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Having a problem with a K98 safety switch

I few years ago a bought a K98k. I took it apart, cleaned it played around with it to learn all the mechanics of it. While cleaning it I noticed the safety switch is stuck. At the time I said I was going to fix it but I got busy with other things so I hung the gun on the wall and forgot about it. Now I'm getting back into historic guns again so I pulled the K98k off the wall and started to play with the safety. Again its still stuck in the firing position. It will not move to the center or far right position. I don't know what to do. Am I missing something here, is something broken? I would like to take this gun to the range to shoot but first I have to get the safety working then have the head space checked. The gun is a K98k marked 1940 on the receiver. The manufacturing markings are pretty warn down and I can't really make it out.
 
Pull the bolt... pushing the cocking piece away from the bolt (use the lug on the bottom against a table to stretch that cocking piece back a few milimeters) and try movint the safe now. I'm guessing the safe does not properly engage the groove in the cocking piece...
 
Ok that worked now the saftey is switching fine. One other thing when oiling the bolt how much oil should I put on the bolt? Also do I NEED to fully disassemble the bolt for maintence? I don't want to damage the inner parts of the bolt assembly or the firing pin.
 
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These guns are well and ruggedly built. I can't imagine that you'd much hurt the bolt by disassembling it, although you probably don't need to do this for regular maintenance. I'll do it every 10 years or so, using gun grease on the bolt internals.

A rule for taking well designed guns apart, and reassembling them: If you get the urge to hammer on something, you're probably doing it wrong. These guns are easy to take apart or reassemble if it's being done right.
 
I had one more question. When you clean the bore of your gun what type of cleaning rod do you use. I have the original tip that screws into the gun under the muzzle but I'd rather not use that.
 
These guns are well and ruggedly built. I can't imagine that you'd much hurt the bolt by disassembling it, although you probably don't need to do this for regular maintenance. I'll do it every 10 years or so, using gun grease on the bolt internals.

A rule for taking well designed guns apart, and reassembling them: If you get the urge to hammer on something, you're probably doing it wrong. These guns are easy to take apart or reassemble if it's being done right.

Absolutely ...good solid bolts however for slickricks info, just dont do it over a concrete floor as i did just 20 mins ago. I had the bolts pin & spring in my hand oiled & ready for assembly. Slipped out of my hand but i got my foot under it to break its fall and it landed on the rear end so at least i only have a bruised foot & not a firing pin hole in my foot.. I sat for a min realising how stupid it was for me to do. Would have been tears if it had landed on the concrete & damaged the pin.

Keep it over a timber bench always.
 
You Tube has a few good videos on how to disassemble a K98 bolt, as a military rifle it is relatively easy to take apart.

Two point of view regarding oil and bolts:

1. Some people lubricate/oil a bolt as little as possible as the more oil you have the more likely it is that the oil will turn into gunk or have a potential to freeze in cold weather. Both can lead to a misfire. I have never had a problem with gunk but I did have a light primer strike in some very cold weather (Canadian deer hunting).

2. Some people like a well lubricated bolt in order to smooth the action and to protect moving parts. Several K98 bolts when taken down will have a considerable amount of cosmo grease/oil in the internals.

With modern lubricants or graphite lubricants I like to minimize the amount of oil on a bolt. Especially because I have had a misfire in a cold weather situation. In warmer clients this will not be a problem but gunk can also cause problems.

Good luck.
 

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