Mauser 1914 problem

[Combat Controller]

On the back of the trigger it looks like there is a bit of metal which will stop over travel.

[DwightG]

Thanks for the extra picture. I clarifies much. I saw the disconnector in the first pic but didn't know where it fit in. Sounds as though the trigger just can't move far enough. The inside of all that looks pretty grungy. It may be a simple matter of cleaning out some petrified crud in/under/around the trigger. The whole thing looks like it would enjoy a bath in the solvent tank. Or, perhaps it is moving it's normal travel but one of the contact surfaces between the trigger/adjacent parts and the sear is worn down badly enough to not make use of the travel. None of those parts look like they'd be subject to much wear in use (unless someone's been a fixin on it) so I'd sure look for fossilized crud blocking the trigger first. Be interesting to hear what you find.

[Denis]

I'm with Dwight on this - old guns tend to have a layer of grunge on them which has turned to dark varnish - it can look right like part of the metal. If the Mauser was used in Germany at some stage, it may have seen some particularly varnish-ifying lubricants, and they're interfering with the trigger travel. I've seen rifles where the stuff needed to be scraped off with a dental pick, it was so hard. Try a really thorough cleaning - a long soak in ATF, followed by an ultrasonic cleaner filled with hot water and detergent, or a solvent bath.