Reviving a Mauser

V

VA Gent

New member
I have a 1910 7MM Mexican long rifle. All #'s match, condition is good to very good. Was issued to one of Villa's men. I want to pull the action from the stock, clean her up and go get some deer. First thing on the list is soak the bolt. It is very clean to start with but has some small crud in the crevices. What is best to use? 2ND question is the screw behind the trigger guard is stuck big time. It's been soaking with PB Blaster for a few days now but I've buggered up the thing attempting to get it out. Any suggestions? I want to get the action/barrel out of the stock so I can continue cleaning that brown goop they dipped it in.
Thanks in advance for any advice
 
First of all, go to your local health food store, and buy a bottle of 100% PURE, NATURAL wintergreen oil (not the crap they sell at Walgreen's), and use that to soak the stubborn screws. (Remember: A little bit goes a long way.) After soaking for a few hours, get a hand held impact screwdriver with a very close fitting bit and try to remove the action screw.

If the worst happens and you have to drill the screw out, Mauser action screws are a dime a dozen.
 
Wintergreen oil...I'll give it a try. What are the benefits over what I thought was the good stuff? I soaked the front end of a older Jag w/Blaster for a week or so a few years back. When I returned with a wrench & screwdriver, it almost had dismantled itself. Not another Jag joke, it actually happened.

What might you recommend soaking the bolt in? or might it be better to just spot clean it with some solvent and a small brush?

Thanks for the advice
 
The big issue is making sure you actually get anything to the bolt thread. If you can't see stuff drip out the receiver side when you spray from the guard end, fill the stock from the top until your oil comes out of the screw hole at the bottom, then turn the rifle over and hope some stuff on the screw now runs into the thread. And get a fitting screw driver bit, those old slotted screws were much wider than today's screws, leading to the "buggering".
 
fill the stock from the top........tried that! There is a chip of wood missing topside directly behind the bolt track. Neat place to shoot the oil into. Has to be hitting the back of the bolt unless it passes through a tube. Oil has been dripping from the trigger guard and receiver for a few days...that bolt has to be soaked! I tried wackin it gently from the top and flipping the rifle over to wack the screw head. I have many sized drivers here, tried most all of them except the obvious too small or too thin. I have the bands off along with front bolt to relieve tension on the barrel to rock the whole assy back to take some pressure off the trigger guard screw...doesn't seem to help though.
 
Chuck a screwdriver bit in a drill press, then set the gun up in the vise with padding. Bring the chuck down and put the bit into the screw slot. Do NOT turn on the power, just work the chuck back and forth, using the drill press handle to keep the bit in the slot. That treatment will get out 98% of stuck/rusted screws/nipples. If it doesn't, you will probably have to drill the head off.

Jim
 
EXCELLENT idea Jim. I'll give that a try this evening soon I set a side support. I believe one of the main problems was not enough down pressure while supporting the rifle form moving
 
Yes sir! Thank you. Placed the rifle upside down on a towel with a piece of wood behind the action to stop it from rocking backwards. Didn't need a vice with the bolt out, it lays flat. Locked the spindle down ( guessing around 60-70 pounds ) with the driver in the screw, turned the chuck by hand, no resistance at all. The screw does not come out ( yet ) but thats okay. It's like a bolt only threaded on the last 3/8" or so where it enters the action. The head of the screw is partially under the trigger guard so the screw didn't back out of the stock, the action lifted up and released instead. A pleasant discovery was other than storage grease, everything below the wood is excellent with the barrel and action.
 
Wintergreen oil...I'll give it a try. What are the benefits over what I thought was the good stuff?
Click to expand...

The late, great, Clarence M. Bates put me onto the secret of wintergreen oil. It is one of the greatest penetrants/rust dissolvers I have ever used.
 
Gyvel, Thanks for the tip. I'll get some to have here in the shop so I can experience it. I've been going through a brain deadening / wasted time period while in real estate for the past XX years. Even forgot I had a drill press till Jim suggested it. I'm getting back into my shop now and rediscovering all I've collected over the last 45 years. It's good to be back!
 
Gyvel, Retired aircraft mech eh? I know you guys know your stuff. I know a few guys out in Tucson who've been doing it for over 30 years...can work miracles effortlessly when asked to!
 
Gyvel, Retired aircraft mech eh? I know you guys know your stuff.
Click to expand...

LOL. You must have read some of my other posts. Yes, I was a line mechanic for Eastern Air Lines. That was my main job. I also worked as a gunsmith for a number of years in Miami, and did work for most of PD's in the north half of Dade County. I met Clarence Bates when I moved to Arizona about 20 years ago and he was the one who put me onto the wintergreen oil. In case you aren't familiar with Clarence's work, he was most noted for making .45-70 revolvers, but he did some other beautiful custom work.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top