Mosin questions

[ShafTed]

I took my Mosin to the range this morning. I have the bruises on my shoulder to prove it. A couple of things came up. First, after firing it takes a bit of effort to get the bolt handle up the last 15-20 degrees to vertical before pulling it back to eject the fired casing. With no shell, the bolt works easily and smoothly throughout. I can duplicate the hard turn by closing the bolt on a fired shell and then opening it again. It doesn't do this every time, and when it does I can usually smack the handle with the palm of my hand and get it to work. Is this normal, maybe sample to sample variation of the ammo? A "new" round will drop freely in and out of the chamber by hand, the fired casings I tried all required a little push to bottom out in the chamber, and either a slight push from a cleaning rod or operating the bolt to get them out, they wouldn't fall free like an unfired round.

Second, a couple of times it wouldn't feed ammo from the magazine. Upon closer inspection after I got home, I duplicated the problem a couple of times. It seems worse after loading the mag from a stripper clip. At the range, once I just opened the floor plate to empty the mag and chambered one round at a time by hand. The next clip seemed to work OK, but it did it one more time later. Manually pulling the rounds from the clip and inserting them into the mag one at a time seemed to work better. When the problem occurred, the bolt would contact the top of the cartridge rim and actually push the tip of the bullet down, jamming it against the feed ramp. This is only the second trip to the range with this rifle, and it didn't have the problem the first time. Looking at the springs and parts of the magazine, everything seems OK to me, but I am very inexperienced with Mosins and don't really know what things are supposed to look like. I could see when the problem occurred by looking at the top round in the mag, it would appear to be level or even pointing down a little versus normally pointing the bullet tip slightly upward, towards the feed ramp. "Jiggling" the rounds in the mag doesn't seem to correct the situation, but opening the magazine and then re-loading does cure the problem.

And finally, does anybody know of a good recoil pad that fits a Mosin?

Thanks for any ideas or hints.

 

[damosan]

If you take the stripper clip and just jam the five rounds into the mag you'll often times end up in a situation where the top round isn't up high enough to clear the well. The tip of the round will get caught.

You can fix this normally by applying some pressure at the back of the round just in front of the rim. You'll know you're good because the nose of the top round will just pop into place. I thought this only happened to my 91/30 from '38 but my M44 from '46 will do the same thing.

I suspect it's based on how the rounds are loaded from the stripper clip. I'll take the top round, bend it up a bit, and then push the rounds down. Works but not well. I get that hang up you mention.

And no it doesn't have anything to do with the rounds being rimmed. (Edit: or at least it shouldn't. The Nagant has gear in there to handle that.)

D.

 

[psoyring]

A couple of causes for the bolt issue:
1. Could be residual cosmolene in the chamber
2. Could be you are using heavy ball ammo

 

[ShafTed]

If you take the stripper clip and just jam the five rounds into the mag you'll often times end up in a situation where the top round isn't up high enough to clear the well. The tip of the round will get caught.

You can fix this normally by applying some pressure at the back of the round just in front of the rim. You'll know you're good because the nose of the top round will just pop into place. I thought this only happened to my 91/30 from '38 but my M44 from '46 will do the same thing.

I suspect it's based on how the rounds are loaded from the stripper clip. I'll take the top round, bend it up a bit, and then push the rounds down. Works but not well. I get that hang up you mention.

And no it doesn't have anything to do with the rounds being rimmed. (Edit: or at least it shouldn't. The Nagant has gear in there to handle that.)

D.

This sounds like what's happening to me. I've never been able to get the clips to work what you would call smoothly. I have always had to persuade one or two rounds in at a time, then change the angle of pushing and get a couple more in. I have some Wipe-Out marinating in the barrel right now, I'll probably play around some more after I go back down to deal with that. So far, I didn't find the secret spot to push, to get the first round to "pop" into place but I didn't want to fool with it very much while I was at the range.

psoyring, I was pretty sure I got all the gunk out of the chamber, but I'll give it another look. All I know about the ammo is that it is Russian milsurp and came on stripper clips. It's copper clad, steel case and steel jacket (bullet exhibits mild attraction to a magnet).

Thanks for the info!

 

[yellowsled]

If you think the mosin hits hard, stay away from a Steyr

 

[psoyring]

Some people use a brass brush on a drill to clean the chamber, heavy ball ammo would have a yellow tip.

 

[Bisondice]

Some people use a brass brush on a drill to clean the chamber, heavy ball ammo would have a yellow tip.

look up Mosin sticky bolt on youtube to see videos that help

google mosin recoil pad, they're like ten-15 bucks on amazon/ebay

 

[BeltBuckle]

it's ugly as hell, but it works for me http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1945564546/limbsaver-recoil-pad-slip-on-thick-rubber-black

 

[jodavk]

Using stripper clips I get feed hangups. I load the mag by hand, making sure that the bullets going in have their rim in front of the bullet underneath. I very rarely have feed hangups using this method. I've use a 20 guage shotgun brass brush, dipped in Hoppes #9; spinning it with an electric drill. That corrected the stiff bolt in several of my M1891s. Not all heavy ball has a yellow tip. The Polish dark, lacquered rounds are the worst for causing a stuck bolt and for putting a hurting on your shoulder. I got my Mosin Nagant butt pad from Midway USA, back when I used to shoot M44s a lot. All I shoot anymore is M1891s. Good Luck, be safe.

