Ladies and Gentlemen.
I have now had the new Mauser '03 in my hands, and I'm convinced; this will be my next rifle!! I had the chance to take it apart, putting it together again, shecking the trigger, mounting on a scope, and really had a GOOD look at it. The only thing I sadly didt have the oportunity to do was to fire it.
Take a good look at this rifle if you can, and I'm sure you'll see alot of quality details you'll like. This is a rifle that passes Sauer, Shulz&Larsen, Blaser, Sako, and all the others to that price.

I dont know if you already have diskussed this rifle here. It's a while since I been into this forum now.

(NO, I'm NOT a Mauser dealer!! )

I looked at the Mauser brochure on this rifle. According to Mauser, "Current safety requirements stipulate that hunting rifles must be carried uncocked. The M 03 is cocked manually just before firing. This is easily done in the firing position. Cocking the rifle: Move the cocking lever to the right, into the 'Fire' position."



I don't know where in the world the safety requirements stipulate an uncocked striker, but not anywhere I ever hunted, including Germany. Maybe the Germans have changed this as well as a lot of their other viewpoints on the world!! But this is a feature I would definitely not like! I hunt with sidelock muzzleloaders that have to be cocked before shooting, and this is one thing I definitely don't like. This '03 Mauser also has its' iron sights way up in the air. I suppose this is to put them in the same sighting plane as the scope, but I prefer to lower the scope rather than have the irons sticking out where they will catch on every briar and weed in the woods! I suppose if you hunt only by sitting in the Hocksitz, it is OK! Personally, I like the looks their new square-bridge Magnum 98 rifle a lot better!!

You'll have to turn off a safy as well, when you want to fire the rifle. And if you turn OFF the safety, or COCKING the rifle does'nt matter to me. It's the exact same move.
I havent heard about such a "requirement" either!! Its probably just a advertising gimmick. Everybody has them.

I too, think their iron sights was looking stupid. But with their beautyfull straight stock it think this is nesserary to combine this with the scope. You said you would prefer to lower the scope, but that has their clear limitations depending on the scope. And the only other way to solve this combo is to have a adjustable cheechpiece on the stock, and that sure looks uggly on such a rifle.

Their square-bridge Magnum 98 rifle is just a standard Mausertype rifle. Its alright but NOT at that price!! You'll get the same in a tuned CZ550 action, at a much lower price.

Take a look at the RIFLE, not just the brochure!

I too handled the new Mauser -03 just last week and have to confess I fell in love. Personally (and without actually shooting it) I would rank it above the Sako 75 in this medium price class of rifles. (Which by the way is were a person gets most value/shootability for his money.) The "have to be cocked before shooting" issue is actually more effortless than turning the safety off on regular rifle. Pretty smart, and yes I would feel better hunting together with a partner with this rifle than one who has a standard Remington 700 with a round in the chamber and just the normal safety on. It's definitely a technical step forward with no negative sides to it. The lock time felt crisp and quick too...

The only thing I didn't like was the magazine. I prefer hinged floorplates instead. Just me though.....


And yes, when I buy one it will be in 8x68 or 9,3x62. Just for the same reason I like my Rem 700 AWR to be chambered in 300 wm.

460, we probably agree on more points than we disagree on, regarding this rifle. I am old-fashioned, and try to choose hunting scopes that have relatively small objective lenses, so it is easier for me to get the scope down low on most guns. However, I have not actually seen a real one of these new Mausers, so my impression would no doubt be different than from just looking at a picture!

I think I'm a lot like you in several ways too. The best I can have in my hands is a tuned Mauser '98. And when it comes to scopes I agree on regular big game hunting. But here in Norway we a alowed to hunt when the the light is fading away in the evenings as well, and even in the night as long as we can see and determent what we are shooting at and place a safe shoot. And that makes the scopes with bigger lenses more popular. At least as an option.
I really didnt mean that this would be the right rifle for everyone either, I just liked what i saw and told you about it.
But I must say; If you have the oportunity to look at it, DO!