Cutting edge rifle technology
Charles Smith-Jones is very taken with this Mauser Model 201 rimfire, a real gem of German engineering
Mauser rifles have been synonymous with the German firearms industry since the 1870s. Such was the national regard for the family that, when Peter Paul Mauser died in 1914, Count von Zeppelin paid his respects by sending one of his airships to drop a wreath on the monastery where Mauser’s body lay in state.
The Mauser Model 201 was produced during the 1980s, after which Mauser started to place greater focus on full-bore rifles. It has a considerably more substantial feel to it than many other .22 rifles, reflecting Mauser’s aim of creating what is essentially a scaled down version of one of its full-bores, and features a slightly raised Monte Carlo-type stock. The basic model came with a beech or walnut stock with a plastic butt plate, while the Luxus was of chequered superior European walnut with a rosewood fore-end cap and a rubber recoil pad.
Otherwise the overall finish gives the strong impression of being craftsman-built and is not marred by stamped steel or plastic parts. The only calibres available were .22LR and .22WMR, although you may come across rifles that have been rebarrelled in other calibres.
A single-pull trigger was generally fitted, set within an enclosed mechanism, which is easily removed by two screws at the base. It is fully adjustable for both pressure and length of pull with a crisp, clean release.
Double-set trigger
A variation fitted to some rifles was a double-set trigger. This is rarely seen in this country, however, and was probably aimed at the continental market where set triggers are more popular. The Sporter-style barrel left the factory with a deeply blued finish, the quality of which is immediately obvious when you compare it with the shallower bluing of some other manufacturer’s models. Occasionally you might come across a rifle with a brown, rather than blued, finish but these are rare. The simple iron field sights fitted are rudimentary, consisting of a blade foresight and a rearsight that can be adjusted for windage by loosening a grub screw and
tapping the unit to the left or right. Very early models had sights fitted to the barrel by studs and welding, though later ones used screws. Elevation is adjusted using different sized foresight blades. Open sights are all but obsolete these days and the receiver came ready drilled to accept scope rings with threaded holes capped by blanking screws, although it is unlikely that any rifles left the factory pre-cut to accept a sound moderator.
Accuracy
Spare magazines can be difficult to source, but they are still available although they may have to imported and can be expensive. The original 201 magazine was robustly constructed with a wide base plate and came in 5 round and 10 round versions for the .22LR, and five-round and eight-round for .22WMR. Magazines for similar Mauser rifles such as the Model 107 and some Voere models — Voere was bought by Mauser in the late 1980s — are interchangeable. Voere magazines are simpler, made from pressed steel and have no extended base plate.
Under ideal conditions and with the right ammunition, you can expect to achieve some astonishing levels of accuracy for a .22 rimfire, thanks to a winning combination of bolt size, strength and lock-up using front locking lugs, along with a finely machined inverted barrel crown. At 25m you can reasonably hope to place your shots virtually through the same hole and many users report half-inch groups at 100m with .22LR. Such a rifle easily outperforms many modern equivalents.
The Model 201 is only rarely encountered on the used gun racks, which is a tremendous pity. It is probably one of the finest production rimfires ever made as it is immaculately finished with an outstanding build quality, handles beautifully and shoots like a dream. Used .22 rimfires generally don’t command high prices and a 201 might be comparatively more expensive than some of the others lined up next to it.
If you are lucky enough to come across one, however, it’s worth paying a little over the odds. It’s unlikely that this little gem will disappoint you.