Hello everyone!
I know there are many Mosin sticky bolt threads but I have followed all advice I could find on the internet and forums and am still left with a sticky bolt.
I have an all matching stamped serial number '38 Red Letter Tula. Beautiful condition and excellent barrel with a very nice trigger, or at least it used to be. Depot 25 gave it some shims and perhaps a raised front for barrel support.
The problem arises from the bolt, which is an Izhevsk. On first glance it appeared to be in great condition but now after doing my best to polish to 2500 grit I can see giant chatter marks in the relevant areas, one of the camming ramps has little teeth on the corner my fingernail could easily get caught on. In particular the front area that meets the receiver is almost impossible to polish, it is covered with chatter marks.
I have never shot it and it is causing problems without ammunition, a bad sign.
Sliding back and forth is very smooth, and opening after pre-cocking is great after polishing and cleaning. Closing is very difficult and about halfway down it gets stuck, and then pops closed after the resistance is overcome. Opening is very stiff and happens in a few stages, about half way it requires a solid smack.
In all of this cleaning and polishing the trigger has somehow gotten worse, although it might just need more lube.
I think spring tension is too high, but after installing the bolt without the spring closing was still very difficult in the same way, although opening became perfectly smooth. So the spring alone cannot be at fault, when I screw it in I hear the spring grinding against the channel every few turns, is this normal?
Can I fill the chatter marks with JBWeld or something? Would that be counter intuitive because they indicate that not enough steel was removed? Not sure how I would fix the corner teeth.
I know the bolt can open smooth with the ridiculous marks, although not with the spring requiring cocking, but closing is still inexplicably difficult.
Any advice?
When I get my drill back I will smooth out the firing pin as IV8888 suggests but can't think of anything else to fix this dry situation. If I can't find a different solution I might snip a coil off the spring as well.
I know there are many Mosin sticky bolt threads but I have followed all advice I could find on the internet and forums and am still left with a sticky bolt.
I have an all matching stamped serial number '38 Red Letter Tula. Beautiful condition and excellent barrel with a very nice trigger, or at least it used to be. Depot 25 gave it some shims and perhaps a raised front for barrel support.
The problem arises from the bolt, which is an Izhevsk. On first glance it appeared to be in great condition but now after doing my best to polish to 2500 grit I can see giant chatter marks in the relevant areas, one of the camming ramps has little teeth on the corner my fingernail could easily get caught on. In particular the front area that meets the receiver is almost impossible to polish, it is covered with chatter marks.
I have never shot it and it is causing problems without ammunition, a bad sign.
Sliding back and forth is very smooth, and opening after pre-cocking is great after polishing and cleaning. Closing is very difficult and about halfway down it gets stuck, and then pops closed after the resistance is overcome. Opening is very stiff and happens in a few stages, about half way it requires a solid smack.
In all of this cleaning and polishing the trigger has somehow gotten worse, although it might just need more lube.
I think spring tension is too high, but after installing the bolt without the spring closing was still very difficult in the same way, although opening became perfectly smooth. So the spring alone cannot be at fault, when I screw it in I hear the spring grinding against the channel every few turns, is this normal?
Can I fill the chatter marks with JBWeld or something? Would that be counter intuitive because they indicate that not enough steel was removed? Not sure how I would fix the corner teeth.
I know the bolt can open smooth with the ridiculous marks, although not with the spring requiring cocking, but closing is still inexplicably difficult.
Any advice?
When I get my drill back I will smooth out the firing pin as IV8888 suggests but can't think of anything else to fix this dry situation. If I can't find a different solution I might snip a coil off the spring as well.