mauser 98 in 260 rem feeding problems

9

98 220 swift

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This is my first complete build. Been working on and off for about 10 years. Finally got it to a point I can shoot it. Loaded some 120 gr sp to try out. Problem is they do not feed well. They don't want to go all the way up into the extractor. They will go if you are pretty rough on the bolt. Any ideas? Do I need to open up the feed rails a little? If you help the case up with a screw driver it feeds great. I tried putting the cases further up in the mag and it just feeds them in the chamber but does not pice them up with the extractor. Any help would be appreciated.
 
Is there a place to buy a different follower? I tried the 260 round in a few different mausers I had around and all the same problem. Of course they would not fully chamber but they did not go up into the extractor properly. The case gets kinda wedged between the chamber and the bolt.
 
Is there a place to buy a different follower? I tried the 260 round in a few different mausers I had around and all the same problem. Of course they would not fully chamber but they did not go up into the extractor properly. The case gets kind of wedged between the chamber and the bolt.
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I believe you could have started your project by deterring if the 308 W cases would chamber. It is possible a stronger spring is required; it is possible the rifle will chamber the top round if it has 4 beneath it. Then there is control feed and push feed.

I do not know what cases you are using. I think nothing of forming 308 W type cases out of 30/06 cases. There could be enough difference between the extractor grooves between your 308 cases and the 30/06 extractor groove to cause you problems.

I friend built 4 magnificent rifles using 03 receivers. He had 5 case head separations out of the first 10 rounds he fired. I told him he could have checked that problem before he left the shop, I told him he could have fixed the problem at the range if he was fire forming.

F. Guffey
 
You might also want to check the bottom profile of the extractor hook, and the gap between it and the bolt face, if these are new parts. If it is a little too close, or a wrong profile, it can keep the cartridge from wanting to feed to the center of the bolt face properly.
 
You might also want to check the bottom profile of the extractor hook, and the gap between it and the bolt face, if these are new parts. If it is a little too close, or a wrong profile, it can keep the cartridge from wanting to feed to the center of the bolt face properly
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Bolt and extractor where original to receiver. The rifle was a complete functioning vz-24 with a wasted barrel before I started this project about 10 years ago.

I even tried a few different bolts all with the same result.
 
I would have started the project 10 years ago by testing the ability of the receiver, bolt etc. to feed. And now? Same thing, I would attempt chambering 8mm57 ammo and 30/06 ammo. We all should know the 8mm57 will not chamber and we should know the 30/06 ammo will not allow the bolt to close, we are talking about the case getting in front to the bolt face. That has to happen before the round gets shoved into the chamber.

F. Guffey
 
It feed fine 10 years ago with 8mm. I never would have though 260 would be that much different. It still feeds 8mm fine(cant close bolt of course).
 
My 2 cents worth.I learned via similar experience to not fight it.This is hindsight that won't help,but I'd have gone 6.5x55.Instead of .243,I'd go 6mm.Rem.Or .257 R.Or 7x57.
Reason?its about the taper in the case.
Inside the mag box,the rounds are supposed to stack in a tight equilateral triangle.The mag box,rails,and follower are set up in your Mauser to do that with a case of 7x57 or 8x57 heritage.
The .308 family cartridges have less taper.So,at the shoulders,they stack "fatter" in the mag box.At the shoulders,the tight triangle comes together.
But that triangle is loose,slack,back at the case heads.The shoulders came together too soon,while the case heads are low and slack.
Its easy for the bolt to ride over the case head.The lower edge of the bolt face digs into the side of the brass and drives the case forward,maybe bending the case.Gun is tied up.
And,for me,its spooky to remove metal because you. can end up with multiple rounds just flying up out of the mag.
I think the answer is a widening of the mag box,by milling a little,I guess,so the box matches case taper.Those triangles,both back at the case head,and at the shoulder,are one key.
 
feed issues

The problem is the shorter different taper case. Mausers feed beautifully with any case based on the 7mm or 8mm X 57. One thing to try is radius the bottom corner of the extractor and adjusting it's tension, but the feed ramps in the receiver are meant for cases like 6.5x55, 7x57 or 8x57. Modifying these is something of an art form.
 
