FN Rifle And Carbine 98 Operators Manual

							FN MAUSER
MODEL 98
RIFLE AND CARBINE
fl 
						

							RIFLE AND CARBINEMauser System
Fabrique Nationale
d’Armes de Guerre
Sociiti Anonyme
Herstal-lez-LiiqeBelgique 
						

							Right side vnsv 01 the F. N. rifle (Mauser System) 
Left side view of the F N. rifle (Mausel System).  
						

							Description of the F. N. Rifle 
(Mauser System) 
The rifle Is composed of the following main parts: 
1. The barrel with frontand rear sfght. 
2. The lockingand firing mechantsm. 
3. The repeating mechanfsm. 
4. The stock with hand guard. 
5. The flttlngs. 
6. The bayonet. 
1. - THE BARREL has a length of 569 m/m. (or 740 m/m.) 
and IIS reinforced rear end is screwed into the body. The ri- 
fling Is rtghthanded and consists of four helical grooves. 
The sighting apparatus consists of rear sight and front stght. 
The rear sight Is of the tangent cam pattern and is composed 
of: 
the bed and cam with spring, 
the graduated tangent, and 
the slide with spring pwls. 
The bed Is tinsoldered to the barrel and has In its fore part 
a threaded recess tn which the fixtng screw of the hand guard 
IS located. This acrew engages In the barrel and rigidly con- 
nects the bed with the barrel. The sides of the bed form the cam 
and the hinge for the graduated tangent. 
A spring located In the bed of the rear sight tends to keep 
the tangent on the bed. The tangent has on Its upper and lo 
wer surface graduations correspondtng to 200 to 2000 metres 
fn steps of 100 metres in very legible figures, which allow easy 
changes of the sight in any posillon of the dfleman. In the up 
per end of the tangent is the triangular stghttng notch. The 2 
rides of the tangent are provided with notches tn which the 
spring pawls are retatned. BY presstng these pawls, the elide 
am be moved fn order to obtafn the elevation of the requfred 
range. By releasfng the pressure on the milled ends of the  
						

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pawls, the latter engage under the effect of the paw1 springs 
in the corresponding notches of the tangent. The tangent ts 
secured to the bed by means of 2 small lateral bearings which 
rest on the hinge. A pin running through the leaf and fastened 
to the hinge prevents losing the tangent in case the spring 
should break. 
On the front end of the barrel is soldered the fore sight ring 
and block which form the support of the fore sight. The fore 
sight block and the ring are pierced by a screw which engages 
in the barrel and ensures an absolute rigidity of the whole. 
The milled rear portion of the fore sight block renders the 
foresight prominent whilst the effect of reflection is minimized. 
The triangular foresight is dovetailed into the block and can be 
adjusted sideways. 
2 - THE LOCKING AND FIRING MECHANISM is compo- 
sed of the body, the bolt and the trigger mechanism. 
THE BODY (in which the barrel is screwed) receives the bolt. 
The body head is formed with 2 lugs provided with ramps 
in front of which the locking lugs are placed when the rifle 
is locked. A ramp ensures the regular introduction of the car- 
tridges in the chamber. 
The lower part of the body head carries the lug which en- 
gages on the cross piece secured to the stock. This cross piece 
transmits the recoil to the stock ; the lug itself has a tapped re- 
cess into which is screwed the front screw of the trigger guard. 
The body is cut away in its middle part in order to allow of 
the introduction of the cartridges in the magazine and the ejec 
tion of the fired cartridges’. The left side is further cut away to 
facilitate the pressure of the thumb on the cartridges at the mo- 
ment of loading them into the magazine. The left side of this 
part of the body is provided with a longitudinal groove which 
serves as a guide for the corresponding locking lug of the bolt. 
The bottom of the middle part of the body is removed to allow 
loading of the cartridges. 
Besides the grooves of the bolt lugs, the bridge part of the 
body has an internal longitudinal groove which serve as a 
guide for the rib arranged on the cylindrical body of the bolt. 
This rib ensures the guiding of the bolt when its left lug faces 
the opening made in the side of the body to allow of the passa- 
ge of the thumb when loading the rifle. On the left side of the  
						

