Thank YOU.. In a day that most firearm channels. Who refer to a firearm as a "weapon" or a "system". You confer style, art, and design. You express how important true workmanship has meaning. I subscribe to over 100 firearm channels here on TH-cam(and NO ThunderRanch and Hickok45 are not included). I put you in the top 2. With Ian's Forgotten Weapons channel being the other. As I look for content. I am overcome with countless uploads about another "Johnny come lately" AR variant. Then I think. Who are these people? Where are the people that love to shoot and collect firearms? Not just the Military Surplus stuff. But firearms that show the craftsmanship of bluing, checkering, as well as the engineering that goes into it. I know you have real insight about firearms. Why? In the background there is Your bookcase of Gun Digest. Which looks like it goes back to the Nixon administration. Keep it coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What can I say Charles - and I might have said it before; but I am humbled by the warmth and generosity of your words. I will continue to show and share what I know and aspire to bring even more meaning to the channel. As a friend of mine used to say "Guns are how we got to where we are."
It’s boring, blows gas in your face, unsmooth, overly expensive to manufacture and no more reliable than plenty of other systems... I personally think they’re massively over rated but that’s just me. They’re like the cb750’s of the gun world, I get it they work, people love em, but they’re bland and if you’ve seen one you’ve seen em all...
These are by far the best gun videos if not one of the best educational videos on TH-cam. When you are talking about a subject you know everything about you only have to worry about boring the people that aren't really interested in the first place. In other words anyone who is bored by this doesn't belong here.
Really enjoy the informative videos. No such thing as too much Mauser talk. Mauser is a landmark achievement and is the best design for comparison with other bolt systems.
I have been following a German gunstore on Egun that ships to Norway also for a little fee. They have some museum expamples of Mauser 98 and ø22s , look so good .
It's amazing, your collecting arc is much like my own. I have been collecting Mauser's for 20 years and that led me to Blaser. In many ways I think the BlaserR93/R8 is the spiritual successor to the Model 98. They are just as ground breaking as the M98 design, problem is the world hasn't yet caught on to it! I really did not know the connection between the 66 action and the SR830, but now I have no doubt the 66 influenced the early Blaser straight pulls. Maybe even some of the Mauser engineers went to Blaser in the early 80's, I am convinced! The name of the engineer at Blaser that did the R93 is Meinhard Zeh, I wonder if he started at Mauser? "The Blaser R93 displays a locking surface of 66 mm2 (0.102 in2) compared to 56 mm2 (0.087 in2) for the Mauser 98." - from wikipedia. That means almost 15% more locking surface. They are in fact much stronger. "The Blaser R8 displays a locking surface of 96 mm2 (0.149 in2) compared to 56 mm2 (0.087 in2) for the Mauser 98." That's over 40% more locking surface than an M98!!
The Mauser 66 was actually designed by Walter Gehmann, a well known Man among German Sport Shooters. There's still a Store in Karlsruhe selling Guns with his Name.
I bought a R8 last year, when it was a striking deal ( 2200 Canadian dollar). It is a piece of art in my opinion, only the case and packaging is enough to say it. Thanks again for a great video.~!
Hi Robert, I hope you bought 2! Great buy for an unexpectedly unique and functional engineering achievement. The R8 (and the R93) are in their own class - no one could have seen them coming. The locking collet is brilliantly applied. Even those who tell me they don't like the Blasers admit to the extraordinary design. Glad you like the videos.
They only had one last set for half price, I'd bought more if they had more. Although the caliber isn't perfect (270 win), but still, it will be a great gift to the next generation :D.
Boring people? I dont think you have to worry about that, as your videos include very specific and interesting aspects not seen in other places. I myself, and im sure a lot of fellow viewers would concur, would enjoy gathering even more knowledge.
The best hands on information channel, I love the older Mauser rifles speciaty the ww2 era , the late 1800s and early 1900s gun geniuses can't never be surpass even Whit today's computers ,
I am an owner of SR850/88 which was latest version of the SR rifle. I can confirm that "It is hard to describe how smooth it is" :) There are some differences between those two versions and I would like to say that the only one defect(long way from the bolt handle to the trigger) which was presented in the video was solved in further version of the rifle(or in EU version - this is which I own).
Hello Czachor - you have the best version, with the better located bolt handle - a fantastic rifle; I'm glad you have one - not many people do. Thanks for writing.
USOG the different volt handle location is not all what was changed. The fireing pin is tensioned by rotation od the handle. It is very ergonomic. Is in your version fireing pin always tensioned when you close the bolt? Do the "hammer" stay in fireing position?
Hi - On mine when you close the bolt the rifle is ready to fire. Pushing the lever at the back de-cocks the rifle - much like the R8 / R93. To cock the action again I just push the lever forward.
I went in the vault just now and checked the operation of the rifle. There is also a decocker button on the right side of the action. If you close the bolt and do not want it to be cocked just push the decocker - as on a pistol and the striker is decocked.
Amazing collection, i have read about these guns but never seen one......you are a very lucky man to have these and the rest of your collection. thank you for sharing
Europtic! Located in the town of montoursville Pennsylvania. I have been to their warehouse...as a funny story i was looking for an aics stock on their website and didn't realize they don't have a show room! It was just a warehouse office...great guys there though and very accommodating. They even offered to have things shipped to that location if i was interested in seeing things in person.
That was a fun video. I've heard of the Blaser rifles but was not really familiar with them. What a very interesting design! I agree that's got to be the strongest 22 action I've ever seen and even heard of. I don't find your historical background at all boring it's one of the reasons I'm here. I really enjoy the history of firearms and the slow building of ideas off the previous designs. It really makes you appreciate some guns more when you finally see what went into engineering them. Your collection does offer your viewers an advantage in seeing them side by side. The smoothness of those actions actually translates to video quite well. I bet they are some fine shooting pieces of hardware.
Thanks Daniel! I understand Blaser is working on the next versions of the R8 - which will have a different model designation and an even more interesting design with less parts - always a good idea. We'll have to wait and see I guess. All the best to you.
Just subscribed to your wonderful chanell sir .Ithink this is the most "gentemanly"chanell there is .Thank you for the interresting ,informative and elegant content.
Really enjoy your videos very informative. We always try to guess what part of the country people are from. I thought Ohio but after hearing you say the word (about) I’m guessing Michigan or Canada or upstate New York you don’t have to answer it’s just in fun
Oh wow, another video that you knocked out of the park! Talk too much about Mausers....not at all! Keep up exactly what you're doing and don't change a thing. Well done, sir!
USOG yet another great video. If I were to choose a rifle I'd go with original Mauser(own a couple so am partial to them) If Blaser hated the M66 design I concur. It seems like the telescoping bolt is one step too many, as it is not present in Blaser. If I were to choose a straight pull however, after seeing one of your previous videos I think it would be the Merkel Helix. It's a little out of my league but not by much, gives me something to aspire to other than cheap Mausers and CZ's
The Blaser SR830 indeed had the bolt handle a bit too far forward. They fixed that in the SR850, which has the bolt handle much closer to the trigger. (I've been eyeing one for a while, at the local gun store.. It's still priced a hefty 1800 euros)
Hello Yao! Yes - you are correct and the R84 must be similar to the SR850. I wanted the SR830 - the one with all the warts. 1800 Euros! I would run to buy that rifle. No one is making these rifles and no one will ever again. You would be buying a usable piece of history. I just tried my SR830 - I forgive the bolt handle a little forward. The bullets had eyes.
True. But our gunstores seem to contain a lot of usable pieces of history ;). Asides that, rifles seem to be getting cheaper and cheaper these days (a brand new Bergara would cost me as much as the second hand full-stock CZ550 standing next to it). This year, I'm buying myself a new hog/deer rifle, so I'm looking around a bit. The Blaser was chambered in 6.5x68, which is a bit exotic (ie. expensive), and I would like to have my rifle in a more regular cartridge such as the 7x64 or .270. A shame though, I would really love to own a Blaser, as it seems that everybody and their dog seems to own a Blaser nowadays. But the thrifty Dutchman in me says that I shouldn't spend thousands of euros on a brandnew Blaser, whereas there's heaps of great second hand guns priced around a thousand euros.
Hello Yashar - thank you and I wish you and your country all the best. There are millions of people cheering for you - even if you may not be aware of it. I wish you all the best my friend.
