichtes Perkussionsgewehr Modell 1841 ( transl.  Light Percussion Rifle Model 1841 ). It had a rate of fire of about six rounds per minute. The first types of needle gun made by Johann Nikolaus von Dreyse were muzzle-loading, with

5904-501: Was born on 27 June 1838 in Oberndorf am Neckar, Württemberg . His brother Wilhelm was four years older. Another brother, Franz Mauser, went to America in 1853 with his sister and worked at E. Remington & Sons . Paul was conscripted in 1859 as an artilleryman at the Ludwigsburg arsenal, where he worked as a gunsmith. By December 1859, he had so impressed his superiors that he was placed on inactive military service and assigned to

5986-523: Was fielded during the Franco-Prussian War. This was mainly because a sizable amount of gas escaped at the breech when the rifle was fired with a paper cartridge . An improved model, giving greater muzzle velocity and increased speed in loading, was introduced later, but it was replaced shortly thereafter by the Mauser Model 1871 rifle. The placement of the primer directly behind the bullet meant

6068-413: Was formed between the Württemberg Vereinsbank of Stuttgart and Paul and Wilhelm Mauser on February 5, 1874. By 23 May 1874, the Mauser partnership had three factories in Oberndorf. Wilhelm Mauser suffered from health problems throughout his life, which were aggravated by his frequent business travels. A combination of these led to his death on 13 January 1882. The partnership became a stock company with

6150-470: Was formed. The commission preferred to create their own design. Paul Mauser created two different variations of the same rifle, one with a stock strengthened with a barrel shroud and a traditional design following the layout of the 71 series in hope he might be able to overturn the commission's decision, or at least sell his design to the Kingdom of Bavaria, which adopted its own arms. The two rifles became known as

6232-460: Was manufactured relatively unchanged from 1896 to 1944, and the m/94 Carbine, m/96 Rifle, m/38 Short Rifle, and m/41 Sharpshooter models are known by collectors as "Swedish Mausers". They are still sought after by military service rifle shooters and hunters. Initial production of the weapons was in Germany by Waffenfabrik Mauser, with the remainder being manufactured under license by Sweden's state-operated Bofors Carl Gustaf factory. The m/38 short rifle

6314-474: Was marketed for helicopter fixed mount with theoretical firepower of 6,800–7,000 rounds per minute for a MG 81Z mounted on each side of the helicopter. The MG 81 was also marketed for infantry use with bipod, wood buttstock, and reduced fire rate of 1,200 rounds per minute. The MG 81Z was found in many unique installations in Luftwaffe combat aircraft, such as a pair of MG 81Z (for a total of four guns) installed in

6396-598: Was meant primarily for use by the revived German military. It rapidly evolved into the Karabiner 98 Kurz , which was adopted by Nazi Germany as the standard infantry rifle in 1935 and saw service until the end of World War II. A series of very successful hunting rifles were developed in the first decades of the 20th century. The Special Rifle Type A was the top-of-the-line sporting rifle of the early 20th century. The Model B (B for Büchse) and Model K were sport rifles offered in many configurations. The Model C, made from 1903 to 1930,

6478-458: Was produced by Husqvarna ; additional m/38s were converted from Model 96 rifles. "Swedish steel" is a term for the steel used by the German Mauser, and later by Swedish manufacturing facilities, to make the m/96 rifles. Swedish iron ore contains the proper percentages of trace elements to make good alloy steel. Thus, though lacking the industrial base necessary for mass-producing steel and iron,

6560-469: Was replaced by a semi-automatic L1A1 after World War II. The Germans had faced the U.S. M1917 rifle during World War I, which was the Pattern 14 rifle adapted to fire the U.S. .30-06 cartridge of the American M1903 Springfield rifle. The Mauser Model 1895 adopted as Fusil Mauser Chileno Mo 1895 by Chilean forces , is a bolt operated magazine fed rifle using the 7×57mm Mauser cartridge. It

6642-404: Was taken out in the United States. Remington was outraged at this behavior by Norris and never made an effort to sell the new rifle. Based on the Dreyse needle gun, Paul developed a rifle with a turn-bolt mechanism that cocked the gun as it was manipulated by the user. The rifle initially used a firing needle; a later version used a firing pin and a rear-ignition cartridge. The rifle was shown to

6724-425: Was widely adopted and copied, becoming one of the most copied firearms designs and it is the foundation of many of today's sporting bolt-action rifles. Around 10 millions Gewehr 98 style rifles were produced. King Frederick I of Württemberg founded the enterprise as Königliche Waffen Schmieden (literally: Royal Weapons Forges) on 31 July 1811. Originally located partly at Ludwigsburg and partly at Christophsthal,

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