The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Mosin-Nagant M1891/30 Question (Problem?)

cxg231 · December 1, 2008, 12:52 PM

Picked up my first Mosin-Nagant rifle yesterday. I say my first b/c I anticipate it won't be my last! The stock is in great shape and the action is tight.

So, I spent a few hours getting all the cosmoline out of it and took it to the gun club to send a few down range. I was shooting lacquered-case Romanian "Hotshot" brand ammunition, as that is all I could find locally. After the third shot, I had to muscle the bolt open and after the eighth shot, I could not get the bolt open at all. I could get the bolt to rotate about 20 degrees and that was it. So I took it home with the spent casing still inside and the bolt closed. Good thing I didn't get pulled over by Officer Friendly, but I digress.

When the rifle had fully cooled down I was able to coax the bolt open and eject the casing, but not without using a considerable amount of force.

So - my question is - is this a problem with the lacquered case ammunition? As in - the lacquer is sticking to the inside of the hot chamber? Or is it possible that the action on my rifle is too tight? As in, when the metal parts expand with heat, they are causing the bolt to jam?

I know this is a tad vague, but I was hoping some of you might have some input on this situation. The best thing to do would be to find some non-lacquered ammunition and see if the same thing happens. But I don't want to order a whole can of surplus if the problem is with my action...

Thanks for reading my novel.

December 1, 2008, 12:52 PM	#1
cxg231 Senior Member Join Date: January 22, 2008 Location: Henderson, NV Posts: 203	Mosin-Nagant M1891/30 Question (Problem?) Picked up my first Mosin-Nagant rifle yesterday. I say my first b/c I anticipate it won't be my last! The stock is in great shape and the action is tight. So, I spent a few hours getting all the cosmoline out of it and took it to the gun club to send a few down range. I was shooting lacquered-case Romanian "Hotshot" brand ammunition, as that is all I could find locally. After the third shot, I had to muscle the bolt open and after the eighth shot, I could not get the bolt open at all. I could get the bolt to rotate about 20 degrees and that was it. So I took it home with the spent casing still inside and the bolt closed. Good thing I didn't get pulled over by Officer Friendly, but I digress. When the rifle had fully cooled down I was able to coax the bolt open and eject the casing, but not without using a considerable amount of force. So - my question is - is this a problem with the lacquered case ammunition? As in - the lacquer is sticking to the inside of the hot chamber? Or is it possible that the action on my rifle is too tight? As in, when the metal parts expand with heat, they are causing the bolt to jam? I know this is a tad vague, but I was hoping some of you might have some input on this situation. The best thing to do would be to find some non-lacquered ammunition and see if the same thing happens. But I don't want to order a whole can of surplus if the problem is with my action... Thanks for reading my novel.