About the exploding R93 i can share something i was told by a master gunsmith. He told me there is no example of an R93 exploding on factory ammo. Every example of an R93 that failed was caused by unskilled reloaders. Particulary underloaded ammo was the cause of many explosions, with the case laying horizontal and only beeing filled half with powder the powder wasnt burning from the primer towards the bullet but it was ignited along the whole lenght of the case pretty much instantly causing a pressure spike the R93 couldnt handle. But because the R93 was so unusual people were very sceptical about its strengh and that stuck with the action. For the R8 it wasnt really neccessary to reinforce the lockup but to get rid of that stigmata of beeing weak they reinforced it by a lot anyway. The R8 is tested to 14.000bar of pressure and it didnt fail catastrophically it was just broken to the point where they had to destructively open it up and they called it done. For those that arent familliar with bar measurements a regular full power rifle cardridge sits right around 3900bars of pressure so the R8 is plenty strong you could say.
Thank you - clear explanation. I've seen every type of action destroyed by loads that developed too much pressure. Every machine has a well known limit. Exceed that limit and the machine will fail. This applies to bridges, cars, pipes, space ships, dishwashers, guns....toys - there are no exceptions. The R93 is no different from the Mauser 98 or any action. Over thousands of guns and hundreds of thousands of rounds fired - nothing failed for me. I stayed within the limits. : )
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns Great mindset. I think there is a difference between actions in a sense that some will tolerate more pressure than others and they all fail differendly beeing more or less harmful to the shooter. But stick to factory ammo or if you are a reloader stay well within the charts for safe reloads and they all are just fine. Dont play with fire if you dont want to get burned its that simple.
Hi , any chance you could pull apart a Heym bolt assembly so we could all see up close how the ball bearing lock system works internally . great info as always on your channel many thanks!
Blaser’s are so weird, had an R8 come to us and having never seen one before was quite shocked when I took the magazine out and the entire trigger group came with it 😂
I think you would be surprised by how many of us would find it interesting also. Blazer is not really that well known nor its history. The R-8 lockup actually reminds me of a style of tool collet I seen on a Japanese CNC multi head/tool. When a tool was in the collet it had to withstand an amazing mamount of forces acting on it in different ways, at the same time. Unfortunately for me owning a Blazer rifle is not likely to happen. I have held a couple at gun shows. Fit, finish is like a very high end sports car. Perfect. The telescoping bolt has interested me from the first Uzi I helped clean. It took me a minute to understand how the components interacted when firing. A bit fascinating in itself. Anyway, thanks for explanation on the operation of the Blazer action.
Hello - You're likely right based on feedback - quite a few people have not seen the R8 or R93 - pity. I see the R8 at lower prices once in awhile - I'm sure you'll end up with one if you like; it seems with guns one rarely loses anything. Glad I shed some light on the action etc... that means the most to me. Glad you're here.
Wow, that's fantastic. I sold a Peruvian about a year ago on Gunbroker, any chance it's the same one? I had it for a few years then found an all matching example I paid a handsome fee for. The Peruvian is my favorite of the South Americans!
Just started watching some of your videos, must say very informative, I'm 29 and appreciate the older generation rifles and have started my own collection. Was wondering if you were lucky to find those with the beautiful stocks on the rifle already? Or if you put those stocks on yourself, I'm a big fan of wood stocks, love seeing the different grain in the stocks I've seen on some of yours. Good day to you
Hello Judy - I mostly find the ones with the fine stocks. I have made some stocks and paid for custom stocks as well - but I usually wait until a great stock shows up and don't hesitate to buy.
Blaser is very popular here in Germany. I think the reason for that is not so much the exceptional engineering but the marketing they do. I have the R8 and did hunt a lot with it. Action is super smooth as you describe it and the manual cocking is a vital safety feature especially when stalking. But: they are totally overpriced compared to what they actually provide. It's a lot of plastic pieces which I don't necessarily like. Since I could get my self a Steelaction the Blaser stays in the cabinet most of the time. Action is way more simple the the Blaser's, it is all steel except the feeding piece in the magazine, it has picatinny rails milled on the receiver which allows you to buy cheaper scope mounts, it comes with 2 five round magazins and it costs 1.200€ less then the Blaser. Furthermore the hand cocking lever is operating without making any noise but that may be my thumb also. Still, the R8 is an excellent rifle but there's other around also at much more reasonable prices.
Euro gun companies have had some great innovations over the years. One could suggest over engineered in the case of the Blasers, but once you use them you see that is not really a valid criticism. They are just perfectly engineered. The Mauser M12 (a Blaser product) is a great balance between good engineering and over engineering in my opinion.
Hello, one question, Do you think r93 has security problemas? In Madrid (spain) there was an accident with one R93 in 2001, and it seems that R98 was made with s safe action and that is why the bolt angle is more straight. Do you think R93 can be more dangerous os more insecure....?? Congratulations for the video
Hello Juan, Thanks for writing. People have sent me pictures of R93 accidents and failures. I have owned many rifles and many different actions including the R93. I could cause any one of them to fail. In regular use however, I found the R93 to be completely reliable with no evidence of design flaws or manufacturing errors. The R8 may have increased the point at which action failure is possible, yet the R93 was already functioning perfectly with failure points far above industry standards. I would not hesitate to buy or use an R93 and own and use rifles with much lower standards that are still entirely safe. I hope that makes sense and helps. Please write again if I'm not clear. All the best and Happy Easter.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns Hello,I thought I should put the link with the R93 accident reports. Personally I have a frind with Blaser R93 who went through double firing several times. He ended up selling the rifle. I think Blaser is an exceptional brand and I already had the opportunity to fire the R8 and was tempted to buy one. Also tried a F16 over/under shotgun. It is a fact that accidents happen, even more when they involve a firearms. In Portugal gunsmiths do not have a good impression of the R93 and whenever this model appears on second hand market, the price is always lower (maybe due to bad reputation?). Anyway thanks for your work and keep safe! lutzmoeller.net/Waffen/Blaser/R93/Blaser-R93.php (use google translator)
Blaser makes nice rifles but they take a fortune for them. Have you got a Brenner BR18? And what do you think about the new Mauser 18 the "Volksgewehr". Do you also compare the abilities of the rifles you got? Do you take them to the range and compare their accuracy? Or do you only look at rifles in a technical way?
Hi NimrodNo22, Good of you to ask. The Blasers are expensive for sure; shotguns and rifles. I don't have a Brenner and have not handled one. They are interesting on video though and seem to have interesting lugs and locking. The Mauser 18 should be in a video soon😁. I shoot at the range often and should film more there. The accuracy of most rifles is quite good so the features, function, handling and fit and finish seem to be quite interesting for people; all of which can be examined and commented on in the peace and quiet of my humble studio.😁
The Mauser M96 was offered for a short time in the early 90's. The bolt handle is well forward of the trigger and the bolt locks by way of multiple locking lugs. The rifle was accurate and reliable but a little different and so did not catch on with the public. I remember it was advertised as "the rifle for the next century" - which didn't happen; yet it was a solid attempt. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
Very surprised to see that the r93 had a rimfire barrel as I am a bit of a rimfire nut. Always a pleasure to see one of your videos appear on my feed. Since you did a video on falling blocks a while back, I guess I'll sate my curiosity, do you have any experience with the Haenel rimfire falling block rifle? I managed to score one a while back, extremely fine piece of German engineering that I figured would be interesting to you as a collector from a technical standpoint.
The Haenel AYDT action is very interesting. I had a Schuetzen rifle in an unusual caliber that was quite accurate. The one I had was a center fire. Yours might be a Zimmerstutzen (German for "room shooting" - which relates to Flobert parlor shooting) - which could be for the 4mm rimfire. Please send more details - I'm quite interested. These are all meticulously made rifles and the best of them are among the top firearms ever made.
It's actually a 22LR Haenel KK Sport, or what seems to be a predecessor to the later produced models. It is in 22lr, and fairly accurate for it's age. Near as I have been able to tell, the one I have predates the commercial models and is marked FL - KLIENKALIBURBURCHES as well as the usual cartridge stamping with no factory markings present otherwise. It still maintains the externally adjustable trigger of the Haenel KK Sport, but has a non-ball bearing detent method of securing the operating lever in the closed position(leading me to my age assumption). Very neat design, has a cheeky little tongue like extending extractor that deals with the issue of pivoting extractors in rimfire falling blocks nicely.
I don’t think Mauser could go wrong making 98s again. A of mine has two rifles with 98 actions, I offered to buy them just for the actions but he wouldn’t sell. He did sell my son his Garand though.
