98 Mauser .308 feed problem?

27 December 2001, 08:56

I have polished the feed rails and opened the right side up about .020 ths. the problem I have is when the cartrage engages the bolt face it will not come up to the center letting the body drag on the mouth of the chamber which makes for a hard push to chamber the cartrage. I also chamfered the mouth of the chamber to 45 deg. I was thinking that I may have to open the bolt face up a little so the cartrage would center on the bolt. The 8mm has a thinner rim and seems to fit the bolt face loosely where the .308 is much tighter and snaps in to the face. the dummy round is Win brass fl resized and bullet is a 168 matchking seated .005 of the lands, the round fits the chamber nicely.
Any thoughts greatly appriciated.
hivelosity

27 December 2001, 09:47

<ol crip>

Hivelocity, before you do any metal removing try seating your bullet deeper. I had the same problem w/300WBY. seated bullet a little deeper and it took care of the problem. When your cartridge leaves the feed rails it is pointing at too much of a severe angle. It will enter with the point of the bullet hitting the top of the bbl. above the chamber. By shortening OAL the bullet rides lower in the approach to the chamber. Keep seating deeper til it works fine. This will tell you how much you have to move your feed rails toward the rear. KEEP YOUR POWDER DRI...Ol Crip

[This message has been edited by ol crip (edited 12-27-2001).]

27 December 2001, 10:29

tsturm

quote:
Originally posted by HIVELOSITY:
I have polished the feed rails and opened the right side up about .020 ths. the problem I have is when the cartrage engages the bolt face it will not come up to the center letting the body drag on the mouth of the chamber which makes for a hard push to chamber the cartrage. I also chamfered the mouth of the chamber to 45 deg. I was thinking that I may have to open the bolt face up a little so the cartrage would center on the bolt. The 8mm has a thinner rim and seems to fit the bolt face loosely where the .308 is much tighter and snaps in to the face. the dummy round is Win brass fl resized and bullet is a 168 matchking seated .005 of the lands, the round fits the chamber nicely.
Any thoughts greatly appriciated.
hivelosity

How about the Extractor! Take the extractor and collar off and see if the case head will engage the bolt face correctly.

Have fun!!

27 December 2001, 10:59

hivelosity

Ole Crip I have tried diffrent length. the round feed up the ramp good and into the chamber, it that last 1" before the round is centered on the bolt face.

tsturm: i trier removing the claw ext. and the round feed with out any hang up so this is part or all of the problem. there are a couple ways to go thin out the claw on the inside toward the bolt or remove some metal from the shell kicker grouve lobes.
what would be the best fix???

28 December 2001, 09:23

tsturm

quote:
Originally posted by HIVELOSITY:
Ole Crip I have tried diffrent length. the round feed up the ramp good and into the chamber, it that last 1" before the round is centered on the bolt face.
tsturm: i trier removing the claw ext. and the round feed with out any hang up so this is part or all of the problem. there are a couple ways to go thin out the claw on the inside toward the bolt or remove some metal from the shell kicker grouve lobes.
what would be the best fix???

I will see if I can find a picture of how to reshape the extractor claw and email it to you. DO Not REMOVE ANY MATERIAL FROM THE BOLT!

Have a good one

[This message has been edited by tsturm (edited 12-27-2001).]

28 December 2001, 02:43

<jim k>

I had the same problem with my 308 (98)I ground a little off the extractor at the bottom till it fed smooth.
Jim

28 December 2001, 04:00

D Humbarger

What make of the Mauser 98 system do you have? Argintine, BRNO, FN, K98K? The feed rail are not exactly the same. Do not remove any more metal from the rails. Do not mess with the extractor. You can thin down the angle'd slope on the left side of the follower but you must maintain the original slope angle. Remember once you take metal away you can't put it back.

------------------
NRA Life member

[This message has been edited by Bear Claw (edited 12-27-2001).]

28 December 2001, 09:58

hivelosity

Bear: the mauser is a gew98 1914 had to remove some metal from the right rail because it was gouged up was leaving scratches in the brass when feed through.

tsturm: I got the pictures , thanks ,I will try and change the angle at the bottom of the claw, I have a couple other ones so if it doesnt work Ill have a back up.
hivelosity

28 December 2001, 10:06

<Don G>

Three things come to mind:

1) is it staying under the side rails too long? If it comes out late it binds like this.

2) Deburr the back side of the extractor. Keep it square, though.

3)Shape it so that the extractor is only sprung open sideways .002-.004 when the case head goes under it at the center of the bolt face.

Go slow!

Don

29 December 2001, 13:18

hivelosity

Thanks for the comments and ideas, I debured the extractor and squared it up ,at the bottom i started filing the angle back a little at a time taking more metal off the bottom than the top , reinstalling on the bolt several times and checking to make sure i did not go to far, it is working good now with the round centering nicely on the bolt.
now to the left rail the cartrage is coming up late and binding between the rail and the ramp I will start by moving the rail back a little at a time untill it feeds properly.
hivelosity