Mosin Nagant questions

[foghornl]

When I bought my M-44, it took nearly a gallon of mineral spirits to get all the cosmo out of the barrel/chamber.

There was so much goo in the chamber a .25 brush would barely fit it there. I plugged the muzzle end, filled barrel with min-spir, let it soak, brush, repeat.............

 

[monotonous_iterancy]

One more thing, what's up with the bolt? It has this half-cock thing that I've never seen on any other bolt action. I know that the safety is engaged by twisting the end of the bolt sideways, but is that also a safety feature? I don't think it is, but I'm not sure.

 

[Caliper_Mi]

If the "half cock" you are referring to is the little catch you feel when closing the bolt, that first click is moving off the detent that holds the bolt handle in the open position. Where it stops is when the cocking piece engages the sear and the tension you feel closing the bolt after that is just adding the last bit of tension to the firing pin spring. I don't think it serves any purpose, it's just how the action works.

One thing it definitely is NOT is a decocker. Somewhere there were people saying to move the bolt handle to that first click and then pull the trigger to decock the rifle. Doing that does close the bolt and leave it in a uncocked position, but do NOT do it with a round in the chamber! If you do, the firing pin will be protruding from the bolt and pressing against the primer.