Jammed Bolt on Mosin-Nagant M44

[KE4NYV]

After having my MN M44 for over three years, I finally got the chance to take it out for the first time. When I bought it, it was packed in cosmoline, so I completely stripped down the gun, cleaned, oiled and put it back together.

Since then, I have taken it out every few months to check and re-oil it. I always kept it in perfect shape.

When I took it to the range, I put in a single round and fired it. Shot fine, popped the bolt and ejected the shell. Rolled another in and fired. This time, the bolt only rolled about 1/4 and locked up. After many attempts, I finally got the bolt rolled up and the shell out.

I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED right there, but I thought it was a fluke, so I rolled in one more round. Fired, tried to roll up the bolt, same jam. This time, no matter what I did, I could not get the bolt to roll all of the way up.

I ended up bringing the gun home with the spent shell stuck in the gun.

Any tips?

 

[jpwilly]

Clean the chamber, soak it in #9 and get in there if you can with a bore brush chucked up into a hand drill and polish the chamber. Cosmoline in the chamber causes "Sticky Bolt" when fired it heats up and cools right back down and acts like glue in the process.

 

[highorder]

You probably have a very rough or otherwise corroded chamber.

Tap the bolt open with a hammer, and extract the spent casing. Get a short section of cleaning rod and a .410 shotgun bronze brush. Use a cordless drill and some solvent to clean and polish the chamber. It's a very common issue with the Mosin Nagant.


EDIT:

Read this: http://www.russian-mosin-nagant.com/sticky_bolt.htm

 

[Haycreek]

The MN bolt doesn't have many parts, but--- it is unforgiving regarding the exact reassymly. perhaps if you detailed stripped the bolt, something may not have went back together correctly. ?? The action is very strong, and will take punishment, you may have to get rough with disassybly, then go shopping for another MN.

 

[RonE]

Clean the bolt, the receiver and the chamber. Cleaning the recesses where the bolt lugs lock is a pita but necessary. You might plug the muzzle with something that will not damage the bore and fill the barrel and as much of the action as you can with automatic transmission fluid and let it sit for a day or two. The next step would be to clean the receiver (and everything else) with boiling water and liquid dish-washing soap. (I recommend Joy because it cuts grease so well) Remember to clean the chamber with a brass chamber brush. When it is clean, rinse with boiling water and oil lightly.

Now try to fire five in a row. My 91/30 will fire 20 rounds in less than 5 minutes of well aimed fire and the bolt works smoothly.

Cleanliness is next to Godliness.

 

[KE4NYV]

Thanks for all of the good info and tips!

OK, so I first need to tap the bolt loose so I can get the spent case out. Then I need to really get in there and clean it well (again). I'll pick up a bore brush so I can clean that out, as well.

When I stripped it the first time, for the initial cleaning, I even went through the trouble to disassemble the bolt. I bought a book that was a Russian to English translation of the original manual with the gun. Looks like I need to go find that and try again.

Thanks!

 

[tkcomer]

Here's a good web page on the Mosin: http://www.surplusrifle.com/russianmosin189130/index.asp

 

[Cosmoline]

Halt .... hammerzeit

Also check to make sure there's no busted off bit of cartridge lodged in the chamber.

 

[Ian Sean]

Very same problem with 2 M44's. Both of them had very rough chambers and very hard extraction like you describe.

I polished them up with a cordless drill, a section of cleaning rod and a bore mop, I think the mop was for a 20 or 28 gauge shotgun. I used Flitz metal polish on the mop and went at it. I went in slow and watched that i only polished the chamber and didn't have the mop in the throat and against the rifling. I only polished on low speed for a minute or so and did a thorough cleaning of the chamber.

The results were very good. Sticky bolt problem solved on both.

 

[highorder]

http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting2005/eliminatesbs/index.asp