Question about Turk Mausers

[KenpoProfessor]

I've got this Turkish Mauser, it's marked 8mm on the barrel and it's in primo condition. Problem is, it won't fire. Yes, everything works, and I've double cked the firing mechanism a few dozen times LOL. I've put my cleaning rod down the barrel, closed the bolt, pulled the trigger and watched the rod move up about 6 or 7 inches. It ejects the rounds when the bolt is pulled back but it just won't go bang. I bought Go and NoGo headspace guages for my 8mms after I accumulated a few of them, and this Turk will close on a NoGo guage, which is BAD, but it should still fire right, probably explode worst case scenario. I don't have a field gage 8mm to check, that's in work.

Is there a possibility this rifle is chambered for something different than 8mm? It's the only thing I can think of is that when the round is seated in the chamber, it sits to far away from the firing pin.

Any thoughts???

Have a great Kenpo day

Clyde

[maxicon]

I'd say you're right about the FP not reaching the round. When you eject a round that's failed to fire, is there any mark on the primer at all? Since you know the FP is working by the cleaning rod test, that's the only explanation left.

I'd bet on the headspace. If you look at how much a successful trigger pull dimples the primer, it doesn't take much gap.

A lot of the Turk Mausers were mixmasters, and you may have a bolt from the other end of the tolerance spectrum. You could try other Mauser bolts and see if they work with the headspace gauges.

[KenpoProfessor]

I'd say you're right about the FP not reaching the round. When you eject a round that's failed to fire, is there any mark on the primer at all? Since you know the FP is working by the cleaning rod test, that's the only explanation left.

I'd bet on the headspace. If you look at how much a successful trigger pull dimples the primer, it doesn't take much gap.

A lot of the Turk Mausers were mixmasters, and you may have a bolt from the other end of the tolerance spectrum. You could try other Mauser bolts and see if they work with the headspace gauges.

Don't think it left a dimple,but it's been a few months since I've tried to fire this one and can't remember.

I don't have any other bolts to try, I've been looking and it's almost cheaper to get the whole damn gun LOL. I did think of that and haven't seen anybody with a Turk to swap bolts with.

I've also done the reverse thing with the bullet in the barrel, the 8mm seems to fit, but I'd bet a 30.06 would as well.

Have a great Kenpo day

Clyde

[Mssr. Eleganté]

What type of ammo were you using?

1950's Yugo surplus and 1950's Ecuadorian surplus 8mm are notorious for requiring double or triple strikes unless you get a new 22 pound striker spring.

But if this was the case then the primers would at least show a dimple.

[smle-man]

If the chamber shoulder is too far forward (which might account for the rifle closing on the no-go) then the bolt may be pushing the round ahead of it without the extractor slipping over the cartridge rim. With excessive headspace the fp isn't reaching the primer. If the extractor was holding the rim this would be enough to hold the cartridge in place to fire. Your chamber would have to be really deep for this to happen. If the headspace is that far off perhaps you are lucky the rifle isn't firing the cartridge.

[Mssr. Eleganté]

If the chamber shoulder is too far forward (which might account for the rifle closing on the no-go) then the bolt may be pushing the round ahead of it without the extractor slipping over the cartridge rim. With excessive headspace the fp isn't reaching the primer. If the extractor was holding the rim this would be enough to hold the cartridge in place to fire. Your chamber would have to be really deep for this to happen.

That was my second thought, but like you said that would be an extremely deep chamber. Also, he said the bolt extracts the unfired round OK, so that would mean the extractor is slipping over the rim and holding the case against the bolt face.

[tankerman]

Get a new spring, also cast the chamber and check this article. It seems as though some have a short bolt.
brownells.com/aspx/NS/General/DisplayPDF.aspx?f=turkishmausers.pdf

[KenpoProfessor]

Get a new spring, also cast the chamber and check this article. It seems as though some have a short bolt.
brownells.com/aspx/NS/General/DisplayPDF.aspx?f=turkishmausers.pdf

Not sure what you mean by cast the chamber. I did double check the extractor right now, it does grab the rim of the round. I then removed the bolt and just put the round, it stops in the chamber about 1/8" sticking back.

The link in your last post doesn't work.

Have a great Kenpo day

Clyde

[Mssr. Eleganté]

Do you still have the rounds that wouldn't fire? Can you check to see if the primers were dimpled?

[KenpoProfessor]

What type of ammo were you using?

1950's Yugo surplus and 1950's Ecuadorian surplus 8mm are notorious for requiring double or triple strikes unless you get a new 22 pound striker spring.

But if this was the case then the primers would at least show a dimple.

I was using Yugo ammo at the time, and I still have some left over that I use in my other Yugo Mausers. I've switched to the Romanian for the Hakims that I have and it works much better, very few FTF's and the occasional jam of an odd shaped round.

I don't have the rounds I attempted to fire, I put them in the Yugo Mausers to see if it was the ammo and they went off.

Have a great Kenpo day

Clyde

[Mssr. Eleganté]

This sounds like a classic case of weak Turk striker spring combined with hard primer 50's Yugo 8mm.

[KenpoProfessor]

This sounds like a classic case of weak Turk striker spring combined with hard primer 50's Yugo 8mm.

But I am concerned with the fact that it closes on a NoGo guage. My other Yugos don't close on it.

Have a great Kenpo day

Clyde

[Mssr. Eleganté]

I'd wait and try a field gauge then. With a milsurp rifle firing milsurp ammo, the field gauge will give you a better idea if the firearm is safe to shoot. You're not going to be reloading the brass anyway.

What model of Turk do you have?

[KenpoProfessor]

I'd wait and try a field gauge then. With a milsurp rifle firing milsurp ammo, the field gauge will give you a better idea if the firearm is safe to shoot. You're not going to be reloading the brass anyway.

What model of Turk do you have?

A 1936 Ankara, not sure what model though.

Have a great Kenpo day

Clyde

[Mssr. Eleganté]

A 1936 Ankara, not sure what model though.

I think a 1936 Ankara marked Turk could either be a Model 1903 or a Model 1893. If it's an 1893 then I'd be cautious about firing it even if it passes the field gauge check, since that model doesn't handle escaping gas as good as the later models.