Correcting Feeding Problems In A Rebarreled 96 Mauser

For the last few years I’ve been fooling around with some old military-issue Mausers, specifically 96s and 98s. The reason I am such a fan of these guns is they are positively basic. By working the Mausers I have come to better understand how bolt action rifles work and what’s needed to keep them functioning properly.

This style of action is the basis of many modern actions and the knowledge I’ve gained by working on the basics has carried over to such actions as the Model 70 Winchester, Remington 700, Ruger 77 variants and others, all of which are offshoots of the original Mausers. Although many of these guns are still available, albeit at premium prices, I was able to obtain mine at a time when they were relatively abundant and cheap. I guess we’ll never see those days again.

While I have been chastised for altering guns that may have some collector value, I counter that if a weapon originally beat up on the battlefield is purchased for one hundred dollars and years later is worth no more than four hundred dollars at inflated prices, exactly how valuable is that?

I converted some of the 96s to .35 Remington as I am a fan of that cartridge and know it can be handloaded for such a rifle to give better performance than the factory loads available for the lever and pump action rifles it is usually chambered for it. Yes, I know it was once chambered in the fabulous Model 70 Winchester and other makes.

The .35 has been chambered in such diverse platforms as the Remington XP-100 and T/C Contender, but I am referring to the Remington pumps and semi-autos that are still floating around as well as the Model 336 Marlin, which is the only factory rifle currently so chambered that I know of. A 200 grain bullet traveling at 1900 feet per second is no slouch, as many deer and black bear hunters will attest, but I wanted a little more.

I didn’t expect to match such rounds as the .358 Winchester or .35 Whelen but I knew I could step up the velocity of this round to increase its killing power. I think I got it right with the converted 96 actions. I’ve chronographed Remington 200 grain Core-Lokt bullets under loads of H335 and H4895. I won’t publish the loads because this is a unique situation where, unless you have one of the aforementioned Model 70s or XPs, only custom bolt guns are available and not too many of them at that.

One of the potential problems with this combination is the case rather than the action it’s used in. I think any sane handloader must take this "weak" case problem seriously and not try to hot rod a case designed for low pressures. If the brass was manufactured with the same relative strength as a .308 Winchester, which is rated for at least 50,000 CUP, the 96 actions could easily handle more pressure than most lever actions.

I have spoken with gunsmiths who claim they’ve converted many 96 Mausers to .308 Winchester with no problems. Some have added the caveat to "just keep the pressures down and there should be no trouble." Of course, after the gun is out of your hands how do you stop your customers from using factory rounds that are loaded to the max? A .308 is a .308, isn’t it? That’s what is stamped on the barrel.

I will go out on a limb and say that although most reloading manuals max out on the 6.5 x 55mm Swede (which these actions are originally chambered for) at around 45,000 CUP and the .35 Remington at 35,000 CUP, I think both of these figures are slightly on the lower end of what’s possible. I now have a rifle that will send a .35 caliber 200 grain projectile over the sky screens at 2150 – 2200 fps without any danger signs.

I think it could be stepped up a little more, but I am conservative by nature and like my face arranged as it is. So, I am well pleased by the performance of my rifles—you could almost call them .35 Remington Magnums—but I was having some trouble with feeding. At first I thought the problem was with the magazine spring.

After all, these rifles are 100 years old and old springs can get weaker and take a "set." Loaded rounds of the .35 Remington weigh more than the 6.5 x 55 Swedish rounds that the springs were originally made to function with. Maybe the springs were doing all that reasonably could be asked of them. When Peter Paul Mauser and his company’s engineers designed a rifle for cartridges such as the 6.5x55mm, the 8x57mm, the 7x57mm, and the others they paid close attention to the

In this case I came up with 1.605 inches for my .35 Remingtons. Using that figure I added 0.030" for clearance and placed the inside of the strips at that mark. In this case, I cleaned them up with a small file but abrasive paper can be used. I also went over everything with a little acetone for good measure. specs of the feed ramps and springs for each individual chambering. By changing the cartridge in such a rifle we are working without a net as far as feeding issues are concerned.

I do not like to fool with the actual dimensions of the action’s feeding rails and would rather pick a cartridge that closely approximates the original, such as the .30-06 and rounds based on it for conversions of the 8mm Mauser. The case head diameter is nominally 0.473 inches, the same as the .30-06, .270 Winchester, etc.

Here the difference is slight and the finished gun can reasonably be expected to feed properly with no extractor work and possibly no more modifications than lengthening the inside dimensions of the magazine box, if that. I have used replacement magazine boxes with hinged floor plates from Numrich Arms that have needed no modification for the .35 Whelen conversion in a 98 and I have used stock magazine boxes for that round without any problems, too.

