Mosin Nagant 91/30 Rough bolt

[bluemike807]

Just got my 1943 Tula Mosin Nagant - pretty rough looking. I can't say for sure it ever saw combat, but if it didnt, then it was dropped down alot of stairs or something. Fortunately, the bore is in decent shape and it shoots ok - I need to adjust the sights but thats another matter.

The receiver - where it's "diagonal" to force the cocking mechanism on opening the bolt - is rough as guts. Cocking the rifle is tough, doubly so on a spent round. My first thought was to dremel that section with a carbide bit, then sand it to a finish - is that a good idea, or do I risk damaging the rifle irrepairably? Im not too concerned about leaving it in 'pristine military condition' - Im not going to bubba the thing, but one look at the fugly stock and I knew I'd be stripping, sanding and oiling it - yet to come - but I do want to leave it effectively the same; just better.

Any advice on improving Mosins would be appreciated.

 

[ArtyMan]

Try completely gutting the bolt assembly and taking the rifle out of the stock. After this is done give it a VERY thorough cleaning. Many times built up gunk/cosmoline is the number one cause of a rough action. If this still dosnt work post some pictures before sanding/stripping/dremeling anything... Please

 

[louthepou]

The chamber in one of my Mosins once caused difficult extraction of a spent case (and sometimes impossible extraction). Very thorough scrub / clean was required (brush on a cordless drill kind of cleaning)

Lou

 

[skirsons]

Don't ruin the original finish on the wood pleeeease.

 

[westrifle_sks]

Give it a good cleaning job it will solve your issues.

 

[bluemike807]

Don't ruin the original finish on the wood pleeeease.

There's hardly any finish left to ruin, it literally looks as if it was wailed on with a chain - the cosmoline must have been cleaned mostly off, but its stained both the wood and metal in several places. I'll try to post pics later but believe me, there's not much worth saving.

As for the sticky bolt. I cleaned the chamber thoroughly with a bottle brush last night, guess it'll have to wait until the next trip to the range to see.

Heres a quick vid of the first firing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh99A8djhgk

 

[tiriaq]

Going to work on a camming surface with a carbide bit in a Dremel could be a really bad idea. Dremels are great little tools, wouldn't be without one, but it is possible to do irreparable damage in seconds.

 

[desporterizer]

What ever is causing your problem, its not the receiver finish. I have had mosins with surfaces finished with blunt beaver teeth & it cycled just fine.

 

[bluemike807]

What ever is causing your problem, its not the receiver finish. I have had mosins with surfaces finished with blunt beaver teeth & it cycled just fine.

Thats pretty obvious, my point was just that overall fit and finish of the thing, while basic, was rough as guts, and the camming bridge especially so. Maybe Im just wishing for more in a rifle that was purposefully designed in a simple manner.

 

[desporterizer]

No you are wishing for more from a rifle that was produced under the nastiest conditions possible. If you want a nice finish, look for an earlier model, they are smooth as a baby's bottom. Funny part is the guns finish got smoother during refurb, I have a unrefurbed 43 that would make you hair stand on end. BTW bearing surfaces are case hardened so taking a dremel to anything is a bad idea.

 

[JP]

If you absolutely need to refinish the stock use shellac in either amber or reddish tint and not an oil finish which is totally wrong for Russian WW2 rifles.

 

[Dryzen]

My own 1937 build needs a good push to cycle the bolt up and down, but having a cartrige in or not dosen't change that quirk.

 

[desporterizer]

My own 1937 build needs a good push to cycle the bolt up and down, but having a cartrige in or not dosen't change that quirk.

Soft hands are the devils grandmother's workshop tovarishi! Work harder! You think guys who had to carry these damned things all day with the bayo attached had problems working the bolt? After a couple of days of offloading ammo crates by hand you could operate the bolt with one finger & might rip it out of the action if you used your whole hand.

 

[Dryzen]

Robust Mosin Nagant, when compared to the smooth ShtLE no1mk3 or the k98k mauser.

 

[ArtyMan]

There's hardly any finish left to ruin, it literally looks as if it was wailed on with a chain - the cosmoline must have been cleaned mostly off, but its stained both the wood and metal in several places. I'll try to post pics later but believe me, there's not much worth saving.

As for the sticky bolt. I cleaned the chamber thoroughly with a bottle brush last night, guess it'll have to wait until the next trip to the range to see.

Heres a quick vid of the first firing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sh99A8djhgk

Looks to me like a nice rifle! You have to take in to account that in 1943 the Soviets were pretty much on the verge of being completely annihalated. Consider that extreamly rough finish to be a piece of really neat history. I personally like the rough, beat up rifles better then any smooth post/pre war pieces, simply because its a visual testament to some of the worst conditions ever experienced. Dark, but very interesting history. Your stock may be beat up for a reason, perhaps this very old damage, perhaps whoever you purchased it from decided to go hunting with it and was a little hard on it. Post some pictures and perhaps some of us here will have a better idea on what were dealing it. It may be something really rare/valuable!

I have a 1939 Tula 91/30 that looks like its been through hell, stains all over the stock, what I think to be shrapnel in the rear of the stock, no blueing etc... Looking at the [SA] (Finn army) stamp, I came to realize that this rifle was at some point captured by Finland in either the Winter war or the Continuation War. After reading much about that, I am very, very happy to have that "rough as guts" Mosin as oppsed to a refurb. Nothing wrong with refurbs - I have several, but the wear and tear on an honest milsurp is really something thats special. You are literally holding a rifle that was used (in some form) to help defeat one of the "great evil empires" - made of course by another "evil empire". Politics aside, its a nice looking rifle and post some pictures so you can get some better feedback!