Ive just handled, cycled, and examined 4 differant M98. The john rigby big game and Mauser M98 have same action safety and barrel, both made by mauser in isny germany. Golmatic prechtl and heym make their own actions. The mauser M98 and rigbys have the newer designed safety that is not as smooth, feels rather cheap, and also their bolt cycling is not as smooth .The prechtl and heym use the winchester type safety and really positive feel to it. Both prechtl and heym rifles cycle absolutely smooth and their fit and finish is brilliant. The heym is around $11000 , so is mauser M98. Most expensive is john rigby big game at around $14000. These rifles are displayed at huntex fair in johannesburg.

Looks like a real nice fifteen hundred dollar rifle. They could throw in a bottle of Tru-oil so you could finsh the stock. Regards, Bill

Nice, but definitely not $8-$14K nice.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill Leeper:
Looks like a real nice fifteen hundred dollar rifle. They could throw in a bottle of Tru-oil so you could finsh the stock. Regards, Bill

Any rifle with a brand new Prechtl magnum mauser action does not look anything like a $1500 rifle to me.
but some of your syn. stock M70 creations sure do.

Not enough stock finish is not enough to fault this Mauser 98 rifle in any major way.

quote:

Originally posted by ALF:
The question should read: When is a Mauser and genuine Mauser ?

THANK YOU for this most wonderful post. I agree from the bottom of my heart with every word, and I happen to be a purest myself who believes in in-house manufacturing and staying true to form. This is why I asked about how "Mauser" existed in the past 60 something years, to see if it remained a true manufacturer with knowledge being passed down, or just a brand name that people would buy and stamp on generic or wannabe rifles.

The bottom line is Blaser has done a disservice to the Mauser and Rigby name. Why they believed they could turn out similar looking rifles at half the quality and at a premium price is beyond me. Not sure too many people with any degree of knowledge or taste will be fooled when they handle one.

All Blaser had to do was turn out the same tried and true design with modern metals and manufacturing and everyone would have knocked the door down to get one. But in typical Blaser fashion they had to redesign the wheel and push a cheap Frankenstein version.

Sad

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:
The bottom line is Blaser has done a disservice to the Mauser and Rigby name.

Any disservice to the Rigby name was done decades ago when different owners of the company
opted for Winchester,CZ and Remington actions.

Someone has actually now bothered to reintroduce a true Magnum M98 based Rigby,
yet people are still complaining.

O & L Group own: Rigby,Mauser,Blaser and Sauer, so I don't know if its really Blasers direct fault for
any perceived disservice toward Rigby.

O & L owning both the current Rigby and Mauser brands, have been able to reunite them and also base Rigby in London....

quote:

Originally posted by Opus1:

Why they believed they could turn out similar looking rifles at half the quality and at a premium price is beyond me.

Lets put things into perspective as to 'premium' prices:

a current H&H bolt rifle begins at US$45,000( + extra $ for option of a two folding leaf rear sight and 3 pos. safety)
a current Westley Richards bolt rifle begins at US$28,000
with option of foresight,island-base with 1 fixed/two folding leaves...US$31,000.

but some people are complaining that a US$14,000 new magnum mauser rifle
is not up to scratch and 'premium' priced.

quote:

..similar looking rifles at half the quality..

only Half the quality of old Rigbys?.......you must be kidding.

From what I've seen of a number of old Rigby bolt rifles,they are not exemplary examples of fine build quality.

The inletting is certainly not any better compared to the new Mausers,
and the old metallurgy is inferior to the new Mausers.

quote:

Originally posted by late starter:

The john rigby big game and Mauser M98 have same action safety and barrel,
both made by mauser in isny germany.

The Rigby and 'Mauser 98' branded rifle, are both really a Prechtl action with different new style safety.

IF one goes to the Mauser product site, it offers options on the type of safety,
( notice the Prechtl-golmatic Win style 3 pos. being offered)
as well as other options like the Prechtl-golmatic Rigby style diopter peep, various wood upgrade options, etc.

http://www.mauser.com/en/products/m98/options/ ...

http://www.all4shooters.com/en...pg?resize=930x870%3E

Greeting and salutations:

Little story here:

During my early years I took a contract in Venezuela - 1956-1959 involved with drilling, Oil, geology and the like.

One day in Caracas I decided that I wanted a solid gold Rolex wrist watch. So I bought it for $500 US currency and wore it to the dismay and chagrin of my comrades who thought I needed my head examined.

About 5 years ago I decided to pass this watch along to my son. It needed some work. I took it to Rolex in New York City for upgrade and repair. They wouldn't touch it as it was obsolete. So they recommended a "dealer" in Massachusetts who handled those matters. I sent it and it cost me $450. It came back in excellent condition factory new but with some other than Rolex parts. The strap needed upgrade so I went back to Rolex on 5th Avenue and gave it to them. They charged me $200 for a strap.

I asked the current value of a 1950's solid gold Rolex and they said - $12,000, my son wears it on special occasions and it is quite a conversation piece.

Fast forward - Couple of years ago I bought a wrist watch at Costco. For the uninitiated it is a warehouse outlet here in the USA. Cost less than $100 US. It is atomic, keeps perfect time with the atomic clock in Denver and has many other features, one of which it doesn't have a battery. It is solar charged automatically.

So what does a nitride coating have to do with a Mauser new M98 double bridge magnum ? Why would anyone spend $12,000 for a Mauser 98 when a $1,500 Ruger will get the job done just as effectively ?

Sounds like it cost $450 to fix that $500 Rolex. A considerably tougher G-Shock can be had for under $100.

There is no need to waste $1500 on a Ruger when you can go get something for under $400 at Walmart that is just as effective.

Nitride is not a coating, it is a treatment that goes inside the structure of the metal giving a more weatherproof finish and making it far stronger than an ordinary blued or stainless finish.

However if you'd like to actually test a bolt action, forget checking it for accuracy off of a bench rest because that tells nothing about function. Go out and fire three aimed shots out of it in the next 3 or 4 seconds. The shortcomings of one and the advantages of another will instantly appear like a revelation from God Himself.

quote:

Originally posted by wetibbe:

So what does a nitride coating have to do with a Mauser new M98 double bridge magnum ?

Salt-bath Nitriding in the gun trade goes back to the 1920s.

Its a process that diffuses nitrogen into the surface of the steel, creating a thin hardened durable surface.

Then there is gas-nitriding.....and also,

Plasma-ion Nitriding, which is on the new Mauser.

Nitriding (new or old methods), does three(3) things;
- improves wear resistance, improves fatigue resistance and reduces chance of corrosion.


Competition shooters still use the salt-Bath N- process to treat their barrels for longer life.

Ralf Martini in Canada often Plasma?-Nitrides custom rifle actions for clients that will be using their expensive rigs
in harsh outdoor environments.

As such,
Plasma-ion Nitriding is right at home on the new M98,
especially for those people that don't plan on keeping it as a 'Safe Queen'.

I think that metal treatment is THE big improvement on the new Mausers and Rigby's and I wish more makers would do the nitride rather than regular bluing.

More makers probably would, but there are stunted minds in some potential buyers that find it hard
to accept anything outside of traditional hot-bluing or rust bluing.
but at the same time, they probably have no problem using modern illuminated optics and modern mono-metals
in their die hard 'traditional' rifle.