Jlin222,
Welcome to the Campfire!
A serious Mauser expert and collector I knew liked to say what made a Mauser a Mauser is as follows...jim
"This poses an interesting dilemma as the Mauser came in what can be seen as the complete reliable package.
Three features define the Model 98 ( actually the model 92 and what followed after.
1. Dual opposing front bolting lugs that bolt into a enclosed ring under the front bridge. This is important as at the time of design most rifles were rear bolting. In fact this was a radical departure in design at the time.
2. The sprung extractor claw with opened boltface allowing for controlled feeding and extraction. This piece of steel on the side of the bolt was / is most ingenious in it's function and operation. We must not forget the original rifles were not sporters or DG rifles but were made as infantry weapons and in this role the Mauser lead a revolution in gunmaking.
3. The most important feature of the Mauser,and here most modern factory guns fall flat is the Case specific magazine box
Mauser understood the science of making magazine boxes and followers, this is seen by many as the key to this rifles success.
The followers all had a "sloppy fit" and this coupled with the exact dimension for specific cases make the rifles what they are, absolutely reliable. ( only when the rules of this feature are met though ! : many custom and factory guns are built on the mauser principles but due to cost omit or overlook the magazine box issue and then they fail)
Now if we look at CZ and their ZKK and 550 series rifles they have a one size fits all mag box for the magnum. This may work for some cases but not for all and imo this is why some work and some fail."
