Mauser Recoil

[GCK]

Every time I get ready to go to the range I look at my K98's and all the cheap ammo I have for them then I think of my shoulder and put them back. I load up a couple of carbines and a few hundred rounds and my wife and I are ready to go.

[Milsurp Collector]

Every time I get ready to go to the range I look at my K98's and all the cheap ammo I have for them then I think of my shoulder and put them back.

Try one of these Past pads, they work! PAST® Recoil Pads

[dj*]

I had one of past pads the big one I think, never could figure out the right way to strap the dam thing on
It seems they always want to slip down.

[Art]

I really do think a lot of it's how you're built and stock design. I have a Yugo M48. Recoil isn't bad at all for me with heavy ball manufactured in Europe but the Turkish stuff is just brutal. It leaves me only less damaged than three rounds with Tommy Hearns. The only thing I've found that kicks as hard as that Turk ammo is 12 guage slugs.

M1903's and '03A3's with straight stocks punch pretty well too, especially with commercial ammunition. A "C" stock really tames the recoil in an '03, at least for me.

The U.S. hunting ammo which is loaded down to 30-30 pressures and velocities is a joy to shoot. Of course it's real expensive too.

[Ed Johnson]

Hi All. Same problem with my Mausers. I have a good supply of Greek and Turkish ammo and solved the recoil pain problem by pulling the bullets and reducing the powder charge by about 10 grains. Since I am not shooting at more than about 50 yards, the loads are pleasant to shoot and still accurate.
We probably won the war because the German soldiers didn't want to fire their mule kicking Mausers. LOL..
Best..
Ed

[ROCK]

"We probably won the war because the German soldiers didn't want to fire their mule kicking Mausers"

It would be interesting to compare the range scores of German Army recruits with those of US Army recruits. I'm sure that the Germans trainers must have had a more difficult task teaching marksmanship when the service rifle beat up shooter's faces. I wonder why they never changed the stock design?

I believe the Mauser's high, upward sloping comb is the problem area.
I don't think that the 8mm has much more recoil than a 30.06.
Those that have a 8mm Model 98 that was refitted with well designed sporter stock would know for sure.

[krinko]

I did a little comparison among my various military bolt rifles, to see if the Mauser was some kind of special case in the relationship of cheekbone to stock comb.
Here's what I got;

1. A.High position---Lee Enfield, '03-A3, M1917, MAS 36.
   B.Medium position---Mauser, Carcano, Arisaka, Mannlicher-Schoenauer, Krag, Berthier, K31, Mosin, Dutch Mannlicher.
   C.Low position---Snider, Martini, Trapdoor, Swiss Vetterli.

The gap between my cheekbone and the comb measured out like this---High was about 1 1/8", Medium was about 3/4" and Low was welded to the comb.

All the High position rifles were peep sighted models, with the exception of the No1 Lee Enfield. No1, No4 and No5 LEs all seem to share the same bore axis/sight axis relationship. I cannot say if the '03 and '03-A3 fare the same way, as I do not have an '03 anymore.
Medium position rifles cover almost all the more modern bolt actions, built for rounds running the gamut between 6.5 Arisaka to the brutal 230 grain 8mm French Balle "N".
Low position rifles were the Black Powder Cartridge rifles---the Snider, pushing a heavy .58 conical ahead of 85 grains of FFg will try to take your face off, if you don't ride the recoil properly. Even .45-70-500 can't match it.

My head position was determined by the furthest point back on the comb I could comfortably attain while keeping the sights in proper focus. So Mogolians will probably get higher gap numbers.
Anyway, Mausers don't appear to have an especially high comb, vis-a-vis other rifes of the same stripe---and it isn't just the heavy ball 7.92 people are complaining about, either. The Argentine '91, firing at best a 165 grain BT, has also been accused of thumping cheekbones.
Hmmmmm.

Back when I first re-started firing the old rifles on a regular basis, I dumped a Long Branch No4 because I was convinced the rounded buttplate was aggravating recoil pain. I dumped an '03. in a "C" stock, because I was getting punched in the face with the same rounds I could fire for hours in the the M1917 without any ill effects at all.
(My Mausers were never on the "To Dump" list, by the way.)

Now, with many thousands of rounds downrange, all that has changed---the only rifles I won't fire from the bench are the Trapdoor, the Snider, the Martini and the Berthier Carbine...and I'm working on those.

So, what's the root of the Mauser problem, then?
Is it physiognomy, the focal length of the individual and aging eye---any of hundreds of variables---?
Maybe it's just a matter of getting acclimated?
-----krinko

[limazulu]

It sounds to me like everyone is letting the rifle slip back when recoiling. Since the comb rises towards the action then when the rifle slips backwards upon firing the forward section of the comb is catching the cheek. You are supposed to shove that shoulder as tight as you can against the back of the stock and your whole body is supposed to recoil with the rifle.

[jamie5070]

I once saw an interesting P-14 training rifle for sale on epay. The rear portion of the stock had a spring setup whereby if it wasn't fully against the shoulder and compressed, the trigger would not operate. Wish I had tried to get that one.
john

[Lancebear]

Hey Lima,

I agree, not just a tight grip but pulling the stock into your shoulder keeps a lot of bad stuff from happening.

First time I shot high powered rifles (Garand, M1903 with S stock and a Schmidt Rubin) figured I was gonna pay a high price. And I have a bum right shoulder. Well...I took all of them to the range and shot about a hundred rounds or so and the next day I had no bruises anywhere and the shoulder felt the same as it usually does. Pulling the stock into your shoulder is the trick. Sure it also helps to keep your shots on target.

Death to paper targets,

LB