Mauser bolt locking safety project

roklok · March 4, 2015, 11:31 AM

I have owned a Remington 798 Safari chambered in .375 H&H for 5 or 6 years now. I have shot it occasionally, but it has never been a serious hunting rifle for me because of the lack of a safety that locks the bolt shut. Without getting into a lengthy discussion, suffice it to say that any bolt action rifle I use for serious hunting WILL have a safety that when engaged locks the bolt shut. The .375 H&H is not really a plinking cartridge, so it has languished in my safe. I always intended to install a Winchester 70 style 3 position safety on the bolt at some point. Three main things kept me from doing it. First, the expense, 200.00 or so for a three position 70 style safety. Second, my stock, which has some really nice figure, is inletted for a side safety. Third, and most importantly, I really dislike the Winchester 70 style 3 position safety. I know thats akin to blasphemy, but I have spent most of my life shooting Remington 700s, and prefer a two position safety that locks the bolt shut (I swap older bolt locking 700 safetys into my newer 700s, but thats another subject).

So, what to do. I happened to know that some of the older Mausers with side safety's did lock the bolt shut. Problem is, my 798 receiver was not machined for the older style side safety, and second, I could not source any older style side safetys with the bolt locking extension.

So, I first went to work with my dremel, milling a slot in the appropriate place in the receiver, so that the slot intersects with recess for the bolt safety lug.

I then welded a piece of power hacksaw blade to my safety, creating an extension that engaged safety lug of bolt when safety was in the on position.

This is how the safety extension fits in the receiver slot

I had to do minor inletting to the stock as well, in the web of wood between the trigger mortice and mag well for the safety extension. The end result turned out great. When the safety is engaged, the bolt does not move any appreciable amount, the tolerances were spot on. I now plan on taking this rifle on a moose and grizzly hunt this fall.

roklok · March 4, 2015, 11:38 AM

I made one other modification to my safety. The surface where the thumb engages was flat and thus hard to reliably disengage safety in a hurry, especially with cold hands or gloves. I drilled a hole in center of thumb pad, ran a 8-40 screw upwards through pad, and screwed and epoxied a chunk of steel to top of safety. I then shaped and grooved this addition for a non slip surface. It made a huge difference. The safety is now easy to manipulate with gloves or less than ideal conditions.

dahermit · March 4, 2015, 12:17 PM

Great welding job...better than when I thought I was a good welder.

James K · March 4, 2015, 12:17 PM

A neat solution. Bolt locking safeties were the norm on military rifles, but some folks wanted to be able to load/unload their rifles with the safety on, so Remington, and some other makers, changed to safeties that don't lock the bolt.

Jim

mwells72774 · March 4, 2015, 05:00 PM

I wonder if you couldn't swap the shroud with a mil surp 98 mauser shroud with a low safety installed. Just curious.

Excellent workmanship and ingenuity.

roklok · March 4, 2015, 06:37 PM

Yes, a military Mauser 98 shroud could have been used, but I prefer the current safety's location and the stock was inletted for it. If I would have used a bolt shroud safety, there would have been an unneeded gap in the stock inletting where side safety was removed.

mwells72774 · March 4, 2015, 07:03 PM

You made an excellent choice.

March 4, 2015, 11:31 AM	#1
roklok Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2008 Location: Fort Yukon, Alaska Posts: 735	Mauser bolt locking safety project I have owned a Remington 798 Safari chambered in .375 H&H for 5 or 6 years now. I have shot it occasionally, but it has never been a serious hunting rifle for me because of the lack of a safety that locks the bolt shut. Without getting into a lengthy discussion, suffice it to say that any bolt action rifle I use for serious hunting WILL have a safety that when engaged locks the bolt shut. The .375 H&H is not really a plinking cartridge, so it has languished in my safe. I always intended to install a Winchester 70 style 3 position safety on the bolt at some point. Three main things kept me from doing it. First, the expense, 200.00 or so for a three position 70 style safety. Second, my stock, which has some really nice figure, is inletted for a side safety. Third, and most importantly, I really dislike the Winchester 70 style 3 position safety. I know thats akin to blasphemy, but I have spent most of my life shooting Remington 700s, and prefer a two position safety that locks the bolt shut (I swap older bolt locking 700 safetys into my newer 700s, but thats another subject). So, what to do. I happened to know that some of the older Mausers with side safety's did lock the bolt shut. Problem is, my 798 receiver was not machined for the older style side safety, and second, I could not source any older style side safetys with the bolt locking extension. So, I first went to work with my dremel, milling a slot in the appropriate place in the receiver, so that the slot intersects with recess for the bolt safety lug. I then welded a piece of power hacksaw blade to my safety, creating an extension that engaged safety lug of bolt when safety was in the on position. This is how the safety extension fits in the receiver slot I had to do minor inletting to the stock as well, in the web of wood between the trigger mortice and mag well for the safety extension. The end result turned out great. When the safety is engaged, the bolt does not move any appreciable amount, the tolerances were spot on. I now plan on taking this rifle on a moose and grizzly hunt this fall.

March 4, 2015, 11:38 AM	#2
roklok Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2008 Location: Fort Yukon, Alaska Posts: 735	I made one other modification to my safety. The surface where the thumb engages was flat and thus hard to reliably disengage safety in a hurry, especially with cold hands or gloves. I drilled a hole in center of thumb pad, ran a 8-40 screw upwards through pad, and screwed and epoxied a chunk of steel to top of safety. I then shaped and grooved this addition for a non slip surface. It made a huge difference. The safety is now easy to manipulate with gloves or less than ideal conditions.

March 4, 2015, 12:17 PM	#3
dahermit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2006 Location: South Central Michigan...near Posts: 6,501	Great welding job...better than when I thought I was a good welder.

March 4, 2015, 12:17 PM	#4
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	A neat solution. Bolt locking safeties were the norm on military rifles, but some folks wanted to be able to load/unload their rifles with the safety on, so Remington, and some other makers, changed to safeties that don't lock the bolt. Jim

March 4, 2015, 05:00 PM	#5
mwells72774 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2011 Posts: 325	I wonder if you couldn't swap the shroud with a mil surp 98 mauser shroud with a low safety installed. Just curious. Excellent workmanship and ingenuity.

March 4, 2015, 06:37 PM	#6
roklok Senior Member Join Date: October 20, 2008 Location: Fort Yukon, Alaska Posts: 735	Yes, a military Mauser 98 shroud could have been used, but I prefer the current safety's location and the stock was inletted for it. If I would have used a bolt shroud safety, there would have been an unneeded gap in the stock inletting where side safety was removed.

March 4, 2015, 07:03 PM	#7
mwells72774 Senior Member Join Date: May 3, 2011 Posts: 325	You made an excellent choice.