Cocking levers - why I like Mauser's

With the Mauser M03 the firing spring is cocked by pushing the lever at the rear of the bolt across to the right, to the Fire position. The soft, flat bottom of the thumb does the pushing. It also brakes the return of the lever when the action is being de-cocked. There's some effort involved but it's not uncomfortable because of the way the thumb is being used. The pictures and video snippet below show what I mean.

With the Blaser R8 and Merkel RX Helix, cocking requires the thumb to push a slide forwards and up the rear of the pistol grip. Again, there's a good amount of spring tension to overcome, but with these rifles it's where the tip of the thumb meets the fingernail that does the pushing, as per the picture below.

Whenever I go on hunting trips my fingers take a beating. I get splits in the skin at the tips of my thumbs, from the cold and the wet, from undoing and re-doing knots, tightening ropes, putting up tents and tarps - whatever. It'll happen in one day if I'm getting lots done. These splits are nasty and get worse if the skin keeps getting pulled on. They take a good while to heal and longer if I'm not careful.

Cocking an R8 or RX Helix puts exactly the kind of stress on the tip of my thumb that will be a problem if it's split. I noticed this the first time I pushed on those slides to cock and un-cocked them - a little warning bell went off.

Now I know, a good solution would be for me to drink a cup of concrete and toughen up a bit. Fair enough. If I had my heart set on buying a Blaser R8 or a Merkel RX Helix, I'd get around this problem one way or another. But as things stand, the Mauser M03's cocking lever is nice to my thumb and I'm happy about that. Works for me.

My video below provides another view of how the flat bottom of the thumb takes the load when cocking a Mauser M03.

Recoil with the Mauser M03

Now that I've fired my new Mauser M03 rifles, in 270 Win and 30-06, with factory loads that are not holding back in the oomff department, I can report that recoil is very well controlled indeed. I've been shooting with a light weight rig, a much enjoyed Remington Mountain Rifle with a small Leupold scope, in 30-06 for a couple of decades. Over time I've become comfortable with the way that little rifle kicks - hard - when shooting for real. In a standing position is OK but I'll be honest and say I've never really enjoyed taking carefully aimed shots at paper with the Mountain Rifle. Nor prone shots at rabbits to check the sights are still on. Using the Mausers is going to be completely different.

Firstly, I find the weight of the Mauser M03 to be an ideal balance between solid heft for stability and recoil control, versus easy portability. Secondly, the grip of the M03, while still quite slim and sporty, fills my hand more fully than the Mountain Rifle and I think this helps. The straight butt-stock helps too and to my eye looks just right.

I factored good recoil control as a positive in my assessment of the Mauser M03 and I'm pleased to find that it performs exactly as expected.

Mauser M03 - 270 Win and 30-06. First shots.

Update in Feb 2016 - click this link to see how accurate my hand loads are in this 270 Win barrel. :-)

And click this link to see much better accuracy with my 30-06 barrel. The factory loads I tried with the post below were not an ideal match for the barrel.

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Here is a video showing the first few shots with our two new Mauser M03 rifles, in 270 Winchester and 30-06 Springfield. The annotations are showing up with Flash, but not HTML5.

The 270 was tested with Norma Kalahari Plains Game factory ammunition using 120gn (7.8 gram) projectiles. To try the 30-06 out I used some old Remington High Velocity factory ammo, loaded with their 180gn Pointed Soft Point - Core Lokt bullets.

The results show that acceptable accuracy for hunting can be achieved with factory ammunition. I'll be developing hand-loads for each barrel, aiming for half to three-quarter minute of angle performance. Stay tuned!

Side note: my son fired the first shot with the 270; a bore sighter to get the scope in the game. It hit closer to the middle of the panel than my first shot with the 30-06. He is now officially a better shot than me, he says. :-)

Choosing a Mauser M03 or two

When Joel from Miall's Gun Shop told me that he had one of the Mauser M03 140th Anniversary edition rifles on display I looked up all I could find on these online. The Mauser site has a page with some good pics. Once I was in the shop I saw the display model in its glass cabinet, nicely lit and slowly revolving, with a pair of high grade Blaser R8s for company. It was a good look. Handling that particular M03 left me thinking, "Oh yes, I could enjoy one of these." Joel passed across a couple of very nice R8s for me to shoulder and again I thought how well put together the Blasers are. They do come up and point very well. But for me it was the Mauser M03 that ticked the technical boxes and made me smile with the way it looks and feels. My deliberately slow selection process had allowed time for head and heart to meet up.

Miall's had a handful of the 140th Anniversary of Mauser rifles in stock. I took a quick iPhone photo of the ones I liked best. 140 were made, using Grade 4 walnut, with special engraving on the bolt, trigger guard and magazine. After a kitchen conference back home we were agreed that my son and I would be able to make good use of number 52 and 48. The fact that they were in 30-06 and 270 Win was a bonus, though of course selecting other calibers from stock would have been possible, such is the flexibility of the Mauser M03 system.

I asked Joel to pull out a Mauser M03 Basic, which is pictured below. The tiger striping on this rifle was striking, so much so that other customers and salesmen commented on it. The stock number is shown in the photo if someone wants to be quick. Note that the light was warm and there is more colour in these pics than our eyes see. The background colour of the walnut is a touch lighter and cooler in reality.

Blaser vs Mauser? Part 5. A Decision.

As I prepared to visit Miall's Gun Shop for the second time, a year after the first visit, I pretty well had my thoughts about the Blaser R8 and Mauser M03 lined up. About the Helix too. That means I had a clear understanding of how every aspect of each rifle system would influence how I used them. It doesn't mean my mind was entirely made up on what I would order, but I was getting close. Ah, the luxury of not needing to make a decision in a hurry. It's a rare thing in our busy lives these days. I had really enjoyed being able to take my time on this.

