Review: Mauser M18 in 6.5 PRC — remarkable and affordable
Chambered for Hornady’s hot 6.5 PRC, Mauser’s cost-conscious M18 combines tradition and modernity, delivering fantastic downrange performance from a short action.
The Mauser M18 is a high-quality yet very affordable rifle that is radically different from the world-famous Model 1898. When I first saw one, I was reminded of the Model 66, which paved the way for alternative bolt systems that were a departure from the traditional M98 system.
Sixty years of development led Mauser to produce the M18 system. However, unlike many other modern rifles, the M18 adheres to more traditional design principles.
The Polymer 2 stock is black in color and has a classic style with a high, straight comb. It has ambidextrous palm swells on the open-radius grip, sweeping down with a slight flare at the end near the grip cap.
The solid rubber butt pad can be removed by pressing a latch on each side of the butt to reveal storage space for a bottle of gun oil and cleaning gear.
The rounded, hollow fore-end has reinforcement struts and a soft-touch finish. Textured panels within bilateral rubberized panels in the rifle’s grip and forend provide a secure grip. Removable sling swivel bolts are installed front and rear.
The receiver has a round bottom and is drilled and tapped to accept Remington model 700 pattern scope bases. The ejection port is minimal, making the action stiffer so it vibrates very little but constantly. The opening is large enough to be able to slide a cartridge into the detachable magazine if needed.
A steel recoil lug slides into a groove in the bottom of the receiver ring, just behind the front action screw. The rear action screw threads through the rear of the trigger housing into the action spigot and an identical nut in front of the trigger guard/magazine assembly holds the receiver to the stock.
The bolt runs smoothly and the gun grips, shoulders and balances are good.
The short action features a carbon steel bolt with a body only slightly larger in diameter than its three locking lugs, eliminating the need to machine raceways inside the receiver.
The super-tough, full-diameter bolt has three lugs that snap into a hardened steel locking ring in the body. The ring sits between the bolt face and the breech face of the barrel. Its function is to give the barrel the correct depth as it is screwed into the case while ensuring precise positioning of the locking lugs and bolt face to ensure the correct headspace.
The cold forged barrel has an 11 degree crown that ensures accuracy is maintained even as the bullet exits the muzzle.
The latch release on the left side of the receiver engages a longitudinal slot machined into the latch for stability and guidance while riding. The screw face is deeply countersunk with its wall broken only enough to allow a Sako-style skid plate extractor to pass through.
Two spring-loaded, piston-type ejectors positioned at one o’clock and seven o’clock consistently toss fired shells into a low trajectory, avoiding dents on the end of a scope mounted low above the receiver.
A bolt lug slides deep into the ejection port when the bolt is opened, and the dual ejectors provide a very controlled and precise trajectory of the case away from the case.
A red cocking indicator protrudes from the back of the slide. The straight bolt handle is threaded for a round polymer pommel.
Bolt rotation is 60 degrees. Shortening the cocking cam ramp is an inherent necessity for a three-lug fastener, which usually requires more effort to lift and rotate the fastener. But the M18’s collet, into which the bolt handle goes, has an integral collet between the bolt body and the collet at the back of the bolt.
Caught linearly by the notch in the sleeve which carries the corresponding cocking cam on which it rests, it is indexed by a bolt to rotate with the bolt fitting into the bottom of the bolt sleeve. A more gently angled cam surface in the collet drives the bolt into the retaining notch when the bolt handle is raised, making the bolt easy to operate without lowering the rifle from the shoulder.
Mauser engineers obviously put a lot of effort into making the rifle as safe as possible. Pulling a three-position lever located on the right side of the M18’s receiver trunnion to its rearmost position blocks both trigger and trigger travel and bolt rotation. Sliding it to the middle position allows the breech to be opened for loading or unloading the chamber with the safety engaged.
there is more Should the safety be released while the bolt is in its unlocked position, the firing pin will remain blocked from forward movement until the bolt is fully locked. I have tested this system and it works to prevent associated accidental discharge.
A bolt lug traveling to the six o’clock position has an added benefit, as it offers plenty of grip with rounds loaded in the double-stack magazine, whether they’re being fired from the right or left side. The magazine is made of high-impact, glass-filled nylon and holds four magnum caliber cartridges, as opposed to the usual three. The capacity in standard calibers is five.
The magazine catch is metal and is housed in a metal floor and countersunk flush with the floor of the stock to minimize the possibility of accidental magazine ejection. The magazine falls out easily when the trigger is pressed.
The accuracy with two boxes of factory loads that we had was pretty impressive. Hornady ELD match loading averaged .72 inches for three five-shot groups at 100 yards. The narrowest set of bullet holes measured 0.55 inches. The load of the Precision Hunter 143gn ELD-X was not a problem either. The average for 15 shots was 0.82″, with only one group barely exceeding a MOA at 1.15″.
We burned the remaining ten rounds by firing two five-shot groups at 200 yards. The match group was 1.35 inches, while the ELD-X was 1.75 inches.
The verdict was that the 6.5 PRC is one hell of an accurate cartridge, even in a sporting weight rifle like the Mauser M18.
A German-made, sub-MOA athlete with useful features that is sold at such an affordable price not only offers good design, but also performance far beyond what anyone could ever hope for.
SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer: Mauser, Germany
Type: bolt action rifle
Caliber tested: 6.5 PRC (many others available)
Capacity: 5 standard, 4 magnum cartridges
Barrel: 24” (61cm) cold forged; 1:8″ rotation
Total length: 43.75 inches (111 cm)
Weight: 6 pounds 8 ounces (2.95 kg)
Barrel: Injection molded black polymer with soft touch grip
Draw length: 14.25 inches
Version: stainless steel
Trigger: Adjustable 2.2-4 lb (1.0-1.8 kg)
Sights: None
Price: Around $1000-$1250 depending on where you shop (March 2023)
Distribution: outdoor sports agencies