Troubleshooting the Steyr 1895 and 95/34 Straight-Pulls

After the collapse of the Haps burg Empire in 1918, the new nation of Hungary retained the M1895 rifle and carbine, still chambered for the 8x50R Austrian/ Hungarian cartridge. World War I illustrated the shortcomings of the older round, and in 1931 a more powerful cartridge was introduced— the 8x56R, designated the 31M. The vast majority of existing Steyr rifles and carbines were rebarreled to use this new cartridge, and new rifles and carbines were built at the state arsenal in Budapest.

The new weapons were reportedly plagued with extraction problems, attributed to the higher pressures achieved in the 31M cartridge. These problems were amplified by the straight-pull action, which doesn’t have the powerful primary extraction of a Mauser-type turnbolt. The design went the way of the dodo bird in 1940, when Hungary began manufacturing (under German "supervision") a redesigned rifle barreled for the 7.92×57 "S" cartridge and using Mauser-type charger loading instead of the Mannlicher clips.

To me, this rather discredits the idea that alleged extraction problems were related to chamber pressures, as military 8mm Mauser ammo operates at substantially higher pressures than the 31M and has considerably less body taper, both of which are factors that would seem to exacerbate extraction problems. Many existing rifles were converted by rebarreling and modifying the magazine, but most of the carbines were tossed into storage.

A number of M95 and into the hands of various and sun dry combatants during WW II, such as Yugoslavia. Basic Disassembly Refer to the exploded parts diagram for parts nomenclature and identification. Ensure that the weapon is unloaded by opening the bolt (#2) and examining the chamber and magazine. If there are cartridges in the magazine, press the clip catch (#15) located inside the trigger guard, and the clip will eject out the top of the action.

If the bolt is locked, release the safety (#9), the serrated lever on the left side of the bolt handle root, by pushing it down toward the stock. The safety on the M95 and 95/34 can be applied whether or not the striker is cocked, and locks the bolt in both cases. Push the trigger (#25) forward and remove the bolt assembly by pulling the bolt handle straight back. Remove the machine screw through the front band and push the band off the wood. The front band may or may not have a bayonet lug.

The odd-looking piece with the knob on the end attached to this band is a stacking stud, used in a similar fashion to the stacking swivels on other rifles. Loosen the clamp on the second band, but don’t mess with the "nut." The clamp screw is threaded into the other side of the band and the "nut" is merely a cylindrical piece of steel staked onto the screw to prevent its loss. Remove the machine screw through the rear band and slide the band off the wood. Loosen the two small screws on the

Far The flat on the striker must be aligned with this in order to insert the assembled bolt head into the bolt body. clamp immediately behind the rear sight. Raise the rear sight leaf, and carefully work the upper handguard forward until it’s clear of the clamp and can be removed. Remove the front and rear guard screws (#17 and #19).

Use a well-fitted screwdriver, as the rear screw often has some peening or bradding where the bolt rides over it, and both screws may be frozen in place with old lubricants that have turned to stone. Don’t remove the large-headed screw on the bottom of the magazine assembly (#24) at this time. The bottom metal (#16) and barreled action (#32) can now be removed from the stock. Bottom Metal Disassembly Remove the small screw at the front of the bottom metal (#18).

Using a screwdriver, push down on the follower base (#22) in front of the follower arm (#20e). The follower base and follower assembly will move out of the bottom metal, and you can then see how the rear of the The back of the head is against the bolt body, the locking lugs are perpendicular to the handle, and the ejector notch is away from the extractor opening. assembly is keyed into the bottom metal. Remove the large-headed screw on the bottom (#24) and pull the large flat spring (#21) out.

Push the hinge pin (#23) out. Should you need to remove the screw holding the follower itself (#20b), be sure to re-stake it when you put it back in. To remove the clip catch, take the screw (#18) just in front of the trigger opening out, clamp the spring and catch together in one hand, and pull out. Further disassembly should not be required unless you need to replace a spring, remove rust, or refinish the parts.