The day came and I spent an hour or so talking with the manager at Miall's, Joel, as well as with John Miall again, while handling a few different R8s and M03s and discussing all of the factors that were important to me. I visited again a few days later, this time ready to select a new rifle, if not two. Or possibly three. If it was to be only one, I'd decided it would be a Mauser M03. If more than one, then more Mauser M03s. I had a list of reasons why, which in rough order of importance looks like this:

- the trigger of the M03 is simply outstanding. I will have the Combi Trigger, a combination of a direct trigger and a set trigger. Every M03 I've tried has had a trigger that I've found to be perfect. It would be possible to have the two weights adjusted to match my preferences; 900gm for the direct trigger and 150gm for the set trigger. Both trigger weights have free play after the release so pulling the blade does not disturb the rifle. I could go on but these are the highlights of the M03's wonderful trigger - such an important part of a good rifle's human-machine interface.

- the action of the M03 is strong, reliable and unambiguous. When I close the bolt on a cartridge I will know that it's closed properly. As I prefer, the bolt can be closed slowly and quietly, without any risk that it won't fire. It will close on fire-formed and possibly tight reloads, enhancing the accuracy I'll be able to achieve. It will close even if grit or bits of forest get into the works. It will extract those tight cartridges without a problem - the bolt handle will give me all the leverage I need. The 60 degree bolt lift will keep the handle clear of the scope for faster and easier reloading than I'm used to. I'm not a soldier and I don't need lightning fast reloading. I'm happy taking a few seconds to reload while I scan the target area and beyond.

- the cocking/de-cocking lever on the M03 bolt is ideal for my needs. It makes the rifle so much safer than anything I've used before. I find it to be easy and quiet to operate. It doesn't interfere with my grip in any way, nor my thumb moving to the bolt handle and back. The bolt is locked closed when the firing spring is de-cocked, to avoid accidental opening or the handle lifting out of position. The use of the same lever to open the action avoids the need for another device for this. That lever is used again to enable removal of the bolt head. It's a very good design. This might irritate Blaser fans, but I find the M03 cocking lever to be easier to operate than the slide on the R8. Further, to open the action with the M03 the lever is pushed away from Fire and beyond Safe, whereas with the R8, to open the action the cocking slide is pushed towards Fire.

- the reputation for accuracy and repeatability of the Mauser M03 is solid. Extreme accuracy isn't important in some hunting situations but is very important in others and I'd always rather have it than not. I reload for all of my rifles and get great accuracy, even with my old Remington Mountain Rifle now. The barrel mounting method is via two longitudinally arranged screws into a V-block that is part of the steel receiver. This makes for strong barrel mounting and convenient barrel switching, which is quicker than many alternative systems and more accurate than quicker systems. I could not find a switch barrel system that provides better accuracy. It would not be unreasonable to suggest that the Mauser M03 is the most accurate switch barrel hunting rifle available.

- the barrel lengths offered as standard by Mauser are ideal for me. That is, 60cm for standard barrels instead of 56cm with the Merkel Helix or 58cm with the Blaser R8. Mauser's magnum barrels are 65cm long. Blaser's are the same; Merkel's are 61cm. I like the noisy end of the barrel to be far away and I like to get high bullet velocity from the powder I've paid for and carefully measured out.

Update in Nov 2016. In this newer post there is discussion of Mauser's new and shorter barrels for standard and magnum calibres. They are reduced from 60cm to 56cm for standard calibres and from 65cm to 62cm for magnum calibres. This matches the barrel lengths of M12 rifles.

- the magazine has the capacity of five standard or four magnum cartridges. With one more in the chamber, thanks to the de-cocking lever, I'll have six shots at a mob of pigs. That happens to equal the most shots I've fired before they've all rolled over or bolted out of sight. The magazine can be easily topped up in-situ or quickly removed for even easier filling. Or a spare can be quickly inserted. The magazine does not protrude so will not snag, get in the way or be uncomfortable with various carrying positions, including two favourites of mine - cradled in both hands in front of my belly or with the stock riding across my shoulder, the area in front of the trigger guard as the balance point. Anything other than a flush fitting magazine would literally be a pain. The magazine locks into the stock with a solid 'tung' sound, but it's not a precision fit, which means that any grit or gunk or coat pocket detritus that gets in the way won't be a problem.

- the rugged design concept mentioned above with the magazine applies more broadly to the whole of the M03. This is a Mauser in the full sense of what that name stands for. Ruggedness and functionality is fundamental to the design philosophy. This rifle will work in adverse environments, where sand or snow might be blown into the action. The mechanical advantage provided by the bolt handle means that cartridges will chamber successfully even if fragments of forest or bits of tree fern get caught up in the bolt lugs. They'll be crushed and pushed out of the way. I have before and will again hunt in conditions where my rifles get covered in all sorts of rubbish. It's been Mauser style actions that have kept going on those occasions. From now on it'll be a Mauser itself that keeps going. No bear or buffalo or cranky pig will ever get me for the reason that I chose a rifle that wasn't rugged enough. No hunting guide will ever need to tell me that my rifle is not permitted or up to the challenge.

- the M03's one piece walnut stock closely matches my visual and ergonomic preferences, with its straight butt stock being good for recoil management, while the pistol grip with its palm swell is ideal.

- the bolt head of an M03 is very solidly attached to the bolt body while being easily removable and exchangeable. It's really not a problem but the bolt head of a Blaser R8 is more difficult to remove and exchange, while the bolt head of an RX Helix can easily be removed without even intending to.

