Mosin bolt sticking

[Dave]

I have a Mosin 91/30 that I have cleaned the hell out of the chamber and bolt but when I push the bolt handle down it catches about 1/2" down and when I lift to cycle it it catches again in the same spot. I have brushed the chamber with a 12 gauge brush and used a dental pick and qtip with Hoppes No 9 to detail it. The bolt has been taken apart multiple times and cleaned with mineral spirits and detailed over with Hoppes and brass brushes. It is a 1943 Ishvek make. Is this something that might be a manufacturing problem, or common to these rifles? The youtube videos I have seen have a smooth action the whole way and just say to reclean looking for cosmoline. Is this something I have to live with or should I head to a gunsmith?

[zteknik]

Is all matching number?Could need to be worn in if it's new.
Or if its a mixmaster you could have an issue with the bolt and maybe a headspace issue,either way take it over to Bert and have him check it out.
It could be that just the bolt lugs could use a bit of polishing.

[Hound]

My Mosin did the same thing I think. Bullets would come out scuffed. Took it to the gunsmith and the very beginning of the bullet chamber of the barrel had a small set of burrs. $40 bucks and it should be coming home soon.

[DFBrews]

What hound said on the burrs I grab a bore brush from a shotgun smaller gauge of course run that on a drill and make sure you got all of that commie fluid out of there and the. put flitz metal polish on a same guaye bore mop chuck it upand polish the chamber

[DFBrews]

Holy hell iPhone spell something right

[Dave]

Is all matching number?Could need to be worn in if it's new.
Or if its a mixmaster you could have an issue with the bolt and maybe a headspace issue,either way take it over to Bert and have him check it out.
It could be that just the bolt lugs could use a bit of polishing.

All matching numbers and no electropencil forcing numbers to match. I tried to use the pick to check the smoothness, but I do not have a boresight to get in there and look. Guess I'll make an appointment at BP.

[jreifsch80]

you could pull a bullet and the powder from a case and fire the primer in the rifle (clean the corrosive salts well after that) then drill a hole through the primer to attach the case to a cleaning rod. coat the case with a little valve lapping compound and polish the chamber that way (i would do it by hand and just until the case with freely turn, then clean the bore very well) also what ammo are you using? albanian ammo while pretty good shooting is known for having extra thick rims.

[BPTactical]

First order of business is to check headspace. If it is on the long end it can make the bolt difficult to cycle.
Lapping as mentioned above can help but keep the lapping compound away from the shoulder, you may end up with a headspace issue if you don't.
What is the fired case telling you? Primer flow, bulging at the rim, cracking/split at the shoulder/neck, gouges or other tell tales of a nick in the chamber?

There can be a few different causes, the cause needs to be figured out before a fix can be implemented.

[Dave]

Unfortunately I haven't shot it yet, been too worried about excess cosmoline to want to risk it. I'll get out next weekend, too much going on here getting ready for the oldest having graduation this week.

[BPTactical]

Come see me before you do, cosmoline in the chamber can cause the same symptoms, especially if gunked up in the throat/shoulder of the chamber.

[Lurch]

Mine did the same thing and I read somewhere to heat up the chamber with a hair dryer and see if you get cosmoline leaking back out. When that stuff drys it turns to concrete. Mine still leaks cosmoline from places after I have fired it or let it sit in the bed of the truck on a hot day. It's been taken apart twice and cleaned but that stuff finds it's way into every nook and cranny.

If that doesn't seem to help take it to Berts. Which you probably should do anyway and have it checked out since it's 60 years old anyway.

[jreifsch80]

First order of business is to check headspace. If it is on the long end it can make the bolt difficult to cycle.
Lapping as mentioned above can help but keep the lapping compound away from the shoulder, you may end up with a headspace issue if you don't.
What is the fired case telling you? Primer flow, bulging at the rim, cracking/split at the shoulder/neck, gouges or other tell tales of a nick in the chamber?

There can be a few different causes, the cause needs to be figured out before a fix can be implemented.

remember the 54r is head spaced by the rim not the shoulder, but burt knows his stuff. best thing to do is take it to him (or any other reliable smith) or at least buy a set of headspace gauges so you have an idea what you're dealing with

[BPTactical]

remember the 54r is head spaced by the rim not the shoulder, but burt knows his stuff.

Apparently not[LOL]
I never knew it went off the rim on the 54R.

[jreifsch80]

Apparently not[LOL]
I never knew it went off the rim on the 54R.

well it definitely does on my psl lol you should see how much farther the shoulder is on fired cases. while a rimmed case is headspaced on the rim it still is nice to not have a dramatically oversized chamber at the shoulder area.

here's a picture of one type of 54r hs gauges

http://guntoolrentals.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Firewerks-7.62x54r-headspace-gauges-300x300.jpg

[USAFGopherMike]

I've never had mine checked and it goes bang every time. My bolt stuck a little, but I cleaned it thoroughly and polished the surface where it tends to catch and use a small amount of grease there every time I shoot/clean it.