Conversion of the 1904 Mauser Vergueiro extractor for use in the Gew. 88 Commission Rifle. Joseph L. Woods

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1 Conversion of the 1904 Mauser Vergueiro extractor for use in the Gew. 88 Commission Rifle by Joseph L. Woods

2 PLEASE DO NOT FAIL TO WEAR EYE PROTECTION WHILE COMPLETING THIS PROJECT! You only get one set of eyes, and even when using only hand tools you may be injured by flying bits of metal. As an avid collector of the Gew. 88 Rifle, and a student of it s design, I have found the lack of affordable extractors to be a problem. In my quest to keep my rifles up and running, I devised this method of converting the readily available 1904 Mauser Vergueiro extractor to function in the Gew. 88. To complete this project you will need: 1. A Mauser Vergueiro Extractor 2. A Gew. 88 Bolt Head (for measurement and fitting) 3. A Vice 4. A Hacksaw 5. A Set of Files 6. A Hammer 7. Various Grits of Sandpaper 2

3 Before Starting it is useful to notice the similarities and differences between the two extractors. There are three primary differences between the two extractors. 1. The head of the Mauser extractor has a protrusion not present on the Gew. 88 extractor. 2. The body of the Mauser extractor is longer than the body of the Gew. 88 extractor. 3. The head of the Mauser extractor is longer than the Gew. 88 extractor head. 3

4 1904 Mauser Vergueiro Commission Rifle / Gew Mauser Vergueiro Commission Rifle / Gew. 88 4

In order to make the Mauser extractor fit the Gew. 88 bolt head we will: Step 1. Remove the protrusion from the extractor head Step 2. Shorten the extractor body Step 3.

5 In order to make the Mauser extractor fit the Gew. 88 bolt head we will: Step 1. Remove the protrusion from the extractor head Step 2. Shorten the extractor body Step 3. Shorten the extractor head Step 4. Do some final finishing and trouble shoot extractor functioning. Step 1. To remove the protrusion from the Mauser extractor head you must: 1. Clamp the extractor in your vice. 2. Use your hacksaw to cut the protrusion off by guiding your hacksaw blade on the side of the extractor. 3. Dress the area where the protrusion was removed using a flat file. 5

6 Below is a picture of the Mauser Extractor being clamped in the vice, and the protrusion being removed. Once the protrusion is removed from the Mauser extractor and the extractor is dressed it looks like this. 6

7 Now we are ready to move on to Step 2. If the Mauser extractor is properly dressed it will now fit into the extractor groove of the Gew. 88 bolt head. When shortened correctly the Mauser extractor will be even at the top and bottom of the bolt head. Step 2: To shorten the extractor body on the Mauser extractor you must: 1. Fit the Mauser extractor into the extractor groove of the Gew. 88 bolt head 2. Mark the portion of the Mauser extractor body that protrudes below the bolt head for removal 3. Secure the extractor in the vice and cut halfway through the extractor body 4. (Optional) knock the unneeded portion or continue to saw the unneeded portion off of the Mauser extractor 5. Dress the cut off area with flat file 7

8 8

Now we are ready to move onto Step 3, shortening the Mauser extractor head.

Mark the extra material protruding below the bolt head case head ring. 3.

contours of the Gew. 88 bolt head. *NOTE: It is very important to check the fit of the Mauser extractor against the Gew 88.

9 Now we are ready to move onto Step 3, shortening the Mauser extractor head. Step 3: To shorten the Mauser extractor head you must: 1. Place the Mauser extractor in the Gew. 88 extractor slot. 2. Mark the extra material protruding below the bolt head case head ring. 3. Place the Mauser extractor in a vice and using a combination or square, flat and round files shape the Mauser extractor to the contours of the Gew. 88 bolt head. *NOTE: It is very important to check the fit of the Mauser extractor against the Gew 88. Bolt head regularly and be EXTREMLEY careful not to remove too much material. Below are some comparison photos that show you the now modified Mauser extractor alongside an original Gew. 88 extractor. Converted Mauser Vergueiro Extractor & Original Gew. 88 Extractor 9

10 Converted Mauser Vergueiro Extractor & Original Gew. 88 Extractor Converted Mauser Vergueiro Extractor & Original Gew. 88 Extractor 10

11 Final Notes: The Gew. 88 extractor is a bearing surface. It makes contact with the bolt body while the bolt head rotates inside the bolt body when you cycle the weapon. For this reason you need to polish the outside of the extractor with progressively finer grades of sandpaper till you get a mirror polish. You might even polish with mothers or another abrasive paste if you want to get the finish just right. There are two other variances that your new made extractor will have over an original extractor. 1. The extractor head has a longer grasping groove that may result in the top of the extractor riding above the bolt head. I haven t experienced a problem due to this feature but if you want the replacement extractor to function as a factory original you can shim the top of the extractor groove with a piece of copper cut from a spent casing. 2. The extractor pocket may need to be slightly deepened on your newly made extractor depending on the original Mauser extractor you use. This is an easy fix with a narrow flat file. Do not deepen the extractor pocket until you have checked cycling. Deepening the extractor pocket generally isn t necessary. Please contact me at the below address if you have suggestions, find this publication useful, or just like to chat about the restoration of the Gew. 88 family of rifles. If you are looking for a Gew. 88 part send me an . I might just have what you need. I can be contacted at Joseph.Lee.Woods@outlook.com. This publication may be freely reproduced for noncommercial purposes. All other rights are reserved. 11

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