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1. K98 Ejector and 2. Remington 1903 Magazine Spring/Follower


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Another question about my K98 (see following link), this one about the ejector.

 

http://www.machinegunboards.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=24369

 

Went to the range to fire a few rifles, and after the first round in the K98 the shell would not eject (except by hand) and I noticed the ejector was missing. Rifle fires great but had to remove spent casings by hand after retracting bolt.

 

The ejector box is otherwise complete--just a missing ejector.

 

So the question is do I just take the screw out to see if it's an oval hole or round hole, and is there anything to be aware of taking out the screw, e.g., spring, etc.

 

I expected more recoil from the 8mm but it wasn't too bad. Also shot a 30-06 Remington 1903 and it felt like it had more recoil. One issue I had with the Remington 1903 was the shell would not feed from the magazine. I could load singles OK. I read that a likely cause of this problem is the magazine spring. The follower had been ground down some to allow the bolt to close without pushing down the follower. Any thoughts on this one also appreciated. I was thinking about getting a Remington follower and spring to replace it and see if that fixes it.

 

Robert

Edited by Robert Henley
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I bought an original K98 oval hole ejector after watching this video:

 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=how+to+remove+k98+ejector&docid=608001205024915854&mid=3C91E823228F0253ADD23C91E823228F0253ADD2&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

I guess we'll see how difficult it is to get the spring out and back in.

 

Also bought a Remington follower and spring for the Remington 1903. We'll see how that works.

Edited by Robert Henley
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OK, I'll state the obvious. The 1903 has a magazine cut-off feature built into it. Is the lever on the left rear of the receiver in the "magazine off" position? If it is, the bolt won't go back far enough to pick up a cartridge.

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OK, I'll state the obvious. The 1903 has a magazine cut-off feature built into it. Is the lever on the left rear of the receiver in the "magazine off" position? If it is, the bolt won't go back far enough to pick up a cartridge.

 

I pulled the Remington 1903 out, and flipped the lever on the left rear side of receiver to "off," which allowed the bolt to be removed, i.e., the bolt release. When the lever is in the "on" position the bolt stops at the rear of the receiver. When you push the bolt forward the cartridge jams up under the right lip (as you're looking directly down at it) of the magazine housing, and the harder you push it the more jammed it gets. Am I missing something relative to your comment?

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It's very difficult to attempt a diagnosis on a gun problem long-distance, so I am just trying to eliminate one of the possibilities. The Springfield incorporates a magazine cut-off that allowed the soldier using it to have a full magazine in reserve for "emergencies" while firing the rifle as a single-shot, placing single rounds in the action and closing the bolt on them.

 

If the cut-off lever is up and the word "ON" is visible, the bolt won't come far enough to the rear to get behind the cartridges in the magazine and the rifle is now a single-shot. If the lever is down and the word "OFF" is visible, the bolt will come all the way to the rear and feed cartridges out of the magazine. If the lever is in between, sticking straight out from the receiver, the bolt can be removed to the rear.

 

This is assuming an unaltered 1903. If the rifle has been messed with, then it probably has nothing to do with the magazine cut-off. If the bolt comes out of the rifle when the cut-off lever is in the "OFF" position, something is not right.

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From the 1st photo, you can see it is in the "on" position and bolt all the way to rear.

 

From the 2nd picture, you can it is in the "off" position and the bolt is removed from this position.

 

From the 3rd picture, you can see the bolt is all the way back and the lever is in the "on" position (same as #1 but a different angle).

 

As you can tell from the stock, the rifle has been "sporterized" so my assumption is it has been modified to make it a more traditional bolt release system???

 

When you work the bolt with a cartridge in the magazine, the face of the bolt moves onto the rear of the cartridge and as you push the bolt forward the cartridge starts to jam up under the lip of the right side of the magazine box.

 

Let me know your thoughts from what you can see, if any. Thanks

 

Note: Deleted picture to save storage capacity.

