It opens and closes with an exactness and finality that is foreign to most Mausers, with the “elevator” adjusting itself rather than flopping when the floorplate is open, like the usual Mauser spring. The floorplate is hinged, and the release looks like a very early version of the later Oberndorf button inside the trigger guard. The follower and spring are unusual, because they do not use the normal Mauser “W” follower spring but have a spring-loaded “elevator” instead. Where the Commission rifle used the Mannlicher packet system – a clip of cartridges is pressed in from the top (clip and all), and the empty clip drops out the bottom after the last cartridge is chambered – mine has a Mauser-style box magazine with a follower, and the cartridges are in a staggered row. The semi-octagonal barrel is made of Krupp steel.The major difference is in the magazine. As well, the original 8x57 J cartridge for the Commission rifle was modified for sporting use into such cartridges as the 9x57mm. Like many others (including Steyr in Austria), it saw the virtues of that action for sporting purposes and began building stalking rifles almost immediately. In 1888, Haenel was one of the contractors that made the famous Commission ’88 rifle for the German government. After 1945, with Suhl under Russian occupation, Haenel was taken over by Merkel, and the name survives to this day on a line of target and sniper rifles. One of its most prominent employees was Hugo Schmeisser, of submachine gun fame. It accepted government contracts but also made civilian firearms and remained in existence right through 1945. was founded in 1840 by Carl Gott-lieb Haenel and quickly became a significant player in the German arms industry during the unification under Bismarck. As was the German preference of the day, the rifle is fitted with double-set triggers.Ĭ.G. It has a sporter stock with a cheekpiece a 21-inch, half-octagonal barrel with a full-length rib is chambered for the 9x57 Mauser and is built on what, at first glance, appears to be a Commission 1888 rifle action. around 1910 and is a typical German stalking rifle of the period. It was almost certainly imported to the U.S. Haenel, an old German gunmaking company in Suhl. $2,700.00).ĭistribution hasn't started in the rest of Europe and in north America yet, but has already been announced it shouldn't take long before the glorious Mauser brand – already a household name among historic rifle connoisseurs and among the most demanding and avid hunters – becomes popular within the long-range competition shooting community with a factory option that can take highly regarded custom rifles head-on at the range.This is a typical ad for an imported sporter, from the pages of the Sears-Roebuck catalog – the original wish book.Here is what I know for sure: The rifle was built by C.G. The Mauser 18 LR Chassis bolt-action rifle is 110 cm / 43.3" long, weighs in at 4,5 kg / 9.92 lbs when empty, and is already available on the civilian market in native Germany at a retail price of approximately 2300 Euro (approx. A bottom M-LOK interface on the handguard allows the installation of a Picatinny rail portion for bipods. A set of QD sling swivel cups is located on both sides, in front of the handguard and on the buttstock. The Mauser 18 LR Chassis features the same three-locking lugs bolt and action of the Mauser 18 line of hunting rifles, hosted in a solid blued steel receiver which also sports a top MIL-STD 1913 Picatinny rail for optics.īoth the stock and the handguard stand out over the hard anodized black finish of the rest of the chassis with their olive drab green color the handguard is ribbed on both sides for a firm grip in all conditions. To meet such demand, Mauser mated the action and receiver of the popular Mauser 18 line of bolt-action hunting rifles with a Canadian-made MDT Oryx chassis – a single-piece machined lightweight aluminum alloy stock system with some polymer components that enjoys significant popularity among gunsmiths and PRS shooters in north America due to its light weight, ease of installation, and modularity. First announced in late 2020 and now finally available on the commercial markets, the Mauser 18 LR Chassis bolt-action rifle is Mauser's answer to the increasing public request for bolt-action high-accuracy rifles that are modern in design, highly portable, reliable, and offering viable levels of performance for long-range shooting sports – particularly PRS ( Precision Rifle Series) shooting competitions.