The name of Peter Paul Mauser may not be as well known as the names of other gun inventors like John Browning or Samuel Colt, but he designed one of the most influential firearms that has ever existed: the appropriately named Mauser rifle.
Mauser’s first design was actually a single-shot bolt action rifle. When he applied a tubular magazine to the rifle so it could multiple rounds, it became selected as the standard issue rifle of the Prussian army.
But Mauser wasn’t done yet. In 1893, he released a modified version of his rifle to accept a more reliable box-style integral magazine instead, and then in 1898, he made a few other changes to the design as well. The result was the Gewehr 98, or colloquially known as the Mauser ’98 rifle.
The standout feature of the Mauser rifle was the controlled feed bolt action design, which was very robust, simple, and designed to keep the possibility of malfunctions to a minimum.
In fact, Mauser’s design was so excellent that it formed the basis for many other military and sporting bolt action rifles from other manufacturers that came after it…so much so, that many of these rifles literally copied the Mauser directly.
What are these rifles? Let’s find out…
1 – Springfield M1903 Rifle

Following the Spanish-American War, thousands of Mauser 1893 rifles used by the Spanish in the conflict found their way to America. These rifles were studied closely at Springfield Armory, who eventually turned the design into the M1903 rifle that became the standard issue infantry rifle of the United States military. The designs were so similar that the U.S. government actually had to pay Mauser royalties, which was ironic since America and Germany fought on opposite sides of World War I. In addition to Springfield, M1903 rifles were also produced by companies such as Remington, Rock Island, and Smith-Corona.
2 – Springfield M1903A3

The big update to the Springfield M1903 came in the form of the M1903A3 during World War II. The big change was an improved aperture rear sight that was mounted on the rear of the receiver, which allowed a soldier to line up the sights more easily. Technically, however, all M1903A3 rifles were produced by Remington and Smith-Corona rather than Springfield. This was largely because Springfield was already maxed out producing new M1 Garands.
3 – Winchester Model 70

Also known as the Rifleman’s Rifle, the Winchester Model 70 was introduced in 1936 and became one of the most successful bolt-action rifles ever produced. The rifle instantly gained attention for its durable controlled feed action, which replicated the Mauser’s non-rotating claw extractor design. The Winchester found considerable success both as a sniper rifle in the military and as a hunting rifle in the hands of sportsmen back home. The versions made before 1964 are especially well-regarded, and new Winchester M70s are produced by FN Herstal in Portugal.
4 – Kimber Model 84

The Kimber Model 84 bolt action rifle is essentially a copy of the Winchester Model 70, which like we just saw borrowed heavily from the Mauser design as well. Produced since the early 1980s, Kimber 84 rifles have proven to be decently successful in the hunting rifle marketplace, even though the company has been more famous for their 1911 pistols.
5 – Ruger Model 77

From its inception in the late 1960s, the Ruger Model 77 was designed to be a modernized Mauser ’98. To that end, the Model 77 incorporated the Mauser’s claw extractor design, but also made some changes in the form of an investment cast receiver rather than the Mauser’s forged receiver and a simpler ejector system. The third generation version of the Model 77 is designated as the ‘Hawkeye.’
6 – CZ 550 Rifle

The CZ 550 is another modern hunting rifle that largely owes its heritage to the Mauser ’98. It incorporates the Mauser’s controlled feed action and non-rotating claw extractor, but comes with a two-position safety rather than the three-position safety of the Mauser and other Mauser-inspired designs like the Winchester M70 and Ruger M77.
7 – Rigby Big Game Rifle

The Rigby Big Game Rifle was designed by the Irish gunmaking firm John Rigby & Company. In addition to their famous large caliber double-barreled hunting rifles, the company is also well known for the Big Game rifle that took the Mauser action and strengthened it so it could handle large calibers intended for the biggest and most dangerous wild game on the planet.
8 – Zastava M70 Sporting Rifle

The Zastava M70 Sporting Rifle, not to be confused with the Zastava M70 assault rifle that closely replicates the Kalashnikov design, is a Serbian-made bolt-action rifle that sticks true to the Mauser action. One big difference between it and the Mauser, however, is the presence of the sliding safety on the right side of the stock just behind the bolt.
9 – Remington 798

The Remington 798 was a bolt action rifle that was briefly offered between 2006 to 2008. Unlike Remington’s far more successful Model 700, the 798 was based on the Mauser action. Despite sticking mostly true to the Mauser, it ultimately failed to compete well with other more established rifles that also did so like the Winchester M70, Ruger M77, and the Kimber M84.
10 – Dakota Arms Model 76

Dakota Arms was a producer of high-end bolt action rifles. Their Model 76 was designed to closely replicate the pre-64 Winchester Model 70s, which were regarded as superior to the modified versions that Winchester started producing after 1964. Dakota has since been resurrected as Parkwest Arms, which specializes in producing high-end hunting and sporting rifles made to order.
11 – Zastava Model 48 Rifle

The Zastava M48 were Yugoslavian-produced close copies of the Mauser Karabiner 98k rifle. Contrary to what many people think, however, most parts between the M48 and the 98k are actually not interchangeable. A major visual difference is how the top handguard extends behind the rear sight on the M48. These rifles actually borrowed a lot of their features from the FN M24 rifles, which we’ll discuss below.
12 – FN Model 24 Rifle

The M24 rifle was produced by the Belgian manufacturer Fabrique Nationale as a close copy of the Mauser Gewehr 98 rifle. The big difference that FN incorporated was an intermediate length action of 215 mm. It was offered in long, short, and carbine-length variations.
13 – FN Model 30 Rifle

The FN M30 was an updated version of the M24 that utilized a standard length action of 223mm, and was also offered in more calibers like .30-06 Springfield and 7.62x51mm NATO as well. Like the M24, it was also offered in long, short, and carbine-length variations. Contrary to what many people think, the FN M24 and M30 rifles are not identical, and so the common term FN M24/30 technically should not be used.
14 – Empire Bolt Action Rifles

Established in 2004, Empire is a premium hunting rifle brand that specializes in making rifles that closely replicate the classic British-made hunting rifles, which in turn borrowed much of their design from the original Mauser guns.
15 – J.C. Higgins Model 51

Produced by Sears & Roebuck, the J.C. Higgins Model 51 was another bolt action rifle that closely copied the Mauser design, but was offered at an affordable price at a time where guns like the Winchester Model 70 were sold at a much higher cost. It continues to represent one of the best opportunities to purchase a used Mauser-based rifle at a decent price to this day.

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