The Mauser Archive
by Jon Speed
Deluxe First Edition, 2007
576 pages, 870 illustrations $89.95

All the previously available information on Mauser sporting arms has already appeared in the author's two previous Collector Grade titles: Mauser: Original Oberndorf Sporting Rifles (1997) and Mauser Smallbores: Sporting, Target & Training Rifles (1998). After their publication the author felt that no more significant discoveries remained to be made in this field, as any further factory documentation had presumably been lost or destroyed.

However, recently there have been two miraculous discoveries. First, hundreds of previously unpublished company documents have been located, which give us unprecedented insight into the workings of the Mauser firm almost from its inception right through both World Wars and the French occupation period. These include actual production and sales data, inventory lists, and cost and sale price calculations for all types of Mauser products - black powder arms, pistols, military arms (the Standard Model, the K98k, the MG81 and MG151 and the Flak 38), centrefire hunting, sporting and target rifles, .22 sporting, target and training rifles, pressure test units, and more.

Secondly, some 300 fragile glass plate negatives have miraculously survived, which depict a variety of hitherto unknown Mauser sporting models in their original configurations. Many embody features not often encountered, and include rare prototypes and in-the-white or low-serial-numbered examples of most early and later Mauser .22 rifle models, Schützen-style, Wehrmanns and Einheits target rifles, and some never-before-seen factory-engraved and custom rifles. The book ends with a selection of full-colour views of high-grade Mauser sporters, many with special features, from the world's finest collections.

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Don,

I've got to get this one!!! Thanks for the heads up about the new book!

-Bob F.