New Mauser ‘Das Original' Rifle Pays Homage to Historic Lineage

“Copied since 1898. Never Duplicated.” Those words are emblazoned on Mauser’s website. It’s a bold claim, but they’re not wrong. Mauser’s 98 action set a benchmark for quality and reliability in bolt-action rifles that has endured for almost 130 years.

Now, discerning shooters and hunters can have a brand-new rifle built not on a Mauser-style 98 action but on an actual Mauser 98 action. The result is a brand new rifle that they’re calling—quite fittingly, I might add—Das Original.

Blaser Group is the official importer for Mauser rifles into the United States, and they had examples of the Mauser 98 Das Original on display at the Safari Club International convention in Nashville. It was there that I spent some hands-on time with the rifle and sat down to talk with Jason Evans, the CEO of Blaser Group, about this new rifle.

“The Das Original project took 18 months from initial concept to production: six months of defining and refining the design and a year to perfect the production,” says Jason.

Designed With Input

Mauser created the rifle with lots of input from their dealer network. “The dealers are heavily invested in the products they carry and they know their customers well, so feedback from the dealers was vital to creating Das Original.”

Of course, the heart and soul of any Mauser rifle is the iconic action, and Das Original is no exception. The Mauser 98 action wasn’t just a lucky break for Paul Mauser in 1898. It was the culmination of years of refinement on his earlier designs before he finally landed on a combination that many still regard as a perfect design today.

Utilizing controlled round feed and a robust, non-rotating claw extractor, cartridges are under control of the action from the very beginning of the shooting cycle when first stripped from the magazine right up until they have been extracted and are ejected from the action. The three-position safety that shooters have come to know and love is also a staple on this rifle. There are even extra safety features, like a third bolt lug that provides extra locking safety when firing high pressure rounds, and a design that vents gas away from the shooter in case of a catastrophic failure.

As you would expect, Das Original’s action maintains all of the original aspects of Paul Mauser’s design, but benefits from modern manufacturing. Everything is done in Germany, where CNC machining ensures the absolute tightest tolerances. There’s no more hand tuning like that found on vintage Mausers, but the result is still the same: a 100% reliable rifle made to the pinnacle of production. (Top list: "The Top 10 Rifle Cartridges for North American Big Game.")

Smooth Function

When I first worked the bolt, I was immediately struck at how incredibly easy it was to manipulate. Thanks to the Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) coating on the bolt and bolt handle, it operated as smooth as rifles that have had custom work done to them. Not only does the DLC make Das Original a smooth operator, it also provides extra wear protection for added longevity.

The blueing on the rest of the rifle is more muted and far less flashy, for the lack of a better word, than the DLC on the bolt and bolt handle. Make no mistake, though, it is elegant in its simplicity. Without the shine of a high polish, any imperfections in the execution of the finish would be instantly noticeable and jarring. But as one would expect, it is absolutely flawless and an altogether fitting finish for a rifle that is designed to be by your side in all conditions and all locations.

Das Original is available in familiar calibers such as .30-06 Springfield, .308 Winchester, .375 Holland & Holland, and .416 Rigby. The last caliber in the lineup is .300 Winchester Magnum, and Jason Evans is excited about that because it marks the first time for a factory-built Mauser 98 to be chambered in that caliber.

“In .300 Win Mag, the Das Original is a ‘take it anywhere’ rifle because factory ammo is excellent and consistent, can be found anywhere you’re pursuing game, and is a trusted hunting round all across the globe,” Evans says. (Best elk cartridges: "The Top 5 Elk Hunting Cartridges.")

Configuration and Price

The standard action rifles hold 5+1 rounds while the magnum actions hold 3+1 rounds. Barrel length on the standard rifles is 22 inches while the magnum rifle barrels are 24 inches. Standard recoil pads are black while magnum recoil pads are red.

The standard configuration has an MSRP of $12,000 and the magnum configuration has an MSRP of $14,500.

Regardless of the action and caliber you choose, all Das Original rifles feature safari-style sights, which gives you a standard rear sight as well as two flip-up blades for different distances. The action’s double square bridge means that it is also set up for you to easily add the scope that best fits your needs.

A gold colored trigger provides a subtle hint of elegance to the overall design, while the floorplate is a bit more bold with gold lettering that says, “SINCE 1898 - DAS ORIGINAL.” When the rifle is resting in a rack at your hunt camp, that floorplate will be on display for all to see, making sure that everyone knows the history and heritage of which their rifles are in the presence.

Art-Worthy Construction

Stocks made from Grade 5 Turkish walnut are standard across the board, with an option to upgrade to Grade 7. Even so, it’s my opinion from the examples I saw at the show that their grading is conservative. What Mauser says is a 5 other companies would say is a 7, so I can only imagine how gorgeous the Grade 7 walnut must be!

Mauser is able to be so discerning with the stock selection because all of the wood is sourced from Blaser’s own facility. They do it all there; the entire process is vertically integrated from beginning to end. When you’ve got full control from selection to final finish, the result is excellent.

“Das Original is a beautiful package; a true heirloom piece,” says Jason.

Were Paul Mauser here to see Das Original and hear the reverence in Jason’s voice, I think he’d be delighted at the tradition still being carried on in his name after more than 125 years.

Rare

At the time of writing, there are only 100 Das Original rifles in existence, but Mauser has no intention of making the model a limited edition. It is going to be a standard in their lineup; it just takes time to create a rifle that’s worthy of carrying on the Mauser 98 legacy. “It’s about being the best, not the fastest,” Evans says with a proud smile.

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