If you can indulge us some more with a few more pics say of the bolt face, the locking area of the lugs, and the bottom part of the bolt in the shroud area (bolt upside down).
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Help With Heavy Bolt Lift on Mauser Action
- Thread starter Texas Speed Bump
- Start date
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Plus if you're going to take the bolt apart you might as well take the entire thing apart and clean the firing pin while you have it out. Let me know if you want to know how to do that and I'll explain that to you.
If you don't take it all apart I suggest you at least get some carb cleaner and scrub the spring and firing pin down with an old toothbrush and a bronze brush for the bolt hole to get them clean and before reassembly put some dry lubricant inside the bolt and on the spring/firing pin, such as graphite.
Hugnot
Well-Known Member
Great photos - careful anaysis underway.
Some minor dings on safety lug but this probably occured before bolt was blued & not related to actual use. The safety lug is designed not to contact the its recess in the receiver except for brief & minor contact at the cam surface at upper left corner (bolt handle up) when bolt is closed - that's why that surface is approx 45 degrees. Look at the upper surface of safety lug (bolt handle up) and you should see no wearing on blueing that would indicate contact. Minor blue wear on cam surface of left locking (lug with ejector slot) lug but none on bearing surface of left lug. Not a big deal but might indicate lug not contacting recess in receiver - needs some inspection. If it shoots good no worries about lug contact. Possibly rifle has not been used enough to show wear on lug surface. Lapping lugs upon a re-barrel job is a good idea.
The Mauser is designed as a battle rifle - complete dissasembly of bolt no big deal. Tools not needed. Wear safery glasses to keep spring & parts out of face. Get wood board or piece of metal stong enough to resist spring force. Drill 1/4 inch hole completely thru board or metal. Clamp board or metal to bench with C clamp or vise. Put firing pin in hole, point down where shoulder of firing pin contacts top hole - not firing pin point - depress sping by pushing down on bolt shroud, then turn cocking piece 1/4 turn & lift cocking piece off end of firing pin being careful to keep 25 or so pound spring contained. I always have a spare spring.
Brass looks real nice, primers look what you would expect to see with normal 6.5-06 loads. No signs of incipient head separation - head space probably adequate, no primer signs of excessive head space (super flat) . No prmer cratering indicating tight firing pin fit. Mauser bolt faces are incredibly hard steel. Ejector looks real good. I don't see wearing or drag marks on bolt guide showing screw on mount base not contacting bolt guide.
My own preferences are:
Clean bolt innards with Hornady One Shot cleaner & lube. Clean inside bolt & clean firing pin hole in bolt with pipe cleaner. Look for wear marks on firing pin spring indicating scuffing contact with inside of bolt. I lube camming surfaces on lugs & bolt/cocking piece surfaces with a light dab of water proof wheel bearing grease. Inside of bolt & trigger got to be grease/oil free. Hornady One Shot works real good & no other bolt innard/tigger lube needed. I clean rifle bores with foamng bore cleaner, 5W-20 synthetic motor oil, patches & nylon bore brush. Surfacants & bore scrubbing. JB now & then.
I have been shooting 52 grains of RamShot Hunter & 120 Barnes Match Burner or Hornady 120-123 ELDM bullets.
Some minor dings on safety lug but this probably occured before bolt was blued & not related to actual use. The safety lug is designed not to contact the its recess in the receiver except for brief & minor contact at the cam surface at upper left corner (bolt handle up) when bolt is closed - that's why that surface is approx 45 degrees. Look at the upper surface of safety lug (bolt handle up) and you should see no wearing on blueing that would indicate contact. Minor blue wear on cam surface of left locking (lug with ejector slot) lug but none on bearing surface of left lug. Not a big deal but might indicate lug not contacting recess in receiver - needs some inspection. If it shoots good no worries about lug contact. Possibly rifle has not been used enough to show wear on lug surface. Lapping lugs upon a re-barrel job is a good idea.
