Control round feed or push feed?

7.62 rule

Hi, how many of you out there prefer Mauser bolt actions over Remington / push feeds?

The reason I ask is I'm a big mauser fan, for the following reasons;-

(1) If a small bit of shaved brass or dirt finds its way to the bolt head of a push feed bolt action rifle(Remington) the action will fail to close. With a mauser action the bolt face is cleaned every time the bolt strips and feeds a new round from the magazine.

(2) If you cycle the action of a push feed Remington type BAR, half way with a loaded magazine, the rifle will leave a loaded round in the action, which you may or may not know is there! This cant happen with a Mauser action, as when a mauser controled round feed bolt action rifle has its bolt worked, the extractor straight away grips the rim of the case, from start to finish, never leaving a stray live round up the breach.

(3) Most Mauser rifle safety catches retract and block the actual firing pin. Most push feed rifle safety catches only inhibit the trigger from being pulled, the sear and firing pin are not blocked from working under a sever impact or such, and do not block the firing pin in anyway.

(4) To catch the ejected brass from a push feed rifle, (Remington) you need to be part octapus, as the ejector is spring loaded and flings your brass into the nettles due to Murphys law. Mauser actions allow you to work the bolt smoothly backwards, choose not to eject & then pluck the cartridge from the breach with ease. Thus removing the need to look for used brass on the ground. With a mauser action you can choose how exactly how far and fast a round will eject by the speed with which you cycle the bolt rearwards. Also mauser ejectors are the strongest in the business.

(5) More Mauser built actions are fitted with safety blow holes in the side of the breach, and under the bolt, plus have larger cocking peaces, to help deflect hot burning gas traveling in the direction of the shooters eye. Rounds can rupture, even factory rounds, less so these days, but its comforting knowing your gun has built safety features to help deflect burning gases and bits of brass in the event of a blow out.

(6) Push feeds rifle have smaller extractors which are more prone to failure, the mauser designed extracter is the best in the business, from start to finish it holds the round firmly in its grasp, controled round feeding from start to finish, even if you decided to remove a round without touching it, you can pull out the bolt release and cycle the bolt rearwards all the way out and your bullet will stay seated on the bolt.

(7) With a mauser you can choose to leave a round up the breach, you just push your tumb against the exractor, and work the bolt backwards, you cant do this on a push feed. This can come in useful in reverse if theirs a round stuck up the breach, just push your tumb on the extractor, thus lifting the extractor claw, and then choose to drop it when the bolt is fully closed.

Some of the reasons I really like mauser rifles, I've often heard that dangerous game hunters in Africa, choose mausers rifles because of they are dependable when up against dangerous animals, I'm not sure if this is true, but for me it makes sense. Most CZ's actions are Mauser, and even Remington are starting to market 798 mauser action rifles. I really love the way my CZ 452 22lr rifle safety extracts its firing pin when I push it on, I used to own a Remington 22lr and its safety only stopped the trigger working, how safe is that.

Anyway , what you think, any more mauser fans out there?

:):):):):):):):):):)

It wasn't me!

To be honest, even a lot of PHs don't worry overly about the controlled round feed thing. Its major advantage in a dangerous game situation is it'll feed with the rifle at any angle (Upside down and all) and it can't jam by double/short stroking the bolt. Proper discipline and practice takes care of that (People have a tendency to short stroke magnum length actions if their usual hunting rifle is a short or standard length - muscle memory) so anyone who's planning to use one abroad would be well advised to hunt a good few deer with it here. It'll never replicate the fear if something goes wrong on a DG hunt, but you'll at least have some muscle memory developed. Me? I like them. Just like the solid feel of cycling the action. Would love rifles like the CZ 550 (They've been ignoring my emails about making the standard length 550 American in left hand, but they make a .375 H&H length Safari Mag) and the Winchester model 70. If I could afford it, I'd love a handbuilt custom on a proper commercial Mauser 98 but it would cost a wee packet. I've handled both the CZ and the Winchester and the newer Mauser M03 though. The latter is good, but no 98. I could see myself picking up a .375 for Africa though, and might get something bigger built down the line in a custom if I ever get addicted to throwing all my money at dangerous game hunts.

Half-cocked

I love Mauser actions. Very reliable for a lazybones like me who doesn't clean guns often enough. An exception being an old Mauser 66 I use in Germany. The overly complex 2 stage sliding bolt assembly is a bitch if it gets dirty. Great rifle though, 2 barrels - 7x64 and 9.3x64.

It wasn't me!

Half-cocked wrote: »

I love Mauser actions. Very reliable for a lazybones like me who doesn't clean guns often enough. An exception being an old Mauser 66 I use in Germany. The overly complex 2 stage sliding bolt assembly is a bitch if it gets dirty. Great rifle though, 2 barrels - 7x64 and 9.3x64.

The 66 is nice for the switch-barrel facility but I find the ergonomics on it awkward, myself. A custom 98 with a chunk of timber substantial enough to live up to the cartridge I'd put in it (It'll start with a 4 anyway) is just a different animal. Even a 10lb gun feels lively in the hands if it's balanced right.

