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Legacy Member
Gewehr 98 feeding problems
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11-09-2022 05:56 AM
# ADS
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Advisory Panel
There have been threads here in the past that have developed to show it's usually the mag follower or the spring. Very hard to say without having it in front of you...
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Legacy Member
Thanks Gents,
Yes, I had a similar though that perhaps I should examine the magazine follower and replace it to see if that helps.
Regards, Jon
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Legacy Member
Well, I did some more thorough examination and racked my brains whilst staring the issue down! I replaced the mag follower with one from my K98k. Still made no difference to the feeding problems. I even swapped the bolts over - again no difference.
I did some more testing and evaluation with some dummy cartridges, seeing if I could isolate the issue. What I eventually realized is that the misfeed only happens when the top cartridge (in the mag) is on the left staggered position, not the right. I decided to put my three M98's side by side and sure enough there the issue was. The left edge of the receiver is worn out, in the area that obviously assists the cartridge in the return-to-battery feed stroke. The area of wear is quite subtle, but on examination it was quite obvious that I have found the culprit.
Well, I suppose that's the good news. The bad news would be that there's not much I can do about it, as this worn area is part of the receiver forging and not a part that can be easily replaced.
I'll try to insert some photos to show what I'm talking about.
Cheers
Jon
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Legacy Member
Here goes........
The first photo shows the miss-feed. The bolt has lost control of the cartridge because the feed angle has become too great.
The next photo shows my three M98's lined up, and a pin punch indicating the area I'm talking about on the Gewehr 98 receiver, which is on top.
So those little shelves which sit on either side of the receiver (near the feed ramp) serve a very important purpose it turns out!
So I just learned something new about these old rifles. Next time I'm at the range I'll have to come up with a system to manipulate the bolt in a way that doesn't cause feeding issues. That will be the next challenge.
Last edited by Land and Groove; 11-15-2022 at 11:01 PM.
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Thank You to Land and Groove For This Useful Post:
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Legacy Member
Try to find a new magazine spring. A US Springfield spring may well help, too. Original mag spring from 1916? May well be worn out. Good luck.
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