Hard to open bolt (K98)

[hylander]

Something is not right.
My bolt is hard to open on my K98.
This is with an empty rifle, not firing.
I messed up my original cocking piece and got another good one.
However, close the bolt fire on a snap cap or just empty chamber and then go to
lift the bolt handle and it is Very hard.
I took the bolt apart two dozen times and can not find anything wrong.
Any Ideas?

Maybe buy another Cocking piece?

[Winger Ed.]

Try taking it apart, and start trying it with just the stripped bolt body.
If that's OK, put a piece back in it and keep trying, and so on.

It'll tell you what doesn't fit.

[405grain]

It could be any number of things. If the bolt worked fine with the old cocking piece, but is now hard to open with the new one, here's what I would look at first: When firing, the forward motion of the firing pin is arrested by the face of the cocking piece striking the inner surface of the bolt shroud. Because of this, both pieces are very hard to resist deformation. In my experience the cocking piece is much harder than the bolt body material. When you open the bolt the "nose" of the cocking piece rides in that V shaped notch in the back of the bolt to cam the cocking piece & firing pin back to the cocked position. If the tip of the nose on that cocking piece is sharp or jagged it will literally plow a trench into the face of that camming surface on the bolt. Have a look at the tip of the cocking piece. Is it rough? Have a look at the camming surface of that notch in the back of the bolt. Is it scored or gouged? If this is the case, you need to stone both of these surfaces smooth. If you do need to stone these surfaces, remove as little material as you can to correct the problem. Put a few drops of oil into the camming ramp area, then try the bolt to see if it works correctly. If this doesn't fix the problem then there's something else going on.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

You didn't specifically say that the bolt worked easily and properly before you replaced the cocking piece, but if that is so then the replacement cocking piece is most likely to be the problem, and your idea to buy another is the best solution. It's very possible that the cocking piece you got as a replacement is not for that exact model '98, like a Yugo M-48 in a Belgian FN, specs slightly different. When you re-order tell the parts supply house exactly what you've got, for example, Czech VZ-24.

[TNsailorman]

Der Gebirgsjager is right on. If it worked before replacing the cocking piece but not afterwards, you have your problem right there. Not al 98 mausers are spec'd out to the exact same tolerances. Especially the long action and short action models. After all, mausers were made all over the world by some good manufacturers and some with lesser skill.

[hylander]

Thanks,
A good place to order from?

[john.k]

Years ago ,spares for 98s were often Spanish new made parts of doubtful quality.Likely such parts are still with some of the bulk suppliers.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

www.gunpartscorp.com You can e-mail, write, or phone. Personally, I'd phone them, talk with a human being and tell them exactly what you've got, and what you need. Mauser '98 pattern rifles were made in many countries by many makers, BUT most of the parts prove interchangeable. Not in your case, apparently. So, if for example, your '98 is a Czech VZ-24 then ask for the part for that rifle. One exception might be a rifle that was actually made by the Mauser company. They not only made rifles for Germany, but for a dozen other countries as well. Bolt parts for any of those rifles should interchange with a good expectation of success. If Gun Parts Corp. doesn't have what you need, try SARCO www.sarcoinc.com, or Bob's Gun Shop www.gun-parts.com / gunparts@hsnp.com Again--be specific. :grin:

[jimkim]

Liberty Tree, eBay,
I'd try polishing the lifter surface first. You could compare it to your old one, and see if they have the same profile.

https://www.libertytreecollectors.com/productcart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=2107&idcategory=40

Sent from my VS880 using Tapatalk

[GooseGestapo]

I agree on polishing the cocking piece. Several years ago, I rebarreled an Interarms MkX Mauser. I had gunsmith matte blue the bolt and cocking piece to match the barrel.I had to use a dremmel to polish the camming surface of the cocking piece to return cocking efforts to previous condition.

[pietro]

.

Keep in mind that another source of hard bolt lift is set back locking lugs and/or battered locking lug recess' in the action, from repeated heavy loads over the years prior to your taking possession of the rifle.

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