Question about safety on Mannlicher-Schoenauer

[josquin]

Well, after the embarrassment of posting this in the Hunting & Sporting SHOTGUNS forum , let's have another go here...

After drooling over several very nice M-S sporters at the HACS show in Chilliwack recently, I thought I should drag my sporterized 1903(?), which I got off the EE several years ago, out of mothballs and do something with it. It will never compete with a fine sporter model but some TLC won't go amiss.

It's a bit of a dog's breakfast, worked over by a slightly talented bubba. I think it was originally a military action (as it has the stripper clip slots) that's been rebarrelled (with a 1 in 9.5 twist, alas, so it's limited to 140 gr.) and a commercial flat bolt handle installed, as well as a rather odd safety on the bolt. The bottom plate of the magazine, trigger guard, bolt handle and safety have been plated (nickel? cold blue affects it slightly), and the mag. plate and trigger guard rather crudely engraved. It has an unidentified scope side mount. The stock maker is unknown but may have been a Bishop or Fajen.

At the moment I'm wondering if anyone has a good close-up pic of the safety on a commercial sporter so I can decide what to do with mine. It works OK but it looks a bit weird; I'm sure a bit has been welded on. It has three positions- down to the left (Fire), and straight up (Safe) and then over to the right (also Safe) which seems to have no added purpose; neither "safe" position allows the bolt to be removed.

Stuart

 

[Mauser98]

That safety has obviously been altered so as to accomodate a low mounted scope. While I don't have detailed pictures of a 1903 safety, here's a couple of shots of an M-S that I refinished last year. They should give an idea of the original look.

 

[josquin]

That safety has obviously been altered so as to accomodate a low mounted scope. While I don't have detailed pictures of a 1903 safety, here's a couple of shots of an M-S that I refinished last year. They should give an idea of the original look.

Beautiful...! Is that the original rear sight as well? Mine has a barrel band with a dovetail but it's a bit over-size and won't fit a regular 3/8" dovetail. I'll probably just grind the dovetail down flush and refinish it. As mine has been d&t'd for a scope (aside from the side mount) I temporarily mounted a Williams WGRS aperture over the chamber, which would, however, require a rather high front sight (about .845" above the top of the barrel.)

The odd safety does "clear" the scope but only by virtue of having the bend in the "wing." Yours looks like it has the little dent in it but is wider, as I would expect a Mauser flag-type safety to be. I could cut mine off and leave a .750" stub, but it would be thinner than yours. Yours appears (from the second pic) to go all the way over to the right, so presumably has the three positions as mine does. Is there a difference in function between the 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions?

The biggest issue with mine will be replacing the swivelling plate on the bottom of the mag., as it looks thinner than the standard M-S one, which is bevelled. I'd like to get rid of the mediocre engraving but doubt there's enough metal there to do so. I may just have to remove the plating and re-blue it. I have Pilkington's Rust Blue and a silky-fine SS buffing wheel I'd got from Brownells a few years back which should do the trick on this rifle.

Stuart

 

[tiriaq]

I've got some M-S parts left over from a couple of projects. Extensive work was required preparing the actions. Obtained the remains of three Greeek military actions, two rifles were made up. Rebarrelled, reblued, restocked. Might have a floorplate and a safety. Will see what I have.
Your safety is the original, with that great wing welded to it.
Currently have another M-S project gun, waaaay on the back burner. Barrelled action from a half stocked sporting rifle, with a top rib. Someone robbed the double set triggers from it.
Here are photos of one of the rebuilt Greek militaries. The rear sight is one of the Lymans, that flip/flops to clear the root of the bolt handle.

 

[josquin]

Here are photos of one of the rebuilt Greek militaries. The rear sight is one of the Lymans, that flip/flops to clear the root of the bolt handle.

A lot of work in those, I'm sure. You were lucky to score one of those Lyman sights as they're as rare as rocking horse poo. Thanks for the info on the safety. It definitely looks like it (and the rifle in general) has been done over by a fairly talented bubba. Looks like it may not be practical to cut and reform the original safety.

Mine's been on the back burner for ages as well. I did a little work on it when I got it and then got distracted by other projects. (Story of my life, that.) I shouldn't even be resurrecting this one at the moment as I have a house to finish but it's got my attention now.

If you have a magazine bottom plate and/or a trigger guard or whatever they would be "of interest." Shoot me a PM if you find anything.

Stuart

 

[Mauser98]

Beautiful...! Is that the original rear sight as well? Mine has a barrel band with a dovetail but it's a bit over-size and won't fit a regular 3/8" dovetail. I'll probably just grind the dovetail down flush and refinish it. As mine has been d&t'd for a scope (aside from the side mount) I temporarily mounted a Williams WGRS aperture over the chamber, which would, however, require a rather high front sight (about .845" above the top of the barrel.)

The odd safety does "clear" the scope but only by virtue of having the bend in the "wing." Yours looks like it has the little dent in it but is wider, as I would expect a Mauser flag-type safety to be. I could cut mine off and leave a .750" stub, but it would be thinner than yours. Yours appears (from the second pic) to go all the way over to the right, so presumably has the three positions as mine does. Is there a difference in function between the 12 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions?

The biggest issue with mine will be replacing the swivelling plate on the bottom of the mag., as it looks thinner than the standard M-S one, which is bevelled. I'd like to get rid of the mediocre engraving but doubt there's enough metal there to do so. I may just have to remove the plating and re-blue it. I have Pilkington's Rust Blue and a silky-fine SS buffing wheel I'd got from Brownells a few years back which should do the trick on this rifle.

Stuart

Here's a pict of the rear sight before I cleaned up the metal.

And the front sight.

IIRC, the safety had three positions. Left to shoot, center(upright) to lock trigger but remove bolt, right to lock bolt and trigger.

If you feel the need to take the bolt apart, get a copy of 'Bolt Action Rifles' by deHaas. There's a good section on the 1903.

 

[tiriaq]

I was lucky to find that Lyman. Another unusual sight salted away in my cache is a new in the box Lyman Mauser cocking piece sight.
While we are discussing M-S rifles.....
A friend has a shooter grade half stock. It had seen much better days. Couple of attempts to sidemount scopes by bubba. Generally rough. He had it restocked and reblued, with the holes neatly plugged. Wanted a stainless barrel for weather resistance. We'd noticed that it was very picky about fired cases with the original barrel. The bolt could only be closed if the cases were positionned just so. The bolt face had been finished at an angle by the factory. I installed a new stainless barrel. Put the bolthead in a collet in the lathe, and proceeded to take light cuts across the face until enough of the head was squared off to support the casehead properly. Took .007" to achieve this. Installed a NECG banded front sight ramp. Finished up as a very nice, light, handy deer rifle.

 

[josquin]

Here's a pict of the rear sight before I cleaned up the metal.

And the front sight.

That metal was really rough!

I might be able to find an old rear sight, however one "advantage" (?) of the high front sight is that it will be closer to the sighting plane needed for the scope, as that sits fairly high. I'll probably cobble together some temp. front sight to see how (bad) it looks. I'll lose some of that nice trim look, though. My front sight has long since disappeared and I just removed the band underneath, which of course now means the nosecap doesn't fit the barrel. Brownells has one for about $20 but it is also too big, so it'll be the $50 one from NEGC I guess

I have bolt disassembly instructions somewhere but the de Haas book would be well worth getting. Cornell Publications has a couple of nice reproductions of olf M-S catalogues, too.

I figured the middle safety position was to allow bolt removal but it doesn't do so on mine. Not a big deal.

Stuart