Wanted! 98 Bolt

[Niederlander]

I figured with all you "old gun" guys here, it would be worth asking.  I'm in need of a bent down bolt for a 98 Mauser to use in an early (1898-1900) sporter.  Let me know if you've got one laying around in the parts box that you don't need.

[Drydock]

https://www.libertytreecollectors.com/productcart/pc/viewcategories.asp?idCategory=53

[Drydock]

https://www.gunpartscorp.com/ad/718920.htm#718920B

[Niederlander]

Just found that one!  They had been sold out.  I really only need the bolt body if anyone has one of those.  Gun Parts doesn't have the right one.  Already tried them.

[Drydock]

http://www.e-sarcoinc.com/m98msrboltcompleteturndownhandle.aspx


A straight handle would be a lot cheaper!  Can you break one of these?

[Drydock]

http://www.e-sarcoinc.com/m98msrboltstrippedturndownhandle.aspx

[Drydock]

http://www.gunbroker.com/All/BI.aspx?Keywords=98+stripped+bolt

There's some on Ebay as well.

[Pitspitr]

Buy a straight one and bend it....oh wait. You don't just bend guns, you break guns.

[Niederlander]

The thing that shocks me is how much this stuff has gone up.  Ten years ago they were glorified scrap iron if they weren't modified for scope use.  Now everyone wants to put them back to full military.  Sort of like Krags and Springfields!

[Drydock]

Straight bolt is faster ennyways!  You don't need no droopy bolt, Ned!

[pony express]

Seems like if you're gonna make a 1900 era sporter, you probably don't need a military style bent bolt, but maybe a Mannlicher style "butter knife" handle would be better for the period.

[Kent Shootwell]

Niederlander, Would this suit you.

[Niederlander]

Kent, that would be just about perfect!

[Niederlander]

Seems like if you're gonna make a 1900 era sporter, you probably don't need a military style bent bolt, but maybe a Mannlicher style "butter knife" handle would be better for the period.

I did some research, and from what I can tell (my research has in no way been exhaustive), the early John Rigby sporters had regular bolts.  He was already building sporters out of them in 1898, and the one I've been specifically looking at is a small ring 98, like the Kar 98.  It was a small ring action that took a large ring barrel.  Another interesting thing about that rifle is that it had the military pattern sights and a stepped barrel.  From what the site says, Rigby bought barreled actions from Mauser and then built sporters out of them.  The one I'm using is actually a Husqvarna and has set triggers.

[Niederlander]

Got one on the way!  Thanks all!

[cpt dan blodgett]

I bought a bent 98 bolt for my VZ 24.  Expect I should have it checked to make sure the headspace is with in specs before I make it go boom

[Niederlander]

Definitely!  All you really need is a no go gauge.  I'm not sure I've ever even heard of a rifle having too LITTLE headspace.  The real problem comes in if it's excessive.

[Delmonico]

To little and the bolt won't close, learned a trick from an old smith years ago for when you don't have a gauge.  Take a new round, pull the bullet or the firing pin for safety of course, then put 1 layer of masking tape  base one at a time and trim, close the bolt, when it won't close remove that layer and mike the rest.  If it's close to specs you should be good to go.

[cpt dan blodgett]

The head space guage instructions make it all sound like voodoo, bolt disasembly spring and firing pin removal and on an on.

I should have thought pretty straight forward, bolt closes on go bolt should not close on the no go.  The literature states if the bolt closes on the no go try the field and if will not close on field all is ok, if closes on the field then not safe.

Silly me given those instructions, I should have thought the field is actually the no go gauge

[Gripmaker]

Ned,  You have piqued my curiosity when you speak of a sporter made by John Rigby from an 1898-1900 Husqvarna made small ring "98" Mauser action and barrel.  After some hours of research, I did find that Rigby did make sporters from various Mauser actions but I have as yet to find evidence that Husqvarna ever made a model 98 "small ring" Mauser action. They did make some model 96 small ring complete rifles (M38) starting in 1940. Are you sure this isn't a model 96 Mauser action with a 98k barrel? Also, what markings are found on the  front of the receiver? That should tell you who manufactured it.  It may be that your sporter had the receiver ring turned down by Rigby and then mated to a 98 barrel.  While this may be the case, it would actually have effectively weakened the receiver and safely limited pressures to below 43K PSI.  I plan to do some further research and even ask the guys I shoot with next week at the NRA Whittington Center. Like a Beagle on a rabbit....you have got me going.