Problems at the range today, need opinions.....

[Vergeltung]

Hey there fellas. I brought three on my newly acquired Mausers to the range today for some first-time shoots. They all fired flawlessly, and were minute-of-paper-plate at 100 yards, which is all I really care about.

One of them was a nice RC that I recently got off GB. They other two are restoration projects I finished since I got my C&R license (got the barreled action, and bought as-best-I-could matching factory parts from e-bay and Gun Broker to assemble them).

The problem was identical on all three (though in varying degrees): after a few rounds the barrel bands and band spring began to float northwards towards the barrel end. It all came loose! Snapping everything back into place solved nothing, as the pattern re-created itself after a few rounds.

Now, on one of them (the RC) the band spring is very relaxed and not very tight. So, I could see that one floating perhaps. but the other two are pretty damn tight (I can't push them down with my thumb; I need a small flat metal piece to push down with so I don't feel pain in the finger, etc.).

This has never happened before with any of the other Mausers I have had, be it an all matching BYF I have, or an old RC I had. The unifying principle with these three, is that they were all broken down and treated the same way (cleaning, oiling, etc).

I am wondering, if perhaps that is it. I oil everything lightly (for rust protection), then wipe it off, etc., leaving what is I am sure a fine coating. Could it be the upper barrel band, with too much oil on it, moving upwards?

thanks in advance for your opinions and advice. I appreciate it.

 

[jbmauser]

Here are a couple pics of what I was trying to describe on the other forum.

You can see how the front edge of the spring just clears the bayonet lug when the lower ledge on the spring is tight up against the lower band and the lower band is tight against the wood.

 

[Vergeltung]

yes, thank you, that is very helpful. I will have to prep things and watch them on the next range trip. I would be *very* concerned if these were home defense weapons, but of course, they are not.

I just never had that happen before**, never mind on three rifles on the same day!

(** I did have a band spring break (and totally disappear, never found any trace of it) at the range once. But, this was weird. made me think it was something I was doing.)

thank you for your responses. I really appreciate them.

 

[GunKraut]

A couple things to look for: Does the tiny "button" at the end of the barrel band spring firmly "click" into the respective hole of the upper barrel band? It should stick out of the barrel band by just a bit or at least be flush. Do you have the required clearance between barrel band and barrel? They should not touch each other. Is the nose cap (bayonet lug) tight on the stock and is it secured by the cross pin (also supposed to be tight)? Is the spring groove in the stocks too deep from scraping/cleaning, causing less flattening and thereby less pre-loading of the spring?

BTW, the spring wedges itself between the lower barrel band and the nose cap. Firm seating and proper length of the spring prevents the lower barrel band from moving towards the muzzle end. Since the spring is wedged between the lower band and the nose cap, it also can't move and will stay in place. The upper barrel band can slide back and forth over the nose cap/bayonet lug. Only the tiny dimple on the barrel band spring, when properly clicked into the hole, will keep the upper barrel band from coming off.

 

[Vergeltung]

I'm cleaning everything today, and will give it all a good go over. thanks for the thoughts and help. I appreciate it!