Disassembly of the I.G. Mod. 71/84 German Mauser:
 

The 71/84 mauser is an absolute marvel of 19th century precision engineering!  It is hard to imagine anything at a comparable scale fitting together better, even now in the 21st century.  And the design is quite ingenious, despite being misguided (Mannlicher's box magazine was clearly the better idea as history demonstrated).  But at a time when military policy was that ammunition should be conserved, and that magazines constituted "reserves" to be resorted to only when single loading fire was insufficient to stop a charge, the tubular magazine rifle fit the bill.

However, the engineering ingenuity that went into the design also sometimes baffles modern enthusiests trying to decipher its machinations cold!  I get more inquiries regarding disassembly of the M71/84 than all other rifle questions combined.  So FINALLY, after 8 years, herewith, a tour through the disassemble of the 71/84.
 

This page is divided into three (3) sections:

I.   REMOVING THE BOLT FROM THE RECEIVER

II.   DISASSEMBLING THE BOLT
    II(a).  REMOVING THE FIRING PIN AND REAR BOLT PARTS
    II(b).  REINSATALLING THE BOLT INTO THE RECEIVER

III.   SEPARATING THE RECEIVER FROM THE STOCK
 

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READ EVERYTHING FIRST BEFORE BEGINNING!!!
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Unlike much of the rest of this website, the following notes are on TOP of the pictures and apply to the picture below the notes.
 

REMOVING THE BOLT FROM THE RECEIVER:

Lay the rifle out like this to begin, on its right side, muzzle to the left, bolt open and to the rear.
Also note that the repeater selector (that controls single shot vs feeding from the magazine by controlling the operation of the lifting spoon) is set to the rear, in the repeater position.


 
 

Pay close attention to the bolt stop screw and washer.  DO NOT REMOVE THE SCREW!!!!  Than means DON'T TAKE THE SCREW OUT!!!  You will need to unscrew it a ways, but NOT remove it as the screw is PINNED into the bolt body.  The Germans did this because the screw of the I.G. Mod. 71 German Mauser (the predecessor to this M71/84) was not pinned.  Needless to say, the screws went missing continuously.  So Mauser then pinned this screw.
If you take the screw totally out, you will break the end of the screw and cause yourself significant grief.  Don't do it.


 
 
 

Unscrew it THIS much. No more.  Until you begin to feel resistence.  All you need to do is to back it out enough to clear the receiver body when the bolt is slid back out.  Note that the bolt has been pulled back almost up against the washer stop cutouts on either side of the receiver bridge.  The washer will  need to clear the bridge but that's all.


 
 

The bolt is now in position to be removed:  Washer screw is backed out a bit and the washer is loose and can be slid up to the head of the screw to clear the receiver, AND the selector lever is all the way to the rear.


 
 

This can be tricky:  Lift the bolt retainer washer and hold it up as you pull back on the bolt AND as you move the selector lever forward at the same time.  By moving the selector lever and pulling back on the bolt (with the washer clear) the bolt should slide back and out as the lever goes forward.  It should not be difficult.  Tricky and clumsy but not difficult.


 
 

Bolt successfully removed:


 
 

Look closely.  Here you will see the cross-pin which holds the bolt retainer washer screw in the bolt.  This is WHY you don't want to remove the screw.


 
 

II.  DISASSEMBLING THE BOLT:

Remove the bolt head by slightly peeling the rear of the ejector rod from the bolt body and sliding the bolt head forward.  If it has rotated it might not move forward, in which case rotate the bolt head counter-clockwise until the bolt head locking stub clears the matching bolt body notch.  (btw, e-mail me if you know the correct terminology for all of these pieces and parts!)


 
 

Photo showing the extractor removed fromt he bolt head, stripped bolt head with it's locking stub, and ejector rod.


 
 
 

II(a).  REMOVING THE FIRING PIN AND REAR BOLT PARTS:

OK, now it's tricky again.  Notice how the firing pin retaining nut (the short cylindrical piece at the very back of the bolt) has a tab at its very rear that faces/points down.  This tab will need to again point DOWN when you are done reassembling the bolt in order to be able to replace the reassembled bolt into the receiver.  The retaining nut holds the firing pin by screwing onto the back end of the firing pin itslef.  But it's tricky!  Start with the wing safety lever on either side.  Easier that way.


 
 

Carefully turn the back part of the bolt body counter-clockwise and ease it forward to relieve some pressure on the firing pin spring.


 
 

Holding the bolt body firmly, use your thumb to DEPRESS the wing safety into its bolt body housing (it is held out by a fairly firm spring and this will take a little bit of effort) thereby exposing the grooves in the safety lever which lock the firing pin retaining nut into position normally preventing it from rotating and backing out.
Here I have not yet begun to depress the safety lever.


 
 

Here I HAVE depressed the safety lever.  Note (not easy to see) the semi-circular grooves in the base of the safety.  Once sufficiently depressed, the firing pin locking nut can be rotated counter-clockwise to remove it from the back end of the firing pin.  In this picture, note also how the back end of the firing pin is flush with the back end of the cylindrical firing pin locking nut.


 
 

I continue to depress the safety lever as I turn the locking nut and here you can see it backing out from the firing pin.  The tab is rotating and the nut is beginning to come off the firing pin threads.


 
 

Almost off.  And here you can clearly see the semi-circular cut-outs in the safety lever body.
You will need to be CAREFUL!  The firing pin spring is under a lot of tension.  It may be safest hold the firing pin down against a soft piece of wood as you finish this last step.  Use your judgment but be cautious.


