The Origins of Mauser
The Mauser family of firearms has a long history that dates to the 19th century. Originally a company formed by German King Frederick 1 in 1811, it was bought out in the mid-1800s by brothers Paul and Wilhelm Mauser.
The first Mauser gun was developed by Paul and was released in 1871. It was a design that utilized the cock on load bolt-action system and use of metallic cartridges. It was designed to replace the older Dreyse needle gun which used paper cartridges and required an additional manual action to cock it which the Mauser brothers saw as a waist of a hand motion. Today Mauser is perhaps best known for its Model 1898, or 98 Mauser, a bolt-action rifle renowned for its strong action.
Mounting a Scope to Your Mauser Rifle
If your Mauser is not already drilled and tapped for a scope mount, it would be better to keep it original as many are becoming collectors’ items. The Mauser is worth more as a collectable and sporterizing it could reduce its collectors value.
However, if absolutely must, then take it to a competent gunsmith with experience in drilling and tapping them to industry standards to fit mounts that are made to fit your Mauser to ensure they drill and tap according to a Mauser bases and not some random set of bases laying around in a parts bin.
Having your Mauser Drilled and Tapped to industry standards is important when it comes to mounting a scope on your Mauser to be able to find bases made specifically for Mauser rifles as there are many variants.
Some things to consider when mounting a scope to Mauser is scope height
Will your bolt handle clear? Some Mausers have straight handle bolt handles these will require a professional to bend it to work with a scope. Even after they are bent to be Sporterized they still may require higher rings because they were not originally designed to have scopes mounted on them.
Also, you must consider the safety lever clearance under the scope bell. You will need to mount your scope very high which will require a very high cheek comb (riser) in order to be able to flip the lever under the scope bell. A simple solution to this problem is to get an aftermarket trigger like one from Timney which comes with a low-profile safety lever that sets behind the bolt handle that will work any scope. It also reduces trigger pull weight making your Mauser a sweet shooting rifle.
How Do I Find Bases that Fit my Mauser:
Modern Factory Mauser rifles come properly drilled and tapped for scope rings if you are looking for rings for a military surplus rifle that has been Sporterized finding the right scope mount for your Mauser might be difficult depending on the model of Mauser and who did the gunsmith work on it. If a professional gunsmith did the drilling and tapping to industry standards it should be easy to find a mount. However, if someone who was handy with tools did it themselves based on a random mount, they had in their parts bin then results may vary.
Mauser Scope Mounting Guide for Bases.
Using the measurements below you can find the correct scope base for your Mauser rifle. Note Mausers that are unaltered still have the stripper clip bump while altered Mauser have had the stripper clip bump ground off.
Warne Part Number M960M Fits Mauser 98 3-hole receiver altered and unaltered. May also fit other 3-hole Mausers like the Yugo M-48 with these measurements
Warne Part Number M902/830M Fits Mauser 98 4 hole altered.
Warne Part Number M902/831M Fits Mauser 98 4-hole JC Higgins altered.
Warne Part Number M902/832M Fits Mauser 98 4-hole unaltered.
Warne Part Number M898/828M Fits Small Ring Mauser G-33/40 M96 4-hole altered.
Warne Part Number M898/829M Fits M96 4-hole unaltered
Warne Part Number M902/876M, 7674M, 7674-20MOA Fits Mauser 18 4-hole.
Bases, Rails & More for Your Mauser
Once you find the perfect scope base for your Mauser rifle be sure to Shop our complete catalog of scope rings here . Warne Scope Mounts are engineered, designed, and made in the U.S.A.
You can always get confidence in every shot knowing that all products from Warne come with a lifetime warranty. No receipt, no warranty card, no package – no problem! Warne Scope Mounts are proudly made for shooters, by shooters.