- the weight of the M03 is the result of a number of design features that I value, including the bolt body, bolt head, receiver, barrel mount, trigger guard, magazine, sights, scope mount and rings all being made from steel. This makes a standard M03 weigh between 200 to 500 grams more than a standard Blaser R8 or Merkel RX Helix, which have a lot of aluminium alloy in their construction, including the receivers. While I will certainly notice this weight when I'm carrying an M03, I will definitely value it when I'm firing one. For years I've had the opposite with my Remington Mountain Rifle; I've valued its light weight for the carrying, but not for the shooting. Sure, I got used to the recoil, but I didn't enjoy it. The M03 will be better in this respect. Update: Three years on and after lots of carrying on long walks, up and down hills, I find the weight of the M03 to be just fine. For reference, I'm mid-fifties, reasonably fit (but no athlete!) and small and light in stature. The M03's weight and straight stock design works really well in taming recoil.

- standard barrels for M03s are 17mm at the muzzle while match and Africa barrels are 19mm. This difference is not so great as to make standard barrels look odd if mounted into a match or Africa stock. I plan to have a match stock and some match barrels; eventually I'll order an Africa barrel to go with it. From time to time I'll install a standard barrel in that match stock; it will look OK. With the Blaser R8, the match and Africa barrels are 22mm at the muzzle vs 17mm for standard barrels. This difference would be more noticeable; a narrow barrel in a wide channel.

- with the Mauser M03 match barrels being 19mm at the muzzle, the rifles remain balanced enough to still be huntable. I have a Sako varmint rifle with a 22mm barrel, like Blaser's match barrels, and its weight and balance is really not the best for active hunting. It's great for sniping from a fixed position, preferably right next to the car.

Some of the images in this post are screen shots I've taken from this video made by Mauser - an instruction guide for the M03 (embedded below). When I get a moment I'll see if I can take some pictures of my own showing more of the features mentioned.



I made this video to demonstrate how quietly the cocking lever can be operated.



This video shows Joel, the manager at Miall's Gun Shop, demonstrating a Mauser M03 at SSAA Shot Show 2013, starting at 15.09.

Blaser vs Mauser? Part 4. Fresh eyes.

My first visit to Miall's Gun Shop had not turned out the way I thought it would. I'd gone in expecting that the qualities of the Mauser M03 relative to the Blaser R8 would cause me to dismiss the straight pull, straight away. However, while the Mauser was as good as I believed it would be, the Blaser was very impressive as well. I took a comfortably long time to uncover and then explore the differences that mattered to me, given how I would use the rifles over the next few decades. For much of the second half of 2013 I felt that the best approach would be to get one of each and use them to their strengths; the Mauser M03 as a heavier rifle for long range accurate shooting with match barrels and the Blaser R8 for lighter weight stalking and fast action. Not a bad idea.

Things changed in December 2013 when I asked my teenage son, now taller than me and a budding hunting partner for the years to come, which one he'd rather carry. Buying two similar rifles for us to use together was an option. "The Blaser of course, with a synthetic stock", is what I thought he'd say. Wrong again. With clarity that took me by surprise, what he actually said was, "It's easy. I think you should buy Mausers. That's what I want to use."

Thunk.

"Why?"

Over the years I've relied on my son to see things from an angle that is different enough from mine to be really valuable. I learned then that he'd been paying attention to the disconnected snippets I'd been dropping here and there. For him it was simple. It was about being confident that he was using the rifle properly and that nothing would go wrong. With the Mauser he would know that he had loaded it properly from the way the bolt closed, that it would fire when he meant it to and that it would be as safe as he wanted it to be. Nothing would go wrong.

My son had distilled the question down to the bare essentials. I had been focussing on the finer details of system design and operation. His reasons, that got to the core of the matter, were entirely applicable to me too. Thanks for the reminder son.

Once upon a time when the internet was broken

In late 2013 our internet was down for what turned out to be two months. !!! My children rediscovered books, playing cards and board games. Our family rediscovered conversation. No, my wife and I are not expecting a baby in 2014.

I took the opportunity to tackle some projects I'd had on the back burner for ages. The most interesting was doing a full bedding job on my old Remington 30-06, if only to see if that would fix its 'side of a barn' accuracy problems. This gave me an excuse to buy a really cool Dremel in a deluxe kit, the one with lots of tool bits and the flexible extension for DIY home dentistry.

As with the Dremel, I always read instructions carefully and did once more before mixing the DEVCON-A. I read them again several times during the days of preparation for the frightening moment when I would lower the barrelled action into the sticky goop of no return. I might have to write a separate blog about how that all went, but with a picture being worth a thousand words, here's the first group I fired, at 100m, with sub-optimal hand loads prepared years ago.


Yes, that's a three quarter inch group, or 19mm, centre to centre, from a light rifle with a skinny barrel, wearing the same old Loopy 2-7 that clearly has nothing wrong with it. Better still, the third hole is the middle one, made like the other two by 150gn Remington Core Lokt projectiles, which are great on game but not renowned for their accuracy.

I was justifiably proud of my efforts and promptly declared myself a rifle bedding genius, whereupon my wife, equally promptly, suggested that perhaps I didn't need a new rifle or scope after all. Hmmm … Strategic blunder. Tactical retreat. Go silent. Go deep.

Blaser vs Mauser? Part 3. Scope Mounts.

Update - See how accuracy holds up with barrel and scope changes in this later post and video.

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A knowledgeable contact wrote that Blaser's and Mauser's engineers must have been on drugs when they designed systems that needed proprietary scope mounts. Maybe he's got a point. They would only be worth putting up with and worth their cost if they were very good at their job, of providing quick and convenient detachability, repeatability and consistent accuracy. Fortunately, every review I've found and every comment from contacts familiar with their performance states that they provide exactly that.

