Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Help needed with installing trigger in mauser action

I have a vintage sporter trigger with side safety that I want to put instead of original two-stage trigger in a sporterized K98. The problem I an having is that the safety itself obstructs the trigger. It blocks the sear when engaged, so the tooth that obstrucs the pivot seems useless. Is it OK to grind it down? Please have a look at pictures. Thank you for your help!


This the new trigger (the box says Accokeek Sports, no idea about the manufacturer but looks darn well made).



Here is another look:



Here is the safety protrusion that wont let the trigger go into its place:

No, don't cut it! That trigger is for a commercial Mauser action with a side safety such as a Mark X or Santa Barbara, not a military Mauser.



ABOVE: Red arrow points to bolt lock extension. Yellow arrow to slot that must be cut for the bolt stop extension. Blue arrow points to surface of bolt safety lug that extension lock works against. This is a Mark X commercial action.

I suggest you purchase a Timney trigger for the Mauser, I have several. You'll still wind up having to enlarge the trigger slot in the action, but careful work with files does the trick. Timney will install it for $75.00 including shipping. It isn't a commercial Mauser action with a side safety so I recommend having a three position Winchester 70 type safety installed. Gentry Custom Rifles makes and installs a real nice one. www.gentrycustom.com/ Be sure to have the trigger installed before the safety.

Are you sure that trigger is for a standard Mauser? It reminds me of a Sako trigger and safety although I haven't examined one for years so could be in error.

That's a bolt lock tab. When the safety is engaged, the tab moves up through a slot in the bottom of the receiver and engages a mortise in the bottom of the bolt thereby preventing the bolt from turning when the safety is engaged.Parker-Hale and Santa Barbara actions are milled to accommodate this type of safety. Standard M98's aren't.

You could cut off the tab but that would ruin a perfectly good safety. A Timney would be a good alternative.

Why would that ruin the safety? A Timney doesn't lock down the bolt either.

No, the Timney for a military Mauser doesn't lock the bolt. You may want to consider having the bolt locked down when loaded in the field. Catching the bolt handle on something, or dropping the rifle, has been known to open the bolt and drop the chambered cartridge in the dirt, mud, snow - whatever, and thereby unsettle all the ammo in the magazine. Having a side swing Model 70 safety is still a better way as they lock the bolt. If you cut the bolt stop off, you'll still be unable to lock the bolt. Here's what the safety will look like:



Any well equipped gunsmith should be able to mill the slot for your vintage trigger, and make it work for $$$. Either way, you'll enjoy a fine appearing rifle.

Thank you all! I decided to order Timney without safety and use the existing bolt shroud safety, as my scope is mounted high enough for the safety tab to clear. I have several Mausers, all unaltered military rifles. This one is the only sporter I have. It was built in last months of WW2 in still German-occupied Czechoslovakia; the receiever top bears dou45, the original stepped barrel is very rough finished. Was sporterized probably in 60's, if not earlier. Found in an estate sale and bought on impulse, didn't even look down the bore. I though the barrel would be junk, because of rough finish outside. But it shoots better than most of my guns, except the 22-250AI with McGowen barrel, and just as good as 6.5x55mm Tikka. So I bedded it in devcon and free floated (the stock is vintage walnut, looks like Bishop). Before bedding/floating, it would shoot quarter size 5 shot groups in 100 yards off a sandbag (220 grain Sierra GK, IMR4350 compressed load, reformed 30-06 brass; it didn't like light ball Romanian milsurplus ammo at all). I think with nice trigger and bedding/floating the accuracy should improve

Nothing like a good old Mauser. People often sell the '98 Mauser short in the accuracy department, but they can compete with the best of them. Those Czechoslovakian actions are among the best, Zastava being the source of the Mark X, Charles Daly and now discontinued Remington 798. Good luck on your project, enjoy!

I dont want to step on any toes here but the Zastava and such are not Czech but Yugoslav.

Not Serbia? Fully agree with the prior posters that the best safety mod for a Mauser 98, military or commercial, is a Model 70 style 3-way side swing.

Formerly Yugoslavia

K98

That trigger is for a FN sporter from the 60's and Accokeek Sports was the repair shop/center for Firearms International who imported the FN and Sako sporters. Good trigger, can be made to work on any mauser with a cut like Wrangler John shows.

Wait a minute, you're correct! I forgot that the Czech Republic is surrounded by Germany, Austria, Poland and Slovakia. Meanwhile, to the South we have Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia. Needless to say that for someone, such as myself, that confuses Stockton for Fresno, Nevada for Arizona, keeping track of southern Europe is completely out of the question. If I insulted any of those fine folks from either country that make such great Mauser actions please accept my apologies. Let's just chalk it up to all those times I was thrown from the saddle to land on my head.

lol