Should I clean my Mosin Bore with toothpaste?

[slash415]

I have the rather common sticky bolt problem with my Mosin Nagant. After watching some videos on fixing this problem, one of the things that the videos are saying, is to clean the bore out. I don't have access to any of the cleaning substance that were used.... Could common toothpaste suffice?


I plan on using a 20 gauge bore brush with cleaning pads wrapped around.

 

[willypete]

By "bore," do you mean "chamber"?

It could work, but you're probably going to scratch your chamber up good and proper. Why don't you just wait to purchase some of the cleaning compounds mentioned in that video?

Would you mind to post a link to the video you watched?

 

[slash415]

Sure, here it is


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

 

[Buck Kramer]

Makes sense. Toothpaste is an abrasive paste. If you really want to shine it up use plus whitening lol.

 

[fireman 9731]

Sticky chambers are usually caused by old, dried, and hardened cosmoline in the chamber. You don't need to polish the metal, you just need to get the old crud out.

A 20 gauge bore brush, some WD-40, and an electric drill should do wonders.

Don't put toothpaste in your rifle.

 

[ThorinNNY]

You could take it to the rifle range , fire about 5 rounds and then clean it while the chamber is hot.The heat will soften up old cosmo/lacquer,so cleanup is easier.
Toothpaste- leave it in your medicine cabinet!

 

[denton]

Most toothpastes are mostly bicarbonate of soda. Does it have a muzzle odor?

 

[slash415]

Haha, awesome reply!

 

[bushmaster1313]

Only if you think it a good idea to brush teeth with Rem-Oil

 

[redman900]

I don't think toothpaste will help now i looks like a big cavity bah dum. i here all week. tip your waitress.

 

[HILLBILLY-06]

A 20 gauge bore brush, some WD-40, and an electric drill should do wonders.
Don't put toothpaste in your rifle.

Yeah, this guy has the answer. On a bolt rifle, make sure its not loaded, take out the bolt and clean it with a shotgun brush. Just make sure you dry the chamber out good before you shoot it, you'll be fine. Don't be afraid to clean your rifle. But come on man, tooth paste? Yeah right, i'd rather brush my teeth with Rem-oil, than do that to my rifle.

 

[Clipper]

Obviously, these guys have no idea what they're talking about, but I doubt you need to toothpaste the chamber, but you may be on to something if you have a dark bore. However, the abrasive in toothpaste might be too mild for real serious cleaning. We used to use toothpaste as polish on model car paint to really give a smooth surface for our show models, so if we could get away with that for Testor's spray enamel, it's doubtful it would make much of an impression on bore discoloration before your arm fell off...

 

[Onmilo]

I think I would just go to Brownells.com and order some JB Bore Cleaning Compound.

 

[ball3006]

Simple, don't shoot that green steel cased ammo............chris3

 

[ThorinNNY]

Sticky bolts are caused by cosmoline or lacquer crud left by steel cased ammo.If theres leftover cosmoline in the chamber and you fire lacquerd cases, the cosmo.&lacquer heat up and flow together,acting like a sort of glue.Dried cosmo. can be hard to see.
The solvent,.410 bore brush routine will work. if using a drill,make sure you don`t touch the rifling .THAT may result in damage.
If the is a burr in the chamber it might result in the bolt sticking. Clean the chamber thoroughly, the run your finger through the chamber to check for a burr.
If you shoot about 5 rounds, then clean it while its hot, you soften up the crud, making it easier to clean the crud out.

 

[BCRider]

In the video I saw of the fellow doing the chamber polishing with the JB Bore Bright it showed that the JB stuff had the very charactaristic color of jeweller's rouge. You can buy the same stuff in stick form which is used for buffing or you can buy a wax based version as automotive "cut polish". If you buy the automotive stuff you can use it as it comes, which looks almost exactly like the consistency of the JB stuff. Or you could mix in a little oil to make it spread more easily and soak into the patch a little more.

I would certainly try the .410 brush and solvent in the hand drill first. The Bore Bright or the jeweler's rouge options mentioned here are all abrasive and will remove some amount of metal. Although just a small amount. I would also recomend a VERY thorough cleaning if you use any of these options. If you don't get out every last little spec of it you'll continue to cut away at some amount of metal as long as it's in there.