For those of you contemplating the sporterizing of a 98 Mauser I submit that the performance of the 8 x 57mm on deer-sized game is impressive and should be considered. From what I’ve seen in the field, the cartridge is every bit the equal of the .30-06 with the same weight bullets, maybe even a little more. The deer will never know the difference. Of course, that is one more campfire argument like the merits of the .270 versus the .30-06 or the .30-30 against the .32 Winchester Special.

What fun! 25 inches wide, 0.020 inches thick and 1.5 inches long. Note they have been sanded to remove any bluing which may interfere with the soldering process. 030" for clearance. As for those who want to chamber the 98s for rounds like the .300 Winchester or 7mm Remington Magnums by enlarging the bolt faces and grinding the feed rails, if you are skilled, have the necessary lathes and such, and are experienced, or want to be, why not?

The 98 Mauser is considered to be much stronger than the 96s and 95s, as proven in many tests. Truckloads of these 98 actions have been rechambered as magnums with success. At one time it was considered safe to actually cut the 98 action and weld it to another to make the length

The heat needed for Silvaloy to work properly is around 1200 F. 5 x 55 Swedish cartridge using a 140 grain Remington Core-Lokt bullet. Total weight is 364.8 grains. necessary to chamber the .375 H&H. This is now frowned upon but in the heyday of sporterizing the old guns anything was possible! For those that wish to modify the Mausers for the new so-called short magnums, may the force be with you.

My problem was that with anymore than three .35 Remington cartridges loaded in the magazine (the 96 will accept five) feeding was an iffy proposition. At first, I blamed the spring and have documented that fact in this magazine. When the loaded 6.5s and .35s were weighed and compared it seemed obvious that the magazine spring was overloaded. That is not a fault of the rifle since it uses a flat "scissor" spring made to the exact specifications to feed the original round.

I don’t know if anyone makes aftermarket springs for these rifles, at least I haven’t found any yet, but I still think a stronger spring would help. One thing I couldn’t understand was that in the shop five rounds fed as well as three. At the range the feeding problem cropped up after the first three rounds were fired. It didn’t take a genius to realize the bottom rounds in the magazine were moving forward under recoil, disrupting the geometry necessary for proper function.

One thing that is a necessity when converting these Model 96 rifles to a different cartridge is to alter the extractor to accept the dimensions of the new case head. The case head diameter of the Swedish 6.5 round is an unusual The .35 Remington is 0.460 inch, a difference of almost 0.20 inches. As I have stated, the 98 Mauser’s case head specs for the 8 x 57 mm is the 35 Remington with a 200 grain Remington Core-Lokt bullet and an appropriate charge of powder is thirty grains heavier than the 6.5.

The weight of a full magazine loaded with five rounds taxes the original magazine spring. 35 Remington, the 6.5 Swede, and a .30-06 for comparison. It’s easy to see how the short .35 can slip around in the magazine and cause feeding problems. same (0.473") as that of a .30-06 and no extractor work is needed when chambering to such like rounds. Brownells offers blank extractors for both the 96 and 98 Mausers.

Some folks have offered that the feed lip of the original extractor can be built up by welding and then fitted. I think that this thin piece of metal would more likely be burned up and ruined. A better welder than I am might prove me wrong, but to my way of thinking to go if you have to change it. Not only does the rather thin feed lip have to be beveled and altered just so, but the whole replacement

This combo works at temperatures that can be controlled with a common propane torch and is plenty strong enough for this application. extractor body must be thinned as to enter the action easily and allow the bolt to close. I accomplish this job by hand and eye, along with careful trying and fitting. I use a Dremel cutting tool and a small belt sander. I don’t claim to be an expert on this process but I have gained some expertise by trial and error.

Yes, I have burned up an extractor because I got in a hurry and wanted the damn job done! A 96 Mauser altered to .35 Remington in this manner will feed reasonably well, provided only three rounds are loaded. But, in the field and on the range feeding was sporadic when five rounds were loaded. Now, I am the first to say that when hunting shooting three rounds at an animal leaves a small chance to recover it. If you need more than three shots, forget it, but I want the rifles I put together to work well.

I just wasn’t sure how to fix the problem. I think I found the answer while looking back in some of my old gunsmithing books. Winchester had one-size-only actions for many of the early years of their manufacture. It was easily large enough to accommodate such biggies as the .375 H&Hand the .300 H&H.

When short action rounds such as the .308 Winchester became available, instead of shortening the action—which would come later—they simply boxed off the magazine to make it shorter and stop the cartridges from moving forward under recoil. It worked fine. A loaded round of 6.5 x 55 has an overall length of a nominal 3.150 inch. A .35 Remington measures 2.525, a difference of 0.625 inches.

The light went on and it seemed obvious that the first three rounds in the rifle were able to hold their alignment in the magazine box well enough to feed before the last two were jumbled around by recoil like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. The controlled-round feeding of the Mauser couldn’t pick up those cartridges and they ended up jamming. For the fix, I could have boxed the magazine like Winchester but fabricating anew front for my magazine seemed like a daunting chore.

