Mauser bolt/firing pin issue

[sixshooter]

If I assemble the bolt properly (read: so the safety works) then the firing pin sticks out a bit, and binds on the round as the bolt is cycled. If I don't thread the firing pin / safety subgroup all the way in (or back it out one turn) then the action feeds properly, but the safety won't engage (because it's backed out from the sear).

My guess is that the firing pin is too long, or the sear is worn. Suggestions? I'll try to do some pics and maybe a video in a bit.

 

[gpb]

A few questions so that others can offer help.

1. What model Mauser?

2. Are you replacing the firing pin or reassembling a bolt with parts that once worked?

3. If replacing the firing pin, what was the source of the replacement?

Without any of the above information and based on pure speculation. One problem could be trying to put a Model 98 Mauser firing pin into a Yugo M48 Mauser. The M48 action and bolt are slightly shorter and therefore a M98 firing pin is slightly too long.

 

[sixshooter]

I'm sorry - as a guy that works selling car parts, I should know better - details are necessary!!

It's an M95 Spanish Mauser. I acquired it second-hand, and I assume it fired at some point. It has heavy signs of wear. When I first started messing with it the safety wouldn't engage. So I disassembled the bolt, reassembled the bolt and voila! The safety works. Now, I've got a dummy .308 round that I was using just to check the feed/ejection stuff, and I notice that it is binding on the firing pin, unless I take the bolt apart and don't thread it all the way in upon reassembly.

Does that clear it up, or make it worse?

 

[Oldschool shooter]

Do yourself a favor, DO NOT shoot this gun! I have one also and was schooled by shooters far more knowledgable than myself. Th gun is chambered for 7.62 CETME, NOT 7.62 NATO. After taking mine to a gunsmith, I found out the locking lugs were set back. Could have worn the bolt as a cheek piercing, as I had already fired several rounds thru it. Only thru luck and those here on thr with a whole lot more knowledge than I have kept this from happening.

 

[HankC]

Small ring mauser is supposed to have firing ring protrusion until the trigger sear holds the firing pin back when closed. Large ring would not see the firing pin sticks out. 95 mauser is small ring. You will have miss fire if insufficient protrusion. There is a spec and you can Google to find it. One small ring mauser I had many years ago, had light primer strike because previous owner shave the protrusion!

 

[sixshooter]

You will have miss fire if insufficient protrusion.

That was what I was afraid of, actually. Maybe a good oiling / polishing would help. The dummy round I made is getting worn enough that it doesn't bind on the pin anymore, so maybe it's more to do with the ammo? Was the 7x57 Mauser cartridge rounder at the back?

 

[sixshooter]

Th gun is chambered for 7.62 CETME, NOT 7.62 NATO.

Yeah, I've heard that the NATO stuff is ok, but don't use .308... Personally, I won't be firing it until I can either load some light loads (which would mean buying reloading equipment, so not too cost effective right now), or finding some range-loads or "reduced recoil" loads that come factory loaded with a lighter powder charge. I'm not interested in self-mutilation, and since I don't know the full history of this gun (I just got it from a friend, who got it from a friend - so nobody really knows about it), I have no idea what it has been through or what it'll handle. It's more a labor of nostalgia and "gosh guns are cool" right now.

 

[HankC]

That was what I was afraid of, actually. Maybe a good oiling / polishing would help. The dummy round I made is getting worn enough that it doesn't bind on the pin anymore, so maybe it's more to do with the ammo? Was the 7x57 Mauser cartridge rounder at the back?

You don't back out a turn to get around it. At one time I accidently missed a turn and it miss-fired. Even with the protrusion, it should not bind the round, actually if you cycle the bolt slowly, you will see the firing pin withdraw just before the round rises to the firing pin hole! I doubt firing pin would be too long unless someone modified the bolt cocking piece. I have done it on a large ring! I don't know about 7mm, all my small rings were converted into 7.62x39! Check the protrusion. I'm not a mauser expert and not the best person to tell you what is the spec, but you can google and find.
By the way, many believe the Spanish 1916 308's are for CETME, but there is actually a Spanish military manual with 7.62NATO on the cover. 95 Chilean 308 is a different story, they are converted by using inserts. I don't feel comfortable with that conversion. I had one and built it into another 7.62x39! Below is a link shows the conversion.
As to safety would not engage, it is common on these old mausers. Just chamfer the cocking piece a bit to lead the safety in will do.

http://dutchman.rebooty.com/1895Chile.html

 

[Oldschool shooter]

7.62x51 NATO and .308 both have operating pressures that far exceed that of the 7x57 Mauser! Take your rifle to a good gunsmith and have the headspace checked, and even if the headspace checks good, the only safe way to shoot this rifle is with very reduced handloaded, no factory ammo is safe in this action in either. 308 or 7.62 NATO. Scan for old threads on this site about these Spanish Mausers, or contact a member named Slamfire, he schooled me very well about these guns.

 

[HankC]

You said 95 Spanish. Spanish are 1893s, I don't think there are 95 Spanish mausers. 93 Spanish mausers are converted into 308 by cutting down receivers by about 1/16" and bore the chamber to 7.62x51 aka 308 WIN, no insert. 95 conversions were made with insert. Very different. 95s have rear safety lugs but 93s have a side receiver vent hole added with the 308 conversions.

 

[Kp321]

Back to the original question. The small ring Mausers I have worked on have the firing pin tip flush with the bolt face, not protruding, until the cocking piece engages the sear. Sounds like someone has tinkered with the cocking piece. They are available and not too expensive so try a replacement.

 

[sixshooter]

You said 95 Spanish. Spanish are 1893s

Right you are - my mistake. It being an M93 was decided based on the bolt design, and that it has all the evidence of the modification process (gas port, thumb cutout for loading, spacing of barrel in stock). I simply wrote the wrong thing.

the only safe way to shoot this rifle is with very reduced handloaded, no factory ammo is safe in this action in either

I was under the impression that there were factory-produced light loads that can be store bought. I know standard .308 and 7.62x51 NATO are too hot, but I heard that you could buy "cooler" versions of them, sometimes marketed as "reduced recoil" ammo.

Sounds like someone has tinkered with the cocking piece. They are available and not too expensive so try a replacement.

That's good advice, and not the first time I've heard it - I'll look into it next. Thanks!