FN Mauser in .300 Win Mag - Help!

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NCLivingBrit

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So I made the mistake of going to the gun shop with money in my pocket on Saturday and ended up with a new rifle. It's a commercial FN Mauser chambered in .300 Win Mag. It came with a Monte Carlo/pistol grip stock that has a couple of little dings/rubs, but is otherwise in good shape. The metal has an excellent finish and no visible marring other than some signs of use. It also came with a set of Beuhler rings/mounts and a pre-'74 (no letter prefix) Leupold 3-9 Vari-X II scope that is also in great shape as clear as you could ask for.

My only concern I am having is that it is hard to close the action with a cartridge in it. I loaded a couple of rounds in the magazine, aimed in a safe direction and worked the bolt. It feeds fine from the mag, chambers with little resistance but when it comes time to turn the bolt down, it gets stiff/sticky feeling. Same goes for opening it up again, but once it's turned all the way up, it slides clean and ejects nicely.

I'm a Mauser noob (I bought this on an outright whim, because it was pretty as a picture, very nicely priced and I have never had a .300 Win Mag or a Mauser before), so before I start stripping things down (with all the possible horrors that entails) I figured I would ask. In case it matters, the rifle has the safety as part of the right side of the trigger group rather than on the back of the bolt as the military Mausers do.

Any help would be appreciated! I plan to give the chamber a good cleaning and I can't see any great amount of crud on either the bolt or the receiver, but there might be special Mauser secrets I just plain don't know!

Thanks in advance folks!

EDIT: I just went on ebay and Gunbroker. Looks like the scope alone is worth more than half what I paid for the rifle and all :)
 
What kind of ammo are you using? If it is factory ammo, the chamber may be a bit tight and will need a headspace check and maybe a finish reaming to correct the problem. If you are using reloaded ammo, the cartridge case may not have been properly sized.....chris3

One other thing. The chamber may be just really dirty. Have you cleaned the bore and chamber?
 
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If it is the case, before I would have the chamber reamed and possibly ruin your rifle, I would contact RCBS, explain your problem and send them several fired cases. RCBS could manufacture a custom sizing die to fit your chamber. I worked for me on a custom 22 K-Hornet.
 
IMHO, probably need the locking lug recesses cleaned out. Most folks don't clean there and gunk does build up. :) Before I worried about the chamber, I'd clean first.

Sounds like you got a great buy, especially as Leupold scopes have a lifetime warranty that runs with the scope and not the owner.
 
words of wisdom spoken for a dirty rifle...coming used from a gun shop I know most of these guys don't clean a rifle when they buy 'em off a poor shmoe that comes in hard up for cash.
 
The ammo is factory ammo (Winchester I think, it's locked up right now) and I can slide the case home with my fingertip (and no bolt) with no trouble at all, it is just that pushing the bolt handle down is tough.

The locking lugs being gummy would explain that. Guess I better find a breakdown guide for an FN Mauser :)
 
Mausers are meant to feed from the magazine only. The extractor was never designed to single load cartridges directly into the chamber. If you're trying to single load cartridges that may well be your problem.
 
MtnCreek said:
Mausers cock on closing. Is it possible that is what feels different?
Click to expand...
Some Mauser's cock on closing. From the OP's description it sounds like a commercial 98, which cocks on opening.

I'd clean out the lug recesses, grease the lugs, oil the extractor collar and be SURE to feed from the magazine, not directly into the chamber.
 
I can slide the case home with my fingertip (and no bolt) with no trouble at all, it is just that pushing the bolt handle down is tough.
Click to expand...

Chamber looks fine then. :)

No real need for a guide, just remove the bolt and swab out the recesses. I find a rolled up patch works well. Solvent, then scrub.
 
Re-read the post about loading from the magazine instead of dropping a cartridge directly in the chamber before closing the bolt.......chris3
 
From the OP:
I loaded a couple of rounds in the magazine
Click to expand...

I only ever feed single cartridges directly into the action with single shot rifles, since I have no urge to jam actions or break extractors :)

From the assorted responses, I am thinking it is dirty lugs. I will pull the bolt and get in there with some Hoppes and my electric toothbrush (the best tool I have ever bought for cleaning nooks and crannies!) and see if I can't make turning the bolt down as smooth as the feed action
 
has the rifle had work done to it? someone could have had a barrel installed with a tight chamber so thats why the factory sized cases are closing hard, your pushing the shoulder into the chamber. take some rounds out and shoot it, then try some of the formed brass for that chamber. my 7 mag is like that, i cannt get a factory remington into my gun without having to jam the bolt down then it take a bit of lovin to get the unfired case out.
 
If it's still tight after cleaning take a sharpie and color the shoulder and neck of a cartridge then chamber it and see where the sharpie is rubbed off. Should tell you if the chambers tight. Might color the belt area as well since it's .300 WM. Heck just color the whole thing and try that.
 
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