Muaser K98 Question...

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ALASKACAJUN

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I just received one of those captured Nazi K98's, the one with all the markings ground off of it. It's in pretty good shape, well, after I got all the cosmoline off of it. Anyway, I cleaned it good like 5 times and then went to the range. The first 15 rounds went without a hitch. Then after the gun heated up a little, the bolt started to stick...

I was shooting some mil surp Turkish ammo, and if I let the rifle cool a while it didn't do it for about 10 rounds. I was sighting in my 22-250 and would let the K98 sit for 20-30 minutes at a time. So here's my question, did I not get all the cosmoline out or is there something wrong with the bolt? The guy I got the gun from is a gunsmith and he just shrugged his shoulder's like he had never heard of such a situation. But one of my shooting buddy's that has a K98 said his did the same thing until he shot and cleaned all the cosmoline out... What do Ya'll think???

- Clint
 
Tell us what you mean by "the bolt sticks."

If you mean it is hard to lift the bolt handle, that is usually a sign of excess pressure. I would suspect the ammo here -- as long as your bore and chamber are free of oil and grease.

If you mean it is hard to pull the bolt back after you have lifted the handle, this might mean a pitted or out-of-round chamber.
 
I have experanced M-98 bolts getting harder to open after fireing a full mag quickly.(one Turk, one Syrian marked Yugo) If it were a modern bolt gun I would worry about high pressure :what: , but for some reason it allways semmed like it was OK in a old Mauser :confused: The brass showed no sign of high pressure.
For what it is worth my current Mauser 98 (FR-8) does not do this.
 
The bolt is extremely hard to lift. But after it cools it seems to be fine... I cleaned it again with a good brush and some Hoppe's #9... I'll try to go back to the range this week...

- Clint
 
the reason the bolt is sticking is due to the ammo. Turk ammo is dang near overpressured ammo, it is loaded HOT :what: . If you break down a cartridge you will see that it is a compressed load. Try some of the other surplus ammo (Romainian/Greek/Czech)types, or factory ammo(which is almost underpowered by comparison) and if you are still having problems let us know
 
its the ammo. i've had the same thing happen with mine. turkish and romanian surplus does it. i would guess that if you bought a couple boxes of new commercial 8mm ammo (ammo king usually has some for a decent price) the bolt would lift just fine.

that cosmoline is a pain to get out, and i still get it bleeding out when the barrel gets hot.
 
It sounds to me like your ammo is borderline high-pressure. As the rifle heats up, pressure rises, and that makes for the stiff bolt lift.

Stick with mild handloads or factory loads and that should solve the problem.
 
Of course the ammo was always suspect to me, but I wanted ya'll's opinions first before I spent any money on more ammo... Thanks for the prompt reply's...
- Clint
 
Turk is the hottest stuff. I like it :evil:

Try some Yugo, its supposed to be decent. Czech too. Or try a box of commercial stuff, it'll cost much more, but one box won't set you back too far.
 
Funny thing is, I've only noticed problems with hot ammo in certain Mausers.

My Yugo (which is actually a remarked German action) and a friends Czech mauser never seem to have trouble eating the hot stuff.
 
I've had the same problem with Ecuadorian ammo, on a couple rounds it was either let it cool off or literally kick the bolt open. I've stuck with Romanian since and have had good luck with it.
 
Well I guess ya'll can see how this would affect shooting at a horde of Zombie's right? Or a charging Griz for that matter....

The last thing I want to happen is the bolt lock up on me as a mad momma griz is breathing down my neck...

- Clint :uhoh:
 
The last thing I want to happen is the bolt lock up on me as a mad momma griz is breathing down my neck...
Click to expand...

That shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't use cheap mil-surp ammo in grizzley country. With commercial or decent handloads, this rifle ought to be as reliable as any.
 
A little sticking is not unusual with Turk ammo, as others have observed. But I would strongly suggest you also check the cartridges for any signs of bad headspace. Primer flow, piercings, and separation rings are bad signs.
 
I had the same problem with my Yugo. I got rid of all the Turk ammo and the problem went away.
 
Well what a great way to find out I spent money for something that makes me mad :fire:

Just playin', I'm going over to Ammo King to see if they have a few different brands that I can try...

What were those Turk's thinkin' when they built these bullets? :D

- clint
 
The last thing I want to happen is the bolt lock up on me as a mad momma griz is breathing down my neck...
Click to expand...
Just be sure to fix the bayonet beforehand!
 
see if they have the romanian, it should be in a sealed tin can. last i saw they still had one left. that stuffs alright, not as hot as turk, but hotter than commercial.

if you get the stuff on stripper clips in the bandoliers, closely inspect EACH round before firing. that stuffs headstamped from the later '30's i believe. check for loose crimps, and cracks in the case. i had to pull about 200 out of a box of 700 for those reasons. gun runners may still have some turk as well, and before shooting that you may wish to just take a quick look, and wipe each cartridge off as they are very dusty.

every now and then you will find some oddball 8mm at gunshows, usually pretty good though.
 
I know it's not a K.98 but my Yugo M48 has that problem with Ecuadorian Surplus from the 50's. I have Yugo ammo, Ecuadorian, Romanian, and some Sellier and Bellot, Ecu stuff is the only one giving me the problem
 
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