Musgrave Mk IV

Musgrave Manufacturers & Distributors · Rifle · Discontinued

Also known as: Musgrave Mark IV

Overview

The Musgrave Mk IV is a South African centre-fire bolt-action hunting rifle built by Musgrave in Bloemfontein. Like the companion Mk III, it is based 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 .30-06 Springfield.

Specifications

Action TypeBolt Action
Firing MechanismStriker Fired
Trigger TypeSingle Stage
Magazine Capacity5 rounds
Magazine TypeInternal
Muzzle Velocity823 m/s (2700 fps)
Muzzle Energy3293 J (2429 ft·lbf)
Effective Range300 m (328 yd)
Barrel RiflingRight Hand
Frame MaterialSteel
Barrel MaterialSteel
Stock MaterialWood
FinishBlued

Calibers

Features

Service history

Operators

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

The Mk III and Mk IV share the same Mod 98 based Santa Barbara actions and barrels; specific published dimensional specifications for the Mk IV are scarce, so several measurements are left unrecorded. 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 firm's Bloemfontein-built Mauser-actioned sporters like the Mk IV were the civilian hunting cousins of the record-setting Musgrave RSA target rifle.