A little product promo from current Mauser.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i3Rn36UzO8 ...

However, the gently placed rifle in the mud-water test, is wimpy,
it does not typically replicate a person falling or dropping a rifle at all sort of angles,
or the typical forces on such impacts, which have more potential to drive wet gunk & grit into the action.

Would also like to see the M98 rig tested in sand & mud with a stacked magazine,
rather than him using a nice clean cartridge from his pocket.

I have had my rifle slip and fall into a sticky mud patch, the real problem was the plug of mud in the muzzle.

YES...the M98 rule...

I urge the amateurs to repeat this test with a Blaser...

IF people treat their Blazers like 99% of people treat their custom M98 pampered 'safe queens'

They should never have a problem...

but no doubt the M98 legend lives!...

an add worthy note:
-despite whats heard on forums, Paul Mauser never lost an eye to his 1898-M98 bolt action as some claim.
He lost his eye as result of a malfunctioning 1898 self-loader design he was involved in testing.

Im a Mauser fan, its my all time favorite bolt gun, I belive in control feed guns..

Based on that, and believe it or not I would never soak it in mud or sand to test its reliability, and I have never tested its feeding upside down (hangling by my knees on a limb I suppose would be proper) as suggested by some and if I ever do please call the men in the white coats, I will need to put someplace where I can't find anything sharp. And btw one does not stress a gun to that point under reasonable hunting conditions, only in war would be my guess.

I thought everybody knew to keep a strip of electric tape (your choice of colour) across the muzzle. If you have a cartridge in battery, the chamber and barrel should be pretty sealed. I don't know about any following shot. And I don't think I'll try it on any of my rifles.
It kinda brings more meaning to "make the first shot count".

The late great Finn Aagard wrote some years ago that he always went afield with his Mauser's muzzle taped over with duct tape to prevent foreign object intrusions. The action port could also be taped as well to prevent dirt/mud entry. The rifle can be fired safely with the muzzle covered as the air pressure ahead of the bullet will rupture the tape. A fold-over tab could be left on the action cover to allow quick removal.

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
I thought everybody knew to keep a strip of electric tape (your choice of colour) across the muzzle. If you have a cartridge in battery, the chamber and barrel should be pretty sealed. I don't know about any following shot. And I don't think I'll try it on any of my rifles.
It kinda brings more meaning to "make the first shot count".

I use a balloon.....fits tightly ...carry a couple of extras

quote:

Originally posted by Atkinson:
Im a Mauser fan, its my all time favorite bolt gun, I belive in control feed guns..

...and I have never tested its feeding upside down .... And btw one does not stress a gun to that point under reasonable hunting conditions...

Shop testing an M98 or M70 hunting rifles feed [while its in an upsidedown position] helps determine if its a genuine CRF.
For it to be considered a proper CRF, the rifle should be able to control feed from ANY and ALL planes and angles.

IF it passes the upside-down 'extreme battle conditions' test for a CRF,
then much less chance the rifle would show feed problems in any recreational hunting situation.

quote:

Originally posted by Trax:
IF people treat their Blazers like 99% of people treat their custom M98 pampered 'safe queens'

They should never have a problem...

.

How do you come up with this figure? Of all the M98 owners I know of only one pampers his

quote:

...Of all the M98 owners I know of only one pampers his

Ive seen more than enough pre-owned high grade mausers over the decades to know that most people
try preserve their rifles more than they use them.

But, If you know so many people with workhorse field scared bluing worn premium custom98 rifles they payed
$20,000-$50,000 for, Id sure like to see photos.

Ive heard people on AR brag about how well their premium custom98 faired after a week or 10 days in Alaska,
But id really like to see the same top dollar lifetime-heirloom investment rifle even just after 2 or 3 yrs
of regularly working the hunting fields of Alaska.

Don't now anyone with M98s that cost $20g + but know plenty with m98s and Brnos of high quality that do get used enough. Some for professional use and some for recreation . In fact worked with Mausers new 416R promo gun recently. All spend time in safes but not exactly safe queens. Perhaps quite similar to the rifles that many of the Englishman in India had with similar amount of use.

quote:

Originally posted by ozhunter:
In fact worked with Mausers new 416R promo gun recently....

