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Swedish Mausers were considered the best around the turn of the century (1900) because Swedish steel was considered the best, because their ore was the best...certainly Swedish steel was better than some others, but in those early days it wasn't often clear why it was better.
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Swedish iron ore was remarkably free of phosphorus. Bessemer was only able to get his process to work, because, through serendipity, he used Swedish iron. When others used different ore, his licensed process failed. He was sweating that one out, even more than President Obama is doing over his failed health care website, because if his process did not work, Bessemer was going to go personally bankrupt. It took chemistry to solve Bessemer’s problems, and that started the steel age.
http://metals.about.com/od/propertie...el-Part-Ii.htm
Today, they understand the chemistry and thermodynamics of steel, so the starting ore is not that critical. The cultural memory remains, even if it is about as relevant as Captain Ahab hunting the white whale.