Cleaning a Mosin Nagant 91/30 bolt

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stchman

stchman

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Hello all, I ordered a Mosin Nagant 91/30 rifle. As soon as I get it I will give a good cleaning.

I am pretty well versed in barrel cleaning as the Nagan is basically a 30 caliber rifle I have all the brushes/patches/solvent etc.

I have been reading and it appears to me that disassembling the bolt would be unnecessary for proper cleaning.

Can you just spray some Hoppe's #9 on the bolt, let it soak, scrub with brush, spray off with Gun Scrubber or brake cleaner, and then oil bolt thoroughly.

I have read that some folks use kerosene, mineral spirits, or diesel fuel to let parts soak.

I do this method on my Mini-14 and everything seems to work very well, although the Nagant bolt seems to be alot more complicated than the Mini.

Thanks.
 
Taking the Moisin bolt to pieces is no big deal if you know how and requires no tools. For routine maintenance I normally just remove the bolt head and give it a good cleaning while the rest of the bolt gets wiped down.

Remember that the ammo shot in the MN is corrosive so use a solvent that will get rid of the water absorbing salts deposited in the bore when shot. Some folks use hot soapy water or windex for this purpose.
 
That ammo is going to be corrosive primed. It really isn't any big deal, just clean your rifle properly. In the instance of the Mosin Nagant, disassembly of the bolt makes cleaning the firing pin tip much easier. Firing residue will tend to collect there.

This ammo should be OK. I had one blow up on me a couple of years ago in a PSL. Not sure to this day whether that is due to the rifle or the ammo.

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Headstamp information:

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It was a nerve wracking experience, nonetheless.

There is much written on the net about the Mosin Nagant. It is simple and robust and reasonably accurate. Cleaning the cosmoline from the chamber can be a challenge, and if left there, will make opening your bolt an exercise in frustration.

Good luck with your new rifle!
 
Yes, I called AIMSurplus and they said all their military surplus ammo is corrosive primed. No biggie, just flush the barrel out with hot water.
 
I was under the impression that corrosive primers were not used much past 1950.
Click to expand...
That is true only of U.S. & NATO GI ammo.

The communist countries were using corrosive priming well into the 1980's, and maybe still are to the present day.
Unless it is commercial Wolf or Brown Bear, I would consider all mil-sup 7.62x54R ammo corrosive and clean accordingly.

rc
 
Can't wait to get the rifle. It should be on the way to the FFL.

I figure I will spray it down with Windex after shooting, run some hot water down the barrel when I get home, and clean like I usually do.

I am spending about $235 on a rifle and 500 rounds of ammo. Pretty cheap in today's market.

Any tips on getting the cosmoline out?

Thanks.
 
Go to one of the pages dedicated to this rifle, I know of at least three, and search the threads here and you will see that this subject is addressed numerous times.

surplusrilfe
mosinnagant net
764x54 net
 
Any tips on getting the cosmoline out?
Click to expand...
Take the action out of the stock, put on old clothes, and go to the car-wash after hours.

The attendant will go ape-shxx if he catches you getting cosmoline all over the car-wash bay.

rc
 
I suggest you get a copy of 'Small Arms of the World' from e-bay. It will have some pretty great information for stripping all sorts of military arms, including the M-N and it's bolt. Lots of great cutaway and function illustrations, too.
 
You'll love the mosin. They are much more fun to shoot with the bayonet attached. :rolleyes:

As far as corrosive primers, the commies used it because it (at the time of it's manufacture) had a longer shelf life than noncorrosive primers.
 
One quick tip to add-
Make sure you get the bolt face really good too. If you look, your mosin probably has a ring of pitting on it. Most do. Before you put the rifle in its case to take home from the range/whatever, make sure you at least put some solvent there.
 
Clipper: In reference to the "small arms" book. I noticed a few different ones on Ebay. Is there a particular one that is better than the others?
 
They're all pretty much the same, but the later editions probably have more up-to-date coverage of sporting guns and latest military variants. Mine was printed in 1968...
 
You can easily reassemble the bolt if you want it get disassembled. Watch how it breaks apart and it should not be heard to put back together.
 
How to get cosmline out of your Mosin Nagant?

the one way i got it out was to just give it a through cleaning. but the other way that i have herd of that really works well is putting it in a black plastic grabage bag and stick it out in the summer sun. it mite sound funny but really works. but if you cant wait for summer like me just give it a good cleaning. if you ever want to fix your sticky bolt problem if oyu have one just take a buffer brush or a shotgun bore brush with soft fluffy pink stuff and put it on a electric drill then really fast like motion clean the bore out really nice and then stick #9 hoppes gun oil in it or your fav bore or lub oil to keep it nice and smooth. i will try to get a vid of me cleaning it up on you tube if you watch that at all my channel name is> (12Armystar)

nice talking to you> evan
 
the trash can, trunk bag.. and sun
the trick is you put the rifle (or stock you are degreasing) in it with kitty litter.

Also, a Trash can of hot water works too to melt the cosmo off.
 
The bolt is actually extraordinarily simple, only being about five or six pieces. I just broke the whole thing apart and let it soak in a bowl of spirits for an hour, then wiped it down and lubricated it. That worked great for me.

The wood is tougher, though. If you're interested in preserving the rifle's shellac varnish, you'll have to 'sweat it out' like others suggest, although this will happen naturally on a hot day while shooting, but it'll take many trips. Just be sure to wipe it down every so often. Given the limited historical value of most Mosins, you'd probably be better off just stripping the whole thing with spirits and then reapplying some Tung oil over it.
 
Hot water with a drop of handwashing soap in a spray bottle is what i use after shooting . Then wipe dry with paper towel. Same goes with barrel cleainng then a dry patch. Then a follow up with regular Hoppes No 9 or Ed s Red if you have it mixed . Wipe the excess and thats all there is to it. Tighten the action screws as they tend to loosed up during extensive firings. Lastly . admire how it looks and back to its rack .
 
$235 delivered? How much of that is ammo?
I got my cherry 91/30 delivered for a little over $100, in AK mind you ($69 base price). Ammo is cheap, including Wolf.
I tore my MN down first thing and cleaned it up piece by piece with paint thinner, then I BLOed the wood and put her back together. Next day was fun on the range sighting her in. If you don't mind getting a little away from traditional, get the MOJO and also modify the front sight. Sure makes it easier to get better groupings, but depending on your particular rifle, don't expect miracles. I've been told that every once in a while you get a superlative shooter, particularly if it is a Finnish upgrade.
 
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