The Mauser 98 may have been the best bolt action design of all time, but it did not spring forth from Paul Mauser’s head fully formed. The Mauser took nearly 10 years of development and iteration to reach its full potential, and the 1892 pattern Spanish Mauser we are looking at today is one of the scarcer intermediate variants showcasing that development.

The model 1892 uses a unique improved single stack magazine that can be disassembled using a cartridge case. It also introduced the central safety position for disassembly of the bolt, the long rotary extractor, and a guide rib in the receiver to help smooth the bolt movement.

Spain tested and approved the 1892 pattern, first with a small purchase in 7.65mm and then with a much larger order for rifles in 7x57mm. However, the introduction of the 1893 pattern with its flush double-stack magazine was a significant improvement, and Spain opted to supersede its order for 1892 rifle with 1893s instead. As a result only about 2000 rifles and 400 carbines were actually received in the 1892 pattern.