Straight to the top
New Mauser M25 about to be huge, says Con Kapralos
For the Mauser marque, the straight-pull rifle design is nothing new. There’ve been many models during the past 75 years which have embraced the straight-pull action, most of them seldom seen in Australia and those that have made it being collector’s pieces priced accordingly.
Mauser’s affiliation with Blaser and Sauer is one firearm-manufacturing juggernaut which keeps on redefining modern design and production, with models to suit all applications and budgets. Their new M25 straight-pull rifle hasn’t been designed to take on Blaser’s highly successful and top-tier R8. Instead it’s pitched squarely at a price point which makes it an attractive option for the hunter looking to embrace the straight-pull action, synonymous with its slick bolt travel and ultra-fast cycling, without breaking the bank.
Outdoor Sporting Agencies, Mauser importer and distributor, sent Australian Shooter one of the first M25s in the country, purely for demonstration purposes. As this review was being written, OSA was still taking orders with the first rifles expected late this year or in early 2026. The review model is the Extreme, a synthetic stocked rifle in .308 Winchester which came fitted with a proprietary optic mounting base designed for the M25 and a lovely Minox RS-4 riflescope in 2.5-10×50.
At a glance
This is a synthetic stocked rifle in dark grey/black which complements the matt black barrelled action. Its linear, straight -pull design with 51cm barrel gives a total overall length of 995cm and bare weight (with scope-mounting rail) of 3.16kg. Magazine configuration is a detachable box with a three-round capacity and five-round option also available.
Up close
The M25 barrelled action has been designed from scratch by the team at Mauser. This design first and foremost is unique, the barrel profile morphing from 17mm diameter to 24mm, at which point it enters a circular 34mm diameter extension. This extension is affixed to the rectangular chassis by screws with the chassis itself bedded deep into the stock.
The rear arrangement forms the locking abutments into which the bolt head enters when the bolt carrier is pushed forward, the bolt itself having a push-feed face with single claw extractor and twin-sprung ejector pins. A pair of locking lugs, one above and below, open vertically into the locking abutments, Mauser claiming these offer 66 sq.mm of surface contact (encompassing 250 degrees of the bolt circumference) between bolt and breech. Being 10 per cent more than the stalwart M98 action, its strength and safety when chambering and firing a round shouldn’t be a problem with modern cartridges.
The bolt itself has steel rails which protrude forward and overlap the edges of the steel receiver block. Removing and inserting the bot carrier assembly is easy and cleaning the bolt and its intricate systems straightforward by following the manufacturer’s guidelines. There’s also a hammer recessed within the base of the receiver block which serves to activate the striker mechanism in the bolt carrier. This is cocked as the bolt carrier slides back and forth over it.
The bolt handle’s superbly designed for ease of operation and, more importantly, is in the precise location for the user’s thumb to engage the bolt shank/knob to draw the carrier rearward. The shank extends down 60mm with a round knob at the end measuring 22mm in diameter. The handle rotates slightly upon its axis to unlock the action, the movement of the entire bolt carrier super-slick for an effortless reload. I won’t mention speed of operation as this is entirely up to the operator but the bolt carrier’s like an ice dancer doing their stuff.
A two-position safety catch is fitted into the action tang, simply move it forward for ‘Fire’ (with the bolt locked fully-forward) and rearward for ‘Safe’. A small button within the safety serves to unlock the bolt for safe unloading, however this isn’t a de-cocking feature which is popular on many other straight-pull designs. The trigger is a joy to use, being of a single-stage design with an 8mm wide blade. It broke like a glass rod at 900g and is fully adjustable from 700-1700g. Must be one of the best triggers on any rifle on the market, though with Mauser you wouldn’t expect anything less.
A three-round polymer magazine (with steel spring naturally) is supplied as standard and while perfectly serviceable, would’ve been better as a five-round unit (available as an option). I’m sure Mauser would be fielding requests for a larger capacity magazine in the order of 8-10 rounds, especially useful for European driven boar and deer hunting, where rattling off half a dozen shots in quick succession isn’t uncommon. Nevertheless, the three-round magazine performed without any issues and was easy to load and clip into place.
Mounting a suitable optic would entail a specific base which is designed for use on the barrel extension, as is common with most straight-pull firearms. The review rifle came with a Picatinny rail which affixes to the barrel extension, though positions the centre of the scope-mounting area over the receiver block and magazine well. This ensures any scope can be mounted with proper eye relief taken into account. The supplied Minox was set up perfectly by OSA and, when shouldering the rifle, gave an excellent view through the optic with generous eye-relief.
The barrel is one area where Mauser, along with Sauer and Blaser, are highly regarded. The M25 barrel is cold-hammer forged from a special proprietary steel, finished with a new durable and rust resistant Mauser plasma-oxidised surface coating, which matches the finish on all the other metal parts in the receiver and bolt assembly.
The external layout is as befits a hunting rifle made for serious use, a clean American stock style with straight comb, well-proportioned pistol grip and adequate panels on both grip and fore-end. The butt-stock comb has panels impressed into either side with the Mauser logo. It looks like an adjustable comb arrangement but on the Extreme model is purely aesthetic. Sling swivel attachment points are supplied being integral to the stock design, though this is negative point for me, as simple QD sling swivel studs would be preferred to moulded-in loops.
When the M25 was released globally the .308 Winchester chambering was the only option, yet once the model gained interest and traction, other calibres followed suit, so it’ll be interesting to see what’ll be offered to Australian consumers in due course.
At the range
I knew the M25 Extreme would be a ‘shooter’ and wasn’t disappointed. Several brands of ammunition in .308 Winchester were supplied, supplemented by a few loads of my own preference. The rifle off the bench was a delight to use and shooting three-shot groups at 100m was the standard method of evaluation. There was a temptation to rattle off shots in quick succession but why force things when there’s no need?
Chambering rounds from the magazine was effortless and operation of the bolt carrier, moving it forward into battery and rearward to eject fired cases, was excellent. The cold-hammer forger barrel with its free-floating set-up resulted in a rifle which shot all loads on the day without fuss or hassle. All groups were less than 1.5 MOA, most around the 1MOA and some premium factory loads produced cloverleafs.
Makes no bones about it this is a hunting rifle pure and simple, not designed to shoot game or targets out past yonder in the extreme long-range category. I’d be happy to shoot out to 300-350m all day long with the M25 Extreme, especially taking into account that with the supplied Minox RS-4 scope it weighed 3.89kg, spot-on for a stalking rifle. It’s no flyweight but won’t give you ‘fallen arches’ if carrying it afield.
In summary
Mauser and OSA are on to a winner with the M25 and it’ll be interesting to see the reaction once they hit the shelves in Australia. I hear pre-orders have been strong, which augurs well when supplies reach our dealers. It’s a cracking firearm for the new hunter or seasoned outdoors person after a straight-pull rifle with the Mauser pedigree behind it. The only slight downside is the standard three-shot magazine, though a couple of five-shot mags in the kit should serve your needs. Pricing hadn’t been released at time of writing though the OSA dealer network should be able to advise soon.
SPECIFICATIONS
Mauser M25 Extreme straight-pull rifle
Manufacturer: Mauser, Germany
Calibres: Calibre: .308 Win (tested), contact OSA dealer network for more availability
Barrel length: 510mm (20”)
Overall length: 995cm
Weight: 3.16kg (with scope base)
Magazine capacity: Three rounds (five also available)
Availability: Late 2025 or early 2026