All I needed was to stop the rounds from moving too far forward under recoil so they could be picked up by the bolt and extractor they way they were supposed to work. Instead, I came up with a method that seems to work well. I’ve tested it for a time it has held up well so far. I do not claim to have invented this fix. It may have been a more common practice in the 50s and 60s when all these military surplus rifles were being sporterized as most modern rifles can be had with short and standard and long actions.

Also, another reason for blocking these actions in those days was to prevent bullet deformation with the then universally-common lead tipped spitzers as they banged into the end of the magazine under recoil. Lots of interesting articles were written testing intentionally-deformed leadtipped bullets and the effect on accuracy. In the end it was agreed that the bullet base had more of an effect than the tip.

All copper or homogenous bullets and the plastic-tipped numbers such as Nosler Ballistic Tips, Hornady A-Max, and Swift Siroccos, along with the new actions have lessened the perceived need for such an alteration. Enfields and Mausers were prime candidates for this practice since their actions are one size. I have yet to run across one altered in this manner, but I haven’t inspected all the sporterized Mausers and Enfields of the world.

If this type of old-time gunsmithing comes into your shop you will instantly understand the purpose of what you are looking at. For the fix, instead of blocking the front, I soldered two small strips of sheet metal in place on the inside of the magazine box so that the shoulders of the cartridges contact the edges of the strips and are held in place under recoil while allowing the gun to feed normally. The strips are secured by silver soldering.

This is really the only way to do it unless you want to try to fool around with Acraglas or similar. Silver soldering makes a neat job and will place the strips permanently. For my 96 Mauser project I started with two small strips of metal about 1.5 inches long, 0.25 inches wide and 0.20 inches thick. This allows the magazine follower to ride up and down easily without binding when they are placed on either side of it.

Start by measuring the distance from the base of your cartridge to the junction of the neck and shoulder. On my .35 Remingtons this was about

1.605 inches. Measure this distance from the rear of the magazine and add about 0.030 inches for clearance or 1.635 inches all together. This is distance the strips should be placed from the rear of the magazine to their leading edges. There is a lip on the bottom of the magazine box. Place the strip to be flush with this lip so the magazine follower cannot bind underneath the strip. Also, the tops of the strips must be above the top of the magazine box.

Clamp the strips at the measured place on the box and check for clearance. If everything looks OK, go ahead and apply the solder. Most of you are probably familiar with the silver soldering process. Remove the bluing from inside the magazine box where the strip is to be replaced with a file or coarse abrasive paper. Clean the surface of the strips also so the flux can do its work. I also go over these areas with acetone to make sure there is absolutely no oil or anything else to interfere with the process.

I used Brownells Hi-Force 44 solder and Kapp Comet Flux to complete this job. This allowed me to use a common propane torch as a heat source. If you have access to an oxyacetylene setup, you can use Silvaloy 355 which needs a temperature of around 1200 degrees Fto work properly. It’s your choice depending on what you have on hand in the shop. After the strips are soldered in place it will be necessary to shorten them with a file until the magazine box fits back into the receiver.

This is a trial and error process that shouldn’t be hurried. Use the illustrations provided to guide you. What we are looking for is the first cartridge to feed and the strips to hold back the second until its turn. Also, in the case of short cartridges like the .35 Remington, we want the whole stack of five to remain in place so the feeding process can work. Visualize the relationship of the strips to the magazine housing as just creating a smaller square box to house the shorter cartridges.

The second cartridge to feed as well as the fourth, which is held on the same side (left) of the magazine follower, slightly hesitated when the bolt was pushed home and a small bright spot on the case shoulder was evident. The strip on the left side of the receiver was just a little too long and a little too sharp on the corner. It prevented perfect feeding, but a small amount of stoning cured the problem. This is something to work carefully on as there is no sense in ruining a good job with a heavy hand.

Do not bevel the edges of the strips on the bolt-head side. These surfaces should be left square so the The case was partly pushed into the chamber by the bolt. The first case on top the follower must feed and the second is halted by the strip until it’s on top. cartridge does not have a tendency to ride over it and defeat the whole purpose. A little bit of cleanup may be needed to remove any solder from the inside edge of the strip.

I run the solder along the outside edge when applying it to minimize this problem, but the stuff goes where the flux is so be careful. It will clean up with the gentle use of a hand held end mill such as the Dremel and a small grinding bit. My rifle now feeds very well when fully loaded with five rounds, even with the "weak" magazine spring. When fitting a rifle to feed not only must rim diameter and width (fatness) of the cartridge be considered but also the overall length of the round.

Failure to do so will definitely produce some screwy results. I was perusing a recent gun magazine featuring a write up of the CZ 455 Switch-Barrel Rimfire in .22, .22 WMR, and .17 HMR. I noted that CZ uses a filler or magazine spacer in this little bolt action since the length of these cartridges varies considerably. After all these years, this fix is just the ticket to handle cartridges of varying lengths. AG