The Mauser Model 1898 was not the first bolt-action rifle, but it would define every bolt-action that came after it. With more than 100 million produced, it is the most prolific and copied firearm design after the Kalashnikov, and derivatives of the Mauser 98 once armed the majority of the world’s military arsenals. In a world of modularity and strict cost-cutting, fine wood and machined steel firearms like the Mauser 98 are disappearing. The Mauser company is making sure the design lives on with the M98 Das Original.
The action is the traditional Mauser 98 system, with the receiver machined from a solid block of steel with the controlled-round feeding system that made the 98 famous. A steel magazine box comes with a hinged floorplate. One modern update is the three-position, Model 70-style safety.
Stocks are made of hand selected Grade 5 Turkish walnut and have a classic sporter profile and a matte oil finish. Barrel and receiver are given a plasma nitride finish, and the bolt has a diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating. The trigger is gold colored as is the lettering on the floor plate that says “Since 1898 Das Original.” A front sling swivel is mounted on a barrel band.
The 98 Das Original is offered in both standard and magnum models. Standard actions are chambered in .308 Win., and .30-06 Springfield and .300 Win. Mag. (a first for a Mauser factory M98) for the U.S. market. Magnum models are chambered in .375 H&H Mag.
Standard models have a 22-inch barrel and open sights. They have an MSRP of $12,000. Magnum models use a double square-bridge receiver with integral scope mounts, and have a 24-inch barrel, a multi-leaf rear express sight and a red safari recoil pad. Using a dropped-box magazine, they have an extra round of capacity compared to other magnum rifles (five rounds of .375 H&H). Their MSRP is $14,500.
In the U.S., Mauser rifles are marketed through the Blaser Group and its network of fine firearm dealers. For more information, see Mauser’s website.
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