Bolt and Trigger Disassembly The bolt assembly is the most complicated part of this rifle, but by paying careful attention to how it comes apart, the job of putting it back together and troubleshooting it will be made much easier. When the bolt is removed from the rifle, the bolt head (#4) should be out from the body (#3) about 1 inch, the ejector slot in the bolt head face is down, and the extractor (#11) is over the right-hand lug. First, snap the bolt head back into the body by twisting it counterclockwise.

If the bolt head snaps back into the body when the bolt is removed, don’t worry—we’ll deal with that later. (This is probably the cause of some of the rifle’s problems.) Holding the bolt body firmly in one hand, pull the cocking piece (#8) out until it is clear of the bolt body, and swing the safety lock (#9) in so that the safety holds the cocking piece out. Keep pressure on the safety so that it stays engaged, and unscrew the cocking piece.

There will be an audible snap when the cocking piece releases the striker (#5). Next, twist the bolt head clockwise out past the normal open position until the locking lug passes under and then clears the extractor. At this point, the bolt-head assembly and extractor should pull free of the bolt body. Note the comparative positions of the bolt head and body. Unscrew the striker-spring retainer (#7), taking care to contain the retainer when it comes free; it’s under

Above top: After the bolt head is correctly installed, it is rotated back out to this position and the extractor is started into its opening. Above bottom: Rotate the bolt head counterclockwise, simultaneously pushing it and the extractor toward the bolt body. The locking lug is aligned with and passes through the recess in the extractor. considerable spring tension. You can now remove the screw (#10) and the safety lever if you wish. The trigger assembly in this rifle design has several functions.

It has trigger, sear, ejector, bolt-body lock, and bolt stop—all in one small and innovative package. Push the retaining pin (#12) out and withdraw the assembly out the bottom of the action. Lift the sear (#26) out of the housing (#27), push out the ejector pin (#29), and drop out the spring (#28). Miscellaneous Disassembly The rear sight is straightforward; remove the spring screw and punch the pivot pin out, taking care to retain control of the sight. Drift the spring forward out of the sight housing.

The small screws in the handguard clamp can be removed, freeing the clamp. If band removal is necessary, you must remove the front sight (#31) from its base. I can’t see that it makes any difference which direction the sight is driven. Be careful, as the front sight’s dovetail is much smaller than the usual American-type cuts. It closely resembles the small Mauser dovetail.

Dressing one end of the dovetail on the sight may be necessary to allow removal, as many specimens I have seen have very beatup and bradded ends. Reassembly Tips Putting the pieces back together is very much the reverse of taking it apart. However, some sticking points require a bit of attention and patience. If the rifle is having extraction problems or has very stiff bolt operation, don’t reassemble the bolt until you have read the section on bolt problems in the Troubleshooting segment.

It’s time to lube the bolt assembly and other parts such that they will not need messing with for years. When reassembling the bolt and trigger/sear assemblies, resist the temptation to use grease anywhere—it will turn to concrete later. Instead, make a paste of molybdenum disulfide and light gun oil. The moly is available in powdered form from several reloading suppliers and is usually used to coat bullets. The best applicators I have found are plumber’s flux brushes.

They are dirt-cheap from Brownells under the part numbers 080-001-024 (24-count, $2.61) and 080-001-144 (144-count, $10.78). You may want to get some latex exam gloves and a dust respirator to handle the moly—it’s some of the nastiest stuff there is, and somewhat toxic to boot. Under no circumstances should you allow the moly dust to become airborne; it starts becoming hazardous at levels as low as 5mg/ cubic meter in air. That ain’t much, folks! Keep your brush wet with oil and work only with the paste.

However, moly disulfide is 10 times more "slippery" than graphite, and it works into the metal’s pores over time. (It works into your skin’s pores considerably faster.) Even after the oil evaporates away, the bolt will still be slicker than you can believe. It is also relatively impervious to water and temperature extremes, as well. By the way, don’t wear light-colored clothing when working with powdered moly. It works into fabric pores, too. Instantly.

