Mauser M25: A Straight-Pull Rifle for a New Era
Mauser and straight-pull action—at first, the combination sounds almost contradictory. For more than 125 years, the name from Isny has been synonymous with traditional bolt-action rifles. With the M25, Mauser is deliberately stepping away from that heritage. Schuss & Stille firearms expert David of Alpen Adria Jagd in Villach stripped down, examined, and range-tested the M25 Max in .308 Winchester, topped with a Minox RS-4 and fitted with a Svemko suppressor. What we found is that there’s considerably more engineering behind this relatively affordable straight-pull rifle than first meets the eye.
Say “Mauser,” and most hunters immediately think of the Model 98: a turn-bolt action, massive locking lugs, and one of the most influential rifle designs ever built. And now this. Pull straight back. Push straight forward. Done.
The Mauser M25 is a straight-pull rifle. “For Mauser, that’s actually pretty unusual,” David says as the rifle sits on the bench in front of him. For decades, Mauser was virtually synonymous with the conventional turn-bolt hunting rifle.
But the idea is not entirely new—even for Mauser.
Mauser Built a Straight-Pull Nearly 30 Years Ago
There is an almost forgotten chapter in Mauser history that makes the M25 even more interesting. Back in the mid-1990s, Mauser introduced the M96, itself a straight-pull rifle. It never achieved a major commercial breakthrough and eventually disappeared from the lineup. Nearly three decades later, Mauser is taking another shot at the concept.
DThis time, however, the market looks very different. Straight-pull rifles are no longer exotic pieces of engineering. Across Europe, many hunters appreciate them for their speed, especially on driven hunts or during fast follow-up shooting at the range. Instead of lifting and rotating a bolt handle, the shooter simply runs the action straight back and straight forward.
That is exactly where the M25 is designed to shine—and it does so at a price point noticeably below many premium straight-pull rifles.
Our M25: Laminated Wood Instead of Plain Polymer
Schuss & Stille tested the M25 Max, and visually it stands apart from the typical synthetic-stocked working rifle. The thumbhole stock is made from laminated wood. David has long been a fan of laminate stocks, and not simply because of their looks. Laminate is dimensionally stable, durable, and well suited to hard use in the field. “They can take a tremendous amount of abuse, and they just look cool,” he says.
More importantly, the ergonomics work.
The pistol grip is relatively steep, allowing the shooting hand to settle into a relaxed, natural position. The thumbhole is generous enough that even larger hands do not feel cramped. The cheekpiece can be adjusted vertically to match the shooter and scope height.
There is no push-button mechanism or spring-loaded adjustment system. Loosen the screws, set the height, tighten them down. That straightforward approach says quite a lot about the philosophy behind the M25.
The Most Interesting Part Is Hidden Inside
At the heart of the M25 is Mauser’s Spread-Lock-250 action. Unlike a traditional turn-bolt rifle, the bolt head does not need to rotate in order to lock. Instead, two substantial locking elements inside the action are forced outward as the bolt closes. The system locks directly around the barrel extension. The practical result is simple: the bolt handle only needs to move in a straight line.
Pull back—the spent case comes out. Push forward—the next cartridge goes into the chamber. The action feels surprisingly light and smooth. When David strips the rifle down, it becomes clear that this is not simply a conventional bolt action modified to move in a straight line. The entire system was engineered around the straight-pull concept. The locking system sits up front, gas-relief ports are positioned along the side, and twin ejectors help kick fired cases clear of the action with authority.
From the shoulder, the M25 can be cycled quickly. Very quickly.
Fast—But Not Silent
There is one thing you notice almost immediately: the action is not exactly whisper quiet.
At the range, that makes virtually no difference. But from a dead-still high seat or blind, with game close by, it may matter.
That said, the mechanism operates cleanly and reliably—and David puts considerably more value on function than on cosmetic perfection. “As long as it works.” And it does.
A Safety System That Makes Sense
The M25 does not use a traditional manual cocking system. Instead, its safety acts directly on the firing mechanism. David demonstrates how the striker is released when the rifle is taken off safe. When the safety is engaged, the system blocks the striker and the corresponding portion of the bolt mechanism.
His view is straightforward: the closer a safety acts to the firing pin or striker itself, the more convincing the mechanical concept becomes.
For hunters accustomed to rifles with manual cocking systems, however, the M25 will require some adjustment. The operating philosophy is simply different.
Where Did Mauser Save Money?
