There are lots of different actions, and Mauser is but one of them. You are very likely to encounter a Mosin action as well, and the majority of commerical actions are a long way from Mauser actions.
Most high-power rifles have two locking lugs at the front of the bolt, one on either side of the bolt head. These serve to hold everything in place while the rifle fires. Some rifles add a third, small lug, in case the others fail (which is almost unheard of).
Commerical rifles get more complicated, though. The Remington 700, Savage 110, Winchester 70, Weatherby Vanguard, and many others, follow the two foreward locking lugs (often described as dual opposed locking lugs).
The Remington 710 and the much better but discontinued Mossberg 800 have multiple front locking lugs (the Mossy has 6 lugs in two rows of three). There are others similar as well.
There are many commerical actions that have the locking lugs in the rear, such as . These lugs don't lock the front of the bolt, but rather the rear of the bolt. The Remington 788 was such an action. The Enfield military rifles also had a rear-locking arrangement, as well as the French MAS action.
Some actions only have one locking lug, such as the Savage 320. These actions typically shoot lower-powered rounds such as the .222, .223, or .30-30.
The vast majority of .22 rifles use the bolt-handle as the locking lug (ditto for bolt action shotguns). This is perfectly safe, is much cheaper to produce, and makes the .22 bolt and rifle, as a rule, less complicated.
Your .22 probably needs a good cleaning. .22 ammo generally burns pretty dirty and that is likely your problem, though rust, dried up 3-in-one oil, or other problems may also exist.
If you tell us the manufacturer of your .22, as well as the model number, we can give you a lot of info about that rifle. The .22lr is by far the best rifle to practice on and is excellent for squirrel hunting and small pest control. It is cheap to feed and they are also often family heirlooms well worth keeping.
Ash
