GUNSMITHS HELP: I have a m91-30 Russian rifle, after fireing the mechanism locks up, I can't get shell out.

Question

Used during WWII, bolt action, holds five rounds, don't think it was used in WWII just left over ( not forsure).

When I try to pull up on the bolt action part it will not move.

Answer 1

You got to work on cleaning the cosmoline out a little better, especially in the chamber.

Answer 2

Great!!! Another one that was last cleaned at the fall of Berlin and left with the grease and cosmoline to harden since then.  I used my parts washing tank with stoddard solvent in it and just soak them for a few days; disassembe them completely, use a toothbrush and brake parts cleaning spray; they come clean and work like a champ again.  The ultimate soldier's rifle.

Answer 3

The only options you have are to either take it to a gunsmith or try to get the bolt open yourself.

If the bolt turns (rotates) so the the locking lug is disengaged, you can take a block of wood and place it against the bolt handle and tap it forcefully with a hammer until it opens or the extractor disengages with the cartridge head.

If this occurs and the cartridge is still in the chamber, take a rod smaller than the bullet diameter, run it down the barrel until it slips inside the cartridge case and tap on the rod until the case is removed.  Lots of luck.

Answer 4

Welcome to the wonderful world of sticky bolt Mosin Nagant.  When those rifles were made they were dipped into a wood and metal preservative called cosmoline.  The stuff is sticky and greasy and is heated before the gun is dipped into it.  When one of these guns is pulled out of sotrage the importer or dealers will give it a once over to clean the surface of the cosmoline but it is still everywhere.  This is one of the causes of the sticky bolt problems you are having.  

To get the bolt open you may need to use a rubber mallet and lightly tap the bolt after lubricating around the bolt with some penetrating oil or solvent.

To fix the problem you will need to remove all the cosmoline from inside the chamber.  When you shoot the gun it heats up, thus heating up the cosmoline.  It even burns and gets very hard and holds the bolt, bullet, and chamber shut.  The best way to get it out is to take a brass brush and an electric drill, remove the bolt, and put the brush in the chamber and run the drill on low for a few minutes,  then wipe it out with some hoppes #9 gun cleaner, then repeat and clean again.  Then clean with a dry rag.  Be sure not to get the brush up into the bore, you dont want to damage the rifling.   This should fix the problem.  IF it still persists, it might be a burr in the chamber.  You will have to feel with your finger inside the chamber for a rough patch then file it down lightly with a round file.

You may be interested in this website for more info about the Nagant.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/russianmosin...