Stripping a Model 1896 Mauser Bolt

[Yamavira]

Hi from the UK.
Hope everyone safe & well. We WILL beat this virus !!.

I have a Ludwic Loewe model 1896 rifle in 7x57. I t was originally a carbine. I think it was a Boer War cavalry carbine.
I wish to strip & clean the component parts of the bolt.
I did carry out a strip down of the bolt many years ago & fitted a low profile safety. Cannot remember how it comes apart.
Looking on You Tube. The bolts shown in the videos are not the same as the bolt on my gun.
Mine has no button to press to unscrew the bolt head..

Would welcome any instructions or links to instructions which would enable me get the job done.
Thanks for any help.
Take care. It's still out there.
Yamavira.

 

[Stan Rosen]

Is your safety two or three position? If it is two postion you will need to manually cock the bolt and set the safety after removing the bolt from the receiver.

 

[Yamavira]

Thank you for your immediate response. Much appreciated
The low profile safety has only 2 positions & can only be set to safe when the bolt is cocked and this then locks the bolt closed & the trigger is locked..
I think the 1st step requires the bolt to be cocked to enable the safety to be set on & then the bolt head to be unscrewed. That being the case how does one safely cock the bolt when it is out of the rifle.
Regards
Yamavira.

 

[Stan Rosen]

DO NOT DO THIS ON YOUR WIFES DINING ROOM TABLE! Remove the bolt, go to the edge of your work bench or a secure block of wood, catch the bottom of the cooking piece on the edge of the wood or bench and push. Once the cooking peice is far enough back engage the safety and slowly release pressure.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

With the bolt removed from the receiver you'll need to pull the cocking piece rearward enough to set the safety -- this will keep the cocking piece from dragging against the rear of the bolt body as the bolt sleeve is rotated off.

With the striker assembly removed from the bolt body, point the firing pin downward onto a sacrificial piece of wood and press the bolt sleeve down against the striker spring. This takes a lot of force. You want the spring compressed enough so the cocking piece is free to rotate 90 degrees for removal. Once that's off, slowly release tension on the bolt sleeve.

The last step is to remove the extractor. Rotate the extractor until it goes past the groove at the front of the bolt, then push the extractor forwards. Be advised that it is easier to remove than to replace -- the extractor collar is difficult to compress without special pliers.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

BTW, there are photographs of some of these steps in Kuhnhausen's Mauser Shop Manual. It's out of print and a bit expensive these days, but perhaps a local library can borrow a copy for you:

https://www.amazon.com/Mauser-Bolt-Action-Manual-Through/dp/999396400X

Other Mauser books tend to focus on the 1898 action.

 

[Yamavira]

Evening Guys.
Thank you for your help / advice. Job's "a good'un) as we say in England. You've certainly got to be very wary of that big spring. (have polished the scuff mark out of the dining room table edge !!! Wife will never notice. I hope).

 

[Bwana John]

You may wish to try a loop of para cord or a shoe lace to grab the lug and cock the bolt with, loop in one hand, bolt in the other, loop goes around the lug, and spring gets compressed by pulling your hands apart.

Much easier than mangling the furniture.

I'm assuming this is a 2 position aftermarket safety, as the 3 position OEM is much easier to work with.

 

[Yamavira]

That's correct. 2 position after market. Did have a slight oops when cocking piece freed. Spring shot the firing pin into the garage door.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Here are a couple sets of illustrated instructions:

 

[Armorer 101]

You can make a set of pliers for the job by cutting out the jaws to clear he bolt and clamp the extractor bolt ring, in behind the extractor. You make a duplicate of the one pictured out of sacrificial regular pliers using a Dremel tool.
Without the pliers you will be a long time getting that extractor back on the bolt.

 

[Yamavira]

Hi Again
Thanks for all of the help/assistance. Much appreciated.
Now. The Firing Pin Spring. This is a very powerful spring. Is it really necessary for it to be so very strong.
Has anyone replaced this very strong, original, spring with a lighter spring. The lighter spring of course must still ensure safe, consistant no misfires firing of the rifle.
If anyone has successfully replaced this spring what are the dimensions of the replacement. Length, OD diameter & coil wire diameter.
Thanks
Yamavira

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

Wolff offers replacement springs, but they go the other direction: more power for shortening locktime.

https://www.gunsprings.com/index.cfm?page=items&cID=2&mID=40

I put a Wolff Blitzschnell in one of my Mauser 98 actions to replace an original that had been shortened enough to give so-so ignition. Functionally, besides always going bang, it feels about the same when working the bolt and firing. The differences are too subtle for me.

 

[Armorer 101]

When working with military anything, always, it is built for stout not beauty. For sport or range use you can get away with less than military. Just do remember that the firing pin spring is part of the “lock time” and reducing the strength or consistency of ignition can effect accuracy.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

That's correct. 2 position after market. Did have a slight oops when cocking piece freed. Spring shot the firing pin into the garage door.

Be thankful the Mauser striker is big and easy to find. A buddy of mine did a gunsmithing course at the Colorado School of Trades. He learned there that getting down on all fours to look for a dropped part was known as 'assuming the gunsmith's position'.