Help With Heavy Bolt Lift on Mauser Action

[Harry Knutz]

Good point brought up by Harry. Nosler website shows 52.5 as max for the 120 BT and you are at 54.

Does that show IMR powder or H4350? IMR is usually a grain or so less.

 

[med358-boise]

IMR as that is what the OP said he was using.

 

[Citified]

Post #5 was spot on. Years ago I switched my trigger assembly to a Timney and installed a cock on opening conversion kit.
Changed the whole character of the action operation. Mine is custom and sporterized and I wore out the original barrel. I had it rebarrelled an still shoot it today. Very accurate but Mausers tend to have a heavier bolt lift anyway compression to other actions. I am not suggesting you remake the wheel here, but mine rifle responded very well to the changes I described. You definitely should take the bolt apart and clean it if you never have.

 

[Harry Knutz]

A quick look at Hornady's Latest loading manual which the heaviest bullet it shows is a 117 gn bullet, Shows a max load of 50.0 grains of IMR 4350, And 51.2 gr of Accurate 4350, You may very well be way too hot. You show a heavier bullet (120 gr) and 4 grains over max, Which will definitely cause stiff bolt lift.

I'm very sorry, I had 25-06 on the brain from another thread I was reading, It looks even worse when I looked up 6.5-06 in the Hornady book, Max load for a 120 gn bullet is 48.8 gr of IMR 4350, You are way way over on your charge. You are 5.2 gr over max.

 

[mike seal]

I'm out of my element here and need some help. I'm getting ready to do some load development with 85g Hammers for my 6.5x06 and want to make sure I'm getting the most accuracy I can in the process. This is an old custom-made rifle with a Mauser action and heavy Douglas barrel. I don't know that this rifle has ever had a light bolt lift as long as I've owned it. It shoots great and the only cartridge that's ever been shot through this rifle in the past 50 years has been 120gr Nosler BTs driven by 54gr IMR-4350 with an average 3,135 fps velocity. My cases are made from 25-06 brass (although I've never actually made any of the brass myself). I always full length resize.

I've checked my case length and even shortened one down well under the maximum just to make sure that wasn't it. When I drop a resized case in the chamber, the bolt is very stiff to close on it and equally stiff to lift. When I attempt to measure the distance from the bottom of the base (just above the extractor groove to the bottom of the shoulder or the top of the shoulder, it seems long compared to what the book says it should be. What are the things that cause this phenomenon on rifles with this type action? Is there something else I should be doing in the re-sizing phase that bumps this neck down a bit? Thanks.

I have a 6.5 06AI. When I fire form the 25.06 brass I load about four or five grains 4831 or 4350 and it fires great. You are going to have to trim the case a little to get it back to specks then load to maximum load and you should have a fine shooting rife for years to come. Mine has a Mauser action also. I need another bolt action for mine I broke the extractor on mine and it won't kick the shell out unless you tur the rife down to get the shell out.

 

[mike seal]

I have a 6.5 06AI. When I fire form the 25.06 brass I load about four or five grains 4831 or 4350 and it fires great. You are going to have to trim the case a little to get it back to specks then load to maximum load and you should have a fine shooting rife for years to come. Mine has a Mauser action also. I need another bolt action for mine I broke the extractor on mine and it won't kick the shell out unless you tur the rife down to get the shell out.

I meant four or five grains light on your maximum load and it fire forms just great. You might have to trim the case a little but it works out just fine.

 

[MW204]

To remove the firing pin I lock the sear in a vise by clamping down on the side of the sear by placing it in a vise just enough to grasp the entire sear and then I pull the bolt away from the vise and place a finishing nail where Hugnot put the dime. I unscrew the bolt and then go the extra step and remove the extractor, but you better have the wrench to put the extractor back on or it'll be a nightmare. With the firing pin out and the extractor off, there is nothing to bind up but the brass if that's the problem.
If you want to know how to take the firing pin spring off to polish the firing pin let me know and I'll explain that to you.

 

[MW204]

I have a 6.5 06AI. When I fire form the 25.06 brass I load about four or five grains 4831 or 4350 and it fires great. You are going to have to trim the case a little to get it back to specks then load to maximum load and you should have a fine shooting rife for years to come. Mine has a Mauser action also. I need another bolt action for mine I broke the extractor on mine and it won't kick the shell out unless you tur the rife down to get the shell out.

