Commercial Mauser Question

[gbflyer]

Lots of Mauser folks here so I figured this would be the place to ask. I’m getting ready to use a Zastava 70. I chose this because they offer a left hand, which I am. I already have a left hand Winchester 70 but it’s a mag bolt face. It’ll be a .35 Whelen because I like it, I have the reamer and lots of components. I’m actually impressed with it, a little rough but polishing the engagement surfaces has really smoothed it out. My stupid question is: why is the screw that holds the bolt stop lever sharpened to a pin point? I’m sure there is some simply ingenious reason that I can’t figure out.

 

[bruce moulds]

good question.
i have wondered this myself.
bruce.

 

[gbflyer]

good question.
i have wondered this myself.
bruce.

So far all I’ve come up with is a device to draw blood from the person working on it.

 

[mark-hunter]

Its not for a reason of genius design.
I beleive, it is because Zasatava factory employs the cheapest labor in gun production industry in the World, and for this reason final fit and finish suffers. Skilled labor, moves away.
Similiar minor flaws can be found in many Zastava rifles, in post 1990 production till date.

But I beleive, also, that with a bit of gunsmithing efforts, it can be tuned up to good mauser working mans rifle. Pay less at the beggining, ad some $$$, and will be good and reliable to satisfaction of user, for a still acceptable investment.

 

[bruce moulds]

i think i remember seeing that on military mausers as well.
bruce.

 

[gbflyer]

Its not for a reason of genius design.
I beleive, it is because Zasatava factory employs the cheapest labor in gun production industry in the World, and for this reason final fit and finish suffers. Skilled labor, moves away.
Similiar minor flaws can be found in many Zastava rifles, in post 1990 production till date.

But I beleive, also, that with a bit of gunsmithing efforts, it can be tuned up to good mauser working mans rifle. Pay less at the beggining, ad some $$$, and will be good and reliable to satisfaction of user, for a still acceptable investment.

Thank you.

I’m no professional, just a very enthusiastic hobbyist with a lot of tools. I’m very impressed with the quality actually. There are a couple of weird things but the tolerances are quite good. Action face to C-ring as an example are within a half a thou of each other all the way around. I put it on a mandrel but it indicated so well that I left it alone. The lugs took very minor lapping. The firing pin looks like a child shaped it with bench grinder though. Really rough. Trigger is OK for a hunting gun but the safety sucks. It’ll go to Gentry for a Winchester safety.

 

[Hunter4752001]

Every mauser I've handled has the same feature. My guess is that it enables you to easily re-insert after a full strip down of the bolt stop assembly. I don't understand why it couldn't be slightly rounded instead, but then again I would happily defer to the genius of Paul Mauser over anything I could come up with.

 

[gbflyer]

Next question. Shoulder barrel up to C ring or action face? Some say one or the other, some others say both.

 

[bruce moulds]

both for preference.
bruce.

 

[nztimb]

Bearing on both for barrel lockup and I aggree with @Hunter4752001. A pointed end allow for easier lining up of the components for re assembly, particularly as this was a military rifle and field conditions and time constraints may not always allow for fiddling about trying to get a round ended pin to line up exactly with the different components it secures.

​

 

[fourfive8]

Pointy screws with the cone shaped tips? Agree with the consensus as to purpose. I've seen that on a few Mausers and always thought it was for alignment for easier/faster assembly.

 

[Graham Hunter]

Bearing on both for barrel lockup and I aggree with @Hunter4752001. A pointed end allow for easier lining up of the components for re assembly, particularly as this was a military rifle and field conditions and time constraints may not always allow for fiddling about trying to get a round ended pin to line up exactly with the different components it secures.

​

Correct