While you have the trigger assembly apart, give it a moly treatment before reassembling. Coat the bolt head’s cam surfaces thoroughly, and plaster some on the striker spring and spring retainer. Work another batch inside the bolt body. Stuff a brush full into the locking lug recesses inside the receiver, and along the left-hand lug race. Then brush some on the extractor in the areas that are inside the bolt body—not on the hook area.

Begin by placing the striker spring over the striker (if the spring has an open end, put it toward the collar on the striker). Insert the striker into the bolt head and install the spring retainer. Tighten the striker-spring retainer fully, then back it off a bit until the cam grooves are aligned with those on the bolt head. Take care when reassembling the bolt. Pay attention to which way the ejector slot in the bolt head faces, and which way the flat on the striker faces.

Putting the bolt head assembly in 180 degrees off is possible. Remember that the bolt head will rotate 180 degrees as it is installed. Look inside the bolt body. The hole at the back for the striker to protrude through has a flat spot on the bolt-handle side. Align the flat on the striker with the ejector notch on the bottom of the bolt head, and insert the bolt head assembly into the bolt body carefully with

the flat on the striker aligned with the flat in the bolt body. The ejector cut in the bolt head will be approximately aligned with the extractor hole in the bolt body at the start of engagement. With a bit of wiggling, the bolt-head assembly will slide into the body and rotate counterclockwise as it moves toward the body. When fully inserted (bolt head is "in battery"), the assembly should look like the accompanying photo. If it doesn’t, the bolt head is in backwards.

If you did not remove the safety, take care when the striker’s threaded end comes through the back of the bolt body—the safety needs to be in the "off" position. Don’t worry about the extractor until you get the bolt head oriented properly. When the bolt head is installed correctly, turn it clockwise out to just past the normal "open" position, slide the extractor into place, and rotate the bolt head counterclockwise while pushing in on the extractor and bolt head until the head is next to the body.

If you get the bolt head started correctly, but the striker flat is not aligned with the corresponding flat in the rear of the bolt body, use a small flathead screwdriver through the back of the bolt body to turn the striker until it comes through the hole. (That’s why the striker is slotted.) With the bolt head against the body, thread the cocking piece onto 1 Barrel 2 Bolt Assembly (complete) 3 Bolt Body 4 Bolt Head 5 Striker (firing pin) 6 Striker Spring 7 Striker Spring Retainer 8 Cocking Piece 9 Safety 10 Safety Screw 11 Extractor 12 Sear Assembly Retaining Pin 13 Clip Catch Spring Screw 14 Clip Catch Spring 15 Clip Catch 16 Magazine Housing/Trigger Guard 17 Front Guard Screw 18 Magazine Housing Cross Screw 19 Rear Guard Screw 20 Magazine Cartridge Follower Assy. the striker several turns.

Then use the safety to hold the cocking piece out and screw the cocking piece on until the striker’s end is approximately flush with the end of the cocking piece. Align the sear engagement lug with the notch in the bolt body and release the safety, controlling the cocking piece until it is at rest against the bolt body. Put a bit of moly/oil 20a Follower 20b Follower Screw 20c Upper Follower Spring 20d Upper Follower Spring Screw 20e Follower Arm 21 Follower Assy. Lower Spring 22 Follower Base/Mag.

Housing Filler 23 Follower Assy. Retaining Pin 24 Follower Assy. Lower Spring Screw 25 Trigger 26 Sear 27 Sear/Ejector Housing 28 Sear Spring 29 Ejector Pin 30 Ejector 31 Front Sight Blade 32 Receiver paste in the safety notches and on the sear engagement lug of the cocking piece, and paint the back sides of the bolt head’s locking lugs. Rotate the bolt head back out until it snaps into the "open" position, with the locking lug under the extractor.

It will be more difficult to operate now that the cocking piece is installed.

