My Mauser failed me

swear as you’ve just flicked an expensive case over your shoulder

More than once I have had better control of where the empty case landed then what happened down range..
Lost one 7mm Rem Mag case on my first trip to S.A, more then one time I have wondered if it still there, alone in the dirt (and not at home with its 100s of brothers..).


The only gun I have experienced a failing extractor on was a M98K (in the form of a Norwegian m67); a wildcat with very little taper and loads on the ++P side was involved.
Get a new extractor, go out and have some quality time together and thrust will be back.
 
This was tongue in cheek on an actual occurrence that , whilst I like my Mausers, shows they are not infallible , as some will claim. It could be an idea to check the extractor claw on ones firearm to ensure they are in good condition prior to a big hunt, or maybe carry a spare? I would hate for someone to get hurt if it occurred to a Hunter when facing an injured buffalo or heffalump ( childhood reference there) during a charge
And no one commented on my mutilation of the rose Royce song….
Gumpy
I thought Rolls Royce was a car?

You have inspired me to acquire backup extractors for both my 404 Mauser and 03A3 Springfield. I did slightly modify the Mauser extractor and its retaining ring so they snap together more easily. I might be persuaded to share that secret.
 
@Grumpy gumpy - Sorry to hear about the betrayal and best of luck with the sale. ;) Let me know if I can help you move into a Blaser R8. :ROFLMAO:
 
This was tongue in cheek on an actual occurrence that , whilst I like my Mausers, shows they are not infallible , as some will claim. It could be an idea to check the extractor claw on ones firearm to ensure they are in good condition prior to a big hunt, or maybe carry a spare? I would hate for someone to get hurt if it occurred to a Hunter when facing an injured buffalo or heffalump ( childhood reference there) during a charge
And no one commented on my mutilation of the rose Royce song….
Gumpy
But what about the woozles? Don't you think they're dangerous, too?
 
I am sorry to hear this Grumpy :cry:

I have just one question: was your extractor beveled to allow loading the rifle by snapping the extractor over a cartridge already in the chamber, and is this how you used it?

For info, here is what I had posted a while back on the issue:

1668668651132.png


The misguided practice of beveling the extractor to allow closing the bolt on a cartridge already in the chamber creates two issues:

1) Beveling a Mauser extractor to create the space for it to jump the rim inside the front bridge when closing the bolt, inevitably also creates the space for it to potentially jump the rim when opening the bolt, hence potentially fail to extract. The extractor therefore looses its "Mauser infallibility" and becomes no different from a Remington extractor, or Sako, or etc. etc.​
2) Removing material from the extractor to create the space for it to jump the rim automatically weakens it at the two points where it is already the most vulnerable, therefore it CANNOT be as strong as one designed not to do so (this is simple materials physics), AND it creates the possibility for the extractor to be flexed upward which inevitably causes metal fracture, visible when it breaks, or invisible when the fracture is internal before breaking, because it is forced to flex UPWARD, AGAINST ITS RADIUS (the extractor is not flat but radiused to the round contour of the bolt).​

Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a "correctly beveled" extractor. The misunderstanding generally comes from the fact that folks typically do not understand which parts of the extractor is bevelled, and to what purpose. If in addition to beveling the top of the extractor, it is also beveled on the hook to facilitate it slipping over the cartridge in the chamber, this creates two weak points and a possibility of fracture of either or both the extracting hook and the extractor blade. I hope the drawing helps visualize...

If your extractor broke at either of these two points...
View attachment 661569
... the fix is simple and fail-proof: replace the extractor with one that has not been beveled. Your rifle will instantly return to the original Mauser design and will be 100% reliable.

If what I am discussing is your situation, your rifle did not betray you, but it was betrayed itself when the extractor was misguidedly beveled at the factory or later. Restoring it to its true Mauser design with an unbeveled extractor is easy and will return it to Mauser infallibility.

I hope this helps :)
Thank you very much for sharing this information
 
I am sorry to hear this Grumpy :cry:

I have just one question: was your extractor beveled to allow loading the rifle by snapping the extractor over a cartridge already in the chamber, and is this how you used it?

For info, here is what I had posted a while back on the issue:

1668668651132.png


The misguided practice of beveling the extractor to allow closing the bolt on a cartridge already in the chamber creates two issues:

1) Beveling a Mauser extractor to create the space for it to jump the rim inside the front bridge when closing the bolt, inevitably also creates the space for it to potentially jump the rim when opening the bolt, hence potentially fail to extract. The extractor therefore looses its "Mauser infallibility" and becomes no different from a Remington extractor, or Sako, or etc. etc.​
2) Removing material from the extractor to create the space for it to jump the rim automatically weakens it at the two points where it is already the most vulnerable, therefore it CANNOT be as strong as one designed not to do so (this is simple materials physics), AND it creates the possibility for the extractor to be flexed upward which inevitably causes metal fracture, visible when it breaks, or invisible when the fracture is internal before breaking, because it is forced to flex UPWARD, AGAINST ITS RADIUS (the extractor is not flat but radiused to the round contour of the bolt).​

Contrary to popular belief, there is no such thing as a "correctly beveled" extractor. The misunderstanding generally comes from the fact that folks typically do not understand which parts of the extractor is bevelled, and to what purpose. If in addition to beveling the top of the extractor, it is also beveled on the hook to facilitate it slipping over the cartridge in the chamber, this creates two weak points and a possibility of fracture of either or both the extracting hook and the extractor blade. I hope the drawing helps visualize...

