Need help with Mauser safety

[SwampTrooper]

The cocking piece is a bubba-ized FN commercial cocking piece which seems to have identical control surfaces (when not ruined like mine) albeit a different machining for a different look than military cocking pieces. From what I have read, and I may be wrong, dropping in a new cocking piece may work. The gun was advertised as FN commercial 98 which it seems to be. I will get a new cocking piece and see if works in general safety or not. The sear question is a good one. Even with replacement, depending on sear positioning, it may not work. Tomorrow I’ll post the sear as best I can when I take the rifle out of the stock. Also as an update, the gun came up from an estate sale where the owner was deceased so no follow-up questions regrettably.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Can you shoot us an image of the trigger sear with bolt removed?

 

[SwampTrooper]

The trigger I have on an Omark 44 action, which basically uses a Remington trigger mechanism has a similar 45deg reverse chamfer and the sear matches the ramp on the cocking piece. So, it is possible, but we would need to understand what trigger mechanism and sear is installed on this rifle.

Okay, do I have photo graphed the sear as it comes up through the tang. It has a slight grind to it but not as extreme as what is on the cocking piece at least it seems to me.

 

[SwampTrooper]

Can you shoot us an image of the trigger sear with bolt removed?
View attachment 717532

Yes! See above.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

Okay, do I have photo graphed the sear as it comes up through the tang. It has a slight grind to it but not as extreme as what is on the cocking piece at least it seems to me.

Trigger sear is very similar (identical?) to my 98 Mauser's Timney trigger. There is no way that trigger design will work with that modified cocking piece. The trigger sear "grind" you describe is the normal bevel on back of trigger sear to allow cocking piece to push it down as bolt is pushed forward. Then the abrupt 90° forward face of cocking piece sear catches on the back end of trigger sear which cocks the cocking piece as the bolt travels forward at the end of locking the lugs. The gun then is cocked and ready for trigger finger to tip down back edge of trigger sear and release cocking piece/firing pin. The problem is your cocking piece doesn't have the abrupt forward end on its sear. For whatever reason someone ground it off to 45°. I suspect if you remove the action you will find the trigger assembly is gold colored = Timney. The instructions that came with my two Timney triggers specified some modification of trigger sears might be necessary to make the bolt lock. And indeed my Mauser bolt would not lock. Too much length on cocking piece sear. However I chose to NOT follow Timney instructions and instead modified the cocking piece. If I screwed up and removed too much metal, it was easier (and much cheaper!) to replace the cocking piece than buy another Timney trigger. But I only had to rebate the cocking sear face, not change the angle of the face. I don't know about FN commercial triggers and cocking pieces but hard to believe they were significantly different from military. But maybe the set trigger variety has a different sear setup? Set triggers I know were very common in commercial Mausers, of middle calibers especially.

 

[BlueFlyer]

I don't know about FN commercial triggers and cocking pieces but hard to believe they were significantly different from military.

That looks to be an early FN action as it had the clip charger feature. The early actions had the basic military 2 stage trigger. As it is now it does not look like a safe situation under any circumstances.
Suggest getting a new cocking piece & sear and start again with at least a safe rifle.

 

[SwampTrooper]

I have high confidence that I would get a pierced primer if I shot it now. I’m ordering a new cocking piece, a new safety, and new sear just to be safe and swap as needed. I have a suspicion there is nothing wrong with the sear but until we starting swapping things, who knows. Once those parts come if, if they pass function check, it’ll b time to check the headspace. After that, I’m having it sent off to be rebarreled and have some express sights mounted. That’ll be a bigger job for someone with way more experience than me as a garage gunsmith. I’ll keep you guys posted on the project!!

 

[BlueFlyer]

I have high confidence that I would get a pierced primer if I shot it now. I’m ordering a new cocking piece, a new safety, and new sear

The cocking piece does not control the protrusion of the firing pin, that is controlled by the firing pin flange. It needs to bottom out on the anvil in the primer. If you read my Siamese Mauser post, my pin is extending 1.8mm past the bolt face and it does not pierce the primer. It is more to do with alignment and shape of the tip.
Great to see you have ordered the cocking piece & sear. Once you have them you should be able to get the safety you have working.

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

I can’t find the damaged safety I have (I’ve also lost a box of 300wsm, but that’s another story) did you still want a picture of the working safety as you now already know what the issue is. If you’re fitting a new one, you will know what it looks like and saves me pulling mine out…..I’m feeling lazy( dogs were barking on and off all last night, probably a fox hanging around again)
Gumpy

 

[SwampTrooper]

I can’t find the damaged safety I have (I’ve also lost a box of 300wsm, but that’s another story) did you still want a picture of the working safety as you now already know what the issue is. If you’re fitting a new one, you will know what it looks like and saves me pulling mine out…..I’m feeling lazy( dogs were barking on and off all last night, probably a fox hanging around again)
Gumpy

Haha don’t stress yourself! If you have some free time later on, I would love to see it but you have already help me so much!

 

[Ontario Hunter]

What "sear" are you ordering? One sear is part of the cocking piece and one is part of the trigger. Better pull the action from the stock and see if the trigger is aftermarket or original equipment.

Will you be ordering a slide safety/trigger or Winchester 3-position?

 

[Grumpy gumpy]

First pic is the camming face. Second pic is the end that locks the bolt. Rough looking bits are just marks, not defects
This is the Parker Hale two stage safety, easy to use and has positive locking, simply replaces the flag safety
Gumpy

 

[SwampTrooper]

As a general update, the gun is working perfectly with an non-bubba'ed surplus in the white cocking piece. The original low side safety works well, albeit a little sticky, but a little sand paper and steel wool should help. I also purchased a flag style military safety which works superbly but makes it an iron sights only rifle. That's not too bad though as I think I may want this rifle as an iron sights gun. I am planning on ordering some flip up leaf sights from NECG and having a gunsmith rebarrel the gun and solder on the express sights. I am really grateful for all your advice and photos. This being my first mauser, I had no frame of reference to diagnose the problem without all your help. Now for the next challenge, I am going to attempt to flame blue the new cocking piece! I was inspired by the new jeffrey rifles which have electric nitre blue extractors. I watched Larry Potterfield's video on firebluing and thought I would give it a crack! After all, its only a $20 part. If I'm not too embarrassed by the result, I'll post photos!

 

[BlueFlyer]

I am going to attempt to flame blue the new cocking piece!

Don't
It is heat treated and you risk softening the sear face.
You need to cold, rust or chemical blue it.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I polished my Mauser's cocking piece in the white. Aloso bolt and bolt handle. May as well. Bluing gets worn off those high use/handled parts anyway.

 

[SwampTrooper]

Good call on the cocking piece, I’ll cold blue it. I flame blued the safety and bolt stop. The results were far better than I imagined. A trick to minimally effect tempering is to allow the parts to air cool rather than quench. Here’s some before and after on the safety. I didn’t photograph the bolt stop but the after is nice to me.