my first gun and its a 42' Tula M 91/30 but I have problems

[NDguy]

Hi all.

Well I bought myself my first rifle which is a 1942 Tula M 91/30.

Now the thing is full of cosmoline head to toe and yesterday I had the day off so I decided to break it down but I've run into a major snag. I cannot for the life of my get the smallest of the barrel bands off. I ysed a heat gun to try to melt the cosmoline a bit. I cant get the band to move but I cant get that spring compressed enough to slide the band over it. I can get it like 80% of so compressed and at this point my fingers hurt and dont know what to do since I cannot get the barrel off.

Since I couldn't do that I decided to take the bolt apart and the magazine. I put them in a hot tub of water and simple green and let them soak *iraqvet888 style*. The cosmoline melted right off and I dried them off and used compressed air to blow out and remaining moisture.

But after cleaning the magazine portion I discovered this http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/ ... photo2.jpg not sure exactly what it is or if its a bad omen for my rifle. That stuff is just in that spot and the rest seems pretty great.

I was using a heat gun to try to melt some of the cosmoline off but I'm afraid that it s flaking some of the schlack would it hurt me to try a little lemon pledge cleaner to see if it get some of the residue off??

[The Feral Machinist]

I'd put the heat gun away. Too much heat concentrated in one area on the stock can ruin the shellac. Be careful of YouTube videos on cleaning cosmoline; they'll have you to believe you need to refinish the rifle. Which is frowned upon.

Some members of the board will place their stock in a black trash bag and place it on the dash of a car. Or anywhere in the sun. This will "sweat" the cosmoline from the stock.

As far as the barrel band goes, you could use a small flat screwdriver to spread the band apart, where the split meets. Or if you have a set of small snap ring pliers you could spread it open with those too.

Welcome to the forum! Congrats on the purchase. Please post some pictures of your rifle. I hope this helps.

Regards

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[desdem12]

Just wipe the cosmo off. It wont hurt anything. NO HEAT, really bad Idea. Not even sure what that picture is of. Just wipe it with paper towels and you will be fine. Oil up the stock infront of the barrel band and slightly spread it at the bottom like FM says. Take the cleaning rod out so you have access to the split. Go easy and slow and it will come off. It does not need to come complete off the barrel just to the front sight. Welcome.

[husker51]

Welcome to the forum! I have a 37' Izhevsk 91/30 that has a difficult barrel band retainer spring on the front barrel band. I always struggle with it when I dissassemble the rifle from the stock.(seldom I might add) I found the tip off my needle nose pliers on my "leatherman" works well as a kind of "punch" that I can hold the spring down with as I work the barrel band back and forth until I can get it free of the spring. A little gun oil or soap helps too. Good luck!

[Celt]

Welcome! I use the multi tool included to disassemble the entire rifle. You can use the flat end to depress the band springs.
Post up some pictures of the whole rifle...we like pictures!

[tjtM38]

I had one on a M91/30 that was so tight, I actually had to remove the forward barrel band by pushing it back towards the rear sight until I could get it clear of the spring. Then I used the right size punch with the rifle in a vice and removed the forward handguard retainer spring entirely. Then I was able to move the forward barrel band toward the muzzle of the rifle, clearing it from the handguard. The rear band came forward with little effort (lucky for me because you can't move the rear band back at all). I was subsequently able to completely disassemble the weapon and clean all the cosmoline. Interestingly, this was my most recent purchase; a 1942 Izhevsk. In fact, I have yet to shoot it. I'm sure when I do, the handguard won't move forward during recoil at all. It is really tight.

[Joeinthehills]

Hi all.

Well I bought myself my first rifle which is a 1942 Tula M 91/30.

Now the thing is full of cosmoline head to toe and yesterday I had the day off so I decided to break it down but I've run into a major snag. I cannot for the life of my get the smallest of the barrel bands off. I ysed a heat gun to try to melt the cosmoline a bit. I cant get the band to move but I cant get that spring compressed enough to slide the band over it. I can get it like 80% of so compressed and at this point my fingers hurt and dont know what to do since I cannot get the barrel off.

Since I couldn't do that I decided to take the bolt apart and the magazine. I put them in a hot tub of water and simple green and let them soak *iraqvet888 style*. The cosmoline melted right off and I dried them off and used compressed air to blow out and remaining moisture.

But after cleaning the magazine portion I discovered this http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/ ... photo2.jpg not sure exactly what it is or if its a bad omen for my rifle. That stuff is just in that spot and the rest seems pretty great.

