Mosin reassembly problem...weird

[Shrinkmd]

Major problem tonight! I was cleaning some rust I discovered on a 91/30 I got, and after taking it down and cleaning/relubing, I am now completely unable to get the screw back in for the ejector spring/ejector assembly. I have successfully done this on my other 91/30, and the screw came out fine. What gives? I tried putting the screw back in without the ejector spring, but no dice. Did the hole magically get smaller?

My gunsmithing skills are limited, but the last time I did this the screw went right back in no problem. Could there have been rust or some other problem which caused the screw to strip or something? Do I just need a new replacement screw, or is my receiver buggered and in need of major help?

Also, I put the whole thing back together (minus that screw) and it seemed to work fine, at least as far as cycling some snap cap dummy rounds.

Is this rifle safe to shoot now? During shooting can the little ejector spring work its way out and make the rifle not load correctly or eject? From playing with it a bit, it looks like it would work ok if it were the last rifle on earth or something like that, but I want it to work properly! I guess this is the trouble you get into when you inspect things more carefully. I don't remember seeing rust there the first time I took it down, but I never completely disassembled this one before since it looked ok (I guess I didn't look carefully) The bore is fine after my usual post-corrosive cleaning...

So, any ideas? It really stinks being unable to reassemble a rifle which normally comes apart and back with just a screwdriver!!!

 

[dstorm1911]

Well for starters thats not an ejector its an interupter its what allows a Mosin to reliably cycle rimmed ammo without the usual associated problems.

Ya do have the interupter installed the correct direction don't you? if not the spring will still slide into its dovetail BUT not far enough for the screw to actually start into the hole, it will look lined up but it will never work, its a safty feature common to pretty much all Warsaw weapons systems, they can only be reassembled the correct way (with the exception of the SKS) If the interupter is installed correctly ya will actually be able to over run the hole slightly if not it will not quite travel far enough.



NO do not shoot it or ANY firearm that has not been correctly reassembled!!

Good luck

 

[irishvet]

Please down load a manual from Surplusrifle.com. It will save a lot of time.

 

[rockstar.esq]

dstorm1911 well put! Particularly the bit about how Warsaw pact guns won't work misassembled.

 

[Shrinkmd]

Been there done that...

I was using the surplusrifle.com directions, and I have already successfully disassembled and reassembled my other mosin.

I was trying to get this screw back in even with the ejector spring not installed, and it still will not go anywhere near that hole, which it came out of previously. There was rust on the ejector and a little on the receiver near that slot for the ejector. Could there have been a problem with the screw and now there is rust in the threads of the receiver hole (or the screw) which is preventing it from going back in?

If I need to retap the screw hole and replace the screw, anyone know what size it is supposed to be?

 

[dstorm1911]

That is an interupter and how can it not go anywhere near the hole if the spring is removed? The interupter can be installed two directions in the slot, one way will allow the spring to be slid into its dovetail far enough to just miss the hole in the spring lining up with the threads in the reciever the other way (remove it and flip it around 180 deg in the slot) will let the interupter spring slide actually past the hole in the reciever it is designed that way on purpose, now if ya tried to force the screw at any point ya might very well have trashed the threads but if ya have not tried to force it etc... then it will still work.

The interupter has a small "ejector" protrusion which should be located at the rear of the slot, with the squared edge at the rear. If the threads on the screw are trashed your gonna need a new screw...

 

[Shrinkmd]

Thanks dstorm1911. I'm pretty sure the spring is all the way into the dovetail, but I will recheck it tonight. However, I was trying to get the screw back into the hole even without the spring installed, and it still wouldn't go in.

I admit to trying to force the screw a little after the first attempt or so, so perhaps the screw is now buggered and in need of replacement. How likely is it that the threads in the hole need help? Even if there was some rust/oil junk in those threads on the receiver, shouldn't a screw normally be able to get back in? Especially when it just was removed from that hole a moment before?

Can we assume that the receiver steel is way harder than that of the screw, so if anything got damaged it was the screw? My friend could help me retap the hole if needed, but it would be fantastic to just mail order another screw and pop it back in...