Blaser's R93 and R8 Saddle Mounts are interchangeable between the two models. Some Blaser owners are cranky that they're the only parts that are interchangeable. Blaser scope rings are made from aluminium. Mauser rings are made from steel. Of particular interest, the R93 rings fit and look right on the M03 Double Square Mount bases. The R8 rings will also fit but don't look quite right, having right angled sides instead of the curved sides that the R93 and M03 rings have.

A dodgy photo of an R93 Saddle Mount and rings, showing curved sides of ring stems.

Blaser Saddle Mounts allow lower scope mounting than Mauser M03 Double Square Mounts. The Blaser mounts take advantage of being fitted on the barrel reinforce, such that the tapering barrel provides room for the scope's objective bell. With M03s, the Double Square Mount fits as a bridge over the receiver and positions the objective bell over the barrel reinforce. More on this later.

Some shooters place high value on having a 'good cheek weld', i.e. having their cheek flap compressed to provide a solid cushion between their cheek bone and the rifle butt. I don't. Not only does it cause wrinkles that would make a Hollywood starlet freak out, it messes with my vision, with how my spectacles sit and causes contact between the stock and ear muffs. Of course this could all be because the shape of my head is funny. With heavy recoiling rifles it can also make walnut crash into bone. The walnut always wins. I'm happy with a looser rest that is quicker to establish, where I have the side of my jaw making contact with the stock. Because I'm not a crocodile I can move my jaw up and down and side to side, which makes for convenient aligning of eye to scope. As such, a particularly low scope mounting system is not something I need. So, not a win for Blaser.

The Blaser mount bases are adjustable with a screwdriver for how tightly they clamp onto the barrel.

R8 Saddle Mount, showing a raiser block between base and ring. Note right angle base of rings.

The Mauser M03 Double Square Mount is self adjusting by means of a cupped spring steel washer that acts on the shaft of the rotating cloverleaf. These washers, one at each end, are flattened when the cloverleaves are rotated to engage with the mount bases in the receiver. I took a few macro photos to show how it all works. Sorry about the fluff. The cupped spring steel washer is seen surrounding the shaft at bottom right of the second picture.

By all accounts the performance of the Blaser and Mauser scope mounts is equal. However, I'm informed that there can be a point of difference in repeatability if switching a barrel between multiple receivers. In this case, because the Blaser scope mount rides on the barrel there may be less shift in point of impact. That's understandable - but I'm hesitant to record this as a win for Blaser as I don't plan to switch barrels across multiple receivers. If I do, I'll map the respective scope and barrel to each receiver.

A gunsmith who is very familiar with both systems advised me that the M03 Double Square Mount locks to its receiver more strongly than the Blaser Saddle Mount clamps to its barrel. From looking at the two, I'd have to agree. However, as I'm constantly vigilant about isolating my scopes from bumps and don't plan to use the rifle and scope as an anchor for abseiling, I'm calling it a draw.

p.s. Re the last pic in the previous post, a closeup of an M03 Extreme, note that the scope mount rear lever's locking tab is not sitting in its slot properly. It looks like the lever needs a bit more of a push, to rotate the cloverleaf a touch more. With that, the locking tab will be able to settle into the slot. 

Blaser vs Mauser? Part 2. Accuracy.

Update in Feb 2016: Have a look at newer posts demonstrating accuracy results with 270 Win, 30-06 and 6.5x55.
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In early 2013 one of my searches found the long range tutorial videos by Thomas Haugland from Norway. In many of these Thomas uses his Blaser R93, showcasing its capabilities in a very impressive demonstration, of his skills and Blaser's designs. For example, at 5:18 this video demonstrates the repeatability of the Blaser Saddle Mount. Thomas' comprehensive and beautiful videos were quite effective in pushing the scales in the Blaser direction. Our family had travelled around Norway a couple of years back and I called my wife and kids to sit and watch some of the videos with me, to remind us of the sights and to share in my excitement about how good a Blaser would be.
I learned that a few police forces and armies around the world had acquired Blaser LRS 2 and Tactical 2 rifle systems, which look like they're from another planet but are based on the R93 action. Hmmm, … persuasive. Once again I held myself back from going down the tactical path.
It was time to try coming up with a trial solution, so I made up a spreadsheet listing the Blaser R8 system components I'd start with. It went like this:
- an R8 Black Edition with Grade 6 walnut stock and a standard 270 Winchester barrel- a matching Africa fore-stock to take a match barrel (and later an Africa barrel?)- a standard barrel in 9.3x62- a match barrel in 243 Win or 6.5x55. Or maybe 6XC?
Blaser's exchangeable stock pieces were looking highly advantageous. This could not be done with the Mauser M03, but it didn't take long before I realised I'd only ever have one functioning rifle from these components. Further, needing to change the fore-stock each time to take the match or Africa barrels would be a pain. I didn't entertain the more convenient approach of leaving the Africa/match fore-stock with its wide barrel channel installed and letting the standard barrels hang loose. An aesthetic compromise too far. It would be better to buy two all-up rifles from the get go, with switch barrels for one or both as needed. This brought the Mauser with its one piece stock right back into the picture. I added a section to the spreadsheet and set out what my preferred M03 system would look like.
Then I noticed Blaser's news about its ATZL-Match-Hunt-Trigger, with selectable 650gm and 250gm trigger weights. I would have to get that! It would even things up with Mauser's wonderful Combi Trigger. Or would it? It's really a 'one or the other' approach, vs Mauser's 'choose either in an instant' solution, which is what I wanted to be able to do. "Just stay right where you are Mr Fox, while I pull this Fire Control Unit out of my Blaser R8 and activate 250gm mode. Hey, come back here!" And can it even be imported? Would Customs allow a rifle intended for hunting to be imported with a trigger that could be set to a default hair-trigger weight? I rang Customs and their answer was, "We know what we're looking at." Hmmm, … they know what they're looking at. And so do I. Fact is, upon reflection, I don't want a hunting rifle that can be readily and semi-permanently switched between hunting weight and 'I dare you to breathe on me' weight. Too easy to get mixed up. Too often switched to the wrong weight when I need the other. Too scary if handled by someone unfamiliar with it or someone not briefed on its current state. Which is? Also, it's not adjustable around the two weights. I'd rather have 900gm and 150gm. Mauser's Combi Trigger can do that. Mauser's trigger wins.
Two other influential videos came to light. In this one (embedded below) a gentleman called Ben-Andre Nilsen conducts a shoot-off between his Tikka and Mauser M03. Viewers' comments are correct in pointing out that the comparison is largely meaningless, however, the accuracy of the M03 is very impressive, the more so because of the rapid firing and the un-fussy shooting stand and aiming point. 
 

