Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Mauser 98 Bolt Handle

I've had a number of mauser type rifles rebarreled, sporterized for a scope to be installed. As suggested, either have a new bolt handle welded on the bolt or find a gunsmith that knows how to forge the original bolt handle to the shape/height you need to clear your scope. Forging, means the smith heats the bolt handle enough to beat it to the shape/height it needs to be to clear a scope. I've had a couple of times the smith cut and welded on a new bolt handle and he did not remove enough of the metal of original bolt that joined the bolt body....so handle at highest position had a problem clearing the scope.....required me to use scope rings higher than I wanted to use. But, there have been a couple of times, on Swedish bent bolt military mauser type rifles, I could just remove metal from bolt handle that contacted the scope. Never could do this with a German type 98 bent bolt mauser rifle.