Kongsberg M59

Lore & Background

After World War 2, large numbers of German Mauser 98k rifles were confiscated by Norwegian forces. Most were re-barrelled to .30-06 for use as service rifles, but a number of Mauser 98 actions were used by Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk to build both military sniper and civilian target rifles. Target shooting was very popular in Norway, and stocks of the Krag–Jørgensen M1894 were scarce after the war, making the available Mauser rifles well suited for conversion into target rifles for the Norwegian DFS. The M59, M67, and the Krag–Jørgensen were the official target rifles of the Norwegian DFS until the adoption of the SIG Sauer 200 STR in the 1990s.

The M59 was introduced in 1959, first chambered in .30-06, but production soon changed to accommodate the new 7.62 NATO round; rifles so chambered were denoted M59F1. The M59F1 first served as a sniper rifle for the regular armed forces, and after the NM149 was introduced, it served with the Norwegian Home Guard until the 1990s. It was also used as a civilian target rifle, having the advantage over the Krag–Jørgensen M1894 that it did not suffer from changing point of impact in rainy weather. Many shooters had a Krag–Jørgensen for sunny days and a Mauser for rainy days.

Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk used German Mauser 98k actions for the M59. Old markings were removed, and the front receiver bridge was opened to accommodate loading of the longer .30-06 cartridge; this feature was also found on M59 rifles re-chambered to 7.62×51mm NATO. On the civilian version, only the extractor claw was blued, while the rest of the bolt was polished; on the army issue M59F1, the whole bolt was blued. The magazine follower from the 98k, which locked the bolt's forward motion on an empty magazine, was retained. A half-length cleaning rod was screwed into the fore-end, with two to three required to assemble a rod of sufficient length.

Reader's Guide

The Kongsberg M59 represents a significant chapter in Norwegian military and civilian marksmanship history. Built from captured German Mauser 98k actions left behind after World War 2, it was a practical reuse of available matériel that served both the armed forces and the civilian target shooting community. Its introduction in 1959 and subsequent chambering in 7.62 NATO as the M59F1 gave the Norwegian military a dedicated sniper rifle until the NM149 replaced it, after which the M59F1 continued in service with the Home Guard into the 1990s. For civilian target shooters, the M59 offered a distinct advantage over the Krag–Jørgensen M1894: it did not suffer from changing point of impact in rainy weather, leading to the practice of using a Krag for sunny days and a Mauser for rainy days. The M59, along with the M67 and the Krag–Jørgensen, served as the official target rifles of the Norwegian DFS until the 1990s, underscoring its long-term role in Norwegian shooting culture. Though sometimes called Mauser M59, it was not a licensed Mauser product, but a Kongsberg design that adapted the Mauser action to Norwegian needs.

Did You Know?

• The M59F1 variant was chambered in 7.62×51mm NATO and served with the Norwegian Home Guard until the 1990s.
• Civilian M59 rifles had only the extractor claw blued, while the rest of the bolt was polished; army issue M59F1 had the whole bolt blued.
• The M59 did not suffer from changing point of impact in rainy weather, unlike the Krag–Jørgensen M1894.

Gallery