Over a century old, the precedence-setting Mauser action is the basis of all turn-bolt rifle actions. Learning the details of the original will pave the way to mastering all others.

by RK Campbell

Anyone who works with rifles must understand preventive maintenance and lubrication. While a number of concerns with self-loaders do not come into play with manually-operated rifles, there are demands of maintenance and care needed in working a bolt action. Automatic rifle shooters may have the greater reputation for making brass but target shooters and varmint hunters can fire prodigious amounts of ammunition and produce quite a bit of wear on the action. Shooters will wish a tuned trigger in the rifle and some will replace barrels as they shoot them out, keeping the gunsmith busy. Keep in mind that the bolt itself sees a lot of wear and tear that demands attention.