Then, from 5:38 in this video (also embedded below, with M03 images throughout), Paul Hill, who runs the Corinium Rifle Range talks about his experiences with Blaser and the Mauser M03, of which he says, "Yes, they're heavier than the Blaser but they are more accurate and they're every bit as interchangeable".  
Well that's good. The next thing I need to do is investigate the Blaser and Mauser scope mounts.

Left Brain - Right Brain. Helix on the Brain.

I spent a good part of my spare time in 2013 scraping every last ounce of information out of the internet on the three rifles that held my interest: the Blaser R8, the Mauser M03 and the Merkel RX Helix.

I kept the Helix in the mix because it's just so appealing. It really is a fascinating little rifle, which continued to draw my attention despite the concerns I couldn't dismiss. I'll gather together the Helix videos that I found interesting into a playlist on my YouTube channel - 'Mauser M03 Blog' .

The RX Helix has iron sights with coloured plastic beads that are really easy to line up and for the first time in a long time I thought about how much fun it would be to go walk-around hunting without a scope. Just a slender, lightweight, fast reloading rifle. I thought I might get one to go along with the Blasers or Mausers - for when I felt like using something just for the fun of it. Which kind of summarises how my thoughts on the Helix coalesced. It's fun and fascinating, a bright shiny thing, but not what I could build a serious, high performance rifle system on. I had doubts that I would be able to get the trigger working the way I would want. I'd found reports from a few shooters indicating that their triggers or ones they'd tried echoed my experience - a bit mushy. A couple of other problems helped to contain my enthusiasm. First, a contact in the UK had witnessed an acquaintance's Helix losing its fore-stock each time it was fired. Then there was this video, showing a Helix's cocking slide falling out of the cocked position with each shot. Sure, these are teething troubles and fixed under warranty, but they point to a design that's still being proven. But it's not as if it's the rifle I'll pick up for hunting T-Rexes! It's no biggie! And despite exhaustive searches I could find no-one who didn't have Merkel written on their security pass showing off the kind of repeatability and accuracy I wanted the Helix to be capable of. I translated all the Russian, German and French posts and reports I could find, which served to reinforce my expectation, that the barrel clamping system and slim barrels were not going to produce hole-in-hole accuracy, including from the first shot after assembly. But listen, the Helix is designed for quick shooting at big, fast moving targets, that aren't too far away. Pin-point accuracy is not what it's about!

And so my left brain and right brain kept arguing about the RX Helix. I was in no hurry so I let them argue while I set both of them to the real task of choosing between the R8 and M03.

I just found a new video showing the cocking slide of the Helix getting in the way of the right thumb resuming it's grip. So I wasn't simply imagining it. The first pic is just before the first shot and the shooter has a good grip with his right hand. The second pic is after reloading and before the second shot. He's kept his thumb on the wrong side of the de-cocking slide, which gets in the way. The guy is having fun though.

What else is out there? Sauer? Strasser? Heym?

In my hunt for the rifle system that would best meet my needs I continued to follow every lead, like a detective searching for clues to solve a case.

I took a few steps down the path that leads to tactical rifles, including some switch barrel models. They're accurate. However, each look reminded me that I'm not a tactical shooter. I'm a recreational shooter - a hunter. I'm looking for a rifle that's designed for hunting, is nice to use, is refined and looks good, while being highly functional and reliable. I don't want to look like some military sniper wannabe. I need to look sensible and conservative when I seek permission to hunt over a farmer's land. I need a rifle that has a bit of style and grace.

Sauers are stylish. I spent some time investigating the Sauer 202 and the 202 Take Down. I wasn't thrilled with the barrel clamping of the 202, shown in this video. With the 202 Take Down the bolt draws the barrel tightly into the receiver where matching conical machining ensures a tight fit. The barrel is removed by gripping it like Tarzan and slamming the bolt back, as shown in this video. It can be a bit clumsy though. The Sauer 202 models are known for their smooth actions, which is handy if fast repeating is the order of the day. With the 202s a whole new bolt is needed for caliber group changes, as distinct from just bolt heads with the Blaser R8, the Mauser M03 and the Merkel RX Helix. Like the Helix, the 202 magazines stack the cartridges vertically and protrude below the stock. Mags that hold five rounds protrude a lot. Sauer's eight round magazine? Gangster style! I prefer the clean look of a magazine that doesn't stick out, as well as one that can be easily topped up without being removed. The M03 and R8 fit the bill in this respect. The M03 magazine holds five standard cartridges; the R8, four. Five beats four.

