The Portuguese Mauser By Pedro Mateus
The rectangular profile front sight
On the 100 metre discipline, the target used is the ISSF precision for 50 metre rifle (the 10 ring being 50mm diameter. On the 300 metre discipline, the target used is the ISSF Precision for 300 metre rifle (the 10 ring being 100mm in diameter.
Handling and Shooting The Vergueiro is an accurate, reliable and very easy to handle rifle with a moderate to high recoil. Since the original steel butt-plate was designed for military endurance and, as a last resort, a close combat weapon and not for ergonomics and shooter-comfort. The use of a slip-on rubber recoil-pad, as allowed by the Portuguese Shooting Federation regulations, is strongly recommended.
The steel butt plate on the Vergueiro original wood stock
The original steel butt-plate, combined with a relatively light rifle such as this one, is very punishing in the prone position. When shooting standing or kneeling, the shooter can effectively dissipate the recoil throughout his body but not when prone, where the shock goes to a more confined body area, with the butt plate only partially supported. A slip-on rubber pad will work wonders and ensure that the competitive shooter can focus on the sights rather than anticipating (and flinching) recoil.
The trigger is, as expected from a military rifle, a double-stage with a pull on the heavy side – around 4.1 Kgs or approximately 9 pounds. Nevertheless, I found it to be very precise (successive tests, with a digital Lyman trigger-pull weight gauge, showed little or no variation) and with no significant creep or other anomaly on the shooting cycle. Yes, it’s a heavy trigger but I feel that it is very compatible with the precision shooting disciplines where the Vergueiro can be used. With a well-balanced first stage and a not too heavy second stage, it is more than adequate for its original military intentions or even as a big game hunting platform.
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There’s a safety on the back section of the bolt - when switched to the right it’s safe and the striker is locked, when switched to the left, safety is unlocked and the rifle is ready to fire. The internal magazine can be extracted by the use of a button-release inside the trigger guard (releasing the bottom latch and emptying the contents).
The Vergueiro as an excellent set of sights (considered by many shooters as far superior to the ones on the standard Mauser 98) with a blade front sight protected by a pair of substantial ‘ears’ and a finger- adjustable ‘slide, click and lock’ elevation back sight with a 20 position marked scale. The 20 positions will allow for really long distance adjustment, as when shooting the 8x57mm FNM 198gr. cartridge, positions 4 and 5 are enough to cope with the 100 and 300 metre ISSF targets using the classic 6 o’clock hold. The overall sight profile and acquisition are quick and precise and very ergonomic – real top accuracy stuff.
Trigger and bolt (closed)
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