SVT 40 Question

[Bob7.62]

Just got my SVT40 in the mail yesterday and I want to go to the range soon. What I would like to know is that as it is all oiled up, as it should be, should all the gas system parts be clean of oil before shooting so they don't get gummed up? From what I've read gas parts and even the bolt should be free of oil so as not to atract soot. Other people I've met like to have light coating of oil to keep all parts moving well. What is your opinion.

 

[skirsons]

It's a hard choice. Oil and grease protect and lubricate but will always attract any kind of particle in the air - dust, burnt powder etc. There should not be so much oil on it that it's dripping. Just a light coating will do. There's not too many places where you can get a lot of oil sitting in the SVT. In addition, the very viscous oil used on guns is not like machine grease that is very thick and holds dust like a thick layer of glue.

If you haven't disassembled it yet, field strip it and wipe the piston area down with a very small oiled rag or cleaning patch. IMHO that should transfer a suitable lubricating layer of oil.

A light lubrication of the action is good too. I don't think that more lubrication is always better.

 

[Bob7.62]

Thanks Skirson
I had field striped it and it seemed to be covered with lite oil and not grease. I have some nice oil with teflon in it I'll give it a very lite coat. Some parts were a little hard to take apart (gas cylinder and piston stuck together) but all the blueing was intact.

Thanks agian
Bob

 

[svt-40]

Is that oil or cosmoline?

 

[skirsons]

Is that oil or cosmoline?

That's a good question. Cosmolene wasn't meant to lubricate the gun.

 

[Bob7.62]

seemed to me to be oil . It is thin and clear isn't cosmolene yellowy and thick

 

[svt-40]

You must remove oil from the barrel and gas mechanism. They have to be dry. The rest of the gun just wipe clean so that it's coated in thin film of oil.