							-6- 
bridge IS the opening for the bolt stop and the ejector whilst a 
groove provided with a ramp is arranged in the bottom of this 
part of the body to receive the safety lug of the bolt. 
The bolt stop and the ejector are both fastened at the left 
side of the bridge of the body by means of the same pivot 
screw. The bolt stop has a catch projecting into the interior of 
the body. The left lug of the bolt comes into contact with the 
catch when the bolt is entirely drawn back. The bolt stop also 
serves as a support for the ejector which, passing through the 
groove made in the left lug, protrudes into the bolt head the 
instant that the bolt is completely drawn back, thus causing 
the cartridge case retained in the bolt head by the extractor 
claw, to swing to the right. 
The bolt stop and the ejector are actuated by a double spring 
fitted to the first named part. 
The front portion of the bridge of the body has a recess for 
the insertion of the loading clip. 
The rear part is cut out in the shape of a cam against which 
the flat side of the bolt lever presses when opening the rifle, 
tn order to disengage the fired shells. It has further a bearing 
which serves as a stop for the bolt lever at the moment of the 
opening of the rifle. 
The tail of the body is provided with a longitudinal groove 
in which moves the stud of the cocking piece. The bottom of 
this groove has 2 holes, one for the sear nose, the other, which 
is tapped, is for the rear screw of the trigger guard. 
THE BREECH is composed of the following parts: 
The bolt. 
The extractor ring. 
The extractor. 
The firing pin and its spring. 
The cocking piece. 
The bolt plug. 
The safety. 
The spring catch of the bolt plug. 
THE BOLT. - The upper end of the cylindrical body of the 
bolt is cupshaped. The center of this upper end is pierced to 
let the point of the firing pin pass. The head or the bolt has 2  
						

							-7- 
locking lugs provided with chamfered edges which facilitate 
the locking of the rifle; the left’lug is split in order to allow 
of the passage of the ejector. A semi-circular groove let into 
the bolt head and provided with a small ramp serves as a 
guide for the extractor. The cylindrical body of the bolt carries 
the extractor locking ring with its 2 small lugs and it has 2 
oblong holes arranged longitudinally which serve as escapes 
for the gases. Should a cartridge case break or a cap be pier- 
ced, these apertures serve as escapes for the gas towards the 
sides and back wtthout danger to the rtfleman. 
The body of the bolt also shows in the axis of the bolt lever 
a longitudinal rib, which engaging in its groove on the upper 
portion of the bridge of the breech, guides the bolt when it is 
drawn rearwards. 
An additional lug on the rear part of the bolt serves to in- 
crease the safety of the rifleman. At the moment of locking, 
this lug engages in the groove provided in the bottom of the 
bridge. It serves as a special locking device and additional sa- 
fety in case the front lug should give way under the pressure 
developed by the cartridges. The device therefore protects the 
rifleman against any accident and increases his confidence in 
his rifle. 
The bolt is provided with a lever terminated by a knob. The 
strengthened rear part of the bolt shows the cocking notch pro- 
vided with a cam which forces the stud to recoil and to clear 
the sear nose at the moment of the closing movement. This 
part of the bolt is also provided with the locking recess for the 
safety spindle. 
The inside of the bolt is bored out to receive the firing pin, 
its safety recesses and the main spring and is threaded at the 
end for connection with the bolt plug. 
THE EXTRACTOR RING is provided with small lugs connec 
ting the extractor with the bolt on which it can freely rotate. 
THE EXTRACTOR is fastened to the bolt means of the extrac 
tor ring so that it can be rotated. 11 has a claw at the end of 
the bolt which engages in the groove of the cartridge. The head 
of the extractor carries the extractor guide sliding in the semi-cir- 
cular groove provided in the bolt head. At its rear end the ex- 
tractor is terminated by a lug resting upon the bolt. The great 
length of the extractor gives it such a flexibility that it can  
						

							-8- 
grasp a cartridge put by hand into the chamber. Its slightly 
curved form allows of its ac ing as a spring ensuring in this way 
its proper !astening upon the bolt. 
THE FIRING PIN AND ITS SPRING. - The firing pin consists 
of the head drawn out to form the firing needle, the flange 
with its two chamfered safety surfaces which serve as a support 
for the striker spring, the cylindrical body flattened on two oppo- 
site sides for the passage of the cocking piece and the rear 
end with its three interrupted grooves corresponding with three 
bearings arranged inside the cocking piece. An incorrect con- 
nection of the firing pin and the cocking piece is impossible, 
as one the grooves and the corresponding bearing are broa- 
der than the 2 others. 
The spring of the firing pin rests with its front part against 
the flange of the pin and at the other end against the front 
portion of the bolt plug. 
THE COCKING PIECE is provided with a stud the front part 
of which is caughf by the sear at the moment of cocking, thus 
retaininq the cocking piece and consequently the firing pin, 
the cocking piece being riqidly connected with the latter part 
by its three interior grooves. The cocking piece has a second 
stud placed in the reverse direction of the first which has the 
purpose of preventinq the introduction of forelqn substances in 
the mechanism. 
The stud is prolonged by a nose with a ramp. As the ramp 
of this nose is in contact with the cam of the co&ins notch, 
the disengaqement of the stud from this notch is facilitated 
when turning the bolt to the left in order to open the rifle. The 
cocking piece has further at its right a groove which allows of 
cocking the firing pin with the aid of a cartrldqe case; In case 
of missfire, it is therefore possible to recock the firing pin with- 
out being obliged to open the rifle. 
THE BOLT PLUG is connected with the bolt by means of a 
saw thread. It maintains the ffrinq pin and the cocking piece 
always fn a correct position to each other. The strenghtened 
front part of the bolt plug protects the rifleman against blow 
backs. 
In the upper part of the bolt plus is fitted the safety spindle 
and in the left the spring catch.  
						

