Tools for 8mm Mauser Cleaning

This is my 8mm Yugoslavian Mauser. It is a piece of history and fun to shoot. I soon learned some special tools would be a big help for tearing it down to clean. This Instructable will show the special tools I use, most of which I made. To do that, I used--

a larger snap ring pliers
1/8 x 1/2 inch strap iron
1/8 inch rod
finish nails
a welder
brazing rod
1/2 inch black iron pipe
5/16 inch steel rod
a grinder
2 inch PVC and an end cap 
PVC cement

The best tool I know for removing the hood over the sight is a snap ring pliers set to widen the tines when the handles are squeezed. This spreads the sight hood enough to remove it from the sight easily. 

Since I am using this Instructable to show special tools I use, I will not give attention to several steps that are part of the disassembly. Anyone wanting a step-by-step guide to the disassembly of a Mauser rifle should follow the steps in this link. (The photo shows removal of the front barrel band.)

A punch or a pin is needed to press the release pin on the floor plate. The floor plate forms the bottom or floor of the ammunition magazine. The spanner wrench (See the yellow text boxes.) will be used in a later step. See the second photo to view how the pin portion of the tool is used. I welded a piece of 1/8 inch rod to some 1/8 x 1/2 inch strap iron. Push down until you hear a click With the other hand, slide the floor plate toward the trigger guard about 1/8 inch and it will come out immediately.

The photo shows the spanner wrench section of the tool used earlier to remove the floor plate. I drilled two holes in a piece of 1/8 x 1/2 inch strap iron. They are the same distance apart from each other as the indentations in the special nut on the bolt running across the rifle stock's width. The second photo shows the spanner wrench in use. Notice the brazed area. I inserted two finish nails into the holes I drilled and brazed them in place. Then I cut them to length and ground away any rough edges.

I have some military surplus 8mm ammunition from the days of corrosive primers. The recommendation is that the barrel be cleaned with hot soapy water to remove the corrosive elements. I bought a piece of 2 inch PVC pipe and an end cap. I cemented the end cap on one end of the PVC and cut it to 29 inches. That means the end of the gunbarrel is nearly touching the inside of the end cap. In order to get as much of the trigger area into the PVC as possible, I heated the PVC enough to make it pliable and I formed it into a slight oval. Now all but the trigger itself fits into the PVC. 

To use, I heat water in a tea kettle until it is very hot. I put about a tablespoon of liquid dishwashing detergent into the PVC tube. I place the gunbarrel into the open end of the PVC. I stand it in one corner of the bathroom shower. I pour the very hot water into the open end of the PVC. I push a cleaning rod with a patch up and down in the barrel fairly quickly to agitate the soapy solution. I let it set for a few minutes and pour it out while the water is still hot. I pour more hot water in for a rinse. The barrel is hot enough that any water on it dries by itself very quickly. Then I clean the barrel with cleaning solution and patches in a more conventional manner. 

Periodically it is good to disassemble the bolt to clean any powder residue from inside it or to lubricate internal parts. The bolt includes a very strong spring. There is very little space on the bolt for one's fingers to pull it down and hold it while turning the safety to release the bolt parts. I made a special tool from 1/2 inch black iron pipe and 5/16 inch rod with a 90 degree bend. I had to grind a little on the rod so it clears portions of the bolt when putting the tool onto the bolt. Turning the safety catch is what releases the bolt at this point (but not while the bolt is in the rifle). There are various places on the Internet that describe taking the bolt apart. Here is one.

These tools have helped me when working with my Mauser rifle. I found a listing for a commercial spanner wrench to be used in removing the nut on the bolt (as in "large screw," not part of the rifle bolt mechanism) that goes through the stock crossways. While I made mine from strap iron and finish nails, this commercial wrench costs $25 plus shipping. I saved myself some money with my solutions to a better way to do the job, and it was fun making them myself.