Mauser in the context of Bolt-action

Heckler & Koch GmbH (HK or H&K; German pronunciation: [ˌhɛklɐ ʔʊnt ˈkɔx]) is a German firearms manufacturer that produces handguns, rifles, submachine guns, and grenade launchers. The company is located in Oberndorf am Neckar and also has subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, France, and the United States.

Heckler & Koch was founded in 1949 by former Mauser engineers Edmund Heckler, Theodor Koch, and Alex Seidel, who founded the company out of the shuttered Mauser factory in Oberndorf. The company initially produced machine tool and metal parts until 1956 when, in response to a Bundeswehr contract for a new service rifle, HK developed the Heckler & Koch G3. The success of the G3 rifle prompted HK to transition to the defense industry. HK was owned by Royal Ordnance from 1991 to 2002, and is currently part of the Heckler & Koch Group, comprising Heckler & Koch GmbH, Heckler & Koch Defense, NSAF Ltd., and Heckler & Koch France SAS. The company's motto is "Keine Kompromisse" (No Compromises).

The Howth gun-running (/ˈhoʊθ/ HOHTH) was the smuggling of 1,500 Mauser rifles to Howth harbour for the Irish Volunteers, an Irish nationalist paramilitary force, on 26 July 1914. The unloading of guns from a private yacht during daylight hours attracted a crowd, which prompted police and military forces to intervene. A riot ensued and the attempt to seize the weapons was unsuccessful. As the King's Own Scottish Borderers returned to barracks, they were accosted by a mob at Bachelors Walk, who threw stones and exchanged insults with the soldiers. In an event later termed the Bachelor's Walk massacre, the soldiers shot into the crowd, resulting in the deaths of four civilians and the wounding of at least 38.

"Swedish Mausers" are a family of bolt-action rifles based on an improved variant of Mauser's earlier Model 1893, but using the 6.5×55mm Swedish cartridge, and incorporating unique design elements as requested by Sweden. These are the m/94 (Model 1894) carbine, m/96 (Model 1896) long rifle, m/38 (Model 1938) short rifle and m/41 (Model 1941) sniper rifle. Production began in 1898 at Carl Gustafs stads Gevärsfaktori in Eskilstuna, Sweden.

All Swedish Mausers other than trials rifles were chambered for the 6.5×55mm Swedish cartridge, and all Swedish-made actions were proof-tested with a single 6.5×55mm proof round developing approximately 455 MPa (65,992 psi) piezo pressure (55,000 CUP). Swedish Mausers were manufactured by Waffenfabrik Mauser AG in Oberndorf a/N in Germany and in Sweden by Carl Gustafs Stads Gevärsfaktori and Husqvarna Vapenfabriks Aktiebolag. All Swedish Mausers, whether built in Germany or Sweden, were fabricated using a Swedish-supplied high grade tool steel alloyed with nickel, copper, and vanadium, a product then noted for its strength and corrosion resistance.

The Gewehr 41 English: Rifle 41, commonly known as the G41(W) or G41(M), denoting the manufacturer (Walther/Mauser), are two distinct and different Semi-automatic rifles manufactured and used by Germany during World War II. The Walther variant of the G41 was far more common and successful in German military service. They were largely superseded by the improved Gewehr 43, which was derived from the G41(W) although both rifles served concurrently until the end of the war.

Theodor Koch (13 May 1905 – 21 October 1976) was a German engineer, investor and weapons manufacturer, born in Zuffenhausen, Germany.

As a young man, Koch apprenticed as a precision mechanic. After completing his apprenticeship he attended an engineering school in Esslingen. In 1924 he started work for Mauser in an arms factory in Oberndorf as an engineer and stayed with them until 1945, when the French Army destroyed the factory since it was responsible for manufacturing several thousand firearms to the German Army. During World War II Koch also signed up to become a Fördermitglied (financier) of the SS. He was described as a "non-engaged National Socialist" by historian Stefanie van de Kerkhof, as his political role in the party was minimal and he primarily supported the nazis through financial means. After the fall of Germany to the Allied Forces at the end of World War II the Mauser factory was dismantled. Koch, Edmund Heckler and Alex Seidel saved what they could and used it to found Heckler & Koch.