Editors’ Picks 2018: Mauser M18 Rifle

Mauser is showing that it, too, can master 21st-century efficiency by way of the new M18 turnbolt, machined at the firm’s present-day waffenfabrik in Isny, Germany. Its basic design features a cylindrical receiver bearing a full-diameter, push-feed bolt with three locking lugs. The setup promotes smooth, quick bolt travel, and is further enhanced by a user-adjustable trigger plus a three-position safety whose middle setting allows unloading while the firing pin remains locked. At an MSRP of $699, it is the most affordable new-production Mauser since the height of the Cold War, and while rifles in that price class are typically spartan, the M18 offers notable extras. Though lacking the iconic full-length extractor, the bolt is equipped with twin plunger-type ejectors, and the synthetic stock accommodates a five-shot detachable box magazine, soft-inlay grip panels and a quick-release buttpad that gives way to an onboard storage compartment. Early production has been limited to .308 Win., but soon to come are .243 Win., 6.5 mm Creedmoor, .270 Win., .30-’06 Sprg., 7 mm Rem. Mag. and .300 Win. Mag. mauser.com