My Mosin T53

[WolverineFury]

Hey fellows. A few months ago, I posted a thread called Mosin vs Mauser. In that thread I asked what the pros and cons of each system was, and asked for opinions on both rifles. You can view that thread here

Armed with the advise I'd received (and much more research) I finally decided on getting the Mosin Carbine, either in M38, M44, or T53. After posting an add on ArmsList, and going over a couple offers, I decided to buy this rifle+accessories (not all shown) for $135, with an added spam can for another $90.



As you can see, it's a Chinese Type 53 sporting a folding bayonet, and a stock that looks like junk. My plan is to refinish the stock, and paint the stock either a Satin Black, or OD green (maybe go all out with a camo).

I bought it with cosmoline all over the inside of the rifle, and got that all cleaned out last night.

The only problem I see with it so far is that the extractor on the bolt head is a bit too tight, so when I go to close the bolt on the round you sometimes need to give it a good smack to make the extractor close down on the rim.



I also plan to put the Brass Stacker Scope Mount on the sight block, and thus turn the gun into a Pseudo-Scout rifle.

I'm planning on taking it out to shoot for the first time on Saturday I'll post a review of the Brass Stacker and let you know how well it shoots. In the mean time here are a few more pics.

 

[Tolkachi Robotnik]

Looks fun, and a decent price.

The bolt comes apart and no doubt has cosmoline on the inside of it like was all over the rifle. The extractor might pop over the rims better when it is gone. With the bolt out of the rifle the cartridges should fit in the end well. It is not really that intuitive how the bolt goes together again after you have it apart, you should read about that before you start in, but it is easy once you know how it works.

The stocks do not clean up well even with a lot of work, you might be best off getting used to it as is and wondering about how each of the dings happened, what sort of history would be behind it all. A lot of T53's are mentioned to have poor stocks. Yours might hold up to a lot of shooting.

Clean the bore when you shoot that ammo. Get it out and clean it again the next day or two just to see if it is still good. A lot of surplus ammo has a tendency to rust the bore, but even water and patches followed by a little oil and dry patches will stop this. I do not believe the primers or powder are all that corrosive but they attract humidity and that is what brings the rust on. Also guilding metal is different and tends to build up, you will improve the carbine with some bore brush activity IMO. If you reload for it the bore will be less maintenance.

 

[monotonous_iterancy]

^ That's right. All that surplus ammo is corrosive. When you fire it, it deposits salts in the chamber and the bore, and on the bolt. This attracts moisture, and it can do so quickly.

The good news is that they're water soluble. I use patches soaked in Windex, or just plain water. Run them down the bore, wipe the bolt face off, and then dry thoroughly, and you shouldn't have any problems.

Many people use hot or even boiling water to help it dry, I don't, but I guess it gives some people peace of mind. Just make sure it's dry, and then clean and oil like normal.

 

[WolverineFury]

Yes, I've been thinking that fixing the original stock might be a royal pain. I'm not necessarily wanting to do a "top of the line" job, but I don't know, the stock kinnda adds a rustic feel to it. I may just end up buying an old M44 stock and paint that one instead.


@monotonous Thanks for the tip about the Windex, I'd read about pouring the warm water down the barrel but that sounded like a royal pain.

 

[WolverineFury]

On another note, does anyone know of a bandolier that will take Mosin Clips? I've heard that the Vietcong had some purpose built ones, but those are very hard to find. Any suggestions?

 

[justashooter in pa]

FYI the gun is prolly regulated to shoot to point of aim with the bayo extended. poa is high on all mil surp guns made into the second war, for volley firing.

 

[WolverineFury]

FYI the gun is prolly regulated to shoot to point of aim with the bayo extended. poa is high on all mil surp guns made into the second war, for volley firing.

What does volley firing have to do with a high POA?

 

[Cosmoline]

FYI here's the method I use for loading and cycling Mosins. It helps with sticky bolts to use your arm muscles, not your finger tips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLZxpfcz_Dw

Yours will likely prefer light ball.

I can see some residual cosmoline on that bolt head and there's almost certainly more in the chamber. I use Mpro spray and elbow grease. You can use a gun cleaning brush and for the chamber I use a pistol rod with a .45 brush to get some real leverage on the crud.

 

[WolverineFury]

@Cosmoline Phew, that's one smooth action, and thanks for the advise. I spent some time working on loosening the extractor and cleaning the bolt this evening and it's MUCH better. I think now all I need to do now is some light tapping around the rim of the bolt head as per Iraqvetern8888's video.

P.S. That is one SWEET Mosin.

 

[Cosmoline]

Thanks! It's a Polish M44 I snagged last month down in Portland at the gun show. This one had been shot but is in very good condition. I suppose I could stow it in the safe but it's just too nice a shooter to leave. Not surprisingly it likes Polish light ball ammo. I'm not sure what the Chinese T53's prefer. Probably the same. But you never can tell till you try out a mix. For example I've got a Finn M91/30 now made by Tikka that shoots poorly with light ball but zeros in immediately with the heavier commercial loads. I think many times when people assume a Mosin is a poor shooter, they simply haven't tried out enough types. 120 years of rifles and 54R makes for a lot of subtle variation.

 

[WolverineFury]

You wouldn't have any experience in removing the rearward pin on the sight mount would you? I'm having a deucedly bad time trying to punch it out. I've heated area around the pin with a torch, and still had no success.

