Changing a 98 Mauser extractor is very easy. Can be done by anyone, even in the field.
I have yet to see a military 98 Mauser extractor that did NOT have the "defective" modifications described above. The extractor that was in my Czech vz.24 when I built it into 404J was clearly unmodified military and it had the "modifications" to claw face and forward end of blade to allow snap over. While it would not surprise me if military manuals advised against closing the bolt on a cartridge dropped in the chamber, it certainly would have been foolish to not machine the extractors to perform snap over in the event a soldier dropped a shell in the chamber either inadvertently or in the heat of a desperate firefight. My Springfield 03A3 has a similarly shaped extractor. I have been snapping over at the range with it since 1964. I didn't know any different. My dad used an 03A3 in combat and he showed me how it's done. I have practiced snap over on my 404 with dummy rounds at least several hundred times. Only issues were shitty RWS brass that was too short (head space incorrect) and has inconsistent rim thickness (both issues cured by switching to Hornady brass) Also, the extractor initially had too much spring tension. This finally became apparent when I could not remove the extractor from the bolt without prying it off with a screwdriver. Extractors are supposed to snap off with finger pressure. To adjust the tension I slightly reshaped the extractor blade by carefully bending it. This also greatly improved bolt face pickup of cartridges from the magazine. Of course, I had to significantly modify the 8mm claw face to accommodate much wider 404J rim. I followed Duane Weibe's instructions and reshaped the extractor to where it would just barely hold it on the bolt face when bolt is removed from the action. I agree with him: a dangerous game rifle is not a dangerous game rifle if it won't snap over on a cartridge dropped in the chamber.
If Mauser extractors were not supposed to snap over, why would the bolts and extractors be machined to make the claw of extractor release from the bolt in forward pressure (closing the bolt) so it can jump over the rim and then lock the extractor to the bolt when the bolt is drawn back to extract? Remove your bolt and you will see how the extractor moves ever so slightly forward and back. The keeper at the head of extractor is smaller than the groove in the bolt head. It's not sloppy machining. That keeper and the groove have a unique shape on the forward face, a hook if you will, that locks the extractor when the bolt is drawn back, but releases the extractor when it's pushed forward. The extractor spring tension was initially so severe that it was not allowing it to move and the extractor was staying locked to the keeper groove during loading which caused sloping shouldered 404 case to be shoved too far into the chamber. Snap over failed. Of course, this would not be an issue with belted cartridges. Then the extractor would either come unlocked or possibly break as belt on case forcibly maintains head space. Check your extractor spring tension!
Here's my 98 Mauser extractor.
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And here's a couple of military 98 Mauser extractors for sale on eBay right now.
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Clearly these military Mauser extractors were designed to snap over.