Once the rifle comes apart, David also spots the places where Mauser clearly kept production costs under control. The M25 is not cheap in absolute terms, but for a newly developed straight-pull rifle, its pricing is surprisingly competitive.
That is only possible if every visible component is not machined from steel or aluminum.
And that becomes obvious. The trigger guard and several exterior components are made from polymer. On some of those visible and tactile parts, David would personally have preferred metal.
Not because polymer is inherently inferior. But because, in his view, a Mauser should also feel like a Mauser. “It could have been made to feel a little more premium,” is essentially his criticism.
That distinction matters. His criticism is aimed primarily at appearance and feel—not at function. The bolt runs. The safety works. The rifle cycles. And ultimately, there is one thing a hunting rifle absolutely has to do. It has to shoot.
A Closer Look at the Magazine
There are also a few practical observations regarding the detachable magazine.
David says that on some examples, the magazine feed lips can spread slightly after repeated or unfavorable loading. If that happens, the next cartridge may be released too early.
In some cases, the issue can be corrected. Eventually, however, replacing the magazine may become necessary. It is hardly a deal-breaker—but it is the kind of detail that deserves to be mentioned in an honest field review.
Minox RS-4: Sensible Glass for a Sensible Rifle
Our test rifle wore a Minox RS-4 2.5–10x50. And in many ways, the scope matches the philosophy of the M25 perfectly. It is not an optic you buy simply to win the price-tag contest at hunting camp. Instead, it offers a useful magnification range for real-world hunting and remains within a price class that makes sense on this rifle. David has worked with Minox optics for years and particularly likes the value they offer.
“The scopes are good. The price-to-performance ratio works really well,” he says. He rates the light transmission and edge-to-edge image quality positively, and the adjustment systems on the scopes he has mounted and zeroed have worked reliably.
There is one criticism. At 10x magnification, David finds the reticle a little heavy when aiming at very small targets.
For traditional hunting applications, that is likely to matter far less than it does when shooting tiny aiming points from a bench.
A Svemko Up Front
The .308 Winchester test rifle uses a compact barrel with an M15x1 muzzle thread. Our rifle was fitted with a Svemko suppressor.
The result is a thoroughly modern European hunting setup: short barrel, suppressor, straight-pull action, and an all-around hunting scope. The M25 does not suddenly become an ultralight mountain rifle. But it does become compact and manageable. And for a lot of hunters, that matters much more.
Don’t Forget the Gun Oil
The metal finish deserves attention as well. David noticed minor rust spots already developing on the test rifle. Mauser treats the barrel and action with a modern surface finish, but coatings do not eliminate the need for basic rifle maintenance.
If you hunt with an M25 in rain, wet snow, or prolonged humidity, it is not a rifle you should simply put back in the safe and forget about. “It definitely needs some care,” David says. For a hunting rifle, that is worth knowing.
So What Is the M25 Really Trying to Be?
The most interesting question is not whether the M25 is better than every other straight-pull rifle on the market. The more important question is: What exactly is Mauser trying to accomplish with this rifle? The answer becomes fairly clear once you spend some time with it.
The M25 is not meant to be a technical showpiece that spends most of its life inside a gun safe. In several places, Mauser deliberately avoids expensive materials and elaborate mechanisms. Polymer is used where some competitors use metal. There is no elaborate manual cocking system. The adjustable cheekpiece uses screws rather than a spring-loaded push-button mechanism.
In return, you get an independently engineered straight-pull action, a well-designed stock, a compact hunting rifle, and solid shooting performance. The concept is refreshingly pragmatic.
The Bottom Line: Not Perfect—But Very Interesting
There are things to criticize about the Mauser M25. Some of the polymer parts do not feel particularly upscale for a rifle in this price category. The magazine is something we would keep an eye on over time. And anyone assuming the modern surface treatment eliminates the need for proper firearm maintenance may eventually be disappointed.
On the other hand, the M25 is a straight-pull rifle with an action that runs surprisingly smoothly, cycles quickly, and does exactly what a hunting rifle is supposed to do.
It shoots. David’s assessment is refreshingly straightforward: the M25 is somewhat bulky, visibly cost-conscious in a few areas, but mechanically simple and functional.
And that may be the most important point of all. The M25 is not trying to become the next Mauser 98. It is not trying to be the most expensive rifle in the gun cabinet, either. Instead, it is a modern Mauser for hunters who want a fast, practical straight-pull rifle—and would rather spend their money on hunting, optics, ammunition, and time in the field than on prestige. And ironically, that may be exactly what makes this unconventional Mauser so compelling.
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