Manual

Mauser 98k - Model M48

ii. Caution: From this point on you will be dealing with a highly com-

pressed and powerful spring. You must wear eye protection. If you

don’t have it, stop the procedure until you get eye protection be-

cause you will be decompressing and compressing the spring (in the

re-assembly process).

iii. Compress the spring: With the firing pin inserted into the work

table hole, firmly grasp the bolt sleeve while leaving the cocking

piece free to move. This takes considerable pressure and strength.

Exert downward pressure on the bolt sleeve, compressing the

spring until the cocking piece can be freely turned 90 degrees in

either direction (you may well need some help here).

iv. Remove the cocking piece: With the cocking piece turned 90 de-

grees, you can slowly relax your downward pressure on the spring

tension and the whole assembly will come apart. Note which side of

the firing pin is up, so you can reassemble it the same way. The

firing pin and its spring will come apart (you can see how powerful

it is) as well as the bolt sleeve and safety lever. Swing the safety

lever over to full right (otherwise it won’t come off) and then pull it

straight back. It will come right out.

v. Now you can clean everything in detail. You won't want to disas-

semble the bolt too often (for obvious reasons). You can see that

the firing pin and its spring live deep inside the bolt body so you

want a light film of oil over the entire surface of all parts; espe-

cially inside the bolt body. Never use grease inside the bolt, it

could cause a failure to fire.

g. Re-assemble the firing pin assembly.

i. Insert the safety lever into the bolt sleeve with the lever going in at

the full right position (otherwise it won't go) and then swing it up to

the vertical position and keep it there during bolt assembly. The

vertical safety position is necessary for bolt assembly, and in that

position it can be used as an additional surface to apply force when

compressing the firing pin spring in the next step.

ii. Put the firing pin spring back onto the firing pin and put the firing

pin tip into the worktable hole. Slide the bolt sleeve assembly over

the rear of the firing pin. It can go on only two ways, because the

firing pin has flat sides. We suggest that you should always re-

assemble it with the same side up.

iii. While you hold the spring almost fully compressed, install the cock-

ing piece over the firing pin. It too will slide on two different ways,

but after you rotate it to lock it on, the sear must be oriented so that

it slides into the corresponding slot in the bolt sleeve.