Mauser 98 Bolt handle Work?

[hylander]

Is there anybody here that does good bolt work?
I want to have my K98 bolt handle redone for scope clearance.

[richhodg66]

Been planning to send the bolt from an Oviedo sporter I have to this guy but haven't gotten around to it yet.
https://www.jimrtheboltman.com/

[hylander]

Been planning to send the bolt from an Oviedo sporter I have to this guy but haven't gotten around to it yet.
https://www.jimrtheboltman.com/

Thanks. Contacted him and he is a couple months out.
Would like to get it back a couple weeks

[gnoahhh]

Bend the original or weld on a new one? Welding on a new one is aesthetically best, IMO.

[hylander]

Bend the original or weld on a new one? Welding on a new one is aesthetically best, IMO.

Mine is the bent Mauser bolt.
So I need it cut and welded, but I need someone experienced to do it.

[LAGS]

Are you going to have the existing handle cut off then just rewelded back on different.
Or are you going to buy a new Custom Handle and replace the original one.
I have done both.
The Custom Replacement looks the best to me.
I have also Re Bent the original bent bolt , and then forged it with my bolt bending blocks I got from Brownells 10 years ago.

[fiberoptik]

Don’t they come out short rebent?


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[hylander]

Are you going to have the existing handle cut off then just rewelded back on different.
Or are you going to buy a new Custom Handle and replace the original one.
I have done both.
The Custom Replacement looks the best to me.
I have also Re Bent the original bent bolt , and then forged it with my bolt bending blocks I got from Brownells 10 years ago.

Something like this:

[LAGS]

That looks like a original bolt Forged over.
If your bolt is curved over already , like a factory bent bolt , then what you want to do , can be done.
If the handle needed to be Extended.
The handle can be cut , and a section of steel rod can be welded in.
I Forged over the bolt on my 98 in 25-06.
But I welded on a replacement bolt handle , similar to a Ruger 77 on my Mauser 98 in 35 Whelen.
Both look great and are easy to operate with a scope.

[hylander]

That looks like a original bolt Forged over.
If your bolt is curved over already , like a factory bent bolt , then what you want to do , can be done.
If the handle needed to be Extended.
The handle can be cut , and a section of steel rod can be welded in.

This is what I have now:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50815454888_ed2ae83b80_c.jpg

[LAGS]

Those forge over just fine.
The handles that are straight , tend to forget over a little shorter.
You will have to Notch your stock in most cases for the bolt to rotate all the way down.

[hylander]

Those forge over just fine.
The handles that are straight , tend to forget over a little shorter.
You will have to Notch your stock in most cases for the bolt to rotate all the way down.

Is this something you can do?
My stock is already notched as I am using a friends forged bolt I borrowed.

[LAGS]

I have too many other projects going on for myself now that I retired , to be ably to take in odd jobs.
I am only a Hobby Gunsmith.
I do build stuff for myself , and eventually sell them to make room for other projects.
I am sure you can find some close to you that can do the work .
BTW.
How is the headspace using your friends bolt ?
Bolts are not Universal.
Plus ,
You forge over or weld a handle over Then you notch the stock to fit the new handle shape.

[hylander]

Headspace is good, actually a bit better with my friends bolt. But he needs it back.

[Uncle Grinch]

If it was mine, I would weld a new bolt handle, either straight or curved (FN style). You won’t be disappointed.

[LAGS]

I prefer the welded on Replacement handles.
On the Sporters I build that have no collector value, I generally Forge over the bolt to keep the cost down.
But on the custom rifles that don't have military stocks , I always weld on a new handle.
And sometimes I cut off the Original handle.
I flip it over and reweld it on .
It saves the cost of buying a replacement handle.

[copperlake]

Are you going to have the existing handle cut off then just rewelded back on different.
Or are you going to buy a new Custom Handle and replace the original one.
I have done both.
The Custom Replacement looks the best to me.
I have also Re Bent the original bent bolt , and then forged it with my bolt bending blocks I got from Brownells 10 years ago.

Lags, what welding method do you use? If TIG, do you have the same problem I've had with older mausers and impurities? I had so much trouble with a couple (TIG) that I've been annealing the stub before welding which seems to help. I'll be going along just fine then of a sudden the black bug bubbles appear. I've also found that 309L stainless filler works well if one is not after bluing. I'll be danged if I'll pay what Brownell wants for their nickel stuff.

As far as handels go, Dakota's castings weld super and are cheap:

https://www.midwestgunworks.com/ssearch.html?Search=mauser+bolt+handle

[LAGS]

For welding the handles on , I use the same Gas welding touch that I use when I forge over the bolt handles on other bolts.
I get the welding rod from Brownells
It is a higher nickel content and blues well.
I do sometimes just use Standard gas welding rod and it works fine.
My Torch is just a Small Port A Torch that they mostly use for doing Air Conditioner repairs and installs.
It ain't fancy but it does the job and doesn't take up a lot of room when I am not using it

[copperlake]

For welding the handles on , I use the same Gas welding touch that I use when I forge over the bolt handles on other bolts.
I get the welding rod from Brownells
It is a higher nickel content and blues well.
I do sometimes just use Standard gas welding rod and it works fine.
My Torch is just a Small Port A Torch that they mostly use for doing Air Conditioner repairs and installs.
It ain't fancy but it does the job and doesn't take up a lot of room when I am not using it

I'm thinking to coming around to the old oxy-fuel method what with the problems I've had that I think are from ancient oil and grease along with a case that can be here or there in thickness. Oxy-fuel maybe shrugs these off where TIG has a pig about it. Do you lose the case in the cocking notch? I have your standard heat sink and even made an aluminum one that lasted ONCE. These problems have been primarily with small ring bolts that are a hundred years old or more and I'm thinking I'd Ruby Red the notches if they got flabby. Thanks for the reply.

[LAGS]

I have a Steel Heat Sink.
I also coat the bolt body with Heat Stop Paste.
If I don't have any of that , I just wrap the front half of the bolt with a Wet Towel and clamp it in a vise.
But the heat sink still must be used.
I also have a Bolt Welding Jig to hold the new bolt handle in place while welding.
So far , no bolt has suffered any damage to the heat treatment.
Also.
After welding , Let the bolt cool down naturally or set it on cold concrete to cool.
Do not Dunk it in water to cool it down rapidly.
I learned all this stuff in a Custom Rifle Building class that I took years ago.
We Gas Welded the bolt handles in the class as well as used the torch to forge over other bolt handles.
We used Forging blocks to forge the bolts along with the heat sink.
If you melted an Aluminum Heat Sink.
It must have been a really Cheap one.
Or you were getting your bolt body WAY too hot.
That will take out the heat treatment for sure.

[PHyrbird]

HL & CL,
Years ago I welded a stainless case knife handle on a custom 03 Springfield bolt. Wrapped the body in a wet rag for a heat sink, used a high nickel rod for the weld & air cooled after. It never changed the bolt color a 1/16th from the bead, the rag was still wet around the joint. smoothed the bead with a Dremel grind & polish. Looks fantastic. Plus I don't have to worry about pulling the temper from the bolt. You can barely see the joint. The stick weld process is fast & the nickel rod gives a hi ductilty to the joint so there is little chance of failure. It also helps to know a welding instructor to make the weld in minimal time.

[hylander]

So is there anyone here that can cut and weld this for me?