 

[BrewDoc_MD]

And finally, does anybody know of a good recoil pad that fits a Mosin?

I ordered a mosin recoil pad from Amazon for $10:
Mosin Nagant 1-Inch Recoil Buttpad
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VPEBH4/ref=oh_details_o02_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It replaces the buttplate and uses the same screw. there's not much give to it as is, but some of the comments on it recommended drilling out the circles in it generating more give. I did that with mine...much more absorptive.

 

[Melnic]

I have ONE Limb Saver Large Rifle pad.
It slips on so I can use it on any of my milsurps.

Sticky Bolt. Did it to all my mosins.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcRzrYqgSsE

BTW, how was the accuracy to start off with?

 

[ShafTed]

I ordered a mosin recoil pad from Amazon for $10:
Mosin Nagant 1-Inch Recoil Buttpad
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003VPEBH4/ref=oh_details_o02_s01_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

It replaces the buttplate and uses the same screw. there's not much give to it as is, but some of the comments on it recommended drilling out the circles in it generating more give. I did that with mine...much more absorptive.

That looks like just the ticket, and cheap enough to get a couple and try drilling out the holes in one of them.

Melnic, that video was interesting, I'll have to give it a try. I already did the cork in the end of the barrel with a barrel full of mineral spirits trick. My spent shell doesn't quite fall out, but if I stand the rifle on its end the weight of the cleaning rod will push the shell out, no problem. Anyway, it looks like I have some more cleaning to do. "Accuracy" does not seem to be in my vocabulary, I think I just mostly suck at rifles. I'm sure this gun is better than I am. I did save some targets,maybe I'll try to figure out how to post pictures over the weekend.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Melnic]

The shell expands to take up the chamber and I think the caveat is that a spent shell that has cooled down will come out easier. Bumping the extraction claw made most of the difference for me on closing the bolt. One of mine, I polished the ramp and deburred the non "claw" edges and it made even more of a difference.
For opening the bolt, I believe it would be the chamber. I've seen a vid from IraqVeteran8888 where he puts anti seize all over the bolt faces where there is rubbing but I did not do that.

I generally just load one round at a time from the bench anyway. I don't have to dump the magazine during a cease fire and it slows me down between shots to keep the barrel from heating up more than it already does.

I bought one of those screw on pads that replaces the butt plate and put it on my T53, it was harder to slip it into the sock all the way or into the zip up rifle case. Then when I put it on the long mosin, it would not even fit in my case so I got the slip on one. So now I have one of those screw on ones that is doing nothing if someone wants to take it off my hands

 

[psoyring]

I have used the slip on recoil pads, the only thing is you need to take them off right after shooting or they will mess up your stock finish.

 

[Melnic]

I have used the slip on recoil pads, the only thing is you need to take them off right after shooting or they will mess up your stock finish.

Good point. Mine goes into my bag that comes with me to every range trip because I never know what I"m bringing that day.

 

[ShafTed]

BTW, how was the accuracy to start off with?

On the left is the first 8 shots, starting from cold, at 50 yards. In the middle, the next 7 shots at 100 yards. (To save you the trouble of counting holes, one shot seems to have gone "elsewhere," I told you I suck at rifles..) On the right, the next 10 shots, back to 50 yards. The small holes are from a bolt action .22 I was also shooting, I guess cranial flatulence caused me to forget which target I was shooting with which rifle. There was another 5 shots at 100 yards, but only three of them managed to make it onto the paper.

 

[tsmith1499]

I will have to admit that after seeing the proper way to load rounds from the stripper clip into the magwell, I have never had a problem with chambering any rounds in any of my Mosins. Make sure the clip is seated properly, lift the nose of the bullet up slightly while pushing all 5 rounds into the magwell. One smooth, fluid movement usually works.

 

[Machodoc]

it's ugly as hell, but it works for me http://www.midwayusa.com/product/1945564546/limbsaver-recoil-pad-slip-on-thick-rubber-black

Yep. Good product, and you can swap it over to other rifles. It also fits the Garand. I know ... it's a little wimpy ... but if you've got arthritis in your shoulder, it's a good thing to use.

 

[DennisCA]

If you think the mosin hits hard, stay away from a Steyr

2nd that!:

Also the best way to work a Mosin bolt was explained to me this way:

"Slap it like it owes you money"

Mosin are notorious for being (how can say it say it?) BEING HARD TO WORK!
Make sure all that gunky-stuff-from-hell us out of the bolt area, this may require to remove the stock. Also get some gun-grease; I think Midway carries some as well as some other companies. You maybe able to get some at your local gun shop. I use it for all of my bolt guns, just put a TINY amount on the bolt. It's better than oil because it last longer (IMHO).

Also - When you shoot a rifle the first time; shoot at 25 yards.
Try different types/brands of ammo - some mosin's are picky - some are not.
Remember - Mosin's were not designed as tack-drivers, esp when they where mass-produced

And yes get a slip-on recoil pad, your shoulder will thank you!

 

[bones2586]

Thanks all for the tips/advice. Learned a few new things from reading this thread!