Slightly Loose Barrel G98

[grenadierwerner]

I noticed today that the barrel on my Gewehr 98 is slightly loose: when gripped near the sight, it can be moved a miniscule amount upwards from the bit of metal separating it from the cleaning rod.

Will this affect the safety of it at an event, and is there any way to fix it?

[kingkaiser]

Aug 9, 2013 23:38:13 GMT -8 grenadierwerner said:

I noticed today that the barrel on my Gewehr 98 is slightly loose: when gripped near the sight, it can be moved a miniscule amount upwards from the bit of metal separating it from the cleaning rod.

Will this affect the safety of it at an event, and is there any way to fix it?

Better safe than sorry. I'd have a gunsmith check it out, especially if you ever plan on shooting live rounds.

From your description, it's hard to tell exactly what is happening. However, I really doubt that the barrel's attachment to the receiver is loose. Rather, the barrel and receiver, together as a unit, are possibly loose. Their fit in the stock may have been affected by the temperature and weather conditions. Depending on the humidity, the wood will expand or contract a bit, slightly changing the way that the barrel and receiver sit in the stock. If this is the case, then everything is okay.

[kingkaiser]

Aug 10, 2013 3:27:46 GMT -8 kingkaiser said:

Aug 9, 2013 23:38:13 GMT -8 grenadierwerner said:

I noticed today that the barrel on my Gewehr 98 is slightly loose: when gripped near the sight, it can be moved a miniscule amount upwards from the bit of metal separating it from the cleaning rod.

Will this affect the safety of it at an event, and is there any way to fix it?

Better safe than sorry. I'd have a gunsmith check it out, especially if you ever plan on shooting live rounds.

From your description, it's hard to tell exactly what is happening. However, I really doubt that the barrel's attachment to the receiver is loose. Rather, the barrel and receiver, together as a unit, are possibly loose. Their fit in the stock may have been affected by the temperature and weather conditions. Depending on the humidity, the wood will expand or contract a bit, slightly changing the way that the barrel and receiver sit in the stock. If this is the case, then everything is okay.

I thought of another possibility. The front barrel band may be slightly too big for the barrel, allowing for some play. Over time, the barrel band's opening may have stretched out a bit. Or, alternatively, if this rifle is not all matching, the barrel band may have originally been fitted on another rifle. In theory, these parts should be interchangeable. However, in reality, there often is slight variations in fit.

[1886lebel]

before you PANIC ...
1. check your screws, are they tight ? ... this can cause the whole barrel/receiver to move in the stock.
2. as posted check your barrel bands to ensure they are tight.

If all the above are OK, you can still move the barrel / receiver a bit if you lift up on the end of the barrel a miniscule amount no matter what, they are supposed to do that ... it is called barrel harmonics.
You have to understand as a bullet is fired the barrel is twisting and rotating as that bullet is in it till it leaves.
The bullet causes the barrel to rotate either towards the right or left depending on which way the lands and grooves are cut in the barrel and Mauser used a RIGHT HAND twist, so the bullet is rotating the barrel rightwards thus keeping the barrel locked on the receiver.
As the bullet is fired and it hits the lands and grooves in the barrel, the barrel will slightly move downwards a bit, it then starts to slightly move up and down the barrel as it moves down the barrel as it nears the end of the barrel, the barrel will either be slightly high or low and the bullet exits. All the above movement is in less that .005 of an inch and is in less than .005 of a second.

I highly doubt your barrel is loose from the receiver, that you would know right away.

Patrick

[grenadierwerner]

Thanks, Patrick. Clears up that issue nicely. I fired twenty rounds out of it today at the range, and while the shots were high (after all, the minimum sight range is 400 yards), there was no issue with the barrel.

The interior, of course, was another story; I spent about an hour cleaning out what I think was some original rust and residue from the war. Barrel's looking mighty fine now.

[1886lebel]

Sometimes shooting it will clear a lot of old rust and fouling, I have done it to few firearms I have or had

Patrick

[kingkaiser]

Thanks Patrick for a great explanation! I think I finally understand barrel harmonics----and why precision rifles have "free-floating" barrels. For some reason, my physics instructors always made things more complicated than they had to be! Grenadierwerner, I'm glad that your Gewehr 98 is okay.

[1886lebel]

There is a fantastic book called Understanding Firearm Ballistics by Robert A. Rinker, he explains internal and external ballistics so a monkey can understand it all ... This book is a MUST for shooting enthusiasts, my copy is so worn out from usage

Patrick