If your extractor broke at either of these two points...
View attachment 661569
... the fix is simple and fail-proof: replace the extractor with one that has not been beveled. Your rifle will instantly return to the original Mauser design and will be 100% reliable.

If what I am discussing is your situation, your rifle did not betray you, but it was betrayed itself when the extractor was misguidedly beveled at the factory or later. Restoring it to its true Mauser design with an unbeveled extractor is easy and will return it to Mauser infallibility.

I hope this helps :)
Excellent post, very informative.
 
Is it OK to load the Mauser M98 with the +1 cartridge like:

A. press the +1 cartridge down on top of the other cartridges so all is somewhat pressed down in the magazine. Hold the cartridges like that when pushing the bolt forward so the +1 is pushed forward, load in the chamber with the rim sliding in under the extractor claw.

B. Same as A but in addition press on the extractor (somewhat mid extractor) so the extrector claw give the cartridge rim is given bether space.

A can be done without rounding of the extractor. But will B over time weaken the claw hold on the rim?
 
The 1903 Springfield is designed specifically to be single loaded and have the extractor snap over the case rim. They have a magazine cutoff, and single rounds commonly loaded with magazine held in reserve, at least that was the military doctrine when the 03 was in development. It would not be practical to load every single round with the care needed to have the rim under extractor. According to de Haas the 1917 Enfield was also designed to snap the extractor over the case rim, and can confirm they do so easily, at least mine does. The 98 Mauser ? I am not sure about. My Zastava .375 H&H will snap the extractor over the case rim, but takes more effort than a 1917 Enfield. I try not to do this, when fully loading rifle I partially depress the 4th round to be chambered into the magazine so it will fit under extractor. I fumbled loading the fourth round on my recent buffalo hunt on one occasion, and the round ended up chambered in front of extractor. I was thankful that my extractor does snap over a chambered round as I did not have a cleaning rod handy. My 7x57 built on a commercial FN action will not snap extractor over rim of a chambered round, at least not with any amount of force I was willing to attempt. I would not hunt dangerous game with a rifle that will not snap the extractor over a chambered round, as the potential for problems is too high.
 
The 1903 Springfield is designed specifically to be single loaded and have the extractor snap over the case rim. They have a magazine cutoff, and single rounds commonly loaded with magazine held in reserve, at least that was the military doctrine when the 03 was in development. It would not be practical to load every single round with the care needed to have the rim under extractor. According to de Haas the 1917 Enfield was also designed to snap the extractor over the case rim, and can confirm they do so easily, at least mine does. The 98 Mauser ? I am not sure about. My Zastava .375 H&H will snap the extractor over the case rim, but takes more effort than a 1917 Enfield. I try not to do this, when fully loading rifle I partially depress the 4th round to be chambered into the magazine so it will fit under extractor. I fumbled loading the fourth round on my recent buffalo hunt on one occasion, and the round ended up chambered in front of extractor. I was thankful that my extractor does snap over a chambered round as I did not have a cleaning rod handy. My 7x57 built on a commercial FN action will not snap extractor over rim of a chambered round, at least not with any amount of force I was willing to attempt. I would not hunt dangerous game with a rifle that will not snap the extractor over a chambered round, as the potential for problems is too high.
The magazine cutoff on 03A3 is also the bolt release. Most sporterized Springfields have stocks that do not allow the lever to be flipped all the way down for magazine cutoff, only half way to position two for bolt release. It's a helluva lot easier to simply depress the full magazine with fingertips of left hand while cradling the rifle under the floorplate, then drop a cartridge in the chamber and close the bolt with right hand. That magazine cutoff lever is a SOB to pry away from the side of receiver in position one "OFF".

I always thought the magazine cutoff position three "ON" was for drill inspection so the bolt could be opened and closed on empty magazine without catching on the blind faced follower. Most of us who sporterize these guns grind the end of follower on an angle so the bolt doesn't catch on it when magazine is empty. My dad, who used 03A3 in combat situations, never used the magazine cutoff lever except to remove the bolt. Neither stock fitted to his/my Springfield would allow the cutoff lever into "ON" position. I cannot imagine soldiers in combat ever used it to load the sixth round (magazine holds five 30-06). Just too much hassle.

Both my Springfield and 98 Mauser in 404 will allow the +1 round to be pushed under the claw on top of a full magazine and then bolt closes without picking up top cartridge in the magazine (the 404 just barely does it). Until last year I didn't know this was even possible. It's definitely the best way to load the +1 round. Nevertheless, I wouldn't own a CRF rifle that wasn't capable of snap over, ESPECIALLY a dangerous game rifle.

I'm thinking the thumb notch cut into the left side of military 98 Mauser receivers was for the purpose of depressing the full magazine so the bolt could be closed on a round dropped in the chamber ( = snap over). I cannot see any other purpose for that notch unless it was needed for stripper clip, but that seems unlikely. It's usually described as necessary for loading the magazine but that doesn't make any sense either. The gun is held with left hand and loaded with right hand. Notch is only accessible to left hand.
 
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