What is the purpose of a Square Bridge on a Mauser Action??
I have thoughts but curious what the learned has to say
Strength
Aesthetics
A platform for optics or receiver sight

Thoughts and opinions greatly appreciated

I would go with B and C. The Mauser gurus may know if there's any measurable strength added to the receiver but I would imagine not. They're essentially integral scope bases with lots of different options. They can be machined for Claw mounts, Smithson rings, Recknagel, EAW, Talley, Alaska Arms, etc, etc.
Left unaltered or with some matting on a big bore is very aesthetically pleasing IMO.

As someone who has always preferred to carry is rifle in the hand, I find square bridges, especially the front one, useless and uncomfortably annoying if you don’t use a scope.
However if you like an easily and/or quickly removable scope they do make for a simpler and stronger scope base. And when someone like Joe Smithson shapes them for his bases the bridges are also smoother and less offensive to carry

For container ships to pass under as the arched ones can catch the corners of the containers...sorry, just read the words Mauser Action.......

I found the Ruger 77 bridged action. To solve any problems with it.

With having one of the strongest scope mounting systems on the market.

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posted 30 March 2025 21:38 Hide Post
As someone who has always preferred to carry is rifle in the hand, I find square bridges, especially the front one, useless and uncomfortably annoying if you don’t use a scope.

I have one Double Square Bridge Rifle fortunately the balance of the rifle falls between the bridges

Square bridges are useless on an iron sighted gun and simply unfinished if the gun will be scoped sighted. The only square bridge Mauser I own was machined into Talley bases.

A "double" square bridge configuration is a marvelous platform for the QD rings by Recknagel (and others mentioned)

A rear only is perfect a place for a peep sight

Hi,

The original porpouse of the square bridges in the Sporting Oberndorf Mausers was as a scope bases.
First, Mauser instal their own claw mount bases in the front bridge machining a dovetail, very shallow one must say, to put the claw base. In the late '30s they decided to machine the front bridge with more metal, in a square configuración to not affect the bridge strenght with that dovetail for the scope base.
The rear square bridge was used for the Mauser own claw system.

PH

quote:

Originally posted by Vol717:
Square bridges are useless on an iron sighted gun and simply unfinished if the gun will be scoped sighted. The only square bridge Mauser I own was machined into Talley bases.

I have a 505 Gibbs built on a GMA Action Iron Sights only The gun's quarter rib flows naturally from the front square bridge

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Sorry have not been able to figure out the new Imgur site

You can I am sure; before you click in the BBC code, click on Large Thumbnail. You have clicked on Huge Thumbnail.
As for square bridge receivers; they were for claw scope mounts, true, but why? Because labor was dirt cheap in those days and they could pay guys to file all day and produce those works of art.
We have better designs now, if not as classy looking. And we have CNC mills.
Don't forget the 12 year old boys hired to carry parts from machine to machine and from worker to worker. Child labor; kept them busy in the good old days. Kids are fat and lazy now; the ones I know never venture outdoors; the video games are all inside.

Thanks for the Imgur advice

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That's a nice looking rifle.

Nice Gibbs!
thinking to make an integral barrel just like yours on a GMA African in either 416 Rigby or 505 Gibbs.

The Quarter Rib was sweated on to the Barrel [EMAIL] [/EMAIL]

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First rate DG stopping rifle.
Gil Van Horn would appreciate the caliber. His personal view from African experience was that
once into the 500 range, real stopping power was evident.
That also applies to the 50 and .50 EX Sharps/Winchesters.But they must be accurate.