Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing J C Higgins

Disassembling a commercial Mauser bolt that doesn't have the military-style safety is fairly simple and the only tool required is a penny.

1. Holding the bolt vertically and with the bolt handle on the left, hook the bottom of the cocking piece on the edge of a work bench. Pull straight down on the bolt(this compresses the firing pin spring) until a gap is seen between the cocking piece and the bolt sleeve. Insert the penny in the gap and gently allow the bolt to come back up, pinching the penny between the cocking piece and the bolt sleeve.

2. Unscrew the bolt sleeve to remove the firing pin/sleeve assembly from the bolt body. The bolt sleeve locking pin will probably have to be pushed in for the first turn when unscrewing.

3. Holding the firing pin assembly vertical, put the tip of the firing pin on a block of wood and push down on the bolt sleeve(this will compress the firing pin spring and allow the penny to fall free). This will cause the cocking piece to protrude above the bolt sleeve. Turn the cocking piece 1/4 turn either way and lift it off the end of the firing pin.