The Mauser is designed as a battle rifle - complete dissasembly of bolt no big deal. Tools not needed. Wear safery glasses to keep spring & parts out of face. Get wood board or piece of metal stong enough to resist spring force. Drill 1/4 inch hole completely thru board or metal. Clamp board or metal to bench with C clamp or vise. Put firing pin in hole, point down where shoulder of firing pin contacts top hole - not firing pin point - depress sping by pushing down on bolt shroud, then turn cocking piece 1/4 turn & lift cocking piece off end of firing pin being careful to keep 25 or so pound spring contained. I always have a spare spring.
Brass looks real nice, primers look what you would expect to see with normal 6.5-06 loads. No signs of incipient head separation - head space probably adequate, no primer signs of excessive head space (super flat) . No prmer cratering indicating tight firing pin fit. Mauser bolt faces are incredibly hard steel. Ejector looks real good. I don't see wearing or drag marks on bolt guide showing screw on mount base not contacting bolt guide.
My own preferences are:
Clean bolt innards with Hornady One Shot cleaner & lube. Clean inside bolt & clean firing pin hole in bolt with pipe cleaner. Look for wear marks on firing pin spring indicating scuffing contact with inside of bolt. I lube camming surfaces on lugs & bolt/cocking piece surfaces with a light dab of water proof wheel bearing grease. Inside of bolt & trigger got to be grease/oil free. Hornady One Shot works real good & no other bolt innard/tigger lube needed. I clean rifle bores with foamng bore cleaner, 5W-20 synthetic motor oil, patches & nylon bore brush. Surfacants & bore scrubbing. JB now & then.
I have been shooting 52 grains of RamShot Hunter & 120 Barnes Match Burner or Hornady 120-123 ELDM bullets.
M1A1ABRAMS
Well-Known Member
Just curious did the OP ever figure out the problem ? I was curious if this all started after the bluing of the bolt ? Maybe some bluing got into the bolt where it should not have.
Texas Speed Bump
Well-Known Member
I've never re-blued the bolt in the 45 years I've been shooting this rifle. Since I made this post months ago, I've been doing load development for it with some 85 grain Hammer Hunter bullets (still need to do more shooting with them at 200+ yds) but needed to make sure I was still on zero with my traditional 120gr Nosler BTs before opening weekend in a few days. The 120gr NBTs have been the main diet of this rifle since Jesus was a kid and I broke open a box of vacuum sealed cartridges that were reloaded in 2008. At the 100yd range (using a Leadsled) the first shot was dead center in the bullseye, so I quit right there. So, the rifle is still shooting great, and the bolt is still a bit heavy compared to something like my Bergara, but that's just the way this action has always been. I guess if it ain't broke...
Hugnot
Well-Known Member
M98 Mausers - Cock on opening, hefty spring, 22-24 or possible more pounds. Designed to work in mud, snow, slush or whatever. Lock time not zippy but reliable primer strike.
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M1A1ABRAMS
Well-Known Member
Oh sorry I see now that was another poster that blued the bolt. I have a 1917 Enfield that has a heavy lift with no cases in chamber. So I take it as it is. I figured old school battle rifle going to be harder than newer stuff. I have yet to shoot it. Bought it at a auction. It's all polished, looking like a stainless action. But was lacking stock, magwell, base plate, etc. I believe I have everything but a stock now. At least I hope. I was looking on Boyds for a new stock. It's just a matter of ordering it now. And trying to get it all together. Just not sure if I want to polish all metal parts. Like the base plate & trigger housing or try bluing it. Or possibly just get it Cerakoted. And I definitely need to study on bedding the rifle into the stock. This will be my first build. So I am trying to keep it cheap as possible. Just in case I screw something up. lol I had bought a stock on Ebay. Bad move. Not for a Enfield. I think it's for the Springfield. Decent stock just not the right one.
Harry Knutz
Well-Known Member
Does your 1917 cock on opening? Or do you feel a spring pressure when closing the bolt?
M1A1ABRAMS
Well-Known Member
Closing
Hard rock
Well-Known Member
Sometimes the extractor and extractor ring can cause the bolt too fill stiff . It depends on how tight the ring is and the head of the extractor riding in the extractor groove.You might can put some lapping compound and try lapping it.
Hard rock
Well-Known Member
My post was in reference too post #61