Always a joy to see some more of your collection. Just curious as to the size of your collection? For me I'm creeping up on fifty, but imagine that pales in comparison. Also mine are in no way near the quality of some of yours
Hi Betchlife - your number is not too far off; they come and they go - the rare and the exclusive ones are far fewer in number. With the channel I try to study the rifles that are of interest to viewers; some I donèt have for very long. I keep learning.
There are so many unique gems out there. European firearms are usually quite nice. I wish i could be the same with my collection but i get too attached to my firearms. haha. For a while i was very interested in improvised and "craft" built firearms. Here in Canada there is some restriction to what we get, and where we can get it from. to really have access to buy lots of neat stuff, you need to have a FFL or like a "dealer" license which carries crazy yearly fees So many guns, too little money. haha..
Hi AJ - The earlier Blasers using the rail system were excellent and unique yet were essentially short-bolt turn bolts on rails. The R93 and R8 are straight pull with collet locking. The earlier turn bolt models had the bolt handle either forward or back on the bolt body - which was the most notable difference. Some people don't like reaching too far forward for the bolt handle. Hope this makes sense.
You're right they did have a straight pull with the bolt handle far forward and multiple locking lugs. I think Roessler makes the rifle again. Straight pulls have been around for over a hundred years - they are interesting and fast. All the best.
The slickest, most easily operated Bolt Action (Target) Rifle-in your opinion-would be the...Blaser? The Merkel? The Anschutz Fortner? An Izhmash Model 7-2? Could you please, possibly compare the Fortner to the Izhmash 7-2, in 22lr? I’m very curious to know what YOUR OPINION IS. A Blaser in 22lr? I might be wrong, but it doesn’t look all that smooth?! Thanks very much for sharing this video, always the classiest vids on TH-cam...(you can see my friend, Stew and I shooting on his channel-‘WestCoaster’, I’m your Quadriplegic fan!). Merry Christmas to you & yours.
Hello! Great to hear from you. The Merkel Helix is the easiest and slickest to operate; also bolt handle movement is minimal due to the ratio of mevement. Accuracy in the two I tested was superb - naturally a heavier barrel would be even more stable over long shooting sessions. A Helix in .308 is the ticket - or the caliber of your choice. As for .22s - the Fortner is the easy winner - astonishingly smooth and quick - accuracy beyond belief - their hunting rifle based on the Fortner is an ambition of mine. The Model 52 Winchester is right up there - but it is not a straight pull. I hope this helps. Thank you for your kind words, your support and comments. I wish you a wonderful, peaceful and happy Christmas and all the very best for 2019 - and always. Your friend, Mike
USOG Thank YOU very much for sharing your insight with me. I had a feeling-because I’ve seen your video on 'Straight Pull Action' Rifles-that the Helix would be your choice of the 'center' fire rifles, but I was hoping that the Izhmash might be as good as the Fortner...being about 1/4-1/3 the price of its German (Biathlon) 'competition'. I’m not going to get out of my chair and be able to go cross country skiing, but because I sit and shoot, the Anschutz 1727F & the Izhmash 7-2 seemed like suitable (& similar) rifles. I appreciate & respect your opinion, thanks for sharing it! Now, I shall begin saving my 'loose pocket change'/spare $100 bills for the day I order my own Anschutz 1727'F', the VERY SAME walnut stocked beauty that you mentioned ☝🏼🙄. Thanks again, Mike.
I tried to read about them as I have no first hand experience with Mitchell Mausers. From what I found they seem to present they are offering high condition Mauser 98 rifles from Eastern Block countries; some with matching numbers. You likely know all that - which doesn't sound bad. Please let me know what the horror stories say. I'm very interested - as usual. : )
USOG sure glad to give you the limited info i have! The stories go that Mitchell had advertised these Mausers (mainly the k98) as real nazi rifles when in fact many were Russian captures or brief post war production, stripped down, markings grinded off, and then reblued/restored/restamped...some being restamped with markings not original to the rifle (such as nazi dead head marking or the other waffen marks like the eagles). So long story longer...they were mostly refinished from what i understand...but the internet claims many were outright forgery or "forced matched" by grinding off important markings then remarked so all part were matched in number. Proof has been mainly discussed by folks comparing these refinished Mausers with pictures of original versions...things cited were differences in font and polished bolt handles when the Germans blued all their bolt handles. So all in all i thought i would ask you in case you had any insight! I only know what i know from the internet and of course we know how that goes! Still i see Mitchell Mausers on auction sites all the time and while they certainly don't fetch any premium they generally are going up in value and remain an affordable k98 it seems. So perhaps it serves a purpose for a collector who cannot pay the premium but wants to appreciate.
I don't know where Classic got that last batch of K98s but they were nice. They weren't original but they were still in very good condition. They looked to have been restored, but to as issued. They even had the white lettering in the stampings.
I'm a tad late to this video but.... at the start of Feb this year I picked up a Mauser M96 American in 30-06. These would not be common here in Ireland but are not unheard of in the UK. I have come across several references in Australia and New Zealand. I was attracted to it on three points: 1st: the calibre, I was looking for something for my deer shooting and a chance at driven boar and the 06 suited my taste. 2nd: the combination of Mauser and the fact it was a straight pull (even with its odd design) was a big plus. 3rd: I had in fact hunted with the M96 before on driven boar days (unsuccessfuly mind you) in France, so I knew the gun first hand. This model as far as I can determine is pre Blazer / Mauser days and may be the innovation influence of Rheinmatel when they had Mauser. When this arrangement finished the Blazer influence and design won out and the M98 fell out of production with in a few short years. Their is some thought, as in the name, that it was orginaly destined for the US market but it failed to make head way there and that was that. Of the original design there are 3 models, 1 in stainless steel, 1 Deluxe and 1 standard. My French friend has a deluxe model with detachable magazine in the classic mauser 7mm and no iron sights. Mine has a blind 4/5 shot magazine and no open sights (factory finish) with deep bluing and walnut stock. There is a 3 stage tang safety similar to modem Styer bolt actions. Orginal models came complete with quick release sling swivels and I suspect common scope mounts. The action is drilled and tapped as for Remington 700 and therefore accepts various styles of scope mounting systems. As above models came complete with or without iron sights, with express style sights weekly the norm. They come in various calibres and actions both long and short as you would expect in a modern hunting rifle. They are touted as a light rifle and certainly with out optics they are not a heavy firearm. The design is bulky and not slim as you may come across in mountain rifles but they are very pointable, like a shotgun and shooting 180gr SP is not noticeable or and issue. Trigger (non adjustable) pull is known to be heavy at around 5Lb but again it's not an issue when shooting. The straight pull bolt locks by 16 lugs and some describe it as a bolt action 'Stoner' after the M16. It is interesting that the whole bolt and cocking lever etc must be completely in battery for it to fire, an added safety feature weather by design or fault. The forward position of the cocking lever is strange to look at but even with my barrel chest and short arms works very well and is smooth and fast. Accuracy is good and managed to obtain 1inch groups and less with 128gr FMJ and 180gr SP. My rifle is threaded for a moderator and I run a Wildcat Preditor (reflex) on it, balance is acceptable but I don't plan sporting it for driven hunts. It was fitted with a 20MOA rail when at the time of purchase but mated with my 8x56 Schmidt & Bender classic it shoots to high to be effective. I am in the process of fitting two piece Warne rails mated with QD rings so that I can replace the 8x56 with a red dot for driven hunts. If you fancy something similar but from Rosler (Germany) have more or less relaunched the rifle as the Titan16 straight pull, this time there are a multitude of options including switch out barrels but no blind magazine. It would be nice to know if parts where interchangable as orginal parts for the American are drying up. Anyone looking for a owners manual drop me a message and I'll email you a digital one. Unfortunately deer season ends here on the last day of February so unless I get an out of season licence for culling I'll have to blood it on foxs once I've the scope mounted again.