Golly,jcj54!!Somebody agrees with me!!:)
In 30 cal,there is an old wildcat .30 Dunlap.You short chamber with a 30-06 reamer to 8x57 length.
Then you grind the base off a 30-06 sizing die.
Cases will form from 8x57 or 30-06.8x57 is easier.I never made one,but a friend made a few.
 
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the first plan was to make it a 6.5-06 but then I figured out the 260 case does not have enough taper and would leave a nasty ridge when reamed out the the 06 case length.

I will probably try to relax some tension on the extractor first and see what happens. seems like the more I tried it the easier it got but still not easy enough.
 
The 260, 308 W etc case body is at least .014” larger in diameter than the 30/06 case. Many smiths and reloaders have chambered a 308 W to 30/06 thinking the 30/06 reamer would clean up the chamber because the 308 W was shorter. When 30/06 cases are fired in the new chamber the case have a ring around the case body. The ring is part of the chamber the reamer did not clean up.

The 308 W/260 case diameter is larger diameter by as much as .014” when they are measured from the case head to the case body/shoulder juncture on the 308 W/260 case.

I would change cases first, I would form the 260 cases from 30/06 cases.

F. Guffey
 
This is a relatively common problem when rebarreling a military 98 to a 308 family cartridge. Change the follwer. You can buy stamped followers for commercial Mausers from Brownells.
 
update.

I filled a little on the extractor and got it better. still not what I want but better. I also loaded some 140 amax loads. The col on these is somewhat longer than the cheap 120 gr I loaded before. They load fairly well unless you run the bolt slowly.

[QUOTEThis is a relatively common problem when rebarreling a military 98 to a 308 family cartridge. Change the follwer. You can buy stamped followers for commercial Mausers from Brownells.][/QUOTE]


I could not find any. All I found was a standard replacement , a magnum, and a single shot follower.

The single shot may be the answer this rifle will most likely be a range only rifle due to weight but would be nice if I could get it to feed properly If I wanted to use it.
 
A friend used to gunsmith cheap surplus rifles back in the Golden Age.
He says the ones he rebarrelled were for target and varmint so nobody cared about the magazine.
 
I could not find any. All I found was a standard replacement, a magnum, and a single shot follower.

The single shot may be the answer this rifle will most likely be a range only rifle due to weight but would be nice if I could get it to feed properly if I wanted to use it.
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I said there was push feed and control feed. That does not mean one rifle is either or. I would suggest you attempt chambering a round then close the bolt. If the extractor will not jump the rim on the case additional work must be done or the case must be feed from the bottom to get the case extractor groove behind the extractor and the case head in front of the bolt face.

I would not use a case with a primer and powder.

F. Guffey
 
Stamped Mauser followers ar not a rare commodity.Fair to say,Scorch said commercialmauser follower.I don't know if surplus is OK.Try Numrich,sarco,etc if Brownell's does not have them.I'd callBrownells and ask on their tech line

If you use your calipers to to measure the groove dia on a case,then dress or select a Dremel type stone just a touch smaller,you can lightly shape the hook concentric the the bolt face.I do it in a little drill press.Not much!
I want just a little of that radius to"detent" or hold the brass from falling off the bolt during ejection..Below that,I want just a little lead in to help the rim funnel up and under,but not too much.The extractor is the "control" of controlled round feed.
I like to put one more chamfer on the extractor hook.The cartridge initially rises at an angle.That means the forward surface,the effective extracting surface of the rim,presents itself at an angle to the lower edge of the extractor.
So,the flat rear surface of the extractor hook,on the lower edge,I file some lead in to help give the case room to rise up under the extractor.You don't want bind between the bolt face and the rear of the extractor As the case begins to rise up the bolt face..
It does not hurt to lightly flat stone the bolt face with a flat stone to make sure nothing catches on the brass.Do not take off any significant steel.Don't worry about low spots.Just knock down any high spots.
 
That was the trick. I pulled the extractor off and ground it out a little with the dremel. Now it feeds decently. Could be a little smother but it does feed now.
 
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