Some folk I know love the Sauer look. The high Monte Carlo stock, or a hogs back, the two piece timber, the angled divide, the spoon shaped bolt handle. There must be something wrong with me though - it's not working.

Another thing that isn't working is the absence of a cocking and de-cocking lever or slide. Upon deciding it was time to upgrade to some new rifles I also decided that they would be safer than my old ones. All long term shooters have either had or been near someone who's had an unintentional discharge. Scary. My son and daughter will often be using the new rifles with me. A rifle that doesn't have a safety system based on an uncocked firing spring is going to have a hard time winning this competition.

Sauer 202 Take Down Elegance

What about the Strasser RS 05? It has a range of impressive and innovative technical solutions to rifle design as seen in the Rifle Talk video here. Straight pull, take-down, switch barrel, lightweight, easily adjusted trigger, hydraulic barrel clamping, brilliant scope mount - they all get ticks. Less ideal from my point of view are the shortish barrel lengths, the low capacity of the standard magazine, the protrusion of the higher capacity magazines and the lack of big calibers, for that possibility of an African safari or Alaskan adventure. And, the lack of a de-cocker. These points will not be a problem for many hunters, in which case the Strasser RS 05 is worth a close look.

Strasser RS 05 Super Luxus

There's also the Heym SR30. Good points - straight pull, switchable barrelled actions, de-cocking mechanism, availability of straight butt-stocks. Less ideal - the shortish barrels, three shot magazines that are not flush fitting and four shot mags that protrude, lack of big African calibers and the apparent need to order barrelled receivers with the stock to ensure the right fit. As with the Strasser RS 05, if these features are not a problem the Heym SR30 is worthy of close consideration. Heym users are often heard reporting on the excellent manufacturing quality of their rifles. Unfortunately the SR30 is not ticking enough boxes on my list.

Heym SR30

The clever little Merkel RX Helix

A short while before visiting Miall's to handle the Mauser M03 and Blaser R8 I moved my token back to Go and ran a google search for 'German switch barrel rifle'. In amongst the list I found reference to one I hadn't heard of - the Merkel RX Helix. When I tracked one down it turned out to be a fascinating design that can't be ignored. The following links will help if unfamiliar. I fully expect you'll say 'Wow!', as I did.

Merkel's site for the RX Helix
Merkel's YouTube video showing users trying out the Helix

In summary the Merkel RX Helix is a lightweight, take-down, interchangeable barrel rifle, with a straight pull action that's geared two-to-one. The bolt moves twice the speed and distance of the bolt handle and remains enclosed in the action housing throughout its travel. The only tools needed to change calibers are a thumb and a couple of fingers, which remove the fore-stock and turn a clamping lever to set the barrel free. If the bolt is forward when this is done the bolt head comes out too, to be easily switched if required for the new barrel.

The receiver has two sections of integrated picatinny rail which don't look too inelegant. Rather, it looks purposeful and fits well with the rifle's angular, modern looks. Merkel refer to this as being a design for the 21st century and they have a point. Yet they also harken back to the well regarded philosophy of the Mauser turn bolt action, for while the Helix is a straight-pull, at the end of its stroke the bolt head rotates and its seven lugs engage with abutments in the barrel end-piece.


Merkel's design and marketing is clearly oriented to tap into concerns shooters might have about the safety and functionality of Blaser's R93/R8 locking mechanism, which does have its foibles. Merkel is not subtle in referring to the inherent safety of the rotating bolt head and how the enclosed action means the shooter does not have the experience of the bolt carrier coming back at his or her face. Nor will pieces of the bolt carrier, is their hint between the lines. Merkel are reminding their target audience that some Blasers have blown up, from reloaders using pistol powder in magnum rifle cartridges it seems - never a good idea.

Merkel also point out that the Helix's firing pin mechanism is designed to ensure that when the trigger is pulled, the rifle will fire. Here, Merkel are pointing quite openly to one of those Blaser foibles, where an R93 or R8 fed with ammo that's not sized to its liking, or even good ammo that isn't chambered with gusto, might not fire. Improper engagement of the bolt's fingers in the barrel recess causes the firing pin to be blocked, to avoid a possible case rupture. With safety in mind Blaser has made sure that its rifles won't fill my head with shrapnel, which is sure to be appreciated by the grizzly bear that is eating me. Of course Blaser owners can avoid this fate by only ever feeding their rifles with either factory ammo or properly sized reloads. And by closing the action good and hard.

Turning attention back to the Merkel RX Helix, my online research left me curious enough to drive a few hours to the nearest gun shop that had one. It was simply delightful to shoulder and aim, being lighter than a Blaser R8, though a little longer. The need for the bolt head to rotate out of the barrel together with the straight pull action's gearing meant there was a degree of inertia to overcome to get the bolt moving, but once it was moving it travelled with plenty of momentum. It was fun to use, and fast. Merkel are drawing a bit of a long bow when their marketing refers to the 1898 action as an indicator that their rotating bolt head is as safe as Mausers. They also remind us that the Merkel brothers drank beer with the Mauser brothers - but the fact is, the bearing surfaces of the Helix bolt lugs are angled and not at 90 degrees to the bore. This makes breaking the action open after firing easier, which is important given the limited mechanical advantage afforded by the straight pull. I suspect the Helix would have just as much trouble with tight reloads as the R93 or R8. Nevertheless, the pic below shows that the bolt lugs make for quite a substantial rotating lockup.