Hello a Point! Thank you for taking the time to write such a comprehensive post. The Mauser M96 or 1996 is a much sought after rifle - including by me - but there are few to be had. I like the action though and handled one years ago. The locking lugs remind everyone of the AR and even with the forward bolt handle - people found them quick, easy to operate and accurate. I've often wondered how the hunting is in Ireland - and gun laws; if you have a moment please let me know. Best to you and good hunting - deer or fox : )
120 years in the future since the Mauser 98 and we have a few gun guns that could challenge for the better rifle status in terms of bolt action rifles................. Just the fact that the Mauser 98 is as it does the job over and over even after 120 years it still gets my rewards,there is nothing better then Mauser 98 for what it did..120 years back in ww2 even it was on the nazi side it was a awesome design that holds up in 2018 without a problem vs competion who bring out........but a 100% better design i havent seen so far in the bolt action guns. But i like older guns and there designs......................( I love John Browing guns cause there are simple and easy vs the german guns who do the same like the MG42 or luger pistols) The gewehr 98 is a relative simple but super design i love it for its strenght and cause the fact it never fails it just alwasy does the job.
Great video of Blaser and that's great to show the evolution of design. And here's some of them being fired! Here is the pee wee of the R93 - The 22LR th-cam.com/video/nJy25Aa1hUE/w-d-xo.html Here is the big bore of the R93 - The 416 Remington th-cam.com/video/zxeDeblylrs/w-d-xo.html
Extremely beautiful rifle which I have seen in my life... Sir, Do you have any "CAPE GUN" in ur collection sir ? If any please do educate me and us with that kind of gun.. Regards SATHVIK
Hello Sathvik, I don't have a cape gun; I used to have 2. One was a 16 ga X 10.3 X 65R. The other was 16 x 9.3 x 72R Do you have a Cape Gun? If so, please send details. Many thanks. The left barrel was the shotgun on both. I'll find another and make a video.
USOG Well sir in India we have permission to keep just 3 weapons. Right now I own 1 ) BSA .22 CAL PUMP ACTION RIFLE 2 ) A 12 BORE OVER UNDER SHOTGUN MADE BY MODERN GUN WORKS INDIA Soon I'm planning to buy a German Cape gun with a 12 bore shot gun and a 405 Winchester . After I acquir that I'll surely post it's video. Regards sathvik
Dirst it was the Spandau rifle the Kaiser had with telescopic system, then 60 years or more later the M66, later the Blaser 93 copied or borrowed much from Mauser 66
I think you are not alone there, Foerster made many of the Imperial Courts weapons i think its easier to find some of them. I am dreaming of a little double in 8x57jrs for driven hunts, without reloading . With reloading 8x75RS or 8x65RS but that is a offshoot. Why not a 6mm Remington ala the early 1900 style on a fine Mauser 66 action .
Between the SR30 and the R8 I doubt there's anything that even comes close to bolt design innovation or lock up pressure tolerances... Sure there's faster actions like the Helix/Maral, even the Mauser96/Roessler Titan 16 but they just aren't as solid.
Hi Ivan, The only way I can think of is the naming of the cartridge according to metric dimensions instead of the American system based on bore and other features or aspects of the cartridge - such as 30-06. Please let me know if you aware of some other link between the 8X68 and 7X57 as they are far apart in time and dimensionally quite different - as you know - as well; although they are both European. I like several rifles in each. The 8X68 is quite impressive but I am generally not one for immense power and prefer the 7X57 - which has yet to fail me. All the best.
USOG Well, in that aspect they are very similar, but most European cartridges are named that way. There are no similarities between the two except the nomenclature and the place of origin between the two, at least that I'm aware of. 8x68 is very impressive and it is my favorite magnum, but it is also overpowered for most of the game you're going to hunt on the Old Continent. I also much more prefer my 6,5x57R for high stand hunting and 8x57JRS for driven hunts. We both know its not about the energy, but about the shot placement and bullet construction. You have a very impressive collection, keep up the good work!
Hi AidarYes - Quite a few - but a lot less then most of my collector friends. Nice thing about free countries : one has freedom to collect. I know one fellow who has 5000 gold coins. They are nice to handle but very poor performance at the range.
Yes, very good memory. The Mauser Model 96 was available for a short time. The bolt handle was quite far forward of the trigger. The bolt had multiple locking lugs. The action was interesting but it was not a commercial success. A viewer told me that some other company is offering a modified version, which I have not been able to find so far.
I wonder if The Rössler Titan is just a mauser 1996 redressed (and made cheaper than a mauser product) It has gotten some really bad reviews. Håkan Spuhr (of Spuhr mounts) wrote a legendary (in Swedish hunting circles) review about it totally demolshing it (:
They sold the Rights to Rössler once Lüke&Ortmeier took over the Mauser Brand. It was actually called Mauser M96 and there was also a Mauser M97 (manual Cocking). The Gun itself isn't too bad, I owned three of them and hunted with them quite successfully.
Hi John, You may have something there; but it is easiest to see that which is under the brightest light....and I am at least half German. Still, something is going on.
I am quite surprised! 1.) You name the video "...Blaser Evolution..." and talk more than half of the time about other gun munufacturers. 2.) You skipped the SR 850 which is an important step from the SR830 to the R93 and R8 3.) Particularily not a single word about the extraordinary safety installations of the SR850 which is even better than the later models R93 and R8 as they are immediately unlocked after repeating the second shot once you have unlocked the gun. The SR850 has to be unlocked after every single shot as the gun locks itself automatically when you are repeating 4.) Where are the evaluation of the next steps of Blaser Evolution with the R93 and the R8 which were big steps again? All over all I have to say incomplete and somehow superfluous! Very sad!
I own a sr850/88. Never felt a Rifle with more ”feel” to it. Fantastic rifle.
When it comes to the channels here on TH-cam who share what they own in their collection. You Sir have the best taste bar none.
Such kind and generous words Charles. Thank you very much.
Thank YOU.. In a day that most firearm channels. Who refer to a firearm as a "weapon" or a "system". You confer style, art, and design. You express how important true workmanship has meaning. I subscribe to over 100 firearm channels here on TH-cam(and NO ThunderRanch and Hickok45 are not included). I put you in the top 2. With Ian's Forgotten Weapons channel being the other.
As I look for content. I am overcome with countless uploads about another "Johnny come lately" AR variant. Then I think. Who are these people? Where are the people that love to shoot and collect firearms?
Not just the Military Surplus stuff. But firearms that show the craftsmanship of bluing, checkering, as well as the engineering that goes into it.
I know you have real insight about firearms. Why? In the background there is Your bookcase of Gun Digest. Which looks like it goes back to the Nixon administration.
Keep it coming!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What can I say Charles - and I might have said it before; but I am humbled by the warmth and generosity of your words. I will continue to show and share what I know and aspire to bring even more meaning to the channel. As a friend of mine used to say "Guns are how we got to where we are."
Lol, you cannot talk about the Mauser 98 too much, it's impossible. Thank you for another great video comparing excellent rifles.
Thanks Paul
It’s boring, blows gas in your face, unsmooth, overly expensive to manufacture and no more reliable than plenty of other systems... I personally think they’re massively over rated but that’s just me. They’re like the cb750’s of the gun world, I get it they work, people love em, but they’re bland and if you’ve seen one you’ve seen em all...
These are by far the best gun videos if not one of the best educational videos on TH-cam. When you are talking about a subject you know everything about you only have to worry about boring the people that aren't really interested in the first place. In other words anyone who is bored by this doesn't belong here.
Really enjoy the informative videos. No such thing as too much Mauser talk. Mauser is a landmark achievement and is the best design for comparison with other bolt systems.
Thanks Phil.
Thank you Sir for sharing your knowledge and collection of incredible rifles. I have learned a great deal just watching your video content.
The thanks are all mine Stephen. Glad you are here.
I have been following a German gunstore on Egun that ships to Norway also for a little fee. They have some museum expamples of Mauser 98 and ø22s , look so good .
It's amazing, your collecting arc is much like my own. I have been collecting Mauser's for 20 years and that led me to Blaser. In many ways I think the BlaserR93/R8 is the spiritual successor to the Model 98. They are just as ground breaking as the M98 design, problem is the world hasn't yet caught on to it! I really did not know the connection between the 66 action and the SR830, but now I have no doubt the 66 influenced the early Blaser straight pulls. Maybe even some of the Mauser engineers went to Blaser in the early 80's, I am convinced! The name of the engineer at Blaser that did the R93 is Meinhard Zeh, I wonder if he started at Mauser?
"The Blaser R93 displays a locking surface of 66 mm2 (0.102 in2) compared to 56 mm2 (0.087 in2) for the Mauser 98." - from wikipedia. That means almost 15% more locking surface. They are in fact much stronger. "The Blaser R8 displays a locking surface of 96 mm2 (0.149 in2) compared to 56 mm2 (0.087 in2) for the Mauser 98." That's over 40% more locking surface than an M98!!
