Finally took the Mosin M38 out yesterday and there's a bruise on my shoulder to prove it. No, the recoil isn't as brutal as some might have you believe, but it also depends on how you shoot it. I learned two things yesterday in my first ever extended rifle shooting session - 1. the stock is a bit short for me, and 2. a low rest can be bad for your shoulder.
I started shooting sitting down with my elbows on the table. Not bad on the shoulder but a bit unsteady. A short while later I was informed by a range employee that I could rent a rest for a dollar. Ok, great, I thought, and I went and got one. Sadly, it was a cheap wooden rest that was a little too low for me, causing me to have to angle the rifle up some to get on target, which in turn caused me to have to lower the stock and have the butt badly positioned on my shoulder. After a while of getting my bones mashed by the mal-positioned steel butt-pad I just gave up and started shooting standing up.
All in all, for a first time out, I managed to get about a third of my shots in the black at 50 yds - not too shabby. With practice and my new recoil pad (plus a better rest) I'm sure my groups will improve in no time. Funny thing is that while I was at the range I received a call telling me that my rubber recoil pad had arrived in the mail. D'oh! Once I got home I put it on and the difference is night and day as far as how much more comfortable it is to hold and get a proper cheek-weld with the stock lengthened a inch and change.
Anyways, I got no sticky bolt issues and once I was done I just sprayed some Windex down the barrel and on the bolt, let it sit a couple of minutes then ran a clean patch through, followed by two patches with Break Free CLP on them and then wiped down the bolt with another CLP soaked patch. Whoever said shooting corrosive ammo is too much trouble is a lazy SOB