My First Mosin Nagant

[tjtM38]

Your professional photography shows. I concur about the barrel bands. You should be able to depress the spring and slide them (with some effort) off. I have had to clean a lot of shellac on a couple of guns to make the springs function as designed.

[cwilliams]

You probably shouldn't use snap ring pliers to get the barrel bands off. The band retainer on the right side of the stock in front of the barrel band just needs to be depressed and they should slide forward. If shellac is holding them you may need to pursuade them a bit. I wouldn't use snap ring pliers because the barrel band may break or bend out of shape making it unusable. This shows you how to remove them as well as how to disassemble the whole rifle. information/clean/index.html

Good to know! I'll just work at it some more. I had cleaned and cleaned some more last night and I couldn't get it to budge more than a couple mm. I had read that article a couple times and I guess I needed to at least one more

[cwilliams]

The parts are now soaking in Mineral Spirits What a PITA it was to get those barrel bands off! I found a technique that worked and managed to get them off without destroying the stock. Please tell me they go back ON easier! Haha!

[Junk Yard Dog]

They don't I oil up the wood with lemon oil furniture polish to aid them in sliding back on.

[cwilliams]

That's basically what I had to do to get them off. Good to know I'm pointed in the right direction. Thanks!

[cwilliams]

Good news! It passed the headspace "NO-GO" test! It's a shooter! :-D I reassembled it today and oiled it up. Just need to clean the bore and I'll be good to go.

You guys are giving me Mosinitis...I went to Big 5 again today and asked if they had anything not on display in stock. That was my first mistake! The department manager brought out a beautiful 1940 Izhevsk round receiver with what appeared to be an original stock. Matching serials all around (not forced from what I could tell), and gorgeous grain and finish on the wood. Sigh...see what you are all doing! Haha!

[desdem12]

I am not sure what you are a doing... there has to be more stores to hit up and more mosins to look over. Just 1? Comeon man

[cwilliams]

In the past 7 days I've been to at least seven Big 5's and two Turner's. This was the first Big 5 to have something other than the display guns in stock, and Turner's had over 100 in their warehouse (wherever that is), but nothing on display.

[cwilliams]

Since a few of you requested the tang and any other proof marks I could find -

[BostonMike]

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[BostonMike]

Interesting...

So it's a 1932 dated barrel, but built on a 1920 (I think that's what it shows) Tula receiver that was then Izhevsk over struck?

That's an uncommon setup there.

[Junk Yard Dog]

[desdem12]

Nice.