Bolt Sleeve Lock Question

[BoltActionPrepper]

What is the function of the bolt sleeve lock on a 98 Mauser action? Is it required for reliable functioning? I've noticed that alot of commercial 98 Mauser actioned rifles lack this feature which is present on all of their military counterparts.

 

[gbeecher]

I don't own a Mauser, but...

I did a little quick web surfing. It seems the post WWII Mauser sporter rifles use a trigger safety. The bolt sleeve lock on the Mauser carbines from the 1920's thru WWII, seems to be a part of the firing pin/safety mechanism. Here's a link - http://www.mausershooters.org/k98k/SC_safety.html

 

[rcmodel]

The bolt sleeve lock actually has nothing to do with the military wing safety, or sporting trigger safety.

What it does is positively lock the bolt sleeve & cocked striker from turning and uncocking itself after the bolt is opened.

Were it not for the bolt sleeve lock, a bump on the bolt sleeve, or pushing on the wing safety lever, or the idle hands of a bored solder could rotate it just enough for the cocking piece to slip off the ledge of the cocking cam in the bolt.
Then the bolt sleeve and cocking piece would be rotated out of position as the striker spring drove it foreword.

And then the rifle would be out of commission until you took the bolt apart and recocked it, then screwed the bolt sleeve & striker assembly back in the bolt to the proper position to align it again so the bolt would close.

It was a positively necessary feature of any military bolt-action rifle.

Other bolt-action sporting rifles may not have a visible bolt sleeve lock like a Mauser, but they all have some sort of internal system to do the same thing.

It just won't do to have any rifle uncock itself accidentally when the bolt is open.

rc

 

[gbeecher]

The bolt sleeve lock actually has nothing to do with the military wing safety, or sporting trigger safety.

What it does is positively lock the bolt sleeve & cocked striker from turning and uncocking itself after the bolt is opened.

Were it not for the bolt sleeve lock, a bump or such on the bolt sleeve, or just pushing on the wing safety lever, or the idle hands of a bored solder could rotate it just enough for the cocking piece to slip off the ledge of the cocking cam in the bolt.
Then the bolt sleeve and cocking piece would rotate out of position as the striker spring drove it foreword.

And then the rifle would be out of commission until you took the bolt apart and recocked it, then screwed the bolt sleeve & striker assembly back in the bolt to the proper position to align it again so the bolt would close.

It was a positively necessary feature of any military bolt-action rifle.

Other bolt-action sporting rifles may not have a visible bolt sleeve lock like a Mauser, but they all have some sort of internal system to do the same thing.

It just won't do to have any rifle uncock itself accidentally when the bolt is open.

rc

I stand corrected! Thank you. It helps to have actual experience, and know what you're talking about. I just threw that out there...

 

[BoltActionPrepper]

Thanks for the info guys. Now for another question! How does the CZ550 rifle keep the bolt sleeve and cocked striker from turning and uncocking itself after the bolt is opened seeing as it doesn't have a visable bolt sleeve lock? I asked this question about the CZ550 once before but i wasn't satisfied with the answer i was given and after dissassembling my rifle half a dozen times i still cant figure out how it works in this aspect.

 

[rcmodel]

I don't know for sure.

But look at page 31, parts #25 through #30.

http://www.cz-usa.com/assets/product_downloads/CZ_550___.pdf

I suspect they might have something to do with it.
I believe you have to press the disassembly catch on the bolt sleeve in order to unscrew the bolt sleeve & striker out of the bolt body.

If you can't unscrew it without pressing it?
Thats maybe what locks it.

rc

 

[Mobuck]

The older model Mausers didn't have this feature. I sold a guy an 1893 Mauser and a couple odays later he came back telling me it wouldn't fire. During his handling(playing with it), the bolt shroud had unscrewed itself one turn and the firing pin would no longer reach the primer. With the striker in the cocked position and no lock, the striker/bolt shroud can easily turn.

 

[stubbicatt]

Yes. RC has it. One must depress a little button on the side of the bolt shroud before opening the action in order to unscrew the firing pin.

 

[Mk VII]

Some of the last 1945 Mausers omit the bolt lock, substituting a notch in the back of the bolt body.