When reassembling the sear/ejector unit, install the sear first. It may be necessary to fabricate a slave pin to hold the sear in place as you install the spring, ejector, and ejector pin. The large head of the sear-assembly retaining pin goes to the right of the receiver (as shown in the schematic), but the stocks are usually inletted on both sides for the pin, and you may find one installed the other way. No matter, it can usually go either way. The bolt assembly will slide back into the rifle now.

Line up the guide lugs on the bottom of the bolt body with the grooves in the receiver, and push the bolt home. Holding the trigger forward when reinserting the bolt is usually not necessary, but may help. If you removed the safety screw, re-stake the screw head after you have completed the final reassembly. Problems and Troubleshooting As mentioned in the opening lines, these rifles reputedly have problems with spent cases becoming stuck in the chamber.

I have not experienced any trouble with my 95/34, but it has a large chamber that would be difficult to stick a case in without splitting the brass. If extraction problems or sticky bolts are experienced, look first to pitted chambers or chamber necks from indifferent cleaning after firing corrosive ammunition. These guns often have huge chambers, and will usually not mind a bit of aggressive wire brushing, steel wooling, or even sanding to remove pitting.

Much like an SMLE, the chamber’s tolerances and dimensions are almost an afterthought, since the cartridge headspaces on the large rim and reloading was never a design consideration. If the chamber is okay, strip the bolt assembly and clean/lubricate it as described above. Examine the locking lugs and the cam grooves on the bolt head for evidence of burrs or foreign material. Hot reloads (if using reloads) would also be a suspect.

This cartridge operates in the 40,000- 45,000 CUP class, and you can’t load it to duplicate your .338 Win Mag. Also, remove, clean, and lube the trigger/sear/ejector assembly. In use, the sear/ejector housing is raised against a lug on the underside of the bolt body when the trigger is pulled, locking the bolt body shut as long as the trigger is held. If the sear/ejector housing is not returning completely to its "released" position, it will lock the bolt body, just as it is supposed to.

Stiff bolt operation with an empty rifle is usually a result of a buildup of debris in the bolt-body’s cam tracks and/or a maladjusted extractor. Clean the disassembled bolt parts thoroughly with a solvent and dry them off. It may be necessary to use some elbow grease (or power tools) to remove all the encrusted crud and varnish. Examine the extractor’s tail end.

The extractor has a ridge at the back end which engages slots in the bolt head and locks the head in place until you exert enough force on the bolt to snap the ridge out of the slots. It should be well defined and free of burrs. The ridge should be distinct but smooth—slightly rounded, not sharply pointed. The extractor tail should have a very slight curve "inwards" toward the ridge, like a 1911-type extractor. This provides the force that keeps the bolt head locked.

Too much curvature or damage to the ridge can cause difficulty when initially opening the bolt and during the last bit of movement that closes and locks the bolt, no matter what you lube the thing with. Too little curvature or a worn ridge causes the bolt head to fail to lock, usually manifested by the bolt head not staying locked out when you remove the bolt assembly or are trying to replace the bolt assembly back into the rifle.

A bolt head which does not lock open properly snaps out of the slot and tries to close. This causes the locking lugs to drag on the lug races and torques the bolt body, making the bolt stiff and difficult to operate. In either case, extractor tension adjustment (or replacement, if it is broken or too worn to work properly) will usually solve the stiff bolt problem.

To adjust the curvature, simply hold the hook end of the extractor in your hand with your thumb in the middle, and press the tail end against the work bench, bending it ever so slightly in whichever direction it needs to go. It doesn’t take much; this is not a job for a 500-pound gorilla. You can assemble and test, using a bit of gun oil as lube, until the head stays locked out and medium hand pressure causes it to snap back.

Rotating the locking lugs clockwise (from the front) cams the head back out, and it should lock with a "snap" when the extractor is aligned with the right-hand lug. When it all works well, disassemble the whole thing again and reassemble/lube as described above. These rifles usually have the same long, gritty trigger common to many military rifles. There is not a lot that you can do, because the sear

is spring-loaded to allow the bolt to ride over it during operation and then pop up to catch the sear surface on the cocking piece. Changing the angles of engagement between the sear and cocking piece can result in a serious problem.

