"New" Mosin-Nagant

[Dreamcast270mhz]

So I got my first .30 cal rifle a few days ago. It is a Mosin Nagant 91/30 Hex receiver with matching bayonet from the Izhevsk arsenal (triangle arrow mark). Got it at $115 with sling, kit and ammo pack. All I've done ATM is clean off the cosmoline that was on the receiver, bolt, barrel and stock. Checked it out, crown is nice and shiny, no counter-boring or anything, receiver dates at 1929. Bolt is VERY smooth. Need to get it down to the range soon....

So, I have some serious questions : Got a box of corrosive mil-surp, guy who sold it said to use windex w/ ammonia D and spray it down barrel, and then send a swab down the barrel, is this proper to do? I plan to take everything apart after shooting it and cleaning the cosmoline off the internals, whats the definite places I should be sure to clean, and should I just wipe it off or use something else as well? I plan to do a Bubba free accurization, just bedding the reciever and sanding the inside of the stock to eliminate pressure points, anything I should know here?

 

[Red Tornado]

Windex is great, but it's really just the water that dissolves the salts left by corrosive ammo. Warm, soapy water is probably ideal, but I never use soap. I usually just use tap water too. Then just clean normally.

Take the bolt apart the first time when you're cleaning off the cosmo. There are instructions at surplusrifle.com. They also have a quick and easy trigger job using pieces from an aluminum can. It doesn't permanently change the rifle, works great, and is easy enough that anybody can do it.
Have fun,
RT

 

[deimos256]

I thought the ammonia neutralized the salts that the primers left behind. Any who I usually just run a few windex soaked patches down the barrel then follow up with regular powder solvent. Good luck with your rifle, they are lots of fun to shoot and ammo is cheap. I recommend getting a spam can of Russian surplus, I find my Mosin likes it better than the Czech stuff I was buying at my local gun store.

 

[tyeo098]

I just use Hoppes.
Gets rid of the salts and dissolves the crud

 

[Dreamcast270mhz]

I have a spam can of russian I misspoke earlier when I said "box"

 

[Red Tornado]

It's still a box, just a big, metal, hermetically sealed box.

The only accessory I bothered with was a slip on butt pad. You may not need it, but I'm a little recoil sensitive and it tends to accumulate if you shoot it much. Especially with that small metal butt plate.
RT

 

[Dreamcast270mhz]

Yeah I see, I might. The only other .30 I've shot regularly is my friends NFA AK and that has little recoil as it has a custom recoil stock (But it is ugly as hell the stock is)

 

[plmcrzy]

I use a 1/2 and 1/2 mixture of water and amonia, just soak a patch and run it through, soak another and run it through, followed by a dry patch, finish of with a patch with light oil. Be sure to wipe down all other parts of the rifel with the solution, and coat with light oil. Enjoy that Mosin!!

 

[Roan]

As you can see everyone has their own corrosive ammo ritual they perform. My recommendation is similar. At the range, when you are done shooting, either use water or windex and spray down the barrel until it starts to run out of the muzzle. I also make sure to hit the bolt face with a little. Then push a single cleaning patch through it, pack it up and head home to do a full cleaning.

A bit of advice that will help you out is to take a rag with you when you fire it. Cosmoline will start to sweat out of the stock when the barrel gets warm. Just wipe it away and keep shooting.

 

[wristtwister]

Ammonia will corrode your barrel as much as the corrosive salts, so use a little Joy dishwashing detergent in water to flush out the barrel, and just mop it dry when you're finished. I must have shot a million rounds of surplus ammo in pistols and rifles in the 1960's, and never had a problem with barrel deterioration when using my dishwashing process. I just made sure that I cleaned the barrel well, and then dried it off and put some gun oil on it.

Today, I use ATL combination oil and cleaner, and still have good results. I shoot Mosins, PSL's, and a lot of old 8MM in my own rifles, and they all get the dishwash scrub and dry, and then a coating of ATL or spraydown of REM-OIL.

WT

 

[Dreamcast270mhz]

I see..

@roan

good idea, will do that. When it warms up i will weep the stock of its cosmoline so that doesn't happen.

I also plan to bed the reciever using some brass shim, using the guide here: http://www.opticstalk.com/mosin-nagant-how-to-sniper-style-bolt-handle_topic12364.html

 

[mcdonl]

I just use Hoppes.
Gets rid of the salts and dissolves the crud

And it drives the ladies wild.