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Polishing Mauser bolt

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carlosmaurixio

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Sorry once again guys, I keep asking a lot of questions on a single thread which is very unproductive. I have a lot of questions :confused::confused::confused:

I am cleaning up a Mauser 98 and I want to leave the bolt white. I am wondering if there is any part of the bolt that needs to be left coated and should not be polished.

The rear of the bolt has a cap-looking piece that seems to be a different metal. I am referring to the piece that holds the firing pin and safety lever. This piece separates completely from the actual bolt, and this piece together with the safety lever itself (an aftermarket Buehler lever) seem to be made of a different material

Thanks once more.
 
They tend to look good with the main body and extractor claw rail polished while leaving the cocking piece and bolt shroud/safety in a blued configuration.
 

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Doesn't look bad at all. I've seen a few with the bolt shroud painted or blued and now I am wondering if that piece is even able to be left polished. Oh, and thanks for the term "bolt shroud" now I don't have to look like a fool describing it. :eek:
 
Some list show it as being a bolt sleeve. I was always told it was the bolt shroud. You would probably have to see the original German names from back when Paul Mauser designed the darn things...

http://www.urban-armory.com/diagrams/mauser98.htm

Here is a Model 98 action , (originally a 1935 Brazilian Cavalry Carbine made by DWM) That I installed a M-70 type safety. Plus a Douglas #5 barrel and a thumb-hole stock. It is in 7x57mm
 

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That looks like a nice piece of work! Thanks for posting that, and thanks for the diagram as well.

Would you mind elaborating on the bolt shroud polishing question? I am very intrigued on if it is able to be left bare metal.
 
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Float Pilot said:
Some list show it as being a bolt sleeve. I was always told it was the bolt shroud. You would probably have to see the original German names from back when Paul Mauser designed the darn things...

http://www.urban-armory.com/diagrams/mauser98.htm

Here is a Model 98 action , (originally a 1935 Brazilian Cavalry Carbine made by DWM) That I installed a M-70 type safety. Plus a Douglas #5 barrel and a thumb-hole stock. It is in 7x57mm
Click to expand...
How about posting some more pix of the whole rifle. This is a Swedish mauser I sporterized and a German K98k that I made into a scout rifle.
257288-R1-14-15.jpg
257288-R1-16-17.jpg
 
The nice thing about doing your own work is that you can have the appearance any way you want it. If you like the bolt shroud blued, you can have it that way. If you want is polished and left in the white (not blued) you can have it that way- or any combination of the two. I have seen the bolt body left polished and the extractor blued. Since its your rifle make it any way that appeals to you.
It is more common to see 98 Mausers with polished bolt and extractor with blued bolt shroud. 93, 95, 96 Mausers most generally have polished bolt, extractor and bolt shroud.
 
I am wondering if the metal on the shroud will rust if left polished. Is it the same material as the bolt? I believe that the barrel and receiver will rust if left polished/uncoated since it is a different type of steel. Please correct me if I am wrong.

I will probably end up coating the shroud itself as I like the way that looks, but it is always nice to know these random facts about one's rifle.

Thanks for all the replies!

Moose, what finish did you go with on your barrel? Satin Black?
 
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I have a couple Mausers with the bolt shroud in the white. (Polished steel) you just have to keep them oiled, OR waxed.
One problem is that he has a Buehler scope safety and I think they are some sort of weird alloy that does not polish up very well.
 
Do not polish bearing surfaces, which include:

1. Rear of the lugs, all three lugs.
2. Cocking cam on the bolt body
3. The cocking piece, front safety, cocking surface, and trigger sear surface

Anything else can be me in the white.
 
That's actually good to know, thanks for bringing it up.

What do you mean by cocking cam? front safety? cocking surface?

All others I understood. How do I go about cleaning those areas including the face of the bolt that contacts the cartridge?
 
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Sorry, was out of town.

Cocking Cam - A notched ramp on bottom of bolt with bolt is closed.

Front (of) Safety - Do no polish the the end the interfaces in the bolt body cut out or the Safe or Safe/take down positions.

Cocking Surface - Set red oval around diagonal surfaces in attached picture.
 

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Coming into the thread late, but here is a photo of two (commercial) Mauser bolts side by side...one polished/in the white the other blued...

:)
 

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