The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

TopperT wrote:Also make sure that there is no gunk in the extractor relief cut - the cut runs from about 1 to 5 oclock on the face of the chamber.


THIS is very good advice for ALL Mosin Nagants....often I find tiny bits of hard GUNK in many rifles in the recess......

Get some LOOONG Q-Tips, some Hopps#9 or GunScurbber and a BRIGHT flashlight and clean this area out.
It really makes a difference I have found. Damn Good suggestions from the rest as well.
I do admit to using a bit of "NeverDull" to go over "things" and it can and will make a difference.

This may see a bit extreme to some but the above reasons are why I take the extractors completely off all incoming Mosins I get. Even using 160 pound compressed air and carb cleaner was not getting everything so I started taking them all the way off and cleaning the place they live completely. Just made a little hole on the wood work bench and pop them off into my hand below with a brass hammer. I know that may seem to be a bit anal to some but I had a rifle one time where I just could not solve feed problems and finally decided to change the extractor. When I popped it off the grove was loaded with junk! After being forced to use a small chisel to remove it I decided maybe removing them each time might prolong my sanity. Just something you learn the hard way I guess? Sure seems to be my way of learning though. Bill

There are quite litterally thousands of means of freeing up things, the best that comes to mind is buy a case of the cheapest Mosin Ammo you can get your hands on and shoot the two can's w/o grease other than what it came with. The will slick it up. If you feel one like that its was either worked by some asswipe like me or the Finns got it for a spell!-Steve

I have the same problem with my M44, hard to close bolt on some rounds of same type ammo from same batch. Some rounds will load and extract just fine but others resist the bolt closing, Some rounds more than others. The Okie field gauge test is good. I have cleaned and lubricated bolt but that is all. When the bolt does cycle it is smooth enough. Not as smooth as some of my M91-30'S with all matching numbers.Thanks for your help. You guys are great! JGC

Compressed air, sprays, dental picks, scrubbing, bending, and removing. This is starting to sound like me rebuilding a Model A carburetor that's got 80 years of crap stuck in it

The School of Hard Knocks. I have a diploma from there around here some place.

Sixty eight years of surplus ammo thru my M44. Speaking of 80 year old carbs I wonder if I could soak my bolt in the same gallon of new Gunk Carb Medic Carb Parts Cleaner.I have used it for years on metal parts with good results but never on metal gun bolts. What does JYD think? The bolt is not that dirty but I have never taken it apart to really see. I know that stuff will destroy anything non metal for sure but works miracles on old carbs.Thanks again for the help.....JGC

Automatic transmission fluid has detergents in it but won't harm the steel. I soak funked up air tools in it ask the time. Brings them back to life.. Doest even harm the gaskets.

Jolly Green Chopper wrote:Sixty eight years of surplus ammo thru my M44. Speaking of 80 year old carbs I wonder if I could soak my bolt in the same gallon of new Gunk Carb Medic Carb Parts Cleaner.I have used it for years on metal parts with good results but never on metal gun bolts. What does JYD think? The bolt is not that dirty but I have never taken it apart to really see. I know that stuff will destroy anything non metal for sure but works miracles on old carbs.Thanks again for the help.....JGC

You should take it apart - it can be packed with cosmoline and gunk inside and it is unlikely that you would get much out by just soaking the assembled bolt.

Now why did I think you would suggest I take the bolt apart. Makes good sense of course and I am always looking for a lazy short cut. Thanks for the advice. I'm starting to work on it now. Saturday night is kinda slow around here anyhow. JGC

I have a bunch of vintage tools soaking in transmission fluid right now, it works if you are not in a hurry. Take the bolt down, this is something that should be done each time the rifle is cleaned after shooting. It's dirty inside, and probably full of grease, gives you a chance to inspect the spring as they do break.

Jolly Green Chopper wrote:Now why did I think you would suggest I take the bolt apart. Makes good sense of course and I am always looking for a lazy short cut. Thanks for the advice. I'm starting to work on it now. Saturday night is kinda slow around here anyhow. JGC

Here's the best way to take it apart that I found so far. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzbpkvYA-iY

But it surprised the dickens out of me the first time is came apart in my hands under the force of the spring. It is more unexpected for the newbie than the guy in the video makes it seem.

