S.I.R Mossin Nagant 91/30; help! Updated

Polish-Jack

Polish-Jack

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The Mossin Nagant 91/30 that I ordered form SIR arrived today and I was surprised to find that it came with all the accessories less the bayonet (where can I get my hands on one?). I even got a tow clip pouches. I can work the bolt with just a thumb and forefinger, it is nice and clean, two stages to the down stroke.

What really surprised me is that the wood looks fantastic and there are no import markings. The only markings are the "Arrow in the star"(tula?) factory stamp and a date of 1942. The only part that looks to be forced matched is the magazine.

Here is when the "New-toy-poop-eating-grin" disappears. I insert a round and it feeds nicely, the first stage of the down stroke comes and goes and then I need a mallet to finish rotating the bolt closed. One the bolt is closed everything works like a charm, but I will not be able to close the bolt without smashing, painfully hard, it with my palm several times. I think the extractor is having a problem slipping over the rim.

Any advice?
 
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Soak the bolt head in solvent like Hoppes No.9 to make sure the extractor isn't gummed with crud, then thoroughly clean the chamber.

Finally, try different ammo - maybe you had a bad round?
 
+1 for thorough cleaning. Disassemble the bolt and soak the parts in any solvent. If you don't have Hoppes, use Acetone (I buy it in big bottles from cash and carry janitorial supplies) or Acetone+Kerosene mix. Use wire brush gently to clean the chamber. You can try scalding water down the barrel too. It helps to soften the gunk before cleaning.
 
Tula

Yup! It's a Tula:D The bolt should have the same mark. If it doesn't, it doesn't match. Hence, your problem. Mosins are flexible on hardware matching; try a different bolt if all else fails. 7.62x54r.net will help with the bolt disassembly and reassembly.
 
UPDATE

I soaked the bolt head in solvent and even took out the extractor completely just to see if it would still resist. No change. I guess the problem is not with the extractor.

I gave the chamber a good cleaning, no Cosmo came out, but it does seem to resist a bit less. I no longer need the strength of two men to push the bolt down. Now I can close it by slamming it shut with the palm of my hand.

I am going to try to run hot water (as hot as my boiler can make it) for a little bit and see if that changes anything.
 
Do you have a firing pin protrusion gauge? If so, lower hte cocking piece and check that the firing pin is properly set.

If it's protruding too much, the pin collar could be stopping the connector bar from fully seating, thus narrowing headspace.

If you're a milsurps.com member, go check out my Mosin bolt tutorial:
http://milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=228
 
Followed your instructions Claven but it did not help.

The bore and the bolt are now bone dry, not a spec of Cosmo anywhere to be found and the problem still exists. Now here is the kicker. I was cycling through some rounds when one of them worked perfectly. I ejected the round, put it back in the magazine, cycled it and it did not work. I am at my wits end here, this round just worked and now it refuses to cooperate!
 
Are you shooting hungarian heavy ball from sir? The rim on that stuff can be a few thou thicker than norm making the bolt very hard to close. Yes this is the voice of personal experience.
 
What I have for ammo is:

Steel cased Czech in blue boxes of 20 rounds with a silver stripe on the box and painted silver tips on the FMJ bullet.

Brass cased Hungarian (I think) that came wrapped in brown paper and tied up with brown cord. FMJ.

The Steel Czech is near impossible to close on with out tools and the Brass Hugarian needs a good punch to close the bolt.
 
Hmm... do you have any other mosins, or is there a gunsmithing shop nearby?

I would suggest trying a different bolt head.

Another possibility is there may be a burr in the receiver's recoil shoulders.

If you get to the range and manage to chamber some rounds, fire a few and it might well loosen up as the lugs might set.

You have to bear in mind, on these refurbs, the bolts are not original so they may need to wear in a bit.
 
Polish-Jack said:
I am going to try to run hot water (as hot as my boiler can make it) for a little bit and see if that changes anything.
Click to expand...

You need boiling water. I usually pour from a boiling tea pot. This way any residual water drops evaporate very quickly due to high temperature of the barrel.
 
Well, I look the Nagant out and shot 20 rounds mixed through it. The bolt closes a lot better now but it still needs to be smacked around. *My hand is killing me*

Would anybody here be able and willing to send me a few bolt heads that I can try out? We can work out some sort of a trade. My bolt head for one of yours plus cash, or something similar. I have called Marstar but they are clean out of bolt heads and I am unwilling (no desperate enough) to order from the states.
 
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