Bolt Action Rifles. Wayne Zwoll

ejector—this helps align these parts and holds the ejector in place. A raceway is milled into the inside left receiver wall for the ejector and, besides its other functions, helps guide the bolt and prevents it from binding. The main function of this long ejector, however, is to activate the carrier and to eject the fired cases from the action. There is a recess groove milled in the outside bottom edge of this rib and, when the cutoff is tipped back to bring the carrier cam up, the end of a cam is brought up into this groove. Thus, when the bolt is opened and the end of the groove contacts the cam, the carrier is tipped up. It is tipped down again when the bolt is fully closed and the rear end of the groove pushes the cam, tipping the carrier down once more, to pick up a new cartridge from the tubular magazine.

      Functioning as the ejector, the front end of this rib projects through a groove cut into the recessed bolt face. It is made to have some longitudinal movement on the bolt. As the bolt is opened and the rib strikes the carrier cam, the bolt moves slightly farther back than the ejector to tip the cartridge case to the right and out of the action. When the cutoff is tipped back to disengage the carrier cam from the ejector, a stud on the front inside of the cutoff spring, projecting through a hole in the ejector raceway, contacts the end of the ejector groove instead of the cam, halting the ejector as before to eject the case.

      4. Cartridge stop: Part of the repeating system is the cartridge stop built into the left side of the carrier box. It is a lever, pivoted on a pin set in a groove in the side of the box and given tension by a spring which also places the carrier under tension. There is a projection on the front end of the cartridge stop which extends inside the box just ahead of the carrier, and is activated to release a cartridge from the magazine when the carrier is tipped down, and holding back the cartridges when the carrier is up.

      5. Magazine: To complete the repeating system a magazine tube is fitted into the forend, with its rear end extending into a hole in the front of the carrier box. The front end of the magazine tube has a thread-on cap, while a long thin magazine spring and plug follower completes the magazine. A cross-key between the front end of the magazine tube and the barrel prevents the tube from sliding forward from the recoil of the rifle.

      6. Trigger: Because of the carrier box on the M71/84 receiver, a different trigger arrangement had to be designed. This kept the firing pin from turning.

      7. Safety: The safety was improved in two ways. First, instead of using a cross pin as in the M71 action, the safety and the firing pin nut were so made that the nut held the safety in place. Second, by having a coil spring around the safety stem to push the safety back, the safety also prevents possible loss of the screw and stop washer when the bolt is removed. The extractor is positioned on the top, right-hand side of the bolt head instead of on the left as in the M71 action. The trigger guard bow is made as an integral part of the trigger guard plate, and a screw through the inside bottom of the stock holds the trigger guard in the stock when the two guard screws are removed.

      8. Minor changes: Other changes were made in the M71/84. A cross pin through the bolt rib prevents the bolt-stop screw from being turned out completely, which is done by making a separate sear lever pivoted on a pin at the rear of the carrier box. A coil spring, set in a hole in the sear lever, gives it tension. The sear and the trigger, fitted to the rear end of the sear lever, are held in place by pins just as in the M71. The trigger has the same double-stage pull.

      In practically every other respect the M71/84 action is about the same as the M71 action. The extractor, bolt body, firing pin, mainspring, bolt head, bolt handle and bolt-stop are all similar to the Model 71. The locking system is the same, and so are the extractor camming and bolt camming features.

      Minor design and construction changes were made in the 71 and 71/84 Mausers when they were in production, but these changes are of little importance and I have not thoroughly examined enough of these rifles to describe them in detail.

      Takedown and Assembly

      Make sure the chamber and magazine are empty. To remove the bolt proceed as follows: If the cutoff button is not in the forward position, open the bolt and pull it back to raise the carrier, then push the cutoff forward. Loosen the bolt stop screw several turns or as far as it will go without resistance. (Note: there is a cross pin through the bolt rib which prevents the complete removal of the bolt-stop screw. If it is necessary to remove this screw completely, then the cross pin must first be driven out.) Open the bolt and pull it back. Tip the rifle far over to the right, making sure the bolt-stop washer is against the head of the bolt-stop screw, then move the cutoff lever back about

” to raise the cutoff spring slightly. The bolt can then be pulled from the receiver. To replace the bolt the cutoff must be forward.

      Mauser 71/84

      General Specifications

      Type . . . . . . . . . . .Turnbolt repeater.

      Receiver . . . . . . . .One-piece machined steel forging. Slotted bridge.

      Bolt . . . . . . . . . . . .Two-piece with separate non-rotating bolt head. Rib on bolt body forms the only locking lug, engages in front of receiver bridge wall.

      Ignition . . . . . . . . .One-piece firing pin powered by coil mainspring. Cocks on opening of the bolt.

      Magazine . . . . . . . .Tubular magazine in forend. Cartridges transported from magazine to chamber by carrier (lifter).

      Bolt-stop . . . . . . . .Screw and washer on the bolt body stop bolt as the washer contacts groove on receiver bridge.

      Trigger . . . . . . . . . .Non-adjustable, two-stage military type.

      Safety . . . . . . . . . .Swinging wing-type built into cocking piece. Locks striker and bolt when swung right.

      Extractor . . . . . . . .One-piece spring type fitted into bolt head.

      Magazine cutoff . .Lever type disengages carrier when pushed forward.

      Ejector . . . . . . . . . .Sliding type fitted to bolt.

      To disassemble the bolt: Lift up the rear end of the ejector and remove it from the bolt. Turn the bolt head one-quarter turn in either direction and pull it from the bolt body. The extractor can then be lifted from the bolt head. Now, rest the firing pin tip on the workbench, and while pressing down on the safety with the thumb of the hand grasping the bolt, unscrew the firing pin nut.

      After the nut is removed, the firing pin and mainspring can be removed from the bolt and the safety removed from the cocking piece. Reassemble in reverse order.

      To remove the barrel and action from the stock: Remove the small screw from the left side of the muzzle barrel band and drive out the cross-key to the left. Slide the muzzle band off the barrel. Also, remove the other barrel band or bands. Pull out the magazine tube about 1”. Turn out the front and rear trigger guard screws; the barrel and action can now be lifted from the stock. Turn out the center guard screw and the trigger guard can be removed. Reassemble in reverse order.

      Top view of the M71/84 Mauser action.

      To disassemble the rest of the action, first turn out the cutoff spring screw and remove the cutoff spring. Lift out the cutoff. Turn out the carrier pin lock screw and lift out the carrier pin. Remove the carrier and carrier cam from the bottom of the action. Drive out the sear holder pin to remove the sear and trigger assembly. Reassemble in reverse order.

      M71 and 71/84 Markings

      Both the M71 and M71/84 Mauser