I love Mausers as sporting rifles, Lancaster, and they were good and reliable in muddy conditions.

The Brits were in love with idea of changing to a flat shooting magnum with the P13 but it didn't happen and history has shown rapidity of fire is more important than long range potential for soldiers other than snipers - the Kalashnikov and Armalite are both short-range rifles despite the differences in their ammo.

The Mauser success may have much to do with their willingness to sell them to anyone. The Brits may not have seen the point of selling their rifles to potential enemies - they spent a lot of time trying to stop people in their colonies being able to use even their obsolete rifles.

I'm amused to hear you thing the 'Smelly' lost the Poms the empire - never mind who won the wars. The awakening of nationalism in the colonies may have had something to do with losing the empire and, ironically, it was former British colonies armed with more than a couple of Enfields who pretty much won the war for them.

Cheers