 
 

I am holding pressure against the firing pin against a piece of soft wood while I undo the last turns of the firing pin retaining nut and gently ease everything apart.


 
 

Here is what it looks like disassembled.  Note that the bolt retaining wash screw and washer have NOT been removed!!
Clean, polish and lubricate before reassembly.  Reassembly is accomplished by reversing all of the above steps, but check the next couple of pics before proceeding.


 
 

When reassembled, the firing pin retaining nut must be situated so that when the safety is properly seated the back end of the firing pin is flush with the retaining nut AND the nut tab points down!!  You may have to hold pressure on the tip of the firing pin and/or the safety lever to be able to turn the retaining nut into proper position.


 
 

When reassembling the bolt head, be sure that it slips onto the bolt body first and then is twisted/turned so that the bolt head tab slides into the bolt body notch.


 
 

Before turning the bolt head tab into the bolt body notch, also be sure that the ejector is properly seated.  Tab at the front fits into the bolt head cut-out.


 
 

Groove cut-out at the rear of the extractor matches and fits over the guide tab on the back bolt body piece.


 
 

A fully reassembled bolt ready to be re-inserted into the receiver:


 
 

II(b)  REINSTALLING THE BOLT INTO THE RECEIVER:

Best I can tell, the elevator spoon has to be in the UP position for the bolt to be able to be reinserted into the receiver.  If your elevator is down, that is, if you manipulated it and it is now in the down position able to accept cartridges from the tubular magazine, you should be able to get it back UP by laying the rifle on it's left side (or clamping in an appropriate vice) and, using a drift pin, gently tapping the front edge of the elevator lug which protrudes into the left receiver extractor channel.  Tap the lug toward the rear of the rifle until the elevator snaps back into the "up" position.  If it seems to be stuck, use a bit of penetrating oil and try again.

If you are unable to tap the elevator up (say it's rusted or frozen into place) then you would have to disassemble the barreled action from the stock and disassemble the receiver in order to get to the underside of the elevator and push it up manually.  So try the above first!!

With the elevator in the UP position, move the magazine cut-off lever all the way back, the carefully move the lever forward BUT NOT ALL THE WAY.  Move it forward until it is about vertical.  There is a critical point at which the lever clears the bolt head and holds the lever spring away from the receiver, allowing the bolt to easily slide in and "click" past the spring and properly into place.  But it's a VERY fine window.  You will need to experiment.

Once the bolt clicks past the spring screw down the bolt retainer washer screw and that's all there is to it.
 
 

III.   SEPARATING THE RECEIVER FROM THE STOCK:
 

Removing the receiver from the stock is yet another tour of wonderful German engineering!!
The tubular magazine tube must be removed in order to separate the receiver from the stock.
START at the muzzle end!!  Do it like this:


 
 

Carefully (without buggering the magazine cap grooves) unscrew the magazine cap/stacking rod from the magazine tube.


 
 

The magazine cap is under spring pressure.  Be Careful!!!!  It will fly apart if you are not paying attention!


 
 

Remove the forward barrel band by first removing the forward barrel band cross-pin locking screw.
(Now there is a name for a tiny part!!)


 
 

Flip the rifle over to expose the other side of the barrel band and the end of the grooved end of the barrel band locking cross-pin which is usually flush with the barrel band.  Using a small, thin screwdriver, gently tap out the cross-pin.  Here I have just started to tap out the cross-pin and you can see its end now into the barrel band.


 
 

Again flip the rifle over and carefuly remove the flat cross-pin.


 
 

The forward barrel band should now easily slip forward.  Totally remove it from the stock and barrel.
This will now allow you to slide the magazine tube out of the stock.  Note that the forward end of the tube behind the threads has a tab.  On reassembly, this tab MUST fit into the notch in the Combination tubular magazine tube guide and cross-pin locking tabs welded onto the bottom of the barrel (see next picture).


 
 

Combination tubular magazine tube guide and cross-pin locking tabs located on bottom of the Mod71/84 barrel:


 
 

The magazine tube removed from the stock:


 
 

Remove the remaining barrel bands.
Do this CAREFULLY buy screwing IN the middle barrel band screw.  NOT OUT!!
Like the bolt retaining washer screw, DO NOT REMOVE the barrel band screw.  Screw it IN.


 
 

Here is the barrel band screw in it's normal tightened position securely clamping the barrel band tightly agains the stock.
Turn the screw IN (closkwise) the loosten the barrel band.  If you turn it out, you risk damaging the screw retaining ring on the end of the screw which is not to be removed.


 
 

Here is the screw which has been (properly) screwed IN!  Note how screwing it IN separates the barrel band ends.  This allows the barrel band to slide over the cross-pin which also helps to retain the band when installed.


 
 

The barrel band easily clears the locking cross-pin whed the barrel band screw has been screwed in.


 
 

The lower barrel band should be a no-brainer.  Depress the barrel band retaining spring to allow the spring pin to clear the band.


 
 

Here is the lower barrel band being removed.


 
 

Next, remove the forward trigger guard tang screw, which seats into the bottom of the receiver.



 
 

Now remove the rear receiver tang screew which seats into the rear trigger guard tang.


 
 

Gently lift the receiver away from the stock and you're done!!
Any further disassembly is at your own risk, or else you'll need to pay me to consult!!!  :)
Best wishes,
Keith


 

(Note that unlike most of the rest of this website, the text referes to the photos FOLLOWING the text.  The text is ABOVE the photos referred to, not below.)
 


 


 

Page first built February 23, 2007
Revised February 27, 2007