Toward the end of the 19th Century and the early 20th Century Africa was being explored and exploited by the powers of Europe. Hunting the great beasts of Africa became the peak of adventure for many English and Continental hunters.
At the time, the great British safari cartridges—.375 H&H and the like—were powerful, yes, but also expensive and typically housed in equally expensive rifles. For the average man, the settler, farmer, or professional hunter working the vast territories of East Africa, such rifles were often far out of reach.
However, in 1905, a Berlin gunmaker named Otto Bock set out to solve a very practical problem. Bock’s solution was as elegant as it was effective and set a standard that has endured to this day.
He designed a cartridge powerful enough for Africa’s game, yet engineered it to function flawlessly in the popular and widely available Mauser Model 98 action. The result was the 9.3×62—a cartridge that required no special bolt face, no extended magazine, and no costly modification beyond a properly chambered barrel.
It was, in every sense, a working rifleman’s solution.
The 9.3×62 Mauser rifle earned its reputation not in catalogues, but in the field.
It offered a balance seldom equaled: Power sufficient for large and dangerous game; Recoil that remained manageable and shootable; Rifles that were affordable, rugged, and widely available and Freedom from restrictions placed on military calibers. It became the rifle carried by those who depended on it—not for sport alone, but for livelihood and survival.
It is often said that the 9.3×62 belongs to Mauser. In truth, it does not. And yet, in another sense, it does. Bock did not create the Mauser rifle, nor did Mauser create the cartridge. But the two met in a way that seemed less like design and more like inevitability. The cartridge fit the rifle as though each had been waiting for the other. No announcement was required. No campaign was launched. Men simply began to use it. And in time, they spoke of it as one thing.
We begin with your rifle...
and craft the Ultimate African Mauser Rifle
Call 775-453-9355 today or email:
RJRenner@Protonmail.com
for more information.
Old African Rifles Made To Order!
What was true then remains true now about my Old African Mausers.
The 9.3×62 in the Old African endures because it was never a product of excess—it was a product of purpose. In that same spirit, the rifle offered here is not an imitation of the past, but a continuation of it.
Built upon the superior Mauser action or one of its variations such as the excellent Interarms Mark X, Winchester Model 70, the Ruger M77, the Czs and BRNOs, and shaped by Old World craftsmanship, each detail is approached with the same philosophy that guided Mauser’s and Bock’s original design: simplicity where possible, strength where necessary, and refinement where it matters most.
The Vintage Finish is not merely cosmetic. It is an effort to recapture the character of a time when rifles were not mass-produced objects, but trusted companions—each bearing the subtle marks of the craftsman’s hand and use in the field.
The result is something increasingly rare in the modern world:
A Mauser-pattern rifle with presence, purpose, and provenance—distinct from anything produced on today’s assembly lines.
In a time of rapid manufacture and passing trends, there is still a place for the slower path—for work shaped by hand, guided by an experienced eye, and finished with intention.
It is along that path that the Old African is made. Not to replicate the past, but to stand comfortably within it. And in that quiet space where Old World craftsmanship still lives, each rifle becomes not merely an object—but a continuation of a tradition that refuses to be forgotten.
More than a century has passed since the 9.3×62 first found its place in the world. It remains not because it was the most powerful, nor the most fashionable—but because it worked. Reliably. Consistently. Without pretense. And in the hands of a hunter who understands its heritage, it continues to do so still.
We begin with your Mauser-pattern rifle - Model 70, Ruger M77, Remington, Browning, Husqvarna, Parker Hale, Sako, CZ, or BRNO, or most any quality bolt action - and slenderize the stock by reducing the forearm length and slenderizing it and finishing with an ebony tip. We also lower and thin the comb so you can actually see and use the iron sights along with thinning the action area to reduce bulkiness that seems to be the hallmark of so many modern rifles.
As Standard Operating Procedure we install Blind Cross Bolts behind the recoil lug and through the trigger web to reduce the possibility of stock splitting at those critical areas. Pillar bedding is also available for those rifles that can benefit from it, such as Model 70s and Remington 700s.
Also available is our bolt straightening service which provides that authentic Pre-War Mauser look.
Next up is installation of a Douglas Premium barrel of 24 inches and chamber for the 9,3x62 Mauser cartridge. Then add appropriate sights, either Rigby, Westley Richards, or Holland & Holland-style, depending upon the customer's taste, to complete that Old African look. Then install a sling swivel on the barrel and in the buttstock.
We also offer a "light" version of the Old African rebarreled for a variety of cartridges including the .25-06, 6.5X55, 6,5X57 Mauser, .270 Winchester, 7X57 Mauser, .280 Remington, .30-06 Springfield, 8X57 or...?
And, Yes, custom English or Turkish Walnut is optionally available.
The cost for the complete African package is still only $3000. Call 775-453-9355 for details.
A Rifle Reborn