mauser mod. 98 stutzen mag feed issues

fangler

Well-Known Member
i have a mod.98 stutzen that i really like, but the feed from the mag can be somewhat erratic. it sometimes jams when you throw the bolt if the rounds in the mag have shifted forwards. has anyone else experienced this and if so- got any tips on how to combat it? i believe that the mag is designed for larger rounds and as such the angle created by the shorter round and the angle created by the feed is less than ideal for a .243.... i am probably wrong! any insight is appreciated. it shoots well, but is also well used.
 
Any witness marks on the cases?
where are they catching? Tip?

is this a floor plate model or mag?


in my experience mausers appreciate a firm hand!
cycle that thing like you have troops advancing towards you....bet you it picks up just fine
 
some scraping to the shoulder of the round. yeah, hammering does help for sure, but i try not to be too heavy handed! floor plate model. it seems that the chamber/mag is too narrow.
 
The chamber? I very much doubt it but to check; remove the bolt, pop a round on the bolt under the extractor (it'll hold itself there as its a Mauser) and then re-insert the bolt. It should chamber the round with no worries.
 
soz, not chamber. if the round feeds ok it loads ok if you see what i mean. it seems to be a problem created by the angle of the round being loaded from the mag (angle being too great).
 
Expect its something to do with the timing of the feed rails. With any rifle the rails that hold down the cartridges are opened up slightly to allow the cartridge to be released into the chamber or in the case of the m98 under the extractor claw.

with yours you need to make sure that the rounds are well pushed to the rear of the mag box when you load. To keep the bottom rounds from moving forward some magazines use a small piece of steel or brass strip fixed just in front of the start of the taper of the cartridge to stop the cartridge moving.

There are some really good gunsmiths who know and understand Mausers actions on http://www.accuratereloading.com - might be worth asking there.
 
thanks. its a brutal old gun and well worn but i get along with it! think a trip to a gun smiths may be in order. it's not actually an inconvenience, just a niggle!
 
some scraping to the shoulder of the round. yeah, hammering does help for sure, but i try not to be too heavy handed! floor plate model. it seems that the chamber/mag is too narrow.

Polish the ramp and soften the lip on the upper edge of the ramp and lower edge of the chamber opening (its action material not barrel chamber material)
also smooth the underside of the feed rails that hold the rounds into the mag well

you want the round to rise up better but not too much as it still needs to remain hooked on the extractor claw

trial and error fix imo

or cycle it like you have just got over the top of the trench at Ypres !!
 
It may be as simple as dirt holding the follower down so it doesn't lift cleanly. A good clean would be my first step before any sanding and stuff which is difficult to undo.

David
 
I had an old 6.5 manilcher, (I know that's not a 98 mauser) but I had the same problem when I changed from the long 160 gn round nose bullets, to shorter spitzer bullets. I found that seating the spitzer bullets out longer, did the trick. May be worth a try ?
 
Some magazine have indents pressed into the sides of the magazine body that hold the shoulders back so the cases head is held back agaisnt the rear wall of the magazine. Some makers did not do this as it meant slightly more work and of course cost. I have seen strips soldered onto the inside walls of a magazine in the right place to do this and it stops the cartridges sliding forwards under recoil and during handling of the rifle. American gun magazine (media) article.

Cleaning the magazine body of case and the spring and follower will not be a bad idea and have you considered a new magazine spring. Your problem may be finding one as most gunshops are just retail outlets but one of the older more established ones may know what you mean and can help. A real gunsmith who is familar with rifles would know and most likely have what you need. A lot of gunsmiths only seem to know shotguns though so do not be surprised if they cannot help much. Places like Fultons of Bisley would be able to help. Norman Clark of Rugby would be another that is if they are still going. Not had dealings with either for many years now. Being a Mauser another that would know is Ron Wharton of Rigbys as he specialises in Mausers. Ron is in Sussex and can be very helpful as Ron in the gunclub discovered when he wanted some work done on his 03 Springfield rifle now if he still does such work you would have to ask as again it was many years ago and I hear that dear old Ron is no longer with us. So many of the good old charectors have passed now. Such a shame.
 
When you load the magazine, be sure to push the rounds to the rear, so you pick them up with the extractor when feeding them into the breech, rather than pushing them in and making the nose jump up.

What make Mauser, and what cartridge?
 
thanks for the info chaps. very useful. i will have a fiddle over the holiday and see what it looks like. the spring seems very healthy, but will give a proper look over. thanks.
 
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