Timney Safety Fitting On The 96 Mauser

I prefer the Timney "wing" safety for its reasonable price, simplicity and ease of installation. Available as the Buehler-style Low Safety (Brownells #883-805-096 WB) to fit the 96 Mauser with a retail price of $38.99, it functions similarly to the original Mauser safety. Dayton Traister, Inc. offers their Mark II safety ((Brownells #204-001-950 WB), which is comparable and available for $21.99.

While I have used Timney safeties on my Mauser conversions (both 98 and 96 models) many times, I am still disappointed at the directions supplied by the manufacturer for doing so. I don’t have this gripe with just Timney but also with most of the other manufacturers of gunsmith’s "drop-in" or "may require some fitting" parts.

Along time ago, before I had fitted a few of these parts, I sent Timney an email asking for a better description of how to install it, specifically where to locate the small notch on the cocking piece that is necessary for the safety to function. I received a condescending reply from some management twinkie telling me I was supposed to know better. The gist of the reply was that their instructions were perfect, and a trained ape should be able to follow them easily. Thanks, what customer service!

Giving them their due, they do send all the parts needed for installation and instructions that should be read by the first-time user, "Smoother operation will be obtained by honing a 45-degree bevel 1/32 inch back on leading or left edge of cocking piece engaging surface. Hone or polish the bevel on the left side similar to the factory method on the right side." All right, but wouldn’t a picture or drawing that shows exactly where to put this bevel be nice? How about a little template to make it easier?

As I said, I am grateful to Timney for sup- 020-0.030" and block the firing pin from moving forward. Grinding this notch can be accomplished using a small file or a cutting wheel attached to a Dremel tool as shown. The piece is marked to indicate the area to begin cutting. Check for fit and function often. A try action with the trigger installed comes in handy. plying these parts for the Model 96, but I’m sure it isn’t altruism on their part.

Some of us must still be customizing these rifles regardless of collector’s howls. The law of supply and demand still applies no matter how the Keynesians that rule our country at the moment protest. Perhaps these rifles will be as valuable as a Fabergé egg one day, but I doubt it. They make nice deer rifles if modified in a good way. As far as I’m concerned, the 6.5X55 Swede loaded with a 140 grain bullet or some of the new 120 grainers is one of the most deadly deer rifles in the woods.

Also, this round has mild recoil and hits very hard, far out of proportion to the minimal pain at the shoulder. The only criticism of this action is the cock-on-closing feature, mostly

This one will work as is, but I like to dress the piece further with files and stones. Either way, I think removing this area improves the appearance of the part when on the finished action and no one will miss it. Scope clearance can be a problem depending on what mounts and optics are selected. I prefer using high mounts. argued by those who have never used one. These actions feed the round they were manufactured for flawlessly.

As long as a barrel with the appropriate twist is screwed on and a good bullet is sent down that pipe, they will shoot as well as any factory rifle on the market today. I wouldn’t hesitate to use them for heavier game. The first time I tackled this job I ground and ground away with my Dremel until the cocking piece was so damaged I had to buy another. My bad. Thank goodness these parts are readily available from Numrich and others.

The last one I purchased cost me about ten bucks, but the shipping was $6.50 for a couple of ounces, so add some other stuff if you can to justify the freight. The point is not to beat up on Timney. I think a lot of manufacturers could do a much better job of providing instructions for their products. For the ones who mock their customers I can’t understand such a casual attitude. You need us, we don’t need you. Maybe we need each other.

Taking one of the cocking pieces from another gun that I had already fitted for the safety, I put an unmodified piece next to it and took the picture shown in the article to help give a good reference point. A small cutting wheel on a Dremel tool is used to make the notch. I like to smooth the left side with an Arkansas stone to take any burrs off.

The safety has to glide positively into this notch and literally push the cocking piece back (according to the instructions, "20 to 30 thousandths") and block it from moving forward, just like the original. That’s why I like this safety. It blocks the firing process instead of just the trigger.

The only thing I don’t like is that this safety is a two-position one, unlike the original which has three positions: Safe, Safe (yet able to operate Removing the bolt will allow unscrewing the shroud, cocking piece, firing pin and firing pin spring from the bolt body. bolt) and Fire. Cycle the bolt in the action to cock it (cocking piece all the way extended), move the safety to the top (upright) position and remove the bolt from the action.

With this done, the cocking piece and shroud easily unscrew from the bolt body. One thing Timney doesn’t mention is that unscrewing the bolt shroud is now problematic in that you can’t leave the safety in the middle position when you remove the bolt since it doesn’t have one. The wing is either up or down. It loses the middle position of the original. To unscrew the bolt body from the shroud, thereby separating the bolt from the shroud, safety, cocking piece, and firing pin

This gun cannot fire. Don’t overdo it. with its spring, place the sear in a sturdy vise and pull out on the bolt until it can be twisted out counter clockwise enough to easily miss any obstructions and unscrew the rest of the way without mishap. The directions are complete in that they instruct us to grind down the cocking piece engaging surface at the rear of the part. I still can’t figure out why this knob is here in the first place.

