Hobbies And Interests
Gun Sections
The Mauser 88 contains forty-eight separate parts which can be grouped into four categories. The four gun sub-sections include the stock, the barrel and sights, the firing mechanism and the bolt action.
Stock
The stock is a long piece of wood with the forward portion hollowed out on top for the barrel. The stock of the Mauser 88 provides the supporting structure for the mechanical parts of the weapon. There is a rectangular chamber underneath the breech of the barrel where the trigger mechanism secures from below. A butt-plate attaches at the end of the stock to provide the shooter a rest against his shoulder.
Barrel and Sights
The barrel is surrounded by a metal "jacket" where a front and rear sight are mounted. The rear sight is adjustable by flipping it up, sliding a metal clip up or down a range-marked metal frame and aligning it with the tab on the fixed front sight. The jacket is secured to the barrel by a pressure fit and held to the stock by two metal bands across the front and mid-section of the barrel.
Firing Mechanism
The trigger is surrounded by a trigger guard attached to the bottom of the rifle beneath and just ahead of the bolt. The trigger mechanism consists of two small levers and springs which activate a spring-loaded firing pin when the trigger is pulled. The firing pin is cycled for a fresh shell by the action of the bolt turning a cocking cam and compressing the firing pin spring during reloading. A five-shot ammunition clip feeds cartridges in from underneath. Spent clips are ejected from the bottom just in front of the trigger.
Bolt Action
The Mauser 88 uses a bolt action for reloading. The bolt must be pulled back to eject the spent cartridge and load a new one between each shot. The bolt slides in a machined passageway just behind the breech. The bolt presses the cartridge into the barrel and seals the breech for firing when the bolt level is flipped downward. The firing pin mechanism slides through a cast passageway in the center of the bolt.