K98k Bolt Stuck on Closed Position

[THBailey]

I am not sure what is going on in your gun, but pretty clearly pulling back on the cocking piece is the logical first effort. The screwdriver/cartridge case efforts didn't do the trick. Did it budge at all? I would get a large pair of visegrips to grab the cocking piece. Use something like a 1 inch by 3 inch piece of leather, or maybe sheet lead, to wrap around the cocking piece to protect. Good luck.

[kendog4570]

Ken, do you remember what caused it?
The only thing I've seen close to that was a FP that broke in half. When I got it apart, it looked like someone had tried to color case the FP.

Sorry, for the life of me I cannot remember. I want to say the lugs at the rear of the firing pin but I just cant be sure.
The memory is the second thing that goes..... Cant remember the first.

[Walking Fire]

You said
"the rifle should have been unloaded and stored with bolt closed and decocked."

So does that mean it is Loaded?

[TRAP55]

[kendog4570]

Every once in a while I get one right...

[THBailey]

The vise is a good idea, and even if you don't have access to a soft jaw the leather or lead sheet wrap will probably work fine in a normal vise, other than you might need an extra set of hands to set it up.

Before doing anything, double check that the gun is unloaded. Just like with an old muzzleloader, run a cleaning rod down the bore until it stops, mark it at the muzzle, pull it out and set along side the barrel to be sure the rod went all the way to the bolt face.

[kendog4570]

Vise grips actually give you more control, and you can do the task without a helper. If they seem a little hard to pull, eat some meat for breakfast. Of course, padding the jaws is a given.

[TRAP55]

[MasterChief]

Those original images of the bolt shroud, cocking piece and firing pin boggle the mind. Cannot wrap my mind around this combination of mechanical contradictions. Might be helpful to try and figure out how the bolt might have been reassembled in some new and wrong way. I certainly hope the answers are forthcoming.

Gunter: Did you remove trigger-sear-bolt stop yet?

[GunKraut]

Did you remove trigger-sear-bolt stop yet?

Will not make any difference. The bolt is firmly locked into the receiver by the bolt lugs, nothing else. If he can't turn the handle, he can't unlock the bolt and pull it back.


TRAP55 got it right in post #2, the cocking piece needs to be pulled back enough to allow the safety to engage. For the handle to be turned, the firing pin needs to be unlocked from the bolt, either by pulling the cocking piece backwards or by pushing the firing pin backwards from the barrel end with a dull tipped cleaning rod.

Take a look at the circled area. This is where the blades at the tip of the firing pin are located with proper firing pin installation, bolt closed and firing pin in uncocked position. If the firing pin moves 1/8" forward as in the OP's situation, the blades engage with the internal grooves in the bolt and prevent the bolt from turning.

If the FP is not installed correctly in the cocking piece as in the OP's picture, the following scenario can happen: With the safety in vertical position, assembly and insertion of the firing pin group into the bolt is possible. Inserting the bolt into the receiver and closing the bolt is possible. Disengaging the safety and dry firing or closing the bolt while pulling the trigger is possible but in both cases the blades will lock into the grooves and prevent the bolt from opening again.

[TRAP55]

And there's the picture that covers a thousand words.

[kendog4570]

It might have been put together wrong in the first place. The 98 is designed to go together one way, but if the lugs on the back of the firing pin are misaligned and forced into rotation, this type problem would result. The rear lug is .020" wider to prevent this, but never underestimate the power of ...??
If they were completely torn off or gone, the cocking piece would be in the OP's lap by now, or almost, with only the trigger/sear holding it. You would be surprised what some folks can accomplish with a little fortitude. Ever seen a M16 chamber brush stuck in the middle of a 223 barrel?

OP where are you located?

[GunKraut]

[Günter]

Sorry Gunkraut, I don't intend to be a drive-by poster, as I am actually truly thankful for the useful advice and knowledge I receive here, however I do forget to post an update as I rarely check on calguns forum, and overtime at work has caught my mind occupied lately. Just had the opportunity oil the now fixed rifle and put it back into storage which reminded to check back in here.

To answer Trap 55's Q: The rifle is a Yugoslavian refurbished German K98k (not M24/M48 etc) the receiver and stock is all matching, but the bolt mismatches the rifle, however all the bolt components match with itself. The date and factory code has been ground off but judging from all the features such as the barrel band and bolt safety lever, I'd say its was a mid-war rifle. Thank you for posting this on the Mauser Central forum and I would extend my thanks to that gunsmith as well.

Two weeks ago I initially tried MasterChief's suggestion of removing the trigger and sear assembly and tried accessing the firing pin from there, I learned not too far into disassembly that this was futile, I cannot access the firing pin there.

Last weekend, due to my lack access to proper tools as a tenant, I visited a friend who had a properly equipped garage and attempted Kendog4570's suggestion of securing the receiver/barrel assembly into a padded vise and using vise grips to pull the cocking knob out. This made what seemed like impossible task before possible, and we were able to fully cock the knob and put it in to middle safety position, allowing us to take off the bolt.

We analyzed what had happened, there was no noticeable damage done to the firing pin, fully serviceable condition, what I did notice compared to other 98k firing pin assemblies at hand is that the rear firing pin lugs mentioned by Gunkraut and kendog4570 has been turned in a lathe at the same diameter as the rest of the lugs, this seems to had been done at the factory, possibly to cut costs and production time, as everything fits together nice and snug. So I have reassembled the bolt assembly incorrect firing pin depth due to these identically sized lugs after last time I have cleaned the rifle, and causing the firing pin to be misaligned.

A simply problem, caused by simple mistake, solved by a simple solution, Thanks so much for yall's time!

[kendog4570]

Every once in a while I get one right...
Glad you got it figured out.