The closer you get the angles to achieving a nice pull and let-off, the more likely it becomes that the cocking piece will simply push the sear down and ride over it, causing a rather unpleasant condition known as "accidental discharge." Do trigger work judiciously or not at all, depending on your level of skill and understanding. Feeding problems can arise from several sources. First, this particular action design does not lend itself to "wimping" the bolt. During operation, the bolt must be forcefully operated.

Bolt-action rifles with fixed ejectors depend on rapid and positive bolt manipulation to eject the spent cases. In this age of the semi-auto, it seems that no one knows how to use a bolt rifle anymore; in operation, the bolt-action rifle should not leave your shoulder. This gives you a solid backstop to pull the bolt against, and a firm hold on the forend keeps the rifle in place while returning the bolt to battery.

Grabbing the bolt knob "overhand" with your thumb toward the bolt provides more power to open and shut the bolt than the more familiar "underhand" approach used on turnbolt rifles, as there is no need to lift the bolt handle with this design. Binder Ad (p/u from page 18, AGM-Sept 03) Secondly, this design seems to be very particular about cartridge overall length (OAL). Checking a selection of original FMJ cartridges, OAL is almost exactly 3.00 inches, regardless of date or manufacturer.

The magazine will take a bit more in the way of longer rounds, and the longer the better, as far as feeding is concerned. Shorter rounds or cartridges loaded with blunt-pointed bullets have a very pronounced tendency to "nose-dive" and jam against the edge of the feed ramp. If you’re having this problem, you can try a couple of ways to make the rifle eat what you want to feed it: 1. Very carefully open up the rear of the feed lips on a magazine.

Try this, opening the lips a bit at a time, and working forward in small increments. This trick allows the cartridge to move forward under less tension from the clip until the nose of the bullet is on the feed ramp. If this solves the problem, all clips used with this ammunition need to be individually modified. This modification does not affect feeding with regular (original) FMJ ammo. 2. The rifle’s magazine-follower assembly may be suffering from weakened springs.

If the rifle is giving trouble, even with original FMJ in all clips, the upper follower spring (#20c) is the most likely culprit. Try re-arching the spring carefully and see if that cures the feeding ills. If so, spring replacement is in order. If you can’t find replacement springs, it is possible to anneal, reshape, temper, and draw the existing spring, or you can try making your own. Many owners are dissatisfied with the sights, especially on the 95/34 carbines.

It’s possible to modify the existing rear sight to allow a more realistic 100-yard zero, but the notch is barely visible over the front receiver ring. Similarly, building the front sight up higher than it already is would make the gun appear to be a sailboat in disguise. You have several other options. Aside-mount scope base can be modified and installed, allowing the use of a conventional scope. Or, you could adapt a Weaveror Picatinny-type base to replace the rear sight and use a dot sight or LER scope.

Another solution is to tailor reloads to shoot to zero at 100 yards with the ladder up, using the "300" V-notch. Conclusions Overall, no straight-pull rifle of any design has had much of an impact on either military or sporting users. Straight-pulls are generally more prone to problems than turnbolt rifles (especially from a military viewpoint), because of relatively weak primary extraction and susceptibility to debris.

In addition, the Mannlicher clip-feed system—although used in several rifles adopted by major powers—was still inferior to Mauser’s magazine design because the Mauser could be loaded and used without the clips. Nevertheless, the 1895 and 95/34 carbines now being imported in great numbers are priced right, they’re compact, light, and generally very handy.

Ammunition is something of a problem, but reloadable brass is readily available and I expect manufacturers will tool up for the cartridge and take advantage of the niche market, just as they have for the 7.62x54R, 7.7 Jap, 6.5 Carcano, 7.65 Argentine, and several other vintage military rounds. If you do much work on military-type weapons, one of these is sure to cross your bench before long. ■