Concerning a Russian 91/30 Mosin Nagant Rifle (sticky bolt problems).?

Question

I have a Model 91/30 Mosin that has the bolt that seizes up after firing a steel case round, but brass or copper washed rounds are almost flawless to extract from the chamber, but not always. I've read about this in many forums but I don't want to have the chamber polished and was looking to see if anyone has a proven recomendation for home cleaning such as a solvent or file that would clean the rough spots and old sticky deposits from glue, powder, primers,etc. from the chamber...please help...I'm lookin' to do this a bit cheap...but effective..Thanks

Answer 1

Cosmolene in the chamber. That stuff has a tendency to stick to the coating that is put on steel cased. Or Your firing the green lacquer ammo? If so when the chamber gets hot the lacquer starts to melt and gets sticky like that. Have you taken apart and scrubbed your bolt as well?

Get a wire brush, I'd say for a 20guage shotgun, dip the brush in solvent, with cleaning rod attach it on a drill and scrub the chamber good. But be carefull not to damage the chamber. Do it slowly and don't press too hard when at the front end of the chamber. It worked on my m44.

Weird part was when I got my 91/30 I never had that problem.

Edit: Oh, and as a word of advise don't shoot brass cased immediatley after steel cased. The brass expands and the residue left from the laquer or what ever is used can lock the casing is place and it may take considerable force to remove it so you might have no choice but to stop shooting and let it cool as if you try and force it your extractor may get damaged.

Answer 2

The guy above me gave this same answer a while back with the same problem, and I tried it a couple of weeks ago on a 91/30 with the same problem...  IT WORKED like a charm. I used a drill, cleaning rod, 20 guage brush, and Hoppes #9, works like a dream now.

Also, you might want to soak your bolt in mineral spirits for a while and then brush it to get the cosmoline out of it.