Why don't you just get another extractor?

 

[Hard rock]

For many years companies sold upgraded parts for customizing mausers, and one was a stiffer spring on the firing pin to increase lock speed. It did make for a heavier bolt lift though.

Most speed lock kits we're for converting 93s , 95s and 96 mausers too cock on the open . The lock time on 98 mausers usually is pretty decent .The bolt lift issue is or most likely either a extractor issue cocking issue , galling or related too the trigger , possipby camber or tight headspace issue . All that is pretty much already stated . The bolt altering is probably not a factor , looking at the pics looks like a commercial action and factory bolt. I think all the bases have been covered. Good luck on getting it resolved.

 

[hawlejr]

Sometimes a buildup of carbon in the throat area of the chamber could be the problem. I've experienced hard bolt extraction and stuck cases on Ruger M77 old model 25-06s and on push style ejector rifles as well. There is a very good blog put out by the Gunwerks folks on cleaning with a lot of specific reference to the need for carbon cleaning. Here's the URL:

 

[Harry Knutz]

Most speed lock kits we're for converting 93s , 95s and 96 mausers too cock on the open . The lock time on 98 mausers usually is pretty decent .The bolt lift issue is or most likely either a extractor issue cocking issue , galling or related too the trigger , possipby camber or tight headspace issue . All that is pretty much already stated . The bolt altering is probably not a factor , looking at the pics looks like a commercial action and factory bolt. I think all the bases have been covered. Good luck on getting it resolved.

Those were cock on opening kits, Most made by Dayton Triaster, I have 2 commercial Mauser 98 rifles that I put Tubbs speedlock firing pin and springs in, I wish he still made them for the 98's but apparently he doesn't.

 

[Dragon Fly]

Texas Speed bump, It sounds like you have an interesting firearm there. While I agree 100% with the things that Hugnot has shared regarding the Mauser, I'll just add this. I've collected Mausers since 1967 and they are indeed interesting pieces of history. They were far above our bolt actions at the time and have been copied ever since. The one thing Hugnot mentioned was to place the cartridge down inside the spring mag well, and let all the parts of the action do their work. Do NOT feed a round directly into the barrel. As for the claw on the extractor. That indeed would be an easy check just by looking at it. You shouldn't have to use any measuring instruments. However, I would recommend that you find, buy or borrow a 'Go/No go gauge'. You'll find them from places like Midway USA, or Brownells. I've seen Mausers picked up from various gunsmiths that had to remove or replace a barrel, and it was screwed in so far that some rounds would now not even allow the bolt to fully close! Yes, a Mauser bolt (M93, M96, M98s) is 'tighter' at the end of the closing stroke. Good Luck!
I've had at least one of every model that Mauser made except the M98 that was turned into a .22LR for the Hitler Youth to learn on! And I still have my prized Mauser/Geha 12ga shotgun that shoots as good today as it ever did!

 

[Hugnot]

Some pics to describe situation

View attachment 377860View attachment 377861View attachment 377863View attachment 377864View attachment 377865

I think I may see the problem, I have built many mausers, If you remove the bolt shroud there is a journal at the rear of the bolt that has a v shaped camming surface on the bottom. Anyway, It looks like the shroud is bent where the little bolt sleeve locks slides back and forth, Anyway I can see where it has been galling at the back of the journal. Remove the firing pin and strip the shroud and screw it back on to the bolt, It should turn all the way on and off with no resistance.

Wrong rifle. No problems with this 55 year old Mauser. I load ammo to SAAMI pressures & specs. No galling, got to expect some bluing wear on moving parts after 25 years since it was blued.

Unsupported case measures .115, just at where the groove begins on the body of the brass case. About the same as M77 MKII Rugers.

 

[Harry Knutz]

Wrong rifle. No problems with this 55 year old Mauser. I load ammo to SAAMI pressures & specs. No galling, got to expect some bluing wear on moving parts after 25 years since it was blued.

Unsupported case measures .115, just at where the groove begins on the body of the brass case. About the same as M77 MKII Rugers.

Like I said approx, It was a guesstimation, I know they hang out quite a bit I have chambered many mausers, I measure from the rear of the headspace guage to the face of the tenon shoulder to get headspace dimensions. After looking at pics, I realize the disassembled bolt was not OP'S.