Milsurp Bolt Cleaning Poll

[Shrinkmd]

I have read many different opinions, so now it is time for a "scientific" poll. As much as I enjoy taking the bolt apart and giving everything a good scrubbing, it looks like only the bolt head and locking lugs show any dirt (or get contacted by corrosive salts) Unless a primer is blown (do people check every case?), do you need to take the bolt down completely? Anything to save cleaning time, especially if it isn't necessary.

So what do you do?

 

[Ivy Mike]

on Mauser bolts, its not like its that difficult to tear down and check. I take mine apart every so often and spray them out with a little brake cleaner. You can run a bore brush down the body to really scrub it if you like.
I give the metal-metal contact parts a minute drop of oil and thats that. Of course, firing pin and bolt face remain dry.

 

[rangerruck]

i have a sink that has fire hose pressure, and the water is so hot , it is actually funny. i blow the blow torch water over the bolt, and then pick it up with a mit, and just blow it dry. the whole thing takes about 30 seconds.

 

[Koobuh]

Clean the bolt?
I just wipe off the bolt with some CLP, scrubbing the face a bit, and put it back in the rifle. No rust yet, though the Tetra grease we have on the cam surfaces probably helps that too. Mosin bolts run nicely when greased.

 

[Pork Fat]

You can take bolts apart?

 

[Lancer]

I clean mine like I clean all my others, when I get home.

 

[Firehand]

Wipe the face off at the range same time as run some Ballistol/water wet patches through, dry & oil. Clean the bore normally at home, but only take the bolt down every once in a while.

I checked the inside of several bolts after firing corrosive ammo, all I ever found was a little fouling on the firing pin. And I left one of them uncleaned for a couple of weeks, never found any sign of corrosion.

I do take the bolt down and wipe the pin on my 91/30 Nagant sniper; I use mostly Czech ammo in it, and I've heard it leaves more of the corrosive elements than most others, so just to be safe...