IMG_20200407_115039808.jpg

IMG_20200407_115124805.jpg

Edited by Robert Henley
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I think the Sporter stock is preventing the cut off from going all the way down to the "off" position. What you are calling "off" is the middle position to remove the bolt. Can you take the barrel and receiver out of the stock and see what happens with the cut off all the way down?
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Exactly- what Bob refers to as the "off" position appears to be the midway (bolt release) position. The aftermarket stock won't let it rotate all the way down.

 

https://www.gunsandammo.com/editorial/classics-1903-springfield-rifle/248535

 

This article has a good photo of an unaltered 1903 with the cut-off in the "off" position about halfway down the page.

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Robert, I think you have two choices.

 

1. Inlet the stock so the cutoff will go all the way down.

2. Machine the cutoff so the "ON" position matches the "OFF" mode.

 

Unless you have plans to restore the rifle to military, I'd alter the cutoff (but I'm a better machinist than a wood worker). Any machinist should be able to do it easily, I've got the original specifications if you need them.

 

Here comes the wife! Thinking time over!

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I see what you are saying from the picture in the link.

 

What would restoring to military entail, a military stock? I noticed the other day the barrel had a flaming bomb stamp at the muzzel end, so I presume the lock and barrel are military.

 

I think I will remove the stock as suggested tomorrow, and see what it does. I will follow-up once I do so.

 

Thanks very much for you all's expertise. This was one of my Dad's guns, and I know nothing about Model 1903s or K98s but I like old military firearms.

 

Robert

rifle-springfield-1903-3.jpg

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Restoring to military would mean tracking down an original stock and all the metal hardware. It would always be a "put together", made worse by being drilled & tapped for a scope. I'd leave it as is. I'd suggest leaving the stock alone and modify the cutoff.

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Taking the action out of the stock would be a good idea. When a military rifle gets sporterized, a lot of things can go wrong, depending on the level of skill of the person doing the conversion. I have seen aftermarket stocks so badly inletted that tightening them down properly caused the action to warp and bind the bolt. See what the magazine box looks like, as well as the follower and spring. Are you using ball ammo (or the dummy equivalent) when you are trying to cycle rounds? Have you tried putting two rounds in the magazine so you are trying to feed from the other side of the magazine?

 

Take a good look at the interior and maybe some good photos and we'll see what's going on in there.

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Took stock off and took these pictures.

 

The lever will go down to the third position with the stock off. It seems to act just like in the first position. The middle position of course allows the bolt to be removed.

 

I couldn't detect how the third position with the stock off affected the magazine.

 

At the range last week, I used the 165 gr. Silvertips (fired two rounds), but I also had the 150 gr. hardball ammo which I tried in the magazine at the range and it acted the same way.

 

When I loaded the two empty shells in the picture, the second one will slide up and as I move the bolt forward it pops up and then can be pushed in the chamber OK.

 

When I loaded one empty shell in the picture, when you push the bolt forward it quickly gets stuck under the lip of the magazine box on the right hand side.

 

I used my trigger gauge on the trigger and it measures about 2 1/8 to 2 1/4 pounds. Of course, I knew it had a fairly light trigger from dry firing it. It is very smooth.

 

Let me know what you think, and if any questions.

 

Robert

 

Note: Deleted some pictures to save storage capacity.

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Edited by Robert Henley
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First, it looks like the magazine cut-off has already been altered, as you show it in the "on" position, but the bolt is far enough to the rear to be behind the casings. If it was in original condition, the bolt wouldn't come that far to the rear by about a half inch.

 

Second, if it feeds from the left side of the magazine, but not from the right, it may just be a weak magazine spring. Try filling the magazine to capacity (four rounds) and cycle them through. You don't need to push them all the way into the chamber- if they pop out and can be pushed forward, that's good enough. If it feeds from the right side for the second shot, but not for the last one (the fourth), then the magazine spring is the likely culprit.

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Yes, whether the lever is all the way up "on" or all the way down "off" the bolt appears to go all the way back and you can pick up a cartridge.

