Wanted Mauser 98 Safety Replacement ISO

[Nailcreek1]

Looking for a replacement similar to the Dakota 3 position safety ...

 

[Deleted member 53080]

Have you looked on New England Custom Gun’s website? They have 3 position replacement safeties for M98s

 

[rookhawk]

I’ve owned several of these. I’ve broken a Dakota on safari as well. What I hate about the Dakota is that it uses a roll pin to hold the swing arm in place. A branch (leaves in my case) can wedge into the safety and break the pin off. The good news is Dakota is a $165 if you can find any left in inventory anywhere.

The rechnagel sold by NECG is about $285. As is usually the case with German engineering, it is really well built. It uses a custom screw to lock everything together and is far less likely to break on a stalking rifle.

For a bench shooting gun or long range US style rifle, the Dakota is completely sufficient. For a safari rifle it is sorely lacking.

 

[baxterb]

The Recknagel is excellent as would be expected - that’s what’s on my 9.3 after having a2-position broken by UPS. Jim Wisner also makes a very nice unit.

 

[John Telford]

I’ll be picking up my Thor Engineering side safety this week for my FN / M98 clone . I’ll report shortly. Price has not been confirmed but I suspect $100 or there about.

 

[rookhawk]

Never heard of them. Do you have a link to the thor? $100 is absurdly inexpensive and I'd love to see if its good because that would cost 1/3rd of what I'm forced to pay.

This is the best I've found, Item R-425

Triggers and Safeties | New England Custom Gun Service, Ltd. - Page 1

 

[SkullKeeper]

I’ll be picking up my Thor Engineering side safety this week for my FN / M98 clone . I’ll report shortly. Price has not been confirmed but I suspect $100 or there about.

I’ve got a FN I’ll be replacing the safety on - please keep me posted on this Thor Engineering safety

 

[Jon Glajchen]

Never heard of them. Do you have a link to the thor? $100 is absurdly inexpensive and I'd love to see if its good because that would cost 1/3rd of what I'm forced to pay.

This is the best I've found, Item R-425

Triggers and Safeties | New England Custom Gun Service, Ltd. - Page 1

This is the Thor ”side safety“, the one for the FN 98/ clone is exactly the same.

Thor Engineering make assorted firearm components here in RSA including bases, scope rings, triggers etc. Their work is of high quality!

You can PM me for their contact details

Regards

Jon

 

[rookhawk]

This is the Thor ”side safety“, the one for the FN 98/ clone is exactly the same.

Thor Engineering make assorted firearm components here in RSA including bases, scope rings, triggers etc. Their work is of high quality!

You can PM me for their contact details

Regards

Jon

View attachment 390505

Hello Jon,

That isn’t a side safety as we describe them in the USA. (Language and nomenclature differences)

When you hear about “side safeties” we mean a Winchester Model 70 three-position side safety. These were first used in that rifle line and then quickly became copies for use on Mausers.

The “side safeties” such as the Dakota, Rechnagel, and Gentry are Winchester types. They cost $165-$350 and then they require milling the bolt, typically a $450 job for parts and labor, total. In the end, you have a safety on the right side that when all the way back in position 1, the gun is safe and the bolt is locked. Position 2 is the middle where the gun is safe but the bolt can be opened to unload. Position 3 is fire in battery.

The safety you’re showing above is what we would call a “low profile safety”. I have a drawer full of them over here. They are a two position safety. You replace the original military Mauser Flag safety that would hit a scope bell when used with the type you’ve photographed. In the States, they run about $25 to $35. The benefit to this safety is it requires NO machining and you reuse the original bolt shroud. You simply swap out the flag for the metal bit pictured and you’re done. However, it is only two positions so you must have the gun ready to fire to unload the gun and they more easily succumb to a bump putting them into fire mode when walking through the bush.

To add further confusion to all this, there is a third type of safety called a WISNER that is cheap, only $35-$40. It is a true side-sweeping safety but it is only a two position type. The problem with them is it requires milling a slot into the original bolt shroud that is more complicated than the process to install the “Win 70 three position type”.

 

[baxterb]

Yes. I had the two-position Wisner that was broken. They require a good builder to make the final result acceptable. Mine was not, even before it was broken. Not Jim’s fault, but the guy who put it on.

 

[Jon Glajchen]

Hello Jon,

That isn’t a side safety as we describe them in the USA. (Language and nomenclature differences)

When you hear about “side safeties” we mean a Winchester Model 70 three-position side safety. These were first used in that rifle line and then quickly became copies for use on Mausers.

The “side safeties” such as the Dakota, Rechnagel, and Gentry are Winchester types. They cost $165-$350 and then they require milling the bolt, typically a $450 job for parts and labor, total. In the end, you have a safety on the right side that when all the way back in position 1, the gun is safe and the bolt is locked. Position 2 is the middle where the gun is safe but the bolt can be opened to unload. Position 3 is fire in battery.

