Finally found a Mosin Sniper!

Finally took it out to the range yesterday, shoots great with a couple minor issues. Cleaning rod won't screw in properly so it walks out while shooting, and the bolt is tough to close on a loaded chamber. Anyone have ideas how to improve the bolt issue?
 
I would sand all that finish off since its already messed up clean up the markings a bit on the stock aswell while your sanding it. and then redo it all in tung oil.
It will look beautiful again.
 
CanadianBaconPancakes said:
Awsome! Don't strip the stock whatever you do! The bolts are some have problems but they work just fine with a slap :D Or for mine and smash
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why wouldnt he? someone already messed with it and its beat to rats crap.

a tung oil finish would restore it to its original grain look's

also no bolt should need a slap or a smash to close. I suggest you fix that, half the time its cosmoline and grit buildup that wasn't removed on initial cleanings. but their is lots of information on cleaning up mosin actions to get rid of tight bolts.
 
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TheWhole9Yards said:
Finally took it out to the range yesterday, shoots great with a couple minor issues. Cleaning rod won't screw in properly so it walks out while shooting, and the bolt is tough to close on a loaded chamber. Anyone have ideas how to improve the bolt issue?
Click to expand...

Get some compressed air into the slot that holds the cleaning rod. The nut inside probably has dirt in it or is a little rusty. Putting some oil on the threads of the rod and applying pressure while screwing it also helps.

Bolt issue can be a lot of things, here are the remedies that I'm aware of:

1) Clean the bolt in hot soapy water while disassembled to get any gunk out.

2) Clean the chamber really well, get a 20ga bore brush in there with some solvent and toothpaste to polish (mild abrasive, just plain white toothpaste).

3) Make sure the magazine isn't sitting too high up, if the stock is compressed or improperly inletted this can happen, shim the tang and recoil lug and shim under the magazine.

4) Very, very slightly polish the extractor where it slides over the rim.

5) Very, very slightly polish the extractor edge where it clamps onto the rim.

6) Check under the bolt at the rear for scuff marks, this may be an indication that the bolt is riding over and being interfered with by the interrupter / ejector assembly.

7) The inside edges of the bolt face, where the outside of the case rim would sit, a very, very slight polishing here, do not polish the bolt face itself.

8) Polish the bolt where the cocking piece and bolt body meet and turn.

P.S.

For the love of God please do not sand the stock, if you want to refinish it then restore it, strip with denatured alcohol and apply shellac.
 
Or just bring it over to my place & we can sort out what the issue is while I explain why its a bad idea to sand & tung oil an original sniper rifle.
 
re: stock refinishing.
One of my hunting partners has refinished several firearm stocks without rounding any checkering or removing markings. He pulls all the metal (and plastic) parts off the stock and takes the wood to a shop that does furniture refinishing. The proprietor puts it into his tank of stripper overnight, then does a very light sanding to remove the whiskers and such, after which my friend takes it home and does the rest.

Joel
 
TheWhole9Yards said:
Might take you up on that offer - what's the big deal with restoring it to its previous beauty?
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The history of the rifle including some of the things that can verify its a sniper lie under the shellac, sand the stock & all that history is gone for good. Look at some of the pics of sanded or modified matching k98, g43 & g41 (!) for precedent. Besides, the less wood the stock has the worse it will shoot.
 
Avoid stain at all costs! Shellac will hide tung oil or linseed but stain requires much sanding to remove. You will thank me when the price of that rifle doubles in the next few years.
 
bp2626 said:
Get some compressed air into the slot that holds the cleaning rod. The nut inside probably has dirt in it or is a little rusty. Putting some oil on the threads of the rod and applying pressure while screwing it also helps.

Bolt issue can be a lot of things, here are the remedies that I'm aware of:

1) Clean the bolt in hot soapy water while disassembled to get any gunk out.

2) Clean the chamber really well, get a 20ga bore brush in there with some solvent and toothpaste to polish (mild abrasive, just plain white toothpaste).

3) Make sure the magazine isn't sitting too high up, if the stock is compressed or improperly inletted this can happen, shim the tang and recoil lug and shim under the magazine.

4) Very, very slightly polish the extractor where it slides over the rim.

5) Very, very slightly polish the extractor edge where it clamps onto the rim.

6) Check under the bolt at the rear for scuff marks, this may be an indication that the bolt is riding over and being interfered with by the interrupter / ejector assembly.

7) The inside edges of the bolt face, where the outside of the case rim would sit, a very, very slight polishing here, do not polish the bolt face itself.

8) Polish the bolt where the cocking piece and bolt body meet and turn.

P.S.

For the love of God please do not sand the stock, if you want to refinish it then restore it, strip with denatured alcohol and apply shellac.
Click to expand...

This is great info thanks! It only has this problem on a loaded chamber, I think #3 and up will be the likely fixes - I'll have to take a close look next week!

My plan is to strip the current finish with antique furniture stripper, maybe steam some dents out and finish with boiled linseed oil. Don't plan on staining it, only reason I would do that is if the stock is too light.
 
Alcohol is way easier to handle than stripper. That stripper is nasty stuff. Here are some pics of what the stock will look like finished in linseed:


 
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