 

OK, I'll check the magazine spring as suggested. It would be nice to have about four snap caps, but don't have in 30-06. I do have a Remington follower and spring coming, which is suppose to be here by Friday. I'll update in a day or two.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Springfield-Remington-1903A3-1903A4-03-A3-03-A4-Follower-and-Magazine-Spring-/283831511747?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&nma=true&si=VOBw8tUGcGoaFh57zoFSR8bLggk%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=NCThanks,

 

I asked the seller to pick out one with a strong spring if he could. I guess we'll see.

 

Robert

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Put four shells in Remington Model 1903 magazine, and slowly pushed the bolt and shell forward. The first three shells popped up, and without chambering them I pulled the bolt back and removed the popped up shell (or the extractor held them and I pulled them off bolt).

 

The fourth shell did what it's been doing, i.e., when you push the last shell forward it gets jammed under the lip on the right hand side of the magazine box. The harder you push it the more stuck it will get (so didn't push hard or far so I could get the shell out).

 

From the above, that sounds like a weak magazine spring. Replacement suppose to be here tomorrow. I'll install when arrives and give another update.

 

Thanks,

 

Robert

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I received today the oval hole ejector for the K98, and installed. Seems to be working fine, ejecting shell casing.

 

Fortunately, I didn't have to take the ejector box apart. The ejector basically just slides in, and you reinstall the box.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MINT-GERMAN-MAUSER-EJECTOR-OVAL-SCREW-SLOT-GEWEHR-98-G98-K98/292730507895?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

Robert

K98 Ejector.jpg

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First question is do you have to use a stripper clip to fully load the Remington Model 1903?

 

The Remington (R marked) follower and spring came today. I can load one shell and it will load into the chamber (I could not do this with the other follower and spring).

 

When I try and put a second round in the follower gets stuck on the left hand side. However, if I use my finger to push down where the stripper clip would push down I can load four shells and then they all will load into the chamber (pop up when bolt is moved forward). Hence, my above question.

 

I measured the new follower and it's about .0028 inch wider at the base.

 

Maybe I need to get some stripper clips?

 

 

1st picture above new R marked follower and spring.

2nd picture new R marked follower at the top.

3rd picture new R marked follower at bottom.

4th picture new R marked follower at bottom.

5th picture new R marked follower and spring at bottom (I noticed there was a small screw that was lodged at bottom of follower which you can see from picture, which I removed).

6th picture new R marked follower and spring at bottom.

Robert

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Edited by Robert Henley
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This post went to second page of thread, so copied over to last post on prior page of thread for ease of reading.

 

1st picture above new R marked follower and spring.

 

2nd picture new R marked follower at the top.

 

3rd picture new R marked follower at bottom.

 

4th picture new R marked follower at bottom.

 

5th picture new R marked follower and spring at bottom (I noticed there was a small screw that was lodged at bottom of follower which you can see from picture, which I removed).

 

6th picture new R marked follower and spring at bottom.

Edited by Robert Henley
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No, you shouldn't have to use stripper clips to load the magazine. Your new follower is apparently for the 1903A3, not the 03, as it is made out of bent sheet metal instead of being machined steel. It still should work, as the magazine system was not changed when the 03 got revised for production as the 03A3 in WW II.

 

My guess is that the magazine body is off a bit due to the aftermarket stock work and you may have to trim the new follower to free up the binding.

 

Have you tried the new spring and the old follower?

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Another thought- try assembling the action in the stock without the follower or spring in the magazine. Check to see if there's an exposed edge where the magazine box meets up with the bottom of the receiver. That may be where the follower is catching as you try to depress it. If this condition exists, I would take the corner off the top of the magazine box and blend it in so there is a smooth transition between the receiver and the magazine box when they are assembled.

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Have you tried the new spring and the old follower?

 

Yes, I did but it did the same thing it had been doing, i.e., first shell jammed under right lip of magazine box. Led me to believe there was an issue with "old" follower.

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