The safety you’re showing above is what we would call a “low profile safety”. I have a drawer full of them over here. They are a two position safety. You replace the original military Mauser Flag safety that would hit a scope bell when used with the type you’ve photographed. In the States, they run about $25 to $35. The benefit to this safety is it requires NO machining and you reuse the original bolt shroud. You simply swap out the flag for the metal bit pictured and you’re done. However, it is only two positions so you must have the gun ready to fire to unload the gun and they more easily succumb to a bump putting them into fire mode when walking through the bush.

To add further confusion to all this, there is a third type of safety called a WISNER that is cheap, only $35-$40. It is a true side-sweeping safety but it is only a two position type. The problem with them is it requires milling a slot into the original bolt shroud that is more complicated than the process to install the “Win 70 three position type”.

Hi rookhawk

Point taken as to the language and nomenclature differences. I always thought of the Win 70 type safeties as two or three position safeties.

Regards

Jon

 

[Aaron N]

Gents,

I bought a Frankonia 8x68s Mauser last fall, and it came with EAW mounts. When playing around looking to mount a Swaro Z3 3X9, i noticed the flag safety won’t work with the clearance. So I guess I’m looking for a side swing three position. Are there any differences between Gentry, NEGC, or I also see pacific tool makes one now? Are any easier to install than others? I’d like to have this rifle for hunting this fall, so the quicker and easier the fix the better.

 

[TroyF]

Gents,

I bought a Frankonia 8x68s Mauser last fall, and it came with EAW mounts. When playing around looking to mount a Swaro Z3 3X9, i noticed the flag safety won’t work with the clearance. So I guess I’m looking for a side swing three position. Are there any differences between Gentry, NEGC, or I also see pacific tool makes one now? Are any easier to install than others? I’d like to have this rifle for hunting this fall, so the quicker and easier the fix the better.

I'm thinking of trying the ptg safety on my 9.3 build, I just don't have the money for the necg one. I'd like to see if ptg has any instructions, I'd guess you have to at least cut the notch in the bolt.
I have a wisner style on my 7x57ai and work well, it's fitted very nice but can see they need a lot of work to fit good.

 

[Aaron N]

I'm thinking of trying the ptg safety on my 9.3 build, I just don't have the money for the necg one. I'd like to see if ptg has any instructions, I'd guess you have to at least cut the notch in the bolt.
I have a wisner style on my 7x57ai and work well, it's fitted very nice but can see they need a lot of work to fit good.

The PTG do seem like a good price!

 

[TroyF]

The PTG do seem like a good price!

Ya think there like $175

 

[Jon Glajchen]

I have used the PTG safety on at least three Mauser rifles that I have had built. The price is reasonable and the quality is good.

 

[rookhawk]

In any case, all three position safeties require a competent gunsmith to install them. A detent must be milled on the back of the bolt and the cocking piece and/or sear must be stoned to ensure proper engagement and that it is .018" off the sear parked when in 3rd position.

The biggest difference between all the various 3 position safeties is the strength of how the safety lever is secured. The recknagel ones are by far the strongest but they are over $400. Dakota is the weakest but when they were in business they were $165 unfinished in the white. I'm told good things about the Ed Lapour versions and several others.

A two position side-safety by comparison requires much less gunsmithing talent to install.

If you're going to pay to get this done, its a perfect time to install a better trigger because you'll repeat the process (and fees) again at a later date if you swap triggers in the future.

 

[mdwest]

This is the Thor ”side safety“, the one for the FN 98/ clone is exactly the same.

Thor Engineering make assorted firearm components here in RSA including bases, scope rings, triggers etc. Their work is of high quality!

You can PM me for their contact details

Regards

Jon

View attachment 390505

A couple of different companies make the 2 position safety like this..

NECG sells one for $62.. https://www.newenglandcustomgun.com/proddetail.php?prod=8241

I've used the Timney version on 2 of my mauser builds.. Midway sells them for $56...

Not the prettiest things in the world.. but very functional and easy to use... and no fitting or gunsmithing required... (although midways says "some" fitting may be required.. I have had to do no fitting at all on either of the rifles I have built with them.. they have dropped right in..)...

 

[mdwest]

If you're going to pay to get this done, its a perfect time to install a better trigger because you'll repeat the process (and fees) again at a later date if you swap triggers in the future.

+1000

with each of the timney safety installs mentioned above.. a timney sportsmans trigger was also installed..

 

[rookhawk]

A two position side safety is different than a two position vertical safety. The latter is just a swap of the flag for a dog ear or stubby flag. They work occasionally and other times they very easily fall dangerously into fire.

I have a drawer full of the latter as I remove them from any Mauser I acquire immediately as I find them unsafe in most “tinkerer” installations.