Help and Advice needed on fixing safety and magazine plate on a bolt action rifle
- Thread starter rabbits
- Start date
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Pictures are worth a lot of words. That is not a tang safety. That is a side safety. When installed, those safeties can interfere on the bolt shroud - that is why the Parker Hale shrouds are relieved just there. That side safety pivots on the body of the trigger directly below that part of the receiver. Who knows what has been bent, or "adjusted", but that style of safety includes a tab that rises from the flat into a slot that should be in the bolt itself - the top of the tab is visible in your last picture, and should prevent the bolt from opening when the safety is "on" - that is, to the rear.
Thank you. Apologies for saying it's a tang when. It's a slide.
I try pulling it back lt slides but not far and there is no 'click' . When I touch the trigger I can see the safety move forward a little. I guess I won't know until I take it apart. My guess is this was not the best choice of safety type for this set up?
I try pulling it back lt slides but not far and there is no 'click' . When I touch the trigger I can see the safety move forward a little. I guess I won't know until I take it apart. My guess is this was not the best choice of safety type for this set up?
Your bottom metal is broken to the rear of the front receiver screw. Did you try taking the bbl out of the receiver before you started to try and get the bottom metal out? Sometimes bedding is seating the front of the bottom metal (or it is just tight) and one should at least try tapping the bottom metal straight down from the top though the screw holes etc. or one ban break the bottom metal.
That safety was quite common on many rifles. A lot of times it was with an aftermarket trigger that replaced the military one. Could be a very nice trigger...maybe not.
That safety was quite common on many rifles. A lot of times it was with an aftermarket trigger that replaced the military one. Could be a very nice trigger...maybe not.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
It can be an excellent safety, but it has to be fitted. Almost sounds to me like the safety lever is rubbing on the inside of the stock - maybe not actually moving its full distance. I am wondering how your action is set into that stock - seems to me I see "scratch mark" or wear mark just opposite your safety where the bolt shroud might be rubbing on the stock on left side of the tang - that would indicate that the action is too low in the stock. Also, the rear of your tang looks to be very tight - there should be a gap there - 1/32" or more. Best check is to get the entire metal parts out of that wood stock and re-assembled - then try the various functions. I am not sure that kind of safety has an audible "click", but mine have a very definite tactile click when the little ball pops into the hole - you will see all that once you get it apart. I have several bolt rifles with similar looking safety.
To reiterate what a previous poster wrote - I have a mauser, with a very heavy 26" barrel chambered in .243 Win, with a monster big heavy thumbhole stock. I built it to be a "shooting table and sandbags" gun - it has a single shot follower, so I can just drop a cartridge into the mag opening and close the mauser bolt - you can not single feed an original mauser any other way, except from the magazine. That rifle has no safety. Doesn't need one, for the use I built it for.
And, over the years, I have been known to "glue" things together by not being totally careful with the release agent, or not expecting the epoxy to flow where it actually went. And I have bought rifles on this site that had variations on that theme. Some minor, some not so minor; it happens.
To reiterate what a previous poster wrote - I have a mauser, with a very heavy 26" barrel chambered in .243 Win, with a monster big heavy thumbhole stock. I built it to be a "shooting table and sandbags" gun - it has a single shot follower, so I can just drop a cartridge into the mag opening and close the mauser bolt - you can not single feed an original mauser any other way, except from the magazine. That rifle has no safety. Doesn't need one, for the use I built it for.
And, over the years, I have been known to "glue" things together by not being totally careful with the release agent, or not expecting the epoxy to flow where it actually went. And I have bought rifles on this site that had variations on that theme. Some minor, some not so minor; it happens.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Another thought - brought on by the post that came up while I was just typing - the bottom metal needs to go straight down and the upper metal needs to go straight up - no prying, twisting or levering - all that does is mess up the bedding, and, as you discovered, bend or break things. The action screws on a Mauser are virtually 90 degrees to the bore line - straight up and straight down is pretty much exactly parallel to the action screws. If worse comes to worse and you have actually epoxied some metal parts solidly to the stock, then you find out why god invented the hachet, if an overnight in the freezer doesn't work...
It was broken when I got the rifle before I even tried to open it. At first I thought It was a scratch or some kinds of left over marking from the mold process. But when I took the screws out and loosened everything it became obvious that it was broken. I'm guessing the previous owner knew damn well it was broken but then pretended ignorance and said I broke it.
Regardless, I'm going to have to get a whole new mechanism presumably. Not sure where to even start with that.
Regardless, I'm going to have to get a whole new mechanism presumably. Not sure where to even start with that.
Based on what you've said I'm guessing this rifle was designed that way. That's fine. It wasn't described that way during sale. Also, there was no mention that the plate was broken or that the safety didn't work. Now I'll just have to sort it out.
The broken bottom metal is a short welding job, and a refinish. Or simply find a suitable replacement. Either way, no big deal.
That safety looks bent! Just adding mine to the chorus!
I would likely start, by trying to tweak the button back into alignment, using a cresent wrench or a pair of pliers with some suitable padding on the jaws. Or wait until it's out of the stock.
Looks to me like a decent enough project gun. Maybe not what you bought in to, but a reasonably handy guy should have no real problems getting it sorted out.
That safety looks bent! Just adding mine to the chorus!
