Stored Mauser - Bolt in or Out?

[Aurelius]

Basic question: while storing a Mauser, is there any harm in keeping the bolt in, compressing the spring? Or should the bolt be kept opened?

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[jmoore]

Which spring, the mainspring or the extractor spring? Not that compression itself is harmful so much as cycles.

Generally, I just decock them whilst closing the bolt. If it's a straight bolt handled rifle, it may be stored w/ the bolt open or out, just to free up space.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Aurelius, if you look at the Mauser action, the majority of Mausers now around are with the 98 type action, which is cock-on-opening. As jmoore wrote "just decock them whilst closing the bolt" is the thing to do. But do not store them with the bolt open, as that would mean the spring is compressed quite considerably. It is generally considered bad engineering practice to do that, as the spring can develop a "set". Cock-on-closing types (e.g. Swedish Mausers) can be stored with the bolt open, to save space.

Even when decocked, the firing spring has a preload and is therefore under slight compression, but the evidence of my Mausers back to the M1871 is that neither you, your children or your grandchildren are likely to notice a loss of spring force because of that. Check back in another 140 years to see if I was right.

Patrick

[Aurelius]

Thank you for your replies. I am not sure what "decock while closing the bolt" means. This is an 1895 Chilean, if that helps. Can I store it with the bolt closed? That is the main question. Thanks again.

[Calif-Steve]

Pull the trigger while closing the bolt. If you store the bolt out of the gun expect the wife to toss the bolt. Keep the bolt in the gun.

[Patrick Chadwick]

Keep the bolt in the gun.

Good advice, and it prevents that feeling of utter futility when you drive halfway across the county to a range, and unpack all your gear: mat, jacket, pads, cap, spotting scope, ammo, rifle - but no bolt!

Patrick

[Gibbs505]

Good advice, and it prevents that feeling of utter futility when you drive halfway across the county to a range, and unpack all your gear: mat, jacket, pads, cap, spotting scope, ammo, rifle - but no bolt!

Patrick

Oh yeah, I can see that happening!!

[jmoore]

Oh yeah, I can see that happening!!

Been there! Just ONE stupid omission amogst, well more than a few...ammo, targets, spotting scope, rifle scope, staples, tape, etc. Oh, and have brought the WRONG rifle more than once.

So, yes, bolts now stay in the rifles.

[Aurelius]

So how does that work? Start the bolt and as it is closing, pull the trigger? What about dry firing in that case? I have a very rudimentary knowledge of rifles, just started collecting, so I appreciate your forbearance . . . thank you.

---------- Post added at 12:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:01 AM ----------

Also, I would like to take it out and shoot it, but need advice on what steps I need to follow. For example, I got most of the cosmoline off, but does the action need to be completely dismantled and cleaned? What about a safety check by a gunsmith? What is the usual process, in other words?

---------- Post added at 12:04 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:03 AM ----------

Are there Mauser clubs where I can meet and talk to someone about getting it out on the range to try the rifle out?

[Patrick Chadwick]

"A recent comprehensive survey of a century of Mauser bolt-action rifles..." i.e. a quick check in my cellar, shows that they can all can be worked like this.
Cock-on-closing types, which have an interlock to prevent the trigger from being depressed until the bolt is very nearly completely closed (e.g. Spanish 1893, Swedish) will make a sort of "snick-snack" as the lug enters the recess in the bolt body and the mechanism is released - if you look at the cocking piece you will see that the rifle has not been properly cocked, so there is not a real dry fire. Cock-on opening 98 types will not even do that - the cocking piece simply gradually slides forwards and releases the firing spring compression as the bolt handle goes round the curve.
So no problem at all.

If you are thinking of getting more Mausers, then I recommend that you buy Ball "Mauser Military Rifles of the World" and Olsen "Mauser Bolt Rifles", to get to know the enormous number of variations, and Kuhnhausen "Mauser Bolt Actions" to understand the mechanisms. Kuhnhausen explains slam fire and safety-off fire. A check for safety-off fire is one of the quickest ways to detect that a rifle has been FUBARed (an English term meaning "so bubba-ed that you can forget it").

Seriously, get the know-how before getting more rifles. You will find that the books pay for themselves.

Patrick