							-9- 
THE SAFETY DEVICE consists of the safety leaf and the sa- 
fety spindle which are rigidly connected. This spindle is notched 
in such a way that the smooth portion, according to the posi- 
tion in which it is put, occupies or not the safety notch of the 
bolt, locking thus the bolt plug or disengaging it from the latter. 
When the safety wing is pressed down to the right, the head 
of the safety is placed in front of the cocking piece forcing the 
latter back; as the sear is no more in contact with the cocking 
piece, it has no longer effect on the cocking piece and the de- 
pression of the sear cannot produce the discharge of the rifle. 
The safety head is provided with bevelled edges which facili- 
tate the action of the safety on the cocking piece. 
THE SPRING CATCH OF THE BOLT PLUG slides into the 
safety notch when the bolt is pulled rearward, thus connecting 
the bolt plug rigidly tot the bolt. When the bolt is pushed for- 
ward, the safety catch comes into contact with he rear part of 
the body, thus forcing the catch to return to its recess in the 
bolt plug and, consequently, to disengage from the safety 
notch; the bolt is thus set free and can turn to lock the rifle. 
THE TRIGGER MECHANISM consists of the trigger bar with 
sear, the trigger and the spring. The trigger mechanism is 
fastened beneath the body by means of the trigger bar pin. 
The trigger bar comprises the recess for the trigger spring 
and its rear portion forms the sear nose. 
The trigger spring rests one end against the bottom of the 
body and the other end on the trigger bar. 
The trigger is secured to the trigger bar bv means of a rivet- 
ed pin. 
‘The upper part of the trigger forms 2 cams ; under the effect 
of the trigger spring, the front cam is always in contact with the 
bottom of the body, the other one only touches it when the 
trigger is pulled. 
3. - THE REPEATING MECHANISM is composed of the ma- 
gazine, the cover plate of same, the magazine spring and the 
magazine platform. The front end of the cover plate of the ma- 
gazine rests in a groove arranged in the magazine and serves 
as a recess for the magazine spring, whilst its rear part is held 
by a spring bolt located in the rear stud.  
						

							- 10 - 
The magazine spring conn’ects the cover plate of the maga- 
zine wilh the platform to which it is secured by 2 bearings. 
The platform is shaped to ensure the correct feeding of the 
cartridge at the moment of entering into the chamber and faci- 
litates this movement. 
The magazine can hold 5 cartridges placed in zigzag fashion. 
The sides of the magazine are formed by the trigger guard 
which further consists of the finqer guard, the recesses of the 
locking screws of the finger guard and their check screws. 
4. - THE STOCK WITH HANDGUARD. - The stock is of 
walnut made in one piece and provided with a pistol hand 
grip. 
The stock has at its foremost part the bayonet attachment 
and is provided with the spring seat of the upper band, the 
seat of the lower band, of the cleaning rod stop and of the 
cross piece. 
At the lower part of the stock is secured the base of the bot- 
tom swivel and its swivel. 
The rearmost portion of the stock is covered with a butt plate 
secured by means of 2 screws. 
A boring let into the inside of the stock serves as a recess 
for the cleaning rod. 
The different borings made in the stock serve respectively 
as a seating for the barrel, the lower part of the breech, the 
trigger guard which forms the magazine, the firing mechanism 
and the rear screw of the trigger guard. (This seat is fitted with 
a metallic casing). 
The upper part of the barrel la covered by a hand guard hol- 
lowed out at its lower part to give access to the base of the 
rear sight. 
The hand guard is provided with a spring secured by means 
of 2 screws; this spring, together with the screw of the rear sight 
base fixes the hand guard to the barrel. 
The hand guard is secured to the stock by means of the lo- 
wer band. 
The hand guard does not only protect the rifleman against 
the heating of the barrel, but also improves the precision of the 
rifle by securing the barrel firmly to the stock.