Ok, I've started the common work on my M44 to make it more accurate. I bought this gun from Bertfish. Dude, I promise not to bubba-fy this thing.
At 100 yards, with the bayonet extended or retracted, it shot quite high and to the left. The bayonet just doesn't seem to affect its accuracy much. Months ago, I purchased three things- a FAT screwdriver, a Victory-Arms accurizing kit and a Smith Sights Mosin adjustable front sight.
I spent a weekend cleaning out the cosmoline. Brake cleaner, wipe immediately, followed immediately by CLP and a wipe, makes very short work of old cosmoline. I did this only on the metal parts, not the wood. I took the bolt apart and deep cleaned it and made some minor adjustments and checked the headspace. The bolt is now quite smooth for a Mosin. It wasn't terrible to begin with.
With a clean rifle, I installed the first set of shims and wrapped the barrel in oil soaked cloth. I can now ride a dollar bill between the wood and the barrel, for the entire length of the barrel.
The front sight was absolutely brutal. That thing was pinned in place far worse than normal according to every source of information that I could find. I had bought a front sight adjusting tool but it couldn't budge it. Applying heat didn't help. I finally knocked it out with a drift but it took forever. The new sight went in easily once the dove tail had finally been loosened up.
Now that I've royally screwed up the rifle with all of these adjustments, I couldn't even find the paper with the first 5 shots. Once I saw where the dirt was flying, I made some adjustments... and more adjustments, and more adjustments.
Eventually, I made a nice group in the black, just below the bulls-eye at 100 yards. I should have stopped there, for the day. Nope, I couldn't help myself. I disturbed the front sight post way too much and screwed it up so I need another session.
I'm close. After seeing that group in the black, I'm confident that I'll get it. I'm not sure if I'll have to add more shims to the action yet. The cloth on the barrel seems right. I was shooting Red Army Standard, seated position, supported with a sand bag.
I learned that bringing an M44 to a range invites a lot of good-natured ribbing.
At 100 yards, with the bayonet extended or retracted, it shot quite high and to the left. The bayonet just doesn't seem to affect its accuracy much. Months ago, I purchased three things- a FAT screwdriver, a Victory-Arms accurizing kit and a Smith Sights Mosin adjustable front sight.
I spent a weekend cleaning out the cosmoline. Brake cleaner, wipe immediately, followed immediately by CLP and a wipe, makes very short work of old cosmoline. I did this only on the metal parts, not the wood. I took the bolt apart and deep cleaned it and made some minor adjustments and checked the headspace. The bolt is now quite smooth for a Mosin. It wasn't terrible to begin with.
With a clean rifle, I installed the first set of shims and wrapped the barrel in oil soaked cloth. I can now ride a dollar bill between the wood and the barrel, for the entire length of the barrel.
The front sight was absolutely brutal. That thing was pinned in place far worse than normal according to every source of information that I could find. I had bought a front sight adjusting tool but it couldn't budge it. Applying heat didn't help. I finally knocked it out with a drift but it took forever. The new sight went in easily once the dove tail had finally been loosened up.
Now that I've royally screwed up the rifle with all of these adjustments, I couldn't even find the paper with the first 5 shots. Once I saw where the dirt was flying, I made some adjustments... and more adjustments, and more adjustments.
Eventually, I made a nice group in the black, just below the bulls-eye at 100 yards. I should have stopped there, for the day. Nope, I couldn't help myself. I disturbed the front sight post way too much and screwed it up so I need another session.
I'm close. After seeing that group in the black, I'm confident that I'll get it. I'm not sure if I'll have to add more shims to the action yet. The cloth on the barrel seems right. I was shooting Red Army Standard, seated position, supported with a sand bag.
I learned that bringing an M44 to a range invites a lot of good-natured ribbing.