323

Total Mauser fan for all the reasons listed, Have one rifle built on an FN commercial M98 action. Well past 100 years and and the M98 still sets the standard for hunting rifles, says it all.
Although also have a push feed Mannlicher, like it but been considering replacing it with something on a M98 action in same caliber, considering Voere as they chamber my cartridge as standard or go the custom route if I can get the pennies together.

ormondprop

no experience with mausers but from what i've seen with sako's even though the 85 is supposed to be control round feed it doesn't work properly and still just works as a push feed the same as the 75, the only difference is the slot cut out on the bottom of the bolt face but it doesn't grip the case properly until you push the bolt closed fully, do many other modern crf rifles do the same or is it just the sako

7.62 rule

It wasn't me! wrote: »

To be honest, even a lot of PHs don't worry overly about the controlled round feed thing. Its major advantage in a dangerous game situation is it'll feed with the rifle at any angle (Upside down and all) and it can't jam by double/short stroking the bolt. Proper discipline and practice takes care of that (People have a tendency to short stroke magnum length actions if their usual hunting rifle is a short or standard length - muscle memory) so anyone who's planning to use one abroad would be well advised to hunt a good few deer with it here. It'll never replicate the fear if something goes wrong on a DG hunt, but you'll at least have some muscle memory developed. Me? I like them. Just like the solid feel of cycling the action. Would love rifles like the CZ 550 (They've been ignoring my emails about making the standard length 550 American in left hand, but they make a .375 H&H length Safari Mag) and the Winchester model 70. If I could afford it, I'd love a handbuilt custom on a proper commercial Mauser 98 but it would cost a wee packet. I've handled both the CZ and the Winchester and the newer Mauser M03 though. The latter is good, but no 98. I could see myself picking up a .375 for Africa though, and might get something bigger built down the line in a custom if I ever get addicted to throwing all my money at dangerous game hunts.

I must hunt Africa. I had a .270 Parkerhale few years back. I bought it s/h from UK for £125, glass bedded it, we tune up & it always threw first two rounds with any brand together, right on top of each other sharing d same hole, third round would then fall half inch or under away, due to barrel heating, twenty year old gun shooting three quarter inch 3x shot groups or better with any brand of ammo. I love Mauser actions.

323 wrote: »

Total Mauser fan for all the reasons listed, Have one rifle built on an FN commercial M98 action. Well past 100 years and and the M98 still sets the standard for hunting rifles, says it all.
Although also have a push feed Mannlicher, like it but been considering replacing it with something on a M98 action in same caliber, considering Voere as they chamber my cartridge as standard or go the custom route if I can get the pennies together.

Few years back I was lucky enough to see a sweet FN action .270wsm, would love a FN Mauser in just plane .270. Great thing with .270 is you never see game run off half hit like with some other calibers.

ormondprop wrote: »

no experience with mausers but from what i've seen with sako's even though the 85 is supposed to be control round feed it doesn't work properly and still just works as a push feed the same as the 75, the only difference is the slot cut out on the bottom of the bolt face but it doesn't grip the case properly until you push the bolt closed fully, do many other modern crf rifles do the same or is it just the sako

I must take my hat off to the Sako action, I've watched two different deer hunters with heavy barrel Sakos punch quarter inch groups all day long. Very accurate guns. Still favour my Mauser though, it's got 113 years of r & r behind it plus two world wars and many others.

7.62 rule

7.62 rule wrote: »

It wasn't me! wrote: »

To be honest, even a lot of PHs don't worry overly about the controlled round feed thing. Its major advantage in a dangerous game situation is it'll feed with the rifle at any angle (Upside down and all) and it can't jam by double/short stroking the bolt. Proper discipline and practice takes care of that (People have a tendency to short stroke magnum length actions if their usual hunting rifle is a short or standard length - muscle memory) so anyone who's planning to use one abroad would be well advised to hunt a good few deer with it here. It'll never replicate the fear if something goes wrong on a DG hunt, but you'll at least have some muscle memory developed. Me? I like them. Just like the solid feel of cycling the action. Would love rifles like the CZ 550 (They've been ignoring my emails about making the standard length 550 American in left hand, but they make a .375 H&H length Safari Mag) and the Winchester model 70. If I could afford it, I'd love a handbuilt custom on a proper commercial Mauser 98 but it would cost a wee packet. I've handled both the CZ and the Winchester and the newer Mauser M03 though. The latter is good, but no 98. I could see myself picking up a .375 for Africa though, and might get something bigger built down the line in a custom if I ever get addicted to throwing all my money at dangerous game hunts.

I must hunt Africa. I had a .270 Parkerhale few years back. I bought it s/h from UK for £125, glass bedded it, we tune up & it always threw first two rounds with any brand together, right on top of each other sharing d same hole, third round would then fall half inch or under away, due to barrel heating, twenty year old gun shooting three quarter inch 3x shot groups or better with any brand of ammo. I love Mauser actions.

Many thanks for your very interesting feed back, yeah I've cycled mausers even upside down, Mauser 98 is the standard by which all others are judged in my opinion.

It wasn't me!

I've a Sako 75 and it's a heavy gun. Plans include having a stock made lighter, slimmer to get the weight down. I do like the .375 H&H size CZ550 though. Definitely one of those in my future as a CRF gun.

Mr.Flibble

7.62 rule wrote: »

Still favour my Mauser though, it's got 113 years of r & r behind it plus two world wars

Both of which it lost.

323

Mr.Flibble wrote: »

Both of which it lost.

True, but not because of their rifles.

The US fought the First WW and much of the Second with the M1903 Springfield. Which is essentially a Mauser design, copied from Spanish Mauser Model 93 rifles captured during the Spanish-American War where they were mauled by these rifles. Even with the slight design changes the US still ended up having to pay royalties to Mauser.

The argument will go on forever but found a good article in an old Peterson's Hunting, compares the pros and cons of the 3 main rifles of the first war, concludes that

The Germans: Went to war with a hunting rifle - Mauser 98
The US: Went to war with a target rifle - M1903 Springfield
The British: Went to war with a soldiers rifle - SMLE Mk III