11.15 x 60 R Mauser (Smokeless) Load Data

The .43 Mauser, also known as 11.15×60R Mauser, is a late-19th-century military rifle cartridge developed in 1871 for the Mauser Model 1871, the first official service rifle of the German Empire. It was designed as a black-powder, rimmed cartridge, firing a large, heavy lead bullet of approximately 11.15 mm (.43 inch) diameter from a 60 mm long brass case.

The cartridge typically used a paper-patched or lubricated lead projectile weighing around 370–385 grains, propelled by black powder at relatively low pressures. Muzzle velocities were modest by modern standards, but the round delivered strong penetration and reliable performance for its era. Its rimmed case ensured dependable extraction in single-shot and early repeating rifles, including the later Mauser 71/84 tubular-magazine variant.

Outside Germany, the cartridge became widely known under its Anglo-American name “.43 Mauser,” while in Europe the metric designation 11.15×60R remained standard. Despite minor variations in bullet diameter due to 19th-century manufacturing tolerances, the two names refer to the same cartridge.

Today, the .43 Mauser is primarily of historical and collector interest. Original rifles should be fired only with black powder or carefully developed low-pressure loads, as modern high-pressure ammunition can be unsafe.