handle. Dual-opposed Model 98 locking lugs are on the front end. The right (bottom) lug is solid. The left (top) is slotted to allow the ejector to pass through. The bridge and the left receiver wall are milled inside to pass the bolt and lugs. The receiver ring is milled inside to form supporting shoulders for the locking lugs to engage when the bolt is closed. These lugs hold the bolt securely against the barrel breech.
A recess in the bolt face leaves a shallow rim about two-thirds of the way around the bolt head, partially supporting the cartridge head. The left side of this rim (opposite the extractor), through which the ejector slot passes, is made higher and undercut so the extractor pressure will securely hold the cartridge, or the fired case, while the bolt is being opened. This prevents the case from dropping down and supports it until the ejector flips it out.
The long spring-steel extractor is attached to the bolt by a collar which fits a groove cut into the bolt body. A lip under the extractor, behind the extractor hook, engages a narrow groove in the bolt head in front of the locking lugs, preventing longitudinal movement of the extractor on the bolt. The front of the extractor lip, and the groove into which it fits, is slightly undercut to prevent the extractor hook from moving outward or from slipping over a cartridge rim when force is required to extract a tight cartridge or case from the chamber.
The M98 bolt has a third or safety lug located at the rear of the bolt slightly forward of the bolt handle, and in line with the right locking lug. A recess is milled in the receiver below the bridge in which the lug moves when the bolt is closed. The recess is milled with enough tolerance so the lug will not contact the receiver— it is not intended to help hold the bolt in the locked position but acts only as a safety lug in the event the front locking lugs or receiver ring should fail. The bolt, at top, has a center guide rib about 2.2 ” long and .235” wide. When the bolt is closed, this rib rotates under the rear part of the extractor. The underside of the bridge is grooved to allow passage of the rib.
Standard M98 military action.
The top forward corner of the square base of the bolt handle is slightly beveled, the rear surface of the receiver bridge inclined to the rear. On opening, the bolt is cammed rearward by the bolt handle base which moves along this inclined surface. This movement provides the initial extraction camming power. This inclined surface also aids in starting rotation of the bolt when it is closed. In addition, inclines on the approaches of the locking shoulders in the locking lug recess in the receiver ring, along with a slightly beveled corner on each locking lug, provide the power to force the bolt forward the last
The rear of the bolt body behind the bolt handle (about .60” ) is made larger (.78”) than the main body of the bolt (.70”). This provides extra metal for the firing and safety mechanism. The bolt is bored from the rear to accept the firing pin and mainspring, and has buttress threads to hold the bolt sleeve. The rear half of the firing pin is flat on two sides and extends through a matching hole in the bolt sleeve. The rear of the firing pin and cocking piece are machined with three evenly-spaced interrupted lugs to afford a solid and precise quarter-turn fastening between these parts. The coil mainspring is compressed between the bolt sleeve and the flange on the firing pin, and is retained by the cocking piece.
Most M98-type actions made after 1901 were made with a safety firing pin. These firing pins have two lugs forward of the mainspring flange matching similar depressions forged inside the bolt. The purpose of this feature is to block the fall of the firing pin should it break before the bolt is fully locked. For example, if the firing pin broke while closing the bolt on feeding a live cartridge into the chamber, it could not strike the primer because the firing pin safety lugs would strike the shoulders within the bolt and block its fall.
The cocking piece cam fits into the rear of the bolt sleeve. The cam extends down into the tang groove and forward into a deep notch cut into the thick rear end of the bolt. This notch is inclined to one side so that on raising the bolt handle the cocking piece and the firing pin are forced back about .350”.enough so the sear drops in front of the cocking piece sear surface. Then, on the final closing motion, the bolt moves forward while the sear holds the cocking piece back, cocking the action fully. Although the M98 action is normally referred to as a “cock-on-opening” action, about one-third of the cocking motion is accomplished as the bolt is closed.
Left side view of the M98 Mauser action.
A “short” M98 military action having an overall length of 8.50” and a magazine opening of 3.225 ” (action shown fitted with a new bolt handle).
The bolt-sleeve lock fits into a hole in the left side of the bolt sleeve. It is given forward tension by a coil spring and is positioned by a small stud on the body of the lock within a groove in the bolt sleeve. As the bolt is turned to unlock it, the safety notch cut in the rear of the bolt is rotated in line with the bolt-sleeve lock, allowing them to engage. This securely locks the bolt sleeve and prevents it from turning on the bolt until it is locked again, when the bolt is closed and the bolt-sleeve lock is pushed back into the bolt sleeve by the rear edge of the bridge.
The wing safety is positioned in a hole, lengthwise, in the top of the bolt sleeve. The wing part of the safety is notched and fits over a collar on the bolt sleeve, which prevents the safety from falling out. This collar is notched on its far right side to permit the safety to be removed from the bolt sleeve, but only when the cocking piece is removed first. With the action assembled, and the safety swung to the right, the mainspring tension on the cocking piece holds the safety in place. The stem of the safety extends forward through the front of the bolt sleeve to intersect the rear of the bolt body. The end of this stem is notched and engages in the notch in the bolt only when the safety is swung to the far right or “safe” position. In this position both the striker (firing pin and cocking piece) and the bolt are locked.
Swung to the left or “off ” position, the safety is disengaged. Swung upright, in its intermediate position, only the striker is locked back, allowing the bolt to be operated to safely unload the magazine by running the cartridges through the chamber. When the safety is swung from the left to the upright position or beyond, it engages behind the cocking piece and draws it back clear of the sear. When it is released, the sear will be in position in front of the cocking piece, holding it cocked.
The bolt has two large oblong vents through which powder gases can escape in the event of a pierced primer or ruptured case head. These two holes are located in the front part of the bolt, one on either side of the extractor collar and near the small part of the firing pin. When the action is closed these vents align with the left locking lug raceway, thus directing any escaping gases backward. Much of the escaping gases would exit at the thumb slot. If any gases pass into the bridge raceway the bolt would block much of it, while the wide, bolt sleeve flange effectively deflects the remainder away from the shooter’s face. This flange is as wide as the rear part of the receiver.
The bolt-stop, positioned at the left rear of the receiver, is held in place by, and pivots on, a pointed screw which passes through the bolt-stop and a slotted square stud integral with the receiver. A projection on the bolt-stop projects through a hole in the receiver bridge, placing it in the path of the left locking lug. This halts the rearward motion of the bolt when it is drawn