Unlike the Helix's bolt handle, the cocking slide was not so much fun. It operates in a manner similar to that of the Blasers, just a bit stiffer and trickier to manipulate. I found de-cocking to be a challenge at first - the slide has to be pushed up a little further, with the thumb then rolling forward onto the release button. The cocking slide also tended to get in the way of my thumb after operating the action and taking a new grip, but that's probably just a matter of practice. This problem is shown in the YouTube video linked above, where one of the shooters stops trying to get his thumb around the grip.

The only disappointment with the Merkel RX Helix I handled that day was the trigger. It hadn't been tuned, it was heavy and had some mushy slack before firming and releasing, with a distinct lack of crispness. I've read that Helix triggers can be nicely tuned and I'd prefer to be writing that this one had been, but alas, no. The Blaser R8 and Mauser M03 triggers I'd tried earlier were much better.

Did someone say Mauser? The salesman heard me mention "M03" and pulled a used one from the rack behind him. I couldn't help smiling as I operated the action and soon heard myself say, "This, is a proper rifle."

Blaser vs Mauser? Part 1. First Look.

A few months after talking with the man I took an opportunity to visit John Miall's gun shop, to get my first look at the Blaser R8 and Mauser M03 rifles. After reading as much about these and other European brands as I could find online, as well as poring over the catalogues John had sent, it was good to be able to handle both systems at the same time.

A number of forum comments from shooters who had made similar visits left me expecting to find that the Blaser R8 was less robust and less solid feeling than the Mauser. This would be helpful, as on paper I really couldn't fault the Blasers. But it wasn't the case. I was impressed with the feel, balance, ergonomics and build quality of the Blaser R8. Yes, the straight pull action felt a bit odd, but the lightness and whippiness of the handling was easy to get used to. I will admit though that the look of the Blaser R8, with its two piece timber stock and central receiver and bolt carrier was less easy on my eye. They're very nicely made and can be had in increasingly fancy grades, but beautiful timber and engraved side plates can't hide the fact that this is an unconventional design, albeit innovative, that just doesn't have the lines of the classic rifles my eye is attuned to.

Seeing and then holding the Mauser M03 felt like coming home. It felt right. Opening the bolt felt like starting an adventure. Closing the bolt felt like closing a safe. The timber was one piece, well proportioned and held a long receiver and bolt. The sounds it made were of steel meeting steel. No doubt it was heavier than the Blaser, but not by that much. And heavy is good isn't it, when I'm setting off a small explosion near my face?

However, the M03 didn't win the contest, there and then. There were a few features with the Mauser that left the door well and truly open for the Blaser R8. I'd thought that the Mauser's steel magazine would fit more solidly than the Blaser's combo trigger/magazine with its compressible quick release tabs. But again, the Blasers I handled surprised me. Their magazines snapped tightly into place with a sharp click. The magazines are fitted with replaceable inserts for each caliber, which have a tab to stop rearward travel of the bolt carrier according to the cartridge length. The Mauser magazines were simpler but looked stronger. (More on the Mauser M03 magazines here). Blaser scored some points with the range of calibers offered, in three barrel profiles, against Mauser's lesser range, in two profiles.

That first visit to Miall's was very useful but I left knowing it wasn't going to be easy choosing between a Mauser M03 and Blaser R8. And that was before the Merkel RX Helix entered the competition.

Blaser's webpages for the R8

A good review of the Blaser R8, with good pictures. By Real Guns.

Those Blasers are very interesting

There's no doubt about it, the Blaser R93 and updated R8 straight-pull rifles are very interesting indeed. Dating from 1993, the R93 is reputedly the most popular rifle in Europe today and is still made even though the R8, from 2008 and of very similar design, has a number of features that would induce many shooters to prefer it. The main one is a detachable magazine, which is also a detachable trigger.

The core design feature of the R93 and R8 is the straight-pull action, where the bolt head locks directly into the barrel by means of a circular array of steel splines being pushed out by a collet. Knobs on the end of the splines engage in a matching recess in the barrel, located behind the chamber. Another key feature is the location of the magazine, directly above the trigger guard rather than in front of it. This reduces the overall length of R93s and R8s by three and a half inches. The combination of fast and steady straight-pull reloading in a shorter rifle, together with a solid reputation for great accuracy, take-down interchangeable barrel convenience and very good build quality makes the Blasers hard to resist.

Then there's more.

- The quick release scope mounts lock directly onto the barrels, reducing variables in the accuracy chain. Barrels can be removed with scopes still attached, which is convenient and enhances the repeatability of the rifle system's accuracy, i.e. its potential to shoot to the same point of impact upon being reassembled.

- The scope mounts are fitted onto the barrels directly above the chamber, meaning that a scope's objective bell will be located forward of the chamber where the barrel's profile is slimmer. And this means that scopes can be mounted lower compared with rifles that have scope mounting points on top of the receiver. A lower mounted scope can make for a plumper cheek weld, appreciated by some shooters, and less height variation when switching between a scope and iron sights.

- The split stock design of the R93 and R8 makes it possible to assemble quite different rifles. Fore-ends with wider barrel channels can be fitted to accommodate solid, safari or match barrels. A butt-stock with a kick-stop could be installed to work well with a safari or match barrel.

- The shorter rifle length and the reduced scale of the receiver, which is made from aluminium rather than steel (though steel receivers are available) contribute to making a rifle which is a few hundred grams lighter than it would otherwise be.

With all of these features serving as discriminators, why would anyone look further? Why look at a more conventional rifle, such as a Sauer 202 or a Mauser M03? Well, there are reasons and clearly, they added up for me.

A talk with John Miall

Soon into my hunt for a new scope I noticed that the European manufacturers have the habit of showing their optics mounted on top of very nice European rifles. Hmmm - perhaps my old Remington was complicit in committing the crime of poor accuracy with its partner, Loopy the Leupold.

