Mosin Nagant M44 bolt problem?

[Fred Flintstone]

I just bought an M44 Saturday, still with the tarmoline protectant smothered all over the internals etc. When I got it home last night took me well over an hour to get it cleaned properly. Then took it to the range today. As far as I know, this was the first time this gun was fired in decades. The bolt serial number does not match the receiver or the magazine door below or the butt of the stock.

I noticed that the first few rounds chambered correctly as well as ejected correctly. But thereafter it became difficult to close the bolt when chambering the next round. The bolt does not want to close. I thought perhaps there was somethign wrong with the cartridge, so I ejected it and went to chamber the next one. Same thing. The bolt just didn't want to close. I thought at that point that maybe the non-matching serial numbers had something to do with it and perhaps there is some kind of tolerance issue related to sizing. So I figured maybe I should put some muscle into closing the bolt. Bolt closed. Great, so I shot the round and then the bolt did not want to open! I had to put double the muscle into opening the bolt than I did to close it.

Upon further investigation tonight while cleaning rifle, I noticed the bolt slides nicely all the way up and down the path except for the last bit where the bolt slides into the receiver fully. It is at that point that there is something rubbing perhaps. I thought it was on the top side of the bolt but what do I know, I'm not a gunsmith.

Has anyone had this kind of thing happen before? Is this a common problem? Is it common with Mosin Nagants? Is it not common with Mosin Nagants with matching serial numbers but common without matching serial numbers? This may be one of the post WWII guns. It clearly has a smoother machined receiver than my other Mosin M38 which by the way does not have any of these problems and also has matching serial numbers.

I'm thinking if I were to use some sand paper on the top side of the tip of the bolt, the part that slides inside the receiver, that it will solve my problem. Would like to hear from the more experienced people on this. I really dig these old rifles. I would very much like to learn how to solve my own problems without being forced to rely on gunsmiths for things which could very well be solved by me myself and I... and feedback from you of course.



By the way, both of my Mosins I got this weekend hit a 379 yard gong target repeatedly, at the range today. With iron sights and a strong side wind. I must have fired 30 rounds at the gong, and hit it directly at least 10 times, more like 15. The other rounds were off by inches on top, sides, below. I love these guns! They kick like a 20 mule team, but dayaaaaaaaam!!! they are loud cannons that sure wake up the testosterone and get it going good! Oh, and they are FAST and highly accurate! Love these guns. Waiting on shipment of 91/30. Really looking forward to that!

Happy Memorial Day weekend to everyone. Watching war films tonight on TCM. All good stuff!

[Bird of Fire]

Sounds to me like a dirty chamber. As the gun heats up it'll loosen the crud in the chamber (cosmo) that hasn't been cleaned out. Now add lacquered cartridges into the mix and you have a fantastic recipe for instant crazy glue, not to mention it'll throw everything out of spec, causing your bolt to be difficult to close on the round.

Get a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun brush and a length of brass tube and chuck it in a drill. Use hoppes number 9 or your favorite cleaning sauce and give that bad boy a spin for a minute or two in the chamber of the rifle. Flush it out with some patches or gunscrubber and take it out shooting again. Next time bring the shotgun brushes and drill. If the bolt starts sticking again, do the same thing as described above once the chamber is nice and warm. This will likely flush it all out clean as a whistle. It's possible you have a burr in the chamber, but why risk using sandpaper if you don't have to? This is likely all that it will be. Lemme know if this helps.

[Crusader]

Do NOT shave down your bolt, you will only risk opening up the sealed chamber and thus risk blowing the force of the shot right back into your face.

As Bird said, it is more likely that your chamber still has cosmoline in it. When a thin layer of cosmo dries, it is very hard to detect, it's not always thick and goupy like it's commonly seen.

Try using ammo that isn't lacquer coated as well, as when the lacquer heats up and combines with cosmo it can become like glue in the chamber.

[Fred Flintstone]

Sounds to me like a dirty chamber. As the gun heats up it'll loosen the crud in the chamber (cosmo) that hasn't been cleaned out. Now add lacquered cartridges into the mix and you have a fantastic recipe for instant crazy glue, not to mention it'll throw everything out of spec, causing your bolt to be difficult to close on the round.

Get a 12 or 20 gauge shotgun brush and a length of brass tube and chuck it in a drill. Use hoppes number 9 or your favorite cleaning sauce and give that bad boy a spin for a minute or two in the chamber of the rifle. Flush it out with some patches or gunscrubber and take it out shooting again. Next time bring the shotgun brushes and drill. If the bolt starts sticking again, do the same thing as described above once the chamber is nice and warm. This will likely flush it all out clean as a whistle. It's possible you have a burr in the chamber, but why risk using sandpaper if you don't have to? This is likely all that it will be. Lemme know if this helps.

This sounds like a fantastic idea. I will try it soon as the Big5 restocks with shotgun brushes. I've wanted one for my .410 for over a month and keep going back to check up on it.

You mentioned laquered cartridges, but I am using brass and copper washed steel, none of that laquered stuff. Still though I think there is something to what you said because this happens shortly after the barrel warms up. I was shooting this M44 and when it got hot I set it down and shot the M38 or something else. Cooled down, the bolt closed and opened just fine so the heat clearly has something to do with it. I did a better job scrubbing the chamber tonight though having just donated a toothbrush to help facilitate things along. It came out really really dirty and extra brown cosmo as you say. I thought it was tarmoline. Anyhoo... I will give the shotgun brush a go at it and set this M44 aside until I can get one.

[Bird of Fire]

I've been through a few mosins with this issue. From the symptoms you've described, that's what I've dealt with and how I've resolved it.

[5hundo]

They're a little finicky but just keep shooting and cleaning it and you'll work all the kinks out. I keep saying this but I have better luck with brass cased ammo. You don't have to spend a lot on some brand-name ammo but the Prvi stuff is pretty good for the price and it does very well in my Nagants...

[glennsche]

I think all mosins seem to have the same problems with cosmo in em. take em out, shoot 10-20 rds, and when they start to get weird from the cosmo in the chamber, attach a brush to a drill and clean that baby *at the range* and then bore scrub it.

you'll be gtg in no time.

i took a mosin 91/30 out with the stickiest bolt ever (see surplus rifle for my problems, its exactly as they document) and with a drill and brush it was gone in 20mins

[Trench Broom]

Gotta go get me a shotgun brush now! I've had this exact same problem with my 91/30. Would warming up the chamber with a heat gun be a good alternative to loosen up the gunk before scrubbing? I might give this a try.

[Bird of Fire]

I've heard of people using a little handheld steam cleaner to melt the cosmo away. I would shy away from anything else as it is flammable iirc. Bit of boiling water would probably help out too.

[FinnCollector]

Some of the Albanian ammo had a thick rim that would make it hard if not impossible to close the bolt.