I was using a heat gun to try to melt some of the cosmoline off but I'm afraid that it s flaking some of the schlack would it hurt me to try a little lemon pledge cleaner to see if it get some of the residue off??

Having cleaned up two CMP's Greek '03's I feel like a veteran. DCM/CMP Garand's were a snap using whatever that white powder was to coat them and leaving them in the gas oven overnight w/ just the pilot light for heat.

[qz2026]

Sometimes there is some gunk under the spring that you cant see that restricts it from going all the way into the spring slot. Also make sure the spring is directly over the slot. Once I couldn't get the spring down for the life of me until I noticed that it was off center and butting up agains the stock - away from the slot...

Last thing you want to do us use fire For the most persistant bands I have, assuming everything is lined up and no gunk under the spring, I tap lightly with a nylon tipped hammer while helping it along on the other side of the stock. Usually you would only have to do this until the band is past the high spot on the spring. This should be a last resort after you try what some of the other guys said to do - potential of taking off that wonderful shellac finish for a ways down the handguard. Most mosins have such scars. I've got some so tight that I tap them down the entire length to the muzzel with no handguard or forestock damage. See this mostly on carbines for some reason.

[NDguy]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/ ... 0ef100.jpg

Here is the gun minus the bolt, magazine and cleaning rod.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v326/ ... oto2-1.jpg

This is the band which is giving all the trouble. The finish on its ok I guess but I'm not going to be able to "sweat" it until a few months from now. The body seems to be nice but the finish has chipped off on the barrel portion.

[wolfstein]

Welcome to the forum. Good Luck with your new rifle. It will be worth it when you get it cleaned up.

[qz2026]

If the base of the spring is not flush or slightly below the surface you can gently tap is down a bit with a punch. It seems from the picture that the spring base is above the level of the stock. It wouldn't take much to help the ring clear the high spot in the spring.

[The Feral Machinist]

If the band spring is not depressing all the way, it will cause interference. In that situation, I have miniature bar clamps I use to depress band springs enough to get the band to slide over.

I bought those clamps at Tractor Supply for around $5 and the miniature snap ring pliers for around the same.

Just be patient and remain calm. You'll get the band off; take your time.



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[NDguy]

I still can't get it off my fingers hurt. I've tried flexing the spring to make it less stiff and I even put a dab of baby oil on the top of the spring and a bit around the band but I cant get it over that spring..

[desdem12]

There is junk behind the band spring probly. Try cleaning out behind with something, but carefully. I have always been able to get them off but a couple were tough the first time.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Flip the rifle over, remove the cleaning rod, take the screwdriver end of your bolt tool and insert it in the split of the band and gently press it down forcing the ends apart. This should loosen it enough to get it over the band. You can do the same thing with a pair of needle nose pliers, I use the tips of the ones on my leatherman tool.

[NDguy]

Flip the rifle over, remove the cleaning rod, take the screwdriver end of your bolt tool and insert it in the split of the band and gently press it down forcing the ends apart. This should loosen it enough to get it over the band. You can do the same thing with a pair of needle nose pliers, I use the tips of the ones on my leatherman tool.

how much force should I use??? I dont want to break it since every piece of the rifle seems to be original and I'd hate to have to replace it... I dont know my own strength sometimes... I'll give it a try after work tonight.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Be gentle, normal pressure, once you have the band open a bit it should be much easier to slide off, use the pliers if you have a set, they are easier, needle nose mind you, not regular. Don't worry about spreading the band, you will not hurt it with that amount of opening.

[NDguy]

Still cant get it =(

I'm gonna try not to strip the stock and keep it original but I'm afraid that bits of the shellack is starting to flake off. I was thinking once it warms up and I sweat the cosmoline out would a layer or two of tung oil help stop the flaking or should I try a stock wax of some kind?

[Celt]

The shellac was never meant as a permanent finish, it was a preservative. It will flake off and you'll grow to love each rifles"look". It's how we tell them apart at the playground.

[Longcolt44]

Still cant get it =(

I'm gonna try not to strip the stock and keep it original but I'm afraid that bits of the shellack is starting to flake off. I was thinking once it warms up and I sweat the cosmoline out would a layer or two of tung oil help stop the flaking or should I try a stock wax of some kind?

Flaking shellac is a part of the Mosin experience. Leave the Tung oil to a cabinet. Wipe it down with lemon oil and do not do anything you can't reverse.