The Mauser 66 was actually designed by Walter Gehmann, a well known Man among German Sport Shooters. There's still a Store in Karlsruhe selling Guns with his Name.
I bought a R8 last year, when it was a striking deal ( 2200 Canadian dollar). It is a piece of art in my opinion, only the case and packaging is enough to say it. Thanks again for a great video.~!
Hi Robert, I hope you bought 2! Great buy for an unexpectedly unique and functional engineering achievement. The R8 (and the R93) are in their own class - no one could have seen them coming. The locking collet is brilliantly applied. Even those who tell me they don't like the Blasers admit to the extraordinary design. Glad you like the videos.
They only had one last set for half price, I'd bought more if they had more. Although the caliber isn't perfect (270 win), but still, it will be a great gift to the next generation :D.
@@robertshinenne1584 good thing that the r8 can change calibers then :)
Boring people? I dont think you have to worry about that, as your videos include very specific and interesting aspects not seen in other places. I myself, and im sure a lot of fellow viewers would concur, would enjoy gathering even more knowledge.
Thank you so much - means the world to me.
I have a Blaser r93 and it was interesting to get some history behind it.
Thanks for writing - glad the video was useful.
The best hands on information channel, I love the older Mauser rifles speciaty the ww2 era , the late 1800s and early 1900s gun geniuses can't never be surpass even Whit today's computers ,
100% Joe - the Mauser is still the best.
Had zero idea this was even available and I see you can still get them....thanks again
Superb briefing on this high quality family of firearms. Thank you!
Thank you Jean!
I’m a Mauser guy as well. All the best designs are timeless.
I am an owner of SR850/88 which was latest version of the SR rifle.
I can confirm that "It is hard to describe how smooth it is" :)
There are some differences between those two versions and I would like to say that the only one defect(long way from the bolt handle to the trigger) which was presented in the video was solved in further version of the rifle(or in EU version - this is which I own).
Hello Czachor - you have the best version, with the better located bolt handle - a fantastic rifle; I'm glad you have one - not many people do. Thanks for writing.
USOG the different volt handle location is not all what was changed. The fireing pin is tensioned by rotation od the handle. It is very ergonomic.
Is in your version fireing pin always tensioned when you close the bolt? Do the "hammer" stay in fireing position?
Hi - On mine when you close the bolt the rifle is ready to fire. Pushing the lever at the back de-cocks the rifle - much like the R8 / R93. To cock the action again I just push the lever forward.
I went in the vault just now and checked the operation of the rifle. There is also a decocker button on the right side of the action. If you close the bolt and do not want it to be cocked just push the decocker - as on a pistol and the striker is decocked.
USOG do it means that you don't need to manualy cock at every shot?
the next one wasnt the r93 . It was the Sr850/88 which had the bolthandle right above the trigger :)
Thank you for the reminder - it is true; I could not find one ...yet.
Amazing collection, i have read about these guns but never seen one......you are a very lucky man to have these and the rest of your collection. thank you for sharing
I'm very lucky
You can talk about Mausers all you want. I can't get enough
Great inspiration. Thanks Sir
Europtic! Located in the town of montoursville Pennsylvania. I have been to their warehouse...as a funny story i was looking for an aics stock on their website and didn't realize they don't have a show room! It was just a warehouse office...great guys there though and very accommodating. They even offered to have things shipped to that location if i was interested in seeing things in person.
Nice video sir. You explended blaser rifle very well. ✌️
That was a fun video. I've heard of the Blaser rifles but was not really familiar with them. What a very interesting design! I agree that's got to be the strongest 22 action I've ever seen and even heard of. I don't find your historical background at all boring it's one of the reasons I'm here. I really enjoy the history of firearms and the slow building of ideas off the previous designs. It really makes you appreciate some guns more when you finally see what went into engineering them. Your collection does offer your viewers an advantage in seeing them side by side. The smoothness of those actions actually translates to video quite well. I bet they are some fine shooting pieces of hardware.
Thanks Daniel! I understand Blaser is working on the next versions of the R8 - which will have a different model designation and an even more interesting design with less parts - always a good idea. We'll have to wait and see I guess. All the best to you.
What a beautiful gun! Thanks for the videos, I hope that your health improves.
Thanks JC - I'm still hanging on : )
Really impressed with your collection
Hi Patrick - took awhile and so interesting - the history, the people - wonderful.
Miroku vs Belgian Auto-5s. I love them both.
Both are excellent. One is a legend. I have to find a Miroku though - then I'll film. Thank you!
Thanks for the reply. Keep up the great videos.
Just subscribed to your wonderful chanell sir .Ithink this is the most "gentemanly"chanell there is .Thank you for the interresting ,informative and elegant content.
You’ve got some magnificent rifles.
Thanks Dan!
Great videos! Very informative and well produced. First time I've subscribed on YT.
Thank you Six.5
I am grateful to you and all my subscribers and all those who find meaning in what I have to share, as humble as it may be.
Thank you so very much... Enlightening.. And educational
Thanks for watching Sean!
Really enjoy your videos very informative. We always try to guess what part of the country people are from. I thought Ohio but after hearing you say the word (about) I’m guessing Michigan or Canada or upstate New York you don’t have to answer it’s just in fun
Rock Salt You mean he's not Canadian?!
Oh wow, another video that you knocked out of the park! Talk too much about Mausers....not at all! Keep up exactly what you're doing and don't change a thing. Well done, sir!
Thanks Brad!
USOG yet another great video. If I were to choose a rifle I'd go with original Mauser(own a couple so am partial to them) If Blaser hated the M66 design I concur. It seems like the telescoping bolt is one step too many, as it is not present in Blaser. If I were to choose a straight pull however, after seeing one of your previous videos I think it would be the Merkel Helix. It's a little out of my league but not by much, gives me something to aspire to other than cheap Mausers and CZ's
My buddy bought the 83 in 270 because it was very lightweight. I had a 93 with numerous barrels.
The Blaser SR830 indeed had the bolt handle a bit too far forward. They fixed that in the SR850, which has the bolt handle much closer to the trigger. (I've been eyeing one for a while, at the local gun store.. It's still priced a hefty 1800 euros)
Hello Yao! Yes - you are correct and the R84 must be similar to the SR850. I wanted the SR830 - the one with all the warts. 1800 Euros! I would run to buy that rifle. No one is making these rifles and no one will ever again. You would be buying a usable piece of history. I just tried my SR830 - I forgive the bolt handle a little forward. The bullets had eyes.
True. But our gunstores seem to contain a lot of usable pieces of history ;). Asides that, rifles seem to be getting cheaper and cheaper these days (a brand new Bergara would cost me as much as the second hand full-stock CZ550 standing next to it).
This year, I'm buying myself a new hog/deer rifle, so I'm looking around a bit. The Blaser was chambered in 6.5x68, which is a bit exotic (ie. expensive), and I would like to have my rifle in a more regular cartridge such as the 7x64 or .270. A shame though, I would really love to own a Blaser, as it seems that everybody and their dog seems to own a Blaser nowadays. But the thrifty Dutchman in me says that I shouldn't spend thousands of euros on a brandnew Blaser, whereas there's heaps of great second hand guns priced around a thousand euros.
I understand. I've been there. Please let me know where to buy the Blaser. I'll import it.
like always nice video thanks from IRAN🇮🇷❤️❤️
Hello Yashar - thank you and I wish you and your country all the best. There are millions of people cheering for you - even if you may not be aware of it. I wish you all the best my friend.
Superb channel!
Keep it up on Mausers , the Winchester mod 70 is just a modified causer, same for the Springfield 1903 .and most other American bolt actions .
All true
About the exploding R93 i can share something i was told by a master gunsmith. He told me there is no example of an R93 exploding on factory ammo. Every example of an R93 that failed was caused by unskilled reloaders. Particulary underloaded ammo was the cause of many explosions, with the case laying horizontal and only beeing filled half with powder the powder wasnt burning from the primer towards the bullet but it was ignited along the whole lenght of the case pretty much instantly causing a pressure spike the R93 couldnt handle. But because the R93 was so unusual people were very sceptical about its strengh and that stuck with the action. For the R8 it wasnt really neccessary to reinforce the lockup but to get rid of that stigmata of beeing weak they reinforced it by a lot anyway. The R8 is tested to 14.000bar of pressure and it didnt fail catastrophically it was just broken to the point where they had to destructively open it up and they called it done. For those that arent familliar with bar measurements a regular full power rifle cardridge sits right around 3900bars of pressure so the R8 is plenty strong you could say.