I would treat a premium custom magnum mauser that I personally payed $40-50k for
more carefully than a $15k production promo mauser lent me to field trial at no cost.
and for the same reasons people are more willing to take an $80k Landcruiser bush , than a $240K RangeRover.

quote:

Originally posted by conifer:

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
I thought everybody knew to keep a strip of electric tape (your choice of colour) across the muzzle. If you have a cartridge in battery, the chamber and barrel should be pretty sealed. I don't know about any following shot. And I don't think I'll try it on any of my rifles.
It kinda brings more meaning to "make the first shot count".

I use a balloon.....fits tightly ...carry a couple of extras

In Vietnam it was a condom. Probably not PC now.

condom too wide (great expectations, for sure); kid's toy balloon better.

Muzzle taping is a good idea. I read an account, I think by Kevin Robertson, of discovering ants nesting in his bore. Very scary!

the condom works the best with the M-16. At least, we found that out during monsoon season in RVN.

Trax,

you will find that out, as well, with two-million Ferrari Enzos VS Yugos. Most of us, who have to work hard to pay for our rifles prefer to take care of them. Personally, I hve not felt the need to butt stroke any of the animals I have killed, here or in Africa, as a coupe-de-grace. Your experience, may, as they say, vary...

regards,

Rich

M16 plastic "shoot off" muzzle covers are an item of issue and have been in use for forty years. The first bullet makes a hole the others follow so they don't generally shoot off for a while.



On a rifle you can use electrical tape, duct tape, plastic wrap, or even a baggy held on with a rubber band and you don't have to worry about taking it off to make a shot. But don't try doing that over a shotgun muzzle.

I also prefer the controlled round feature of the Mauser action, but recently viewed a Youtube video of fellow operating a Rem. 700 in all manner of positions, including upside down, and fellow doing the demonstration said very little other than just smiling and shucking the cartridges out of the rifle. Only comment was "seen enough??"

I thought the tests were very good. Let me know that if I dropped my rifle in the sand or water that the hunt wasn't over.
I would not want a rifle with a chamber so sloppy that it would accept sand covered ammo.
Not for hunting at least.
Most military rifles will not function with sand in the chamber or on the ammo. Past military experience proved to me that neither an M-14 or an M-16 will, and I seriously doubt if an M-1 Garand will either.

Again, I will mention that it is my understanding the main advantage of the Mauser extractor is in extracting and not in "controlling" the cartridge.

The extractor of the Model 700 is so weak and fragile that tactical shooters, competitors, and gunsmiths routinely replace them with SAKO or M16 extractors.




M700 bolt with M16 extractor

That plunger type ejector, which is present on most push feed actions, is also detrimental to good accuracy. It puts tension on one corner of the cartridge thereby holding it out of perfect alignment with the bore. Most shooters who are particular about accuracy, those desiring 1/2 moa or smaller groups, remove the ejector.

Actually, using fire formed brass and loading into the lands, which is common practice with accuracy buffs, pretty much negates any side pressure the ejector would put on the cartridge.
And too, I have heard of replacing the extractor with the Sako extractor but I don't feel it is what you'd call common.

quote:

Originally posted by Grenadier:
Again, I will mention that it is my understanding the main advantage of the Mauser extractor is in extracting and not in "controlling" the cartridge.

The extractor of the Model 700 is so weak and fragile that tactical shooters, competitors, and gunsmiths routinely replace them with SAKO or M16 extractors.




M700 bolt with M16 extractor

The extractor on Rem 700 is more reliable than the claw extractor on a CRF action when it comes to extracting a hot case. The 700 will either extract the case or rip the rim off the case, although I did have one break a long time ago.

My Mod 70 .416 Rem claw extractor will just pop off the rim if the load is too hot, leaving me with a case stuck in the chamber.

Of course, the correct course of action is don't shoot hot loads; then you don't have to worry about it.

quote:

Originally posted by swampshooter:
That plunger type ejector, which is present on most push feed actions, is also detrimental to good accuracy. It puts tension on one corner of the cartridge thereby holding it out of perfect alignment with the bore. Most shooters who are particular about accuracy, those desiring 1/2 moa or smaller groups, remove the ejector.

Is that why so many custom actions like Stiler use blade ejectors?

I am, of course, being facetious.

Hunted all my life with damn fine guns, never pampered one, never abused one, several I have look like stinless steel (very little blue) and wood shows dings and wear, but no rust or pitt just honest use. They can be refinished to new, but every ding and the wear is a memory, so I don't mess with them..About the only thing I have done is wrap a little electricians tape behind the iron site ramp, in case of deep snow. have used it several times..I seen no need for any of that other stuff, and I sure don't want tape on my bolt.