I guess I'm going to have to try more heat, and a better punch coupled with a larger hammer.

 

[Cosmoline]

The M44 style sight block and the sight itself can be extremely difficult to shift. A tap is sometimes not sufficient. I used kroil and a big honking Columbian bench vise to shift my M44's dovetail sight over a notch. Removing the pins is even more difficult. I don't think they were tapered but even so it's a job for something more than a hammer.

I have a lot more fun with these rifles leaving them as-is. Scoping an M44 is one of those things that sounds a lot cooler than it is.

 

[improperlyaged]

I bought it with cosmoline all over the inside of the rifle, and got that all cleaned out last night.

Trust me, no you didn't, you got what the rifle wanted you to get. Put it in a black trash bag and set it in the sun for a few hours.

 

[Fiv3r]

I love my T53 I picked one up because I used to keep a 91/30 under the seat as my truck gun, but boy howdy it was a chore to draw out that sucker

The 53 was inexpensive, shoots well, stores easily, actually cycles better than my Russian Mosins, and makes a handy gun for everything from coyotes to bad guys. Like a lot of T53s, mines mostly Chinese in action only. I think every other part of it including the stock is Russian

Makes a fun beater to plink with and certainly makes the campsite feel safer. I'm still thinking about cleaning it up a little bit more.

 

[carbine85]

Just my .02. I would attempt refinishing the stock. If you have access to a tank you might try boiling the wood after you strip it. It sounds radical but you might be surprised by the results. It gets the old grease out of it and raises a lot of the grain and dents. I would also remove the bayonet and sight it back in. Large chunks of steel hanging off the front of a rifle doesn't do much for accuracy.

 

[Cosmoline]

Boiling the stock is extreme and I'm not sure why you'd do that.

I've handled and cleaned hundreds of Mosin stocks. The ones that have shellac on them aren't subject to embedded cosmoline. That's something that happens to *unfinished* stocks that were improperly coated in cosmoline. With finished stocks it's a matter of cleaning up the surface with wet rags and maybe a mild wood soap. Boiling would damage the grain, destroy the finish and probably weaken the wood.

 

[carbine85]

Boiling the stock is extreme and I'm not sure why you'd do that.

I've handled and cleaned hundreds of Mosin stocks. The ones that have shellac on them aren't subject to embedded cosmoline. That's something that happens to *unfinished* stocks that were improperly coated in cosmoline. With finished stocks it's a matter of cleaning up the surface with wet rags and maybe a mild wood soap. Boiling would damage the grain, destroy the finish and probably weaken the wood.

Some of the best refinishers around boil wood. It's been around for many years. You don't actual boil at 212 degrees, it's more like simmer at 195. I have done this myself several times. We are talking about a beat up stock that might be getting replaced. Nothing really gets wasted.

Check this guy out. His work is awesome. The stock work is around the 1:18 mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsYx6de8TMo&list=UUezdPqmlJxYOUeVjscwd39w

 

[Cosmoline]

It may be a last-ditch method for cosmo-impregnated stocks. But on this one you can see plenty of finish still in place. So why not just wipe it down with some rags?

 

[WolverineFury]

That's what I did. Threw it in the oven and let the junk seep out and wiped it out.

 

[WolverineFury]

I finally got to shoot my T53 earlier today, and boy! I was blown away (no pun intended). The action was 100% smooth, didn't have any troubles opening or closing the bolt. Experienced no sticky bolt syndrome. Also had no problems with the interrupter.

I had one issue with the extractor where it wasn't ejecting the spent casings (I had to push them out with a cleaning rod). This happened 3 times in the first 20 rounds. Then I put another 40 through it without trouble. I'm thinking that it had to do with the extractor being too loose, I'm not sure. Whatever it was may have corrected itself. However, I plan on shooting again soon and if the problem persists I will try to troubleshoot the issue. (anyone who may have experienced this problem please speak up)

As far as accuracy goes. I didn't sit down and do any precision shooting, but standing off hand, and popping off the shots rather quickly (about 1 min) I was getting the majority of my 20 shots on the 8 1/2" by 11" target from about 75 yrds. I would say that it probably has an accuracy of 1-6 moa (very wide margin I know) I can't really be precise about that though, until I get my mount on it, and get it sighted in. Also I didn't notice much difference shooting with the bayonet extended or folded back. Maybe an inclination to shoot a little to the left? Once again, remains to be seen.

Now I just have to clean in

 

[Cosmoline]

Mosin extractors are pretty strong, so if yours feels loose it may very well need to be replaced. But they're easy to find.

 

[carbine85]

I finally got to shoot my T53 earlier today, and boy! I was blown away (no pun intended). The action was 100% smooth, didn't have any troubles opening or closing the bolt. Experienced no sticky bolt syndrome. Also had no problems with the interrupter.

I'm not surprised. Most Chi Com guns are well made. The Russians aren't known for quality. My post war Russian M44 doesn't come close to the quality of my Polish M44.

 

[Blue Brick]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0teCXK3BEls

Just saw this...A good reason to inspect everything before you shoot, it had a broken shell in the chamber.

 

[SimplyChad]

How hard was it to remove the rear sight?

 

[WolverineFury]

Hehe, well. I took it to a gun smith to get that pin out. I should be getting my gun back in a day or two. We broke about 5 punches and used about $10 in gas (heating the area). Finally decided it wasn't worth it.