Mosin - range issue

[Sousuke]

Hi All,

I shot a 91/30 hex Mosin(second time shooting it) and about 15 rounds in I looked down and could see smoke escaping from the closed bolt. I didn't feel any hot gases from that round. The primer was not ruptured. There was a single drop of sticky material on the head of the round and my bolt.

I'm using really old stuff that was from a galvanized steel case. (50's era I think).

I shot a few rounds thereafter with no issues.

Firearm was head spaced not that long ago, and is clear of cosmoline.

Any thoughts? I assume its the old ammo - thinking I might want to stop using it.

[TRAP55]

Smoke coming out of a closed bolt, usually means you had a case split. Pretty common on some of the milsurp.

[DennisCA]

Smoke coming out of a closed bolt, usually means you had a case split. Pretty common on some of the milsurp.

Agreed - Did you check the shell cases?

[Sousuke]

I did. No visible splits.

[LCU1670]

unburned powder (smoldering powder) in the barrel?

[TRAP55]

Any black soot on the case?
Is the case brass, or copper washed steel?
What's the headstamp?
Don't suppose you saved one you could post pics of?

[knucklehead0202]

could be any of those things, but also, you NEVER get all the cosmoline out of these guns. mine still sometimes sweat it out when I shoot them enough and get 'em hot. I swear they just dunked the damned things in a barrel of cosmo in the old days. smells awesome! but yeah, old Russian rifle, could be any number of things. doubt it'll blow up though, no worries.

[Lucky Scott]

Sounds like residual cosmoline to me also.

[Sousuke]

I didn't save it unfortunately.

The headstamp for these are 188 on the top and 46 on the bottom.

I think 188 means its russian and the 46 is the date?

They came in a galvinized box and are preloaded on stripper clips inside cardboard boxes.

[19K]

I didn't save it unfortunately.

The headstamp for these are 188 on the top and 46 on the bottom.

I think 188 means its russian and the 46 is the date?

They came in a galvinized box and are preloaded on stripper clips inside cardboard boxes.

old old old Russian surplus.

sometimes they hangfire. nothing too crazy. steel doesn't expand as much as brass so some of the smoke and soot will seep out

[C&Rtrader]

Cosmoline would be my guess as well. I think the flashpoint is around 350F though.

[Discogodfather]

Did you check your firing pin depth? The little triangular tool has a gauge to check it. Where the primers on the fired round light?

[Sousuke]

Did you check your firing pin depth? The little triangular tool has a gauge to check it. Where the primers on the fired round light?

Yeah, I checked it with the tool and I also give any new milsurp purchase to gunsmith, so both headspace and protrusion are within specs.

I'm going to chalk it up to a little bit of cosmoline sweating out.

[TRAP55]

I didn't save it unfortunately.

The headstamp for these are 188 on the top and 46 on the bottom.

I think 188 means its russian and the 46 is the date?

They came in a galvinized box and are preloaded on stripper clips inside cardboard boxes.

Yep, old Russian light ball with a steel, copper washed case. You'll get a few that will micro crack at the neck/shoulder area. Unless you're really looking for it, most times the crack will be hard to see. One out of 15 is nothing to stress about, shoot it up. Case ruptures in a Mosin vent into the bolt body and magazine.
It has to be pretty catastrophic before anything comes back in your face. I've ejected quite a few Bulgarian brass case heads, that completely separated. The only evidence of it happening before I opened the bolt, was the tell tale smoke whisping up from the back of the receiver ring.
Cosmo or oil smoke would come from a toasty chamber, but you would have to fire those 15 in rapid succession to get it that warm.