Sauer rifles featured prominently in Leica's videos, where I also saw rifles by Schultz & Larsen and Mauser. Video - Leica Magnus on Mauser M03

Mausers I knew a little about. The 1898 action is famous of course, for the strength, safety and accuracy attributed to its front locking lug design, but also for the controlled round feed with claw extractor and the concertina stacking magazine. Years back I had a Swedish Mauser in 6.5x55 and then an Israeli Mauser - a second world war K98 converted to 7.62 NATO. I'd been impressed with the design and smoothness of the actions and the quality of the pre-war Swede, though not the triggers I have to say. They were heavy and creepy, but plenty safe enough. I'd read articles that were full of praise for post-WWII switch barrel hunting rifles made by Mauser. Clearly, I needed to look into what Mauser was up to these days.

The Mauser website covers the product range but is a bit light on for detail. If leaving visitors with the desire to learn more from gunshop sales staff is the strategy behind the site's spartan design, it's working. It soon had me making a phone call to Mialls Gun Shop, to get some colour and flavour to fill in the gaps. I was passed on to John Miall himself and started the conversation by saying I thought my first new rifle in 20 years ought to be German. Why not treat myself to a new Mauser M98? It didn't take too long before a good reason emerged - they start at $18,000. "Right. OK. Might have to keep that in mind for later," I said. "What else have you got?" John was generous with his time and explained the ins and outs of the Mauser M03 system, its pros and cons as he saw them, as well as those of the Blaser rifles which he also imports. John talked about the excellent accuracy he had experienced with both systems and the convenience of their take-down interchangeable barrels and quick detachable scope mounts. We got into some detail on the safety benefits of the cocking/decocking mechanisms and then talked about the triggers. John described the Blaser R8 trigger as being very good, but I recall that his words for the Mauser M03 trigger included 'outstanding'. That got my attention. I like good triggers.

I was impressed with the frankness and clarity of John's thoughts on Mauser and Blaser and the other German rifles, including Sauer, as well as his reflections on the state of the European firearms manufacturing scene, where Blaser is dominant. While I'd asked about Mauser at first, I had a wide field of view, which John catered to with good things to say about each manufacturers' switch barrel offerings. But overall I could sense that John was suggesting I should have a good look at why Blaser is so popular in Europe and increasingly so in Australia and the US. Even though I explained that I'd found what I needed online, John insisted that he would post some Blaser and Mauser catalogues and flyers to me. "It's nice to have them in your hands to read through," he said and he was right. A year and a half later they look like they've been thoroughly enjoyed.

Blame it on Leica.

About 18 months ago, in mid 2012, I received an email from Leica with links to information about their Magnus riflescopes. I'd subscribed to Leica's sport optics pages so I would hear if they developed a Rangemaster laser rangefinder that met my wish-list of features. 1600-B anyone?

I didn't think Leica was still in the riflescope business, since it had dropped distribution of the 25mm tube models that Leupold was assembling for them. I clicked the links and read about Leica's ER range of 30mm tube scopes with long eye relief and then the illuminated Magnus scopes. Another link took me to the Leica Hunting channel on Vimeo. I hadn't seen hunting videos online before and it was a bit of an eye-opener. Even a bit confronting at first. Not for me as a hunter - all experienced hunters know what it's about - but in terms of how non-hunting folk might feel when such raw and explicit imagery is presented. Hunting isn't for everyone - fair enough - but here on the internet a close representation is there, right before anyone's eyes. Hmmm.. 

At the time I was having trouble with my 'big' gun, a Remington 700 Mountain Rifle in 30-06. I noticed it wasn't shooting accurately one day when I had my kids out hunting with me, when we came across a couple of foxes. I hadn't missed a pig with this rifle for years, but I missed those two foxes, sitting still and watching us, at 60 and then 120 meters. That put a frown on my brow, which got worse when I missed another a week later. At the next opportunity I settled down and fired some carefully sighted shots at paper. I usually do as little of that as possible. After chasing a dozen bullet holes all over an A5 sized card the recoil from that light rifle with 180gn Ballistic Tips made me give up. It wasn't grouping around a minute of angle like I thought it should. It was more like saucer of angle. What's wrong?

Could it be the scope? The Leupold 2-7x32 that had been on the rifle since I'd bought them new had worked well for 25 years. Or so I thought. It cost a fair penny back then when I was saving for a house and was a nice step up from the cheapies I used as a student. But with the seed of Leica's email well planted, the Leupold was found guilty without a fair trial. Such is the luxury of being judge, jury and executioner when it comes to one's own stuff! 

The hunt for a new scope was on.

Leica riflescopes

Introduction - Mauser M03 Blog

Hello. Rick is my name. Welcome to my blog about the Mauser M03 rifle system.

My intention with these pages is to record what I've learned about the Mauser M03, from scouring the web and quizzing contacts, through to gaining hands-on experience. There's not enough information online about the M03 so I hope these pages make it easier for shooters and hunters to work out if it's the right choice for them.

The first few posts will look back over the period of more than a year during which I slowly accumulated knowledge on the M03 and similar systems, leading up to my selection and purchase experience. "More than a year!", I hear someone saying. Yes, well, closer to 18 months really. I wanted to enjoy the process of learning about European switch barrel rifles, to take my time, mull over the pros and cons and in the end, get it right in terms of what mattered most to me.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to post a comment, here or on the Mauser M03 Blog channel I'll set up on YouTube. Or even better, visit the Mauser M03 Blog Discussion Forum, which I've set up to make Q&A easier. Click here to go there.