Musgrave Mk III
Musgrave Manufacturers & Distributors · Rifle · Discontinued
Also known as: Musgrave Mark III
Overview
The Musgrave Mk III is a South African centre-fire bolt-action sporting rifle built by Musgrave in Bloemfontein. Like its companion Mk IV, it is built on a Mauser Model 98 pattern action and barrel sourced from Santa Barbara of Spain, giving it a controlled-round-feed claw extractor, a three-position wing safety and an internal box magazine with hinged floorplate. Rifles of the series carry serial numbers beginning with 'R-' and were chambered for popular full-power sporting cartridges such as the .308 Winchester.
Specifications
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 838 m/s (2749 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3412 J (2517 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 300 m (328 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .308 Winchester · primary · 7.62x51mm NATO — also known as .308 Win, 308 Winchester, 7.62x51mm NATO
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Internal Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Three Position Safety
- Features: Mauser 98 Action, Controlled Round Feed, Claw Extractor, Internal Box Magazine, Hinged Floorplate, Iron Sights
Service history
Operators
- Civilian hunters and sport shooters
Production
Production years: 1970s-1990s
Part of Musgrave's centre-fire hunting rifle range that followed its earlier Vrystaat (Mk I) and Presidents (Mk II) target-derived sporters.
Origin
Country of origin: South Africa
Notes
Published dimensional specifications for the Mk III are scarce; several measurements are left unrecorded. The Mk III and Mk IV share the same Mod 98 based Santa Barbara actions and barrels. Musgrave actions were also manufactured at Lyttelton Engineering Works near Pretoria before the marque was absorbed into Denel/Armscor and continued under the Vektor name.
Background
Musgrave rifles took their name from South African gunmaker Ben Musgrave; the Bloemfontein-built Mk III sporter was a civilian hunting cousin of the record-setting Musgrave RSA target rifle, whose Mauser-pattern action was shared across the marque.