Did the generals expect the troops to pull it back recocking the rifle to remedy a misfire? Try it sometime. I don’t have the finger strength to even come close to returning the rifle to battery, but the Swedes are probably a lot tougher than I am. If anybody knows anything about it I’d be happy to hear from you. The gun will not fire if the face of the cocking piece contacts the safety, which it will if not modified. The instructions show leaving a small part of the back of the cocking piece standing. Forget it.

Take it all off. Nobody will miss it and it looks a lot better in the aesthetic sense. Polish it well and no one ignorant of Mauser anatomy will ever suspect it was there in the first place. So, installing this safety is first dependent on cutting the small notch in front of the cocking piece and then grinding off the back. Use a 6-8 inch table-mounted "rough" grinder and roll the back of the cocking piece over it to give a smooth, even cut until it is completely removed.

Don’t let this piece get hot enough to ruin its temper. I dunk it in water before that gets close to happening. Use a pair of good gloves and appropriate eye protection. Follow up by polishing with a smooth file and abrasive paper. I think this modification makes the action look much better than the original. The last safety I fitted had a clearance problem when installing the The three position military part allows the bolt to be opened with the safety engaged. This is not possible with the Timney.

It is a fine, positive design for battlefield use, however, no conventionally-mounted scopes allowed. wing to the bolt shroud. It was just a little too tight. I used a small file and a smooth Arkansas stone to make it work. No big deal. There can always be a little bit of fitting with these guns that were manufactured over many years and sometimes in many countries. The wing must be removed via a small screw in the back before it will fit on the shroud. It must then slip back over the shroud and the screw replaced.

I always dab a drop of blue Loctite as appropriate to keep this important screw tightened. A small spring which fits into the body of the safety and inside the bolt shroud is included in the Timney kit as well as a tiny Allen wrench to

Use gloves to hold the small piece and roll it against the wheel to form an even cut. Don’t forget eye protection. Dress the piece with files and stones for a professional appearance. The safety on left is original military. tighten the diminutive screw holding the wing in place. The spring can be problematic in that it needs to be compressed and slid into the shroud without binding or kinking.

This can best be accomplished by using a small screwdriver as appropriate to hold the spring in place while sliding the safety into position. This spring is essential in that it removes any slop when the safety is activated and allows for a much more positive feel. With the safety installed but the cocking piece not yet notched there is an opportunity to reach behind the cocking piece with a very thin marking pencil or Dykem and scribe a good guideline as to where to begin grinding the necessary notch.

This would be ten times easier by using a small plastic template, but I suppose the extra ten cents the manufacturer would have to spend to provide one precludes this. This replacement safety will usually clear amounted scope but I have found that using high rings is best. Some folks may remark that there is not a lot of purchase working this safety, especially with gloves on. I have to say that’s just the way it is until someone comes up with a better idea.

I really don’t have that big of a problem with it but I have small fingers and am more forgiving than most. Working the small notch we ground into the cocking piece with a smooth Arkansas stone really enhances the function of this safety, although it will work without it albeit somewhat grittily. You do not have to overdo this notch. Take a little off and reinstall the bolt’s parts to test it frequently, especially the first time you try it.

The trigger must be installed in the action so the bolt can function normally, of course. A Dremel or Foredom tool is not absolutely necessary. The job can be done with a needle file but I have found a little power helps the medicine go down, so to speak. This should go without saying, but test the safety for proper function before you let it out of the shop. The cocking piece must clear the small screw holding the wing of the safety to the shroud. Make sure the wing feels positive and isn’t wobbly.

As mentioned previously, the cocking piece should move back to allow the safety to block it without fail. When the trigger is pulled with the safety engaged the gun should not fire. When the safety is moved to off, the gun should not fire unless the trigger is pulled. A sudden jar such as bouncing the butt of the gun on a hard surface should not allow the gun to fire no matter if the safety is engaged or not. If it does you may want to check your trigger job as well.

As I mentioned earlier, Dayton Traister makes a similar safety for Mauser rifles. The manufacturer recommends grinding a 1/8" notch on the right side of the bolt sleeve to allow the new safety to turn down so the cocking piece body will pass under the cut away in the head of the safety. As with the Timney, I think the supplied directions suck, but maybe that’s just me. There are several other options for the 96 Mauser, but not many. The 98 gets all the gravy, and why not?

Certainly, the German standard military arm is much more popular and prevalent than the Swedish version. The 96s are not going to be manufactured ever again. They area finite entity. I’m thankful that we have the replacements parts that we do but I don’t see a lot of aftermarket companies jumping on the 96 bandwagon, so it is what it is. Timney also manufactures a trigger with an integral safety named the Deluxe (Brownells #883-200- 595AH).

This unit comes complete with aside mounted affair that blocks the trigger but not the cocking piece. If you use this, the stock will probably have to be relieved to fit it. I prefer a safety that blocks the cocking piece like the wing type. This kind of mechanism is more like the original and more to my taste. Other folks may have a different opinion. As far as I’m concerned, a Mauser Model 96 is a viable candidate to sporterize. I am using one right now in caliber 6.5X55 as my main deer rifle.

After market producers such as Timney and others should be commended for offering essential parts for this process, however, don’t expect these folks to offer parts as orphans if there is no market. Buy what you need now. AG