Mannlicher-Schoenauer - is a heavy bolt lift normal?

[HonestJohn]

His coils look quite wide and thin compared to yours, so might be the same pressure, although, length is indeed different.

Many things been mentioned already, but revisit: locking lug recesses are very clean, action screws are not over tight or loose, bolt internals have been cleaned with brake cleaner and parts very lightly lubricated. Are you testing this with a dummy round or spent case, or empty chamber? I believe with an empty chamber they can feel quite hard for xyz reason.
How is the bolt lift with firing pin and cocking pin removed?
Try removing the trigger group to ensure it’s not the trigger sear that’s got a problem, making it hard for the cocking piece to push back over the trigger main sear. Dirt or a faulty spring could cause this.

With a Mauser, the wrong cocking piece to trigger sear can literally block the bolt from lifting, camming and opening.

 

[Scipio]

His coils look quite wide and thin compared to yours, so might be the same pressure, although, length is indeed different.

Many things been mentioned already, but revisit: locking lug recesses are very clean, action screws are not over tight or loose, bolt internals have been cleaned with brake cleaner and parts very lightly lubricated. Are you testing this with a dummy round or spent case, or empty chamber? I believe with an empty chamber they can feel quite hard for xyz reason.
How is the bolt lift with firing pin and cocking pin removed?
Try removing the trigger group to ensure it’s not the trigger sear that’s got a problem, making it hard for the cocking piece to push back over the trigger main sear. Dirt or a faulty spring could cause this.

With a Mauser, the wrong cocking piece to trigger sear can literally block the bolt from lifting, camming and opening.

Hey @HonestJohn

I am going back to my residence (and gun canbinet) today, and i shall get to trying things systematically (and carefully).
I dryfired and cycled on an empty chamber (my dummy rounds are in italy, long story), but again i have done that many times before without problems. Would you say that it is better to do that on a used round instead?

As for where to go from here, I do think there is a cue to what is wrong not just in the observed symptoms, but in the sequence with which things happened.
So my intial primary focus shall be on getting the bolt wiggled open, using just my hands and not unsensible force, then dissamble it again, and then inspect how its supposed function it meant to be vs what might be now. Then take it from there.

I think i might also take out the action from the stock and give a truly thorough clean as i suspect there is still some dirt assembled in the locking lug area.

If i had to guess, i think i might end up having to buy a new spring or two, but we shall see with further investigation.

 

[bullet chucker]

Having read your difficulties in the diagnosis of your bolt I would not interfere with the action to stock yet. Get the bolt dismantled first' then, systematically reassemble it and feel that it is correct if not disassemble and try again. Good luck.

BC.

 

[Scipio]

Having read your difficulties in the diagnosis of your bolt I would not interfere with the action to stock yet. Get the bolt dismantled first' then, systematically reassemble it and feel that it is correct if not disassemble and try again. Good luck.

BC.

Hello @bullet chucker yes, that is my first and main step.

Is it possible to give the locking lugs a thorough clean without taking the action out of the stock though?
Because I do think there is some old carbon and grease left in there, but I'd rather not use solvents to get it out, when it's still in the wooden stock.

 

[bullet chucker]

I am not familiar with your rifle although there has to be similarities to other rifles. I wonder if a shotgun brass brush would work for the job in hand to clear out any debris lodged in that area?

BC.