Mosin Nagant Cleaning and Storage Care

[blue92lx]

Hey everyone!

So I just got my first Mosin and freaking love it. I just have a couple of questions about Cleaning it and Storing it...

I cleaned all of the Cosmoline off of it which was a huge chore, but it's nice and clean now. I oiled it all down lightly with gun oil thinking it would prevent the rust but I just took it apart after shooting it 3 times over 2 weeks and I go straight home and use Windex to kill the corrosion then clean/oil the bore and anything visible including the bolt inside and out after shooting, but not taking the gun apart. I took the gun apart again tonight and there are little rust spots everywhere. Like in the trigger assembly (had the most rust spots), screws, holes where pins are inserted, etc.

Am I supposed to leave grease in certain areas like the trigger assembly that you can't get to without disassembly?

Do I need to completely break down the gun every time I go shooting?

Or maybe I didn't oil it up as well as I thought...

I'm going to be putting it back together but would like some input if you all don't mind. It would be greatly appreciated since I like the Mosin I have and don't want to end up buying another to replace it! Also, I don't have a case for it yet but I'll be getting one soon so I've had to wrap it in a towel nice and tight and store it under the bed. Not the best of conditions but it'll have it's own case soon.

 

[firesky101]

use a heavier oil or even light grease on your internals (just keep it out of the barrel). I have alot of soviet steel, and the metal where the bluing has gone away tends to rust with just light oil.

 

[blue92lx]

Any kind of particular grease? The only thing I've ever used on my guns is regular gun oil until now, I have Hoppes 9 Solvent that I use.

Although... when I originally broke it down for the cosmoline cleaning I didn't use the Hoppes 9, I used a light coating of the Remington gun oil that I use on everything else.

 

[firesky101]

I use whatever heavy motor oil I have around but I have heard of people using light coatings of white lithium grease, or even that stuff they put on semi trailer hitches.

 

[blue92lx]

Word. I should have some motor oil laying around somewhere...

 

[Ditchtiger]

Never mind the Windex rumor, water is all it takes to remove the salts from the primer.
Personally I boil water to pour down the bore as not to worry about left-over moisture.
Then clean and oil normally.

 

[Cosmoline]

If you shoot corrosive it's a good idea to clean both the bore (promptly) and bolt. Sometimes a primer busts, sometimes gasses just get in there. But either way I HAVE found rust on the pin inside the bolt head from shooting corrosive. It's very easy to take the bolt apart when you get used to it.

 

[caribou]

the salts that cause the corrosion are diossolved and flushed/removed by water. I make mine hot, so it heats the steel and drys itself, and scrub with a brush to get it all, then after the boiling water I scrub with a solvent and brush patch and oil it on the bare clean steel. No rust, years of shooting.

 

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

Firstly, welcome to the Forum.
Secondly, welcome to the Addiction.

Thirdly, I use CLP to prevent rust on my firearms. Never have the problem now.

 

[USAF_Vet]

My M-44 is a '53 Hungarian, and never got a re-arsenal prior to import. It's got about 5% of the original bluing left. It has some rust spots that are only coming out if I take a heavy brush to it. Eventually I'll get it professionally reblued, but for now, I take care of the bore and bolt and let the rest go to patina.

 

[AT2]

I use a steam cleaner with a nozzle attachment to blast the heck out of my chamber/bore when I get home. I do three cycles of steam/brush/steam. I chase that with hoppes and s&w oil in the aerosol can. I have a couple in "long term" storage that are packed in brownells rust veto. I really wish I could find a drum of cosmoline though.

 

[Gordon_Freeman]

Maybe wrapping a towel around it caused the rust. I've also read that you should never store guns in gun cases. Get a good safe or locker.
Maybe you had condensation from bringing the gun in from extreme cold.
Rem oil is not the best oil to prevent rust. CLP is a lot better.
I use a funnel to pour boiling water in my bore immediately after shooting. Then hoppes and CLP in the bore.

 

[blue92lx]

Don't worry about the addiction... I'm already doing my best to find an M44

Reading the replies I do have another question that I forgot about, Do you use the bare bronze brush to scrub the barrel?

Right now I use the Windex, I'm not into the boiling water because I know at some point it's going to turn ugly and with the Windex bottle I can just liberally hose down the inside of the barrel safely without injury to me and everything around me.

So I'll get some CLP and use that on the internals as well, from what I gather it's clean out the corrosive salts with Windex (or water), then use Hoppe's until everything shines, then use CLP for lube. Is this correct? And is it really necessary to even use the bare brush? I just wrap a cloth around the brush and scrub the crap out of the barrel until it shines. I just keep replacing the cloth with clean ones until it comes out white. Then I lube.

 

[blue92lx]

Also, right now I have nowhere to put a gun case/locker/etc. Finding something that will fit a 4ft rifle plus others in an apt isn't easy. With my bags I put the humidity absorbing salts and just keep replacing those. It's something, better than nothing.

 

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

I wrap a patch around my brush before I put it through the barrel. Always seems to do a good job before I run a boresnake through about 10 times. That's just how I do it.

CLP does some amazing work at lubing and rust prevention in my experience. And Hoppe's 9 will do fine to neutralize the corrosive salts. That's what I've been doing lately and I've got a shiny bore to show for it. No corrosion in sight.

And your addiction has set in fully. Quick, send me your Mosin's so it can be cured, lol! You'll be pleased with your purchase of an M44 Carbine as well. That's what I own.

 

[blue92lx]

Ugh I can't wait to get an M44.... Yours looks like it's in damn good shape too!

I just got my CLP and a gun sock for temporary storage for now from Walmart. Figured it's better than a towel anyway.

Thanks for the help everyone!!

 

[TurtlePhish]

M91/30 sniper, I just spray down the chamber, bore, and bolt head with 50/50 ammonia and water as soon as I finish at the range. When I get home, lots of brushing and cleaning with Hoppes, oil it up, and it's good.

 

[LJ-MosinFreak-Buck]

Thanks, Blue, She's a 1944 Izhevsk, and highly suspect it's seen combat, it's been counter-bored, and has five marks under the bolt handle that I think may be a kill count, but not sure.

Thanks, though!

 

[Whacked]

Never mind the Windex rumor, water is all it takes to remove the salts from the primer.
Personally I boil water to pour down the bore as not to worry about left-over moisture.
Then clean and oil normally.

+75275175327551752

Use windex to clean your windows and glass.
those that think ammonia does something for the corrosive salts need to retake chemistry 101. I damn near failed that class and know better than that.

Plain 'ol water will remove the corrosive salts.
I shoot black powder so I have a mix of ballistol/water onhand for that. I used to use plain water but got tired of cooking my guns in the oven so I made the switch to ballistol. I had to order it 'cause nobody carries it.
just spray it soaking wet with the solution, wipe with rag, run a few dry patches and done. anything you miss, the water will evaporate and leave a thin film of oil. No fuss, no muss, no rust.