I would likely start, by trying to tweak the button back into alignment, using a cresent wrench or a pair of pliers with some suitable padding on the jaws. Or wait until it's out of the stock.Looks to me like a decent enough project gun. Maybe not what you bought in to, but a reasonably handy guy should have no real problems getting it sorted out.
You need to take the action out of the stock. As it has been glass bedded it can be tight. Dont pry it out - turn the gun upside down and try to jiggle it out. Once the action is clear of hte stock, you can see the bedding job, and any potential interferences at the safety. You will also see the fit of the floorplate housing. The front collar can be used to drift out the floorplate. You can get a new floorplate from Tradex, or you can get the old one welded up.
It sounds like you are a relatively new owner of firearms. While the issues you face are annoying, they are not unusual for a 50 year old converted military mauser. Also, its fair to say that these issues may be "discovery" issues that the seller was not aware of - again, not uncommon. In the end, with a bit of work you should have a well-appointed and sweet shooting rifle - dont despair over this transaction.
It sounds like you are a relatively new owner of firearms. While the issues you face are annoying, they are not unusual for a 50 year old converted military mauser. Also, its fair to say that these issues may be "discovery" issues that the seller was not aware of - again, not uncommon. In the end, with a bit of work you should have a well-appointed and sweet shooting rifle - dont despair over this transaction.
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Remove the barrelled action before trying to remove the bottom metal (which is jammed on the trigger). Push the bottom metal back in first... when the barrelled action is out you can tap the bottom metal out easier with a wooden dowel.
I would hold the barrel in a padded vise and try and pull the stock off wiggling the front and the rear of the stock...
An alternative would be have a gunsmith take it apart and install a new trigger guard/floorplate assembly and fix the bedding and anything else.
I would hold the barrel in a padded vise and try and pull the stock off wiggling the front and the rear of the stock...
An alternative would be have a gunsmith take it apart and install a new trigger guard/floorplate assembly and fix the bedding and anything else.
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Help and Advice needed on fixing safety and magazine plate UPDATE NEW PHOTOS
Trigger safety mechanism stuck. Not sure what to do as I haven't taken one of these apart. I dont want to break anything so will wait to hear from you guys. When I try to move the slide backwards it only moves 3 mm and stops. First photo slide all the way forward. Second photo slide as far back as it will go without forcing it. Nothing looks bent that I can see. It the last photo you can see a second piece of metal like a tab (upper right) that slides when you move the safety. It does not appear stuck but doesn't move past a certain point. Maybe that will help some of you recognize the type of safety?
Trigger safety mechanism stuck. Not sure what to do as I haven't taken one of these apart. I dont want to break anything so will wait to hear from you guys. When I try to move the slide backwards it only moves 3 mm and stops. First photo slide all the way forward. Second photo slide as far back as it will go without forcing it. Nothing looks bent that I can see. It the last photo you can see a second piece of metal like a tab (upper right) that slides when you move the safety. It does not appear stuck but doesn't move past a certain point. Maybe that will help some of you recognize the type of safety?
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- Location
- Western Manitoba
I do not recognize that trigger / safety assembly. If it is properly adjusted, you should be able to insert the bolt into that action, #### it, and verify the safety function. From your previous pictures, I could see a tab that would rise up into a slot on your bolt body to lock the bolt closed when the safety was engaged - if your bolt does not have that corresponding slot, then the safety will only move rearward a very slight amount, until the tab hits the bolt body, and then stop. If assembled and adjusted properly, your bolt and trigger should function perfectly with that barrelled action out of the stock - then go looking for interference marks in the stock that were affecting the safety arm. Don't need the magazine or follower to get that sorted out.
Others have observed that the thumb piece on that safety looks bent. As you try to move the safety back (to put it "on"), check whether that safety thumb piece or its arm runs into the side of the tang of the receiver as it pivots. It should not.
Others have observed that the thumb piece on that safety looks bent. As you try to move the safety back (to put it "on"), check whether that safety thumb piece or its arm runs into the side of the tang of the receiver as it pivots. It should not.
- Location
- Western Manitoba
Once you get the trigger / safety sorted out, better pictures of the inletting / bedding are needed. Looks like top front of the recoil recess bedding has been broken out - pretty much classic example of no clearance forward of the recoil lug, and then the barrel and receiver being alternately levered up to remove from the stock.
With a tightly bedded recoil lug, the barrelled action must be removed exactly straight up - the main reason why to install a layer of masking tape on front, side and bottom of the recoil lug when bedding it. Were / are there any loose chunks of epoxy bedding that fell out as you removed the barrelled action?
With action screws removed, can normally get a punch that is just big enough (probably 3/16" or less diameter) to slide into that recoil lug boss, without damaging the threads, right to the bottom, and then taps to bring the barrelled action straight up, away from the stock. If that is what is needed, that is bedded too tight, in places that aren't needed.
With a tightly bedded recoil lug, the barrelled action must be removed exactly straight up - the main reason why to install a layer of masking tape on front, side and bottom of the recoil lug when bedding it. Were / are there any loose chunks of epoxy bedding that fell out as you removed the barrelled action?
With action screws removed, can normally get a punch that is just big enough (probably 3/16" or less diameter) to slide into that recoil lug boss, without damaging the threads, right to the bottom, and then taps to bring the barrelled action straight up, away from the stock. If that is what is needed, that is bedded too tight, in places that aren't needed.
