I just bought a K98 and went to the range. I had Federal Power-shok 170 gr. and some Portugal surplus. The headstamp is FNM 9 61. I shot a 5 shot string of the federal and no problems. I shot 1 of the port. and I had to hammer the bolt open with a rubber mallet. Once I got the brass out it had shinny scratches all over the neck and shoulder. There was also a dull band around the bottom of the case just like if it to seperate. I can also feel that the band is higher than the rest of the case. Please let me know what to do. Should I take it to a smith.
Is headspace all out?
- Thread starter jayz
- Start date
Get the headspace checked, but hard extraction isn't necessarily an indicator of excess headspace. Inspect the inside of the fired case, and see if there is an internal groove indicative of incipient separation. Use a flashlight or make a little probe by bending the end of a paperclip over at 90 degrees. Is the chamber clean? Scratches on the neck and shoulder, plus hard extraction suggest chamber problems. The Federal ammunition will be lower pressure than the issue ball. This could be why it extracted easily and the FNM didn't.
