The Mauser 1909 action is a preferred platform for custom riflesmiths building dangerous game rifles like this .458 Win. Mag. It was built by an Italian rifle builder living in Argentina at the time.
July 15, 2024
By Joseph von Benedikt
More than a century ago, before the Mauser turnbolt action was designed, Asiatic water buffalo were introduced to the Amazon River basin. Although these buffalo can be domesticated, they are among the world’s largest hooved game and can be profoundly ill-natured. Argentinians hunting them quickly cottoned on to the fact that your average sporting rifle cartridge wasn’t sufficient. About the time rinderpest swept Africa in the 1890s and killed 90 percent or more of the Cape buffalo, Asiatic buffalo really took hold in South America. Currently, there are an estimated 1.6 million or more—which is double or more the number of Cape buffalo alive today. Live body weight of a mature bull can top 2,200 pounds, which is 10 to 30 percent more than a Cape buffalo. Then, and some would argue now, the best choice available for Argentinian hunters to build a dangerous-game rifle on was the 1909 Mauser. The Mauser 98-type action is extraordinarily strong and beautifully built. Some aficionados consider the 1909 Argentinian Mauser the best ever built, and it’s a prized action among modern custom rifle builders who specialize in big bores designed for hunting dangerous game.
Mechanics Fundamentally, the Mauser Modelo Argentino 1909 is an M98-type action. It features dual, opposing locking lugs; a full-length, nonrotating claw extractor renowned for strength; an excessively reliable fixed ejector; a three-position safety that blocks the firing pin—not just the trigger; and the controlled-round feeding mechanism that made it legendary among warriors and preferred among dangerous-game hunters. How Mauser 98-type military rifles work is widely understood, so I won’t go into detail on that. What I’d like to address here are the special features custom-built into this fine big-bore rifle. The action top is machined to a radius and drilled and tapped for scope mounts. The overly large, top-mounted Mauser safety lever was removed and replaced by a very sleek, well-machined side-mounted safety lever to enable clearance for a scope and to improve accessibility. Interestingly, the right rear flat of the action was drilled and tapped for a side-mounted aperture sight, and the stock is cut out to enable a sight base to fit snug. At the left rear of the action, the bolt removal lever has been replaced or modified with the addition of a serrated flange that makes it very easy to operate. Subtle but important features abound on the rifle; all apparently designed to make it easier and surer to operate under stress. The bolt knob is stippled top and bottom. An express-type rear sight island holds a robust standing leaf with a square notch and one folding leaf. The front sight is a clean-cut, square-topped post on a ramp. Outfitter and guide German Brandazza of GBH Safaris Argentina owns this fine rifle, and according to him, the rifle was built in Argentina by an Italian gunmaker with the last name of Razza. Everything on this rifle was done right. The walnut stock has lovely figure in straight, strong grain through the wrist and other stress points. The checkering is beautifully cut. The wood-to-metal fit is superb, and the lines of the stock are such that the rifle feels alive in the hands. The nicely swept cheekpiece features a shadow line, and there’s a traditional leathery red rubber buttpad. The front sling-swivel stud is incorporated into a barrel band. The muzzle has been threaded for a brake.
Rangetime Being the vintage firearm nut that I am—and particularly for classic big-bore rifles—I salivated when Brandazza broke out the .458 Mauser to go buffalo hunting with my friend Tim Joseph, vice president of marketing at Benelli. Chuckling at my enthusiasm, Brandazza offered to let me shoot the rifle the next day (I suspect just to get his rifle back from me so they could go hunting). I wasn’t able to conduct my usual thorough range evaluation with this rifle, but I shot enough to get a feel for it. The rifle’s trigger is light, and at 8 pounds, 6 ounces, the rifle itself is light for a big bore. The whip-crack of the report was accompanied by recoil that was lively, to put it politely. This gun is exactly what I love most in a classic rifle: beautifully built, elegantly understated, and a real walloper. If it were possible, I’d buy this fine old big-bore Mauser in a heartbeat. But I know that’s not even remotely possible.
Model 1909 Argentine Mauser Specs Type: Bolt-action, repeaterCaliber: .458 Win. Mag. Capacity: 3 rds. Barrel: 24 in. Overall Length: 45 in. Weight: 8.38 lbs. Stock: WalnutLength of Pull: 13 in. Finish: Blued metal, oil-finished stockSights: Standing-leaf square-notch rear with 1 folding leaf, ramped post front Trigger: 2 lbs. (tested)Safety: Three-position wing type on bolt shroudManufacturer: Deutsche Waffen und Munitionsfabriken