Other videos show pushing the pin in on a desk top. This is clearly better, and the designed method.

I keep a piece of soft pine 2x4 nailed to the worktable, I push the end of the pin into it, push down the bolt so the cocking piece will spin, and spin it off in a second. I have stripped a Mosin bolt down more than 1000 times over the years, keep at it and it will become second nature, you can do it without thinking. It should be cleaned each time that rifle is used, and inspected between times to make sure there is no rust forming inside.

Junk Yard Dog wrote:I keep a piece of soft pine 2x4 nailed to the worktable, I push the end of the pin into it, push down the bolt so the cocking piece will spin, and spin it off in a second.

I'm working on an out of town job, so I'm working in a hotel room. And this is the first Mosins I have owned. I just ran across them and couldn't pass up the bargain.

I'm too old to spend the weekends drinking with the young bucks. I think that would kill me. So I was poking around gun shops. And I came back with two rifles. (Good grief! Charlie Brown!)

Lucky there's a range nearby.

I used something called a Rust Eraser I got from work. It's like a block eraser with some fine abrasiveness. It comes apart little so make sure the bolt is apart, go over the surfaces, and blast out with some compressed air. Then I cleaned it all off with some brake cleaner and hit some areas with a very light coating of oil. Super smooth bolt now.

@OP, to make it overall smoother, I can back up the USE it advice. Mine was pretty stiff when I got it, I went out, put about 50 rounds through it, it is now smooth as butter.

.Thanks for all the advice and help making the bolt smoother and cleaner too. I have eight total Mosin-Nagant bolts to work with so all the help I get is great because I shoot them all. Also have two AK47's and one SKS that I shoot and must clean because I use surplus ammo in them all. I just received The three part Numrich #34 Catalog And am very satisfied with them. All the information is about Military Firearms,Firearms Accessories, ,and Commercial Firearms parts and guns,with complete pictures and diagrams. Definitly for the serious gun collector and do-it-yourselfer. Thanks to JYD for recommending it JGC

Junk Yard Dog wrote:Just get another extractor and replace it.

Is there an easy way to press the extractor out of the bolt head piece?

This stuff is starting to multiply. Does it breed in the dark?

here is what i did to mine to make it super smooth and mega easy on the hands even after the gun has heated up from like 40 rounds with short breaks.
LOCTITE ANTI-SIEZE grease silver stick apply to all areas that make metal on metal contact with a very light coating
and trim the firing pin spring down half to one hole link
No more needing to use the fist to close the bolt and only use my pinky to open it

In the field the Red Army would have used minimal lubrication, and oil is what it would have been, lubrication picks up dust, and dirt in the field ( it will do it on the range also). Military rifles are not built to be handled gently, Ivan was expected to work that bolt hard, it's not supposed to be butter smooth. Difficulty opening the bolt is mostly due to sticky bolt chamber issues, but otherwise use over time will wear the bolts parts in. These rifles were never issued after their rebuild, the parts never had to opportunity to wear in as they did on the issued rifles. As for extractors, they are a pain in the ass, and there is no real easy way to get them off, not like with the Mauser's huge claw. See the information page under cleaning. Anti seize has a thousand uses on a car, or piece of heavy equipment, I anti seize every bolt and nut on anything I take apart because everything rusts here, but it is messy, and has a tendency to migrate all over the place. Graphite is hell to get out of clothing, USGI gun grease, I have several tubs of it for the Garands, will do the job with half the mess.

When shooting surplus ammo it is also necessary to use a good, stiff, chamber brush, and cleaner in the chamber. I do that as a matter of routine after shooting as well as taking down the bolt, every time. I am a bit of a fanatic about keeping the guns clean enought for a DI inspection, but I don't mind, because I enjoy cleaning them. I don't have trouble with "sticky bolt" on any of my Mosin-Nagant rifles.

Disassembly of the bolt is a piece of cake if you use JYD's technique. It takes a while to get it down to a science, but once you do, you do it without thinking about it. I keep a small hardwood block in my cleaning gear to depress the firing pin, and it works like a champ.