Thank you - clear explanation. I've seen every type of action destroyed by loads that developed too much pressure. Every machine has a well known limit. Exceed that limit and the machine will fail. This applies to bridges, cars, pipes, space ships, dishwashers, guns....toys - there are no exceptions. The R93 is no different from the Mauser 98 or any action. Over thousands of guns and hundreds of thousands of rounds fired - nothing failed for me. I stayed within the limits. : )
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns Great mindset. I think there is a difference between actions in a sense that some will tolerate more pressure than others and they all fail differendly beeing more or less harmful to the shooter. But stick to factory ammo or if you are a reloader stay well within the charts for safe reloads and they all are just fine. Dont play with fire if you dont want to get burned its that simple.
Hi , any chance you could pull apart a Heym bolt assembly so we could all see up close how the ball bearing lock system works internally . great info as always on your channel many thanks!
I'm picking one up tomorrow. I'll see how involved the bolt is; should be able to do it. Thanks for the request.
Great!
Blaser’s are so weird, had an R8 come to us and having never seen one before was quite shocked when I took the magazine out and the entire trigger group came with it 😂
I think you would be surprised by how many of us would find it interesting also. Blazer is not really that well known nor its history. The R-8 lockup actually reminds me of a style of tool collet I seen on a Japanese CNC multi head/tool. When a tool was in the collet it had to withstand an amazing mamount of forces acting on it in different ways, at the same time. Unfortunately for me owning a Blazer rifle is not likely to happen. I have held a couple at gun shows. Fit, finish is like a very high end sports car. Perfect.
The telescoping bolt has interested me from the first Uzi I helped clean. It took me a minute to understand how the components interacted when firing. A bit fascinating in itself. Anyway, thanks for explanation on the operation of the Blazer action.
Hello - You're likely right based on feedback - quite a few people have not seen the R8 or R93 - pity. I see the R8 at lower prices once in awhile - I'm sure you'll end up with one if you like; it seems with guns one rarely loses anything. Glad I shed some light on the action etc... that means the most to me. Glad you're here.
Wow, that's fantastic. I sold a Peruvian about a year ago on Gunbroker, any chance it's the same one? I had it for a few years then found an all matching example I paid a handsome fee for. The Peruvian is my favorite of the South Americans!
11:45 So it is basically flapper locking, Degtyaryov would be proud.
Just started watching some of your videos, must say very informative, I'm 29 and appreciate the older generation rifles and have started my own collection. Was wondering if you were lucky to find those with the beautiful stocks on the rifle already? Or if you put those stocks on yourself, I'm a big fan of wood stocks, love seeing the different grain in the stocks I've seen on some of yours. Good day to you
Hello Judy - I mostly find the ones with the fine stocks. I have made some stocks and paid for custom stocks as well - but I usually wait until a great stock shows up and don't hesitate to buy.
Blaser is very popular here in Germany. I think the reason for that is not so much the exceptional engineering but the marketing they do. I have the R8 and did hunt a lot with it. Action is super smooth as you describe it and the manual cocking is a vital safety feature especially when stalking. But: they are totally overpriced compared to what they actually provide. It's a lot of plastic pieces which I don't necessarily like. Since I could get my self a Steelaction the Blaser stays in the cabinet most of the time. Action is way more simple the the Blaser's, it is all steel except the feeding piece in the magazine, it has picatinny rails milled on the receiver which allows you to buy cheaper scope mounts, it comes with 2 five round magazins and it costs 1.200€ less then the Blaser. Furthermore the hand cocking lever is operating without making any noise but that may be my thumb also. Still, the R8 is an excellent rifle but there's other around also at much more reasonable prices.
Blaser lugs locks directly on the barrel. This is a ruge advantage for inherit accuracy.
Hi Luis - they truly are amazing rifles - those Blasers! Thanks for the note and be healthy my friend.
Euro gun companies have had some great innovations over the years. One could suggest over engineered in the case of the Blasers, but once you use them you see that is not really a valid criticism. They are just perfectly engineered. The Mauser M12 (a Blaser product) is a great balance between good engineering and over engineering in my opinion.
Hi Freddy - fine comment - I have to get the M12.
Hello, one question, Do you think r93 has security problemas? In Madrid (spain) there was an accident with one R93 in 2001, and it seems that R98 was made with s safe action and that is why the bolt angle is more straight. Do you think R93 can be more dangerous os more insecure....?? Congratulations for the video
Hello Juan, Thanks for writing. People have sent me pictures of R93 accidents and failures. I have owned many rifles and many different actions including the R93. I could cause any one of them to fail. In regular use however, I found the R93 to be completely reliable with no evidence of design flaws or manufacturing errors. The R8 may have increased the point at which action failure is possible, yet the R93 was already functioning perfectly with failure points far above industry standards. I would not hesitate to buy or use an R93 and own and use rifles with much lower standards that are still entirely safe. I hope that makes sense and helps. Please write again if I'm not clear. All the best and Happy Easter.
USOG. I untherstand that there are Many rifles that have given securuty problems, so if I ask you to buy a R93 I untherstand that it is POSITIVE. ?
Oh yes. I would buy one.
So you consider the r8 a little better just wondering
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns Hello,I thought I should put the link with the R93 accident reports. Personally I have a frind with Blaser R93 who went through double firing several times. He ended up selling the rifle.
I think Blaser is an exceptional brand and I already had the opportunity to fire the R8 and was tempted to buy one. Also tried a F16 over/under shotgun. It is a fact that accidents happen, even more when they involve a firearms. In Portugal gunsmiths do not have a good impression of the R93 and whenever this model appears on second hand market, the price is always lower (maybe due to bad reputation?).
Anyway thanks for your work and keep safe!
lutzmoeller.net/Waffen/Blaser/R93/Blaser-R93.php
(use google translator)
Blaser makes nice rifles but they take a fortune for them. Have you got a Brenner BR18? And what do you think about the new Mauser 18 the "Volksgewehr". Do you also compare the abilities of the rifles you got? Do you take them to the range and compare their accuracy? Or do you only look at rifles in a technical way?
Hi NimrodNo22, Good of you to ask. The Blasers are expensive for sure; shotguns and rifles. I don't have a Brenner and have not handled one. They are interesting on video though and seem to have interesting lugs and locking. The Mauser 18 should be in a video soon😁. I shoot at the range often and should film more there. The accuracy of most rifles is quite good so the features, function, handling and fit and finish seem to be quite interesting for people; all of which can be examined and commented on in the peace and quiet of my humble studio.😁
Another interesting rifle Mauser M96 straight pull. Where it fits in Mauser history?
The Mauser M96 was offered for a short time in the early 90's. The bolt handle is well forward of the trigger and the bolt locks by way of multiple locking lugs. The rifle was accurate and reliable but a little different and so did not catch on with the public. I remember it was advertised as "the rifle for the next century" - which didn't happen; yet it was a solid attempt. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
Very surprised to see that the r93 had a rimfire barrel as I am a bit of a rimfire nut. Always a pleasure to see one of your videos appear on my feed. Since you did a video on falling blocks a while back, I guess I'll sate my curiosity, do you have any experience with the Haenel rimfire falling block rifle? I managed to score one a while back, extremely fine piece of German engineering that I figured would be interesting to you as a collector from a technical standpoint.
The Haenel AYDT action is very interesting. I had a Schuetzen rifle in an unusual caliber that was quite accurate. The one I had was a center fire. Yours might be a Zimmerstutzen (German for "room shooting" - which relates to Flobert parlor shooting) - which could be for the 4mm rimfire. Please send more details - I'm quite interested. These are all meticulously made rifles and the best of them are among the top firearms ever made.
It's actually a 22LR Haenel KK Sport, or what seems to be a predecessor to the later produced models. It is in 22lr, and fairly accurate for it's age. Near as I have been able to tell, the one I have predates the commercial models and is marked FL - KLIENKALIBURBURCHES as well as the usual cartridge stamping with no factory markings present otherwise. It still maintains the externally adjustable trigger of the Haenel KK Sport, but has a non-ball bearing detent method of securing the operating lever in the closed position(leading me to my age assumption). Very neat design, has a cheeky little tongue like extending extractor that deals with the issue of pivoting extractors in rimfire falling blocks nicely.
