Re: Mauser 98 vs Remington 700...??
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Boticum</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Is the Mauser 98 a "better" sniperrifle than the Remington 700, or is it the other way around??
I have read that the Mauser is the best sniperrifle in the world, but I have also read the same thing about the Remington... </div></div>
Age old question...
The Mauser and its controlled feed clones (Springfield, Enfield, Winchester M70, etc.) will feed a round with the gun tilted to one side, and even nearly upside down- as stated previously by other replies, it is a controlled feed design, the extractor grabs the cartridge rim, and the bottom of the bolt face is machined open so the case head slides up into the bolt face and is held by the extractor hook, as it goes into the chamber. The Mauser also has an extractor that is very strong if not overbuilt, another good trait.
The Remington is a push feed, the cartridge just rattles along ahead of the bolt until it is fully chambered- the extractor on the M700 is small and weaker looking compared to the M98, and the ejector on the M700 is a plunger type located inside the bolt face.
The Remington is a stronger design structurally, in that the bolt face is not machined open on the bottom, but instead has a ring of steel around the edge, where the cartridge case head fits inside when the bolt it closed. Therefore the case head is fully surrounded by a ring of steel of the bolt.
(interesting sidenote- the Weatherby Mark V with its "3 rings of steel" design, is stronger than either M700 or M98, for that matter)
The Remington is definitely stronger than the later Mauser clones, such as those made by FN during the 1950's, that used "H" type receiver slot machining techniques, as compared to the earlier Mauser "C" type receiver.
If you do your homework on this topic, read "Bolt Action Rifles" by de Haas, the Remington 700 section states it was the strongest bolt action in existence when it was first released- and in torture tests against the best milsurp actions of the time, the Springfield, Mauser, and Enfield actions failed in that order, and the Remington was still going strong. At that time the Remington was called the model 721/722, but it was the same action as the model 700 we have today.
(interesting sidenote #2 - the Enfield finished stronger than the Mauser- I also have an Enfield Eddystone, and the action has more meat around the chamber and receiver than a Mauser, and will accept the long belted magnum rechamberings- not recommended for a M98- and where would a Jap Type 38 or Type 99 place ?)
As previously stated, the lock time on the 700 is quicker than the old M98 Mauser- but that can be sped up with a lighter firing pin, or stronger spring.
The Mauser appears to be a more elegant looking rifle than the Remington- and the Mauser has a more colorful history, being a standard issued arm of many armies during WWI and WWII, and the rifle that set the standard for others to follow. The fact it was used by the Hitler's Nazi forces during WWII gives it even more collector status- and the Germans are known for being premier gunmakers.
The Mausers of the 1900-1944 era made by FN/Belgium and Germany are of very high quality, I've owned at least a dozen. They have more of a hand made look and feel, than a modern Remington. The Remington looks like something that rolled off an assembly line and made mostly with programmed machinery, rather than hand crafted. The Mauser just has more history and a higher degree of collectible status, than a M700.
Finally, a Remington you sort of just hunt with, or target shoot. A vintage pre-1945 Mauser does all that, but also gives a certain satisfaction to just look at, work the action, snap the trigger/firing pin, listen to- and show to friends as a conversation piece. It's a piece of history, especially if it has Nazi markings on it- and is a remarkable design milestone that many copied. The Remington 700 just doesn't have the same pedigree, even though it's more modern, stronger, and more accurate out of the box most times. (yet I had a 1909 German-made Argentine 7.65 x 53 that would shoot as good as any M700) Sort of like comparing a 1957 Ferrari to a 2010 Mustang- the Mustang may be faster now, but the Ferrari doesn't have to be, it's at another historical level.