Is the bolt head interchangeable on the R93 like on the R8?
Great walk-through of the Blaser evolution!
I am not a Blaser fanboy, but they are certainly innovative.
I don’t think Mauser could go wrong making 98s again. A of mine has two rifles with 98 actions, I offered to buy them just for the actions but he wouldn’t sell. He did sell my son his Garand though.
Always a joy to see some more of your collection.
Just curious as to the size of your collection?
For me I'm creeping up on fifty, but imagine that pales in comparison. Also mine are in no way near the quality of some of yours
Hi Betchlife - your number is not too far off; they come and they go - the rare and the exclusive ones are far fewer in number. With the channel I try to study the rifles that are of interest to viewers; some I donèt have for very long. I keep learning.
There are so many unique gems out there. European firearms are usually quite nice. I wish i could be the same with my collection but i get too attached to my firearms. haha. For a while i was very interested in improvised and "craft" built firearms. Here in Canada there is some restriction to what we get, and where we can get it from. to really have access to buy lots of neat stuff, you need to have a FFL or like a "dealer" license which carries crazy yearly fees
So many guns, too little money. haha..
How about the Blaser SR 88/850? What is the diferens betwint that and the SR 830?
Hi AJ - The earlier Blasers using the rail system were excellent and unique yet were essentially short-bolt turn bolts on rails. The R93 and R8 are straight pull with collet locking. The earlier turn bolt models had the bolt handle either forward or back on the bolt body - which was the most notable difference. Some people don't like reaching too far forward for the bolt handle. Hope this makes sense.
i have never seen such bizarre mag for r 93 whats that?
Hi Michael - Maybe I missed something - I'll have to look again; I thought it was regular R93.
I might be wrong but didn't Mauser come out with a straight pull bolt M1996 maybe they were the first straight pull rifles
You're right they did have a straight pull with the bolt handle far forward and multiple locking lugs. I think Roessler makes the rifle again. Straight pulls have been around for over a hundred years - they are interesting and fast. All the best.
Excellent video. History is wonderful. Very well presented, I learned a lot. Many thanks!!!! :-)
Hi Rick, Hope all is well in Florida! Have a great weekend and thank you!
The slickest, most easily operated Bolt Action (Target) Rifle-in your opinion-would be the...Blaser? The Merkel? The Anschutz Fortner? An Izhmash Model 7-2? Could you please, possibly compare the Fortner to the Izhmash 7-2, in 22lr? I’m very curious to know what YOUR OPINION IS. A Blaser in 22lr? I might be wrong, but it doesn’t look all that smooth?! Thanks very much for sharing this video, always the classiest vids on TH-cam...(you can see my friend, Stew and I shooting on his channel-‘WestCoaster’, I’m your Quadriplegic fan!). Merry Christmas to you & yours.
Hello! Great to hear from you. The Merkel Helix is the easiest and slickest to operate; also bolt handle movement is minimal due to the ratio of mevement. Accuracy in the two I tested was superb - naturally a heavier barrel would be even more stable over long shooting sessions. A Helix in .308 is the ticket - or the caliber of your choice. As for .22s - the Fortner is the easy winner - astonishingly smooth and quick - accuracy beyond belief - their hunting rifle based on the Fortner is an ambition of mine. The Model 52 Winchester is right up there - but it is not a straight pull. I hope this helps. Thank you for your kind words, your support and comments. I wish you a wonderful, peaceful and happy Christmas and all the very best for 2019 - and always. Your friend, Mike
USOG Thank YOU very much for sharing your insight with me. I had a feeling-because I’ve seen your video on 'Straight Pull Action' Rifles-that the Helix would be your choice of the 'center' fire rifles, but I was hoping that the Izhmash might be as good as the Fortner...being about 1/4-1/3 the price of its German (Biathlon) 'competition'. I’m not going to get out of my chair and be able to go cross country skiing, but because I sit and shoot, the Anschutz 1727F & the Izhmash 7-2 seemed like suitable (& similar) rifles. I appreciate & respect your opinion, thanks for sharing it! Now, I shall begin saving my 'loose pocket change'/spare $100 bills for the day I order my own Anschutz 1727'F', the VERY SAME walnut stocked beauty that you mentioned ☝🏼🙄. Thanks again, Mike.
Any thoughts on the Mitchell Mausers? Local shop told me they have one but I've only heard horror stories about Mitchell's.
I tried to read about them as I have no first hand experience with Mitchell Mausers. From what I found they seem to present they are offering high condition Mauser 98 rifles from Eastern Block countries; some with matching numbers. You likely know all that - which doesn't sound bad. Please let me know what the horror stories say. I'm very interested - as usual. : )
USOG sure glad to give you the limited info i have! The stories go that Mitchell had advertised these Mausers (mainly the k98) as real nazi rifles when in fact many were Russian captures or brief post war production, stripped down, markings grinded off, and then reblued/restored/restamped...some being restamped with markings not original to the rifle (such as nazi dead head marking or the other waffen marks like the eagles). So long story longer...they were mostly refinished from what i understand...but the internet claims many were outright forgery or "forced matched" by grinding off important markings then remarked so all part were matched in number. Proof has been mainly discussed by folks comparing these refinished Mausers with pictures of original versions...things cited were differences in font and polished bolt handles when the Germans blued all their bolt handles. So all in all i thought i would ask you in case you had any insight! I only know what i know from the internet and of course we know how that goes! Still i see Mitchell Mausers on auction sites all the time and while they certainly don't fetch any premium they generally are going up in value and remain an affordable k98 it seems. So perhaps it serves a purpose for a collector who cannot pay the premium but wants to appreciate.
I don't know where Classic got that last batch of K98s but they were nice. They weren't original but they were still in very good condition. They looked to have been restored, but to as issued. They even had the white lettering in the stampings.
Nice, always nice videos sir , did you tried mauser m96 straid pull. I thing it was still mauser -werke , oberndorf, great regards sir👍👍👍
Hey - mo nooo - I wish I could find one! I would buy and try and review in a heartbeat. Thanks for the reminder.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns thanks for answer sir. Yes hard to find ,maybe maid small series. Love your videos , ceep going sir 👍👍👍
I'm a tad late to this video but.... at the start of Feb this year I picked up a Mauser M96 American in 30-06. These would not be common here in Ireland but are not unheard of in the UK. I have come across several references in Australia and New Zealand.
I was attracted to it on three points:
1st: the calibre, I was looking for something for my deer shooting and a chance at driven boar and the 06 suited my taste.
2nd: the combination of Mauser and the fact it was a straight pull (even with its odd design) was a big plus.
3rd: I had in fact hunted with the M96 before on driven boar days (unsuccessfuly mind you) in France, so I knew the gun first hand.
This model as far as I can determine is pre Blazer / Mauser days and may be the innovation influence of Rheinmatel when they had Mauser. When this arrangement finished the Blazer influence and design won out and the M98 fell out of production with in a few short years.
Their is some thought, as in the name, that it was orginaly destined for the US market but it failed to make head way there and that was that.
Of the original design there are 3 models, 1 in stainless steel, 1 Deluxe and 1 standard. My French friend has a deluxe model with detachable magazine in the classic mauser 7mm and no iron sights. Mine has a blind 4/5 shot magazine and no open sights (factory finish) with deep bluing and walnut stock. There is a 3 stage tang safety similar to modem Styer bolt actions. Orginal models came complete with quick release sling swivels and I suspect common scope mounts. The action is drilled and tapped as for Remington 700 and therefore accepts various styles of scope mounting systems. As above models came complete with or without iron sights, with express style sights weekly the norm.
They come in various calibres and actions both long and short as you would expect in a modern hunting rifle.
They are touted as a light rifle and certainly with out optics they are not a heavy firearm. The design is bulky and not slim as you may come across in mountain rifles but they are very pointable, like a shotgun and shooting 180gr SP is not noticeable or and issue.
Trigger (non adjustable) pull is known to be heavy at around 5Lb but again it's not an issue when shooting.
The straight pull bolt locks by 16 lugs and some describe it as a bolt action 'Stoner' after the M16. It is interesting that the whole bolt and cocking lever etc must be completely in battery for it to fire, an added safety feature weather by design or fault. The forward position of the cocking lever is strange to look at but even with my barrel chest and short arms works very well and is smooth and fast.
Accuracy is good and managed to obtain 1inch groups and less with 128gr FMJ and 180gr SP.
My rifle is threaded for a moderator and I run a Wildcat Preditor (reflex) on it, balance is acceptable but I don't plan sporting it for driven hunts.
It was fitted with a 20MOA rail when at the time of purchase but mated with my 8x56 Schmidt & Bender classic it shoots to high to be effective. I am in the process of fitting two piece Warne rails mated with QD rings so that I can replace the 8x56 with a red dot for driven hunts.
If you fancy something similar but from Rosler (Germany) have more or less relaunched the rifle as the Titan16 straight pull, this time there are a multitude of options including switch out barrels but no blind magazine.
It would be nice to know if parts where interchangable as orginal parts for the American are drying up.
Anyone looking for a owners manual drop me a message and I'll email you a digital one.
Unfortunately deer season ends here on the last day of February so unless I get an out of season licence for culling I'll have to blood it on foxs once I've the scope mounted again.
Hello a Point!
Thank you for taking the time to write such a comprehensive post. The Mauser M96 or 1996 is a much sought after rifle - including by me - but there are few to be had. I like the action though and handled one years ago. The locking lugs remind everyone of the AR and even with the forward bolt handle - people found them quick, easy to operate and accurate. I've often wondered how the hunting is in Ireland - and gun laws; if you have a moment please let me know. Best to you and good hunting - deer or fox : )
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns
Thanks for your reply, I'll message you about gun ownership and hunting here.
You forgot the Sr 830/88 is the middle on and has bolt forward cooking
Those are very fine - and hard to find - thanks for the reminder.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns sorry ment 850/88
120 years in the future since the Mauser 98 and we have a few gun guns that could challenge for the better rifle status in terms of bolt action rifles.................
Just the fact that the Mauser 98 is as it does the job over and over even after 120 years it still gets my rewards,there is nothing better then Mauser 98 for what it did..120 years back in ww2 even it was on the nazi side it was a awesome design that holds up in 2018 without a problem vs competion who bring out........but a 100% better design i havent seen so far in the bolt action guns.
But i like older guns and there designs......................( I love John Browing guns cause there are simple and easy vs the german guns who do the same like the MG42 or luger pistols)
The gewehr 98 is a relative simple but super design i love it for its strenght and cause the fact it never fails it just alwasy does the job.
Hi Ben - I agree with everything you wrote! I'm making a video on the Browning Safari bolt rifles.
Mauser is great i had mauser m03 nov i have 98 model
Great guns to buy! Good on you!
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns thank you
Great video of Blaser and that's great to show the evolution of design.
And here's some of them being fired!
Here is the pee wee of the R93 - The 22LR
th-cam.com/video/nJy25Aa1hUE/w-d-xo.html
Here is the big bore of the R93 - The 416 Remington
th-cam.com/video/zxeDeblylrs/w-d-xo.html
Hello - thanks for the links!
Extremely beautiful rifle which I have seen in my life...
Sir,
Do you have any "CAPE GUN" in ur collection sir ?
If any please do educate me and us with that kind of gun..
Regards
SATHVIK
Hello Sathvik, I don't have a cape gun; I used to have 2. One was a 16 ga X 10.3 X 65R. The other was 16 x 9.3 x 72R Do you have a Cape Gun? If so, please send details. Many thanks. The left barrel was the shotgun on both. I'll find another and make a video.
USOG
Well sir in India we have permission to keep just 3 weapons.
Right now I own
1 ) BSA .22 CAL PUMP ACTION RIFLE
2 ) A 12 BORE OVER UNDER SHOTGUN MADE BY MODERN GUN WORKS INDIA
Soon I'm planning to buy a German Cape gun with a 12 bore shot gun and a 405 Winchester .
After I acquir that I'll surely post it's video.
Regards
sathvik
USOG
Since you told that your cape gun had left shot gun barrel then I believe it's a German made weapon am I right ?
Hello again Sathvik - Made in Belgium. I look forward to seeing the Cape gun you are buying.
USOG
Sure will post the video as I get clearance from authority to purchase it.
Mauser 98, simplicity, strength, safety, rigidity. Untill they make plasma guns for common man, I'm for Mauser
I agree Ulf. Nothing better.
@@UnitedStatesOfGuns 👍
smoothest action is still the husqvarna 1900 :D
Hi David - I was just working on one - so smooth it's amazing.
Dirst it was the Spandau rifle the Kaiser had with telescopic system, then 60 years or more later the M66, later the Blaser 93 copied or borrowed much from Mauser 66
Thanks for writing. Yes - you are correct. I remember the Kaiser rifle - wish I could find one of those. I guess Kaiser only. : )
I think you are not alone there, Foerster made many of the Imperial Courts weapons i think its easier to find some of them. I am dreaming of a little double in 8x57jrs for driven hunts, without reloading . With reloading 8x75RS or 8x65RS but that is a offshoot.
Why not a 6mm Remington ala the early 1900 style on a fine Mauser 66 action .
Between the SR30 and the R8 I doubt there's anything that even comes close to bolt design innovation or lock up pressure tolerances... Sure there's faster actions like the Helix/Maral, even the Mauser96/Roessler Titan 16 but they just aren't as solid.
I like the turn bolts better myself.
all German rifle are great I love them
Hi Abbas - it is true; something about Germany. Amazing engineering and determination.
Do you have a Krico 902 ?
Wish I did! I'll keep looking.
is the blaser r8 california legal?
Yes
How can 8x68 even be similar to 7x57? One is 5500J magnum while the other is 3000J standard cartridge
Hi Ivan, The only way I can think of is the naming of the cartridge according to metric dimensions instead of the American system based on bore and other features or aspects of the cartridge - such as 30-06. Please let me know if you aware of some other link between the 8X68 and 7X57 as they are far apart in time and dimensionally quite different - as you know - as well; although they are both European. I like several rifles in each. The 8X68 is quite impressive but I am generally not one for immense power and prefer the 7X57 - which has yet to fail me. All the best.
USOG Well, in that aspect they are very similar, but most European cartridges are named that way. There are no similarities between the two except the nomenclature and the place of origin between the two, at least that I'm aware of. 8x68 is very impressive and it is my favorite magnum, but it is also overpowered for most of the game you're going to hunt on the Old Continent. I also much more prefer my 6,5x57R for high stand hunting and 8x57JRS for driven hunts. We both know its not about the energy, but about the shot placement and bullet construction. You have a very impressive collection, keep up the good work!
How many rifles do you have?))
Hi AidarYes - Quite a few - but a lot less then most of my collector friends. Nice thing about free countries : one has freedom to collect. I know one fellow who has 5000 gold coins. They are nice to handle but very poor performance at the range.
isn't there a mauser 1996? a straight pull
Yes, very good memory. The Mauser Model 96 was available for a short time. The bolt handle was quite far forward of the trigger. The bolt had multiple locking lugs. The action was interesting but it was not a commercial success. A viewer told me that some other company is offering a modified version, which I have not been able to find so far.
I wonder if The Rössler Titan is just a mauser 1996 redressed (and made cheaper than a mauser product)
It has gotten some really bad reviews. Håkan Spuhr (of Spuhr mounts) wrote a legendary (in Swedish hunting circles) review about it totally demolshing it (:
They sold the Rights to Rössler once Lüke&Ortmeier took over the Mauser Brand. It was actually called Mauser M96 and there was also a Mauser M97 (manual Cocking). The Gun itself isn't too bad, I owned three of them and hunted with them quite successfully.
another example of German manufacturing superiority
Hi John, You may have something there; but it is easiest to see that which is under the brightest light....and I am at least half German. Still, something is going on.
Fortner system is the same but better, change my mind.
I am quite surprised!
1.) You name the video "...Blaser Evolution..." and talk more than half of the time about other gun munufacturers.
2.) You skipped the SR 850 which is an important step from the SR830 to the R93 and R8
3.) Particularily not a single word about the extraordinary safety installations of the SR850 which is even better than the later models R93 and R8 as they are immediately unlocked after repeating the second shot once you have unlocked the gun. The SR850 has to be unlocked after every single shot as the gun locks itself automatically when you are repeating
4.) Where are the evaluation of the next steps of Blaser Evolution with the R93 and the R8 which were big steps again?
All over all I have to say incomplete and somehow superfluous!
Very sad!
Talk about Mausers too much? No one needs that sort of negative talk.
Haha Freddy! Fair enough.
Typical German overengineering. I will stick with my Winchesters, Remingtons & Enfields.