Mosin sticky bolt!

[rugerdude]

I have sticky bolt syndrome on my 91/30 and I have just refinished the stock after a de-cosmoline-ing procedure went wrong (I gave it a hot bath and stripped the finish) and now that the stock looks so nice, I figure I might as well bring the function up to level of the form.

My only problem with it is the sticky bolt, but it only sticks when firing, I can dry cycle rounds all day with no problems at all.

What do I do?

Thanks,
rugerdude

[l.cutler]

Give the chamber a real good scrubbing. The main problem may be the ammo, not the rifle. Some of the surplus ammo sticks when fired, I think the cases may be coated with something to protect them and when fired get hot and stick.

[Bigfatts]

The rounds that are lacquered to be moisture resistant have a tendency to be sticky. The little ring of sealant around the bullet will melt and if there is ANY cosmoline left in the chamber it mixes and makes a very potent glue-like substance. Scrub the chamber.

[oldmaster111]

A short length of cleaning rod with a .410 gauge wire brush fed from the receiver end with solvent on it works good. put the cleaning rod in an electric drill and scrub it good.

[rugerdude]

10-4

thanks

[pumpkinheaver]

A short length of cleaning rod with a .410 gauge wire brush fed from the receiver end with solvent on it works good. put the cleaning rod in an electric drill and scrub it good.


Yup, this is the best method. This is pretty much something you'll have to get used too. Every one I haveowned has stuck once they get a few rounds through them and start getting hotthe laquer melts and dirtys up the chamber.

[burnera]

sticky bollt problem is USUALLY hardened cosmoline in the chamber.

Use breakfree or anything thats a pretty extreme solvent and a plastic bristle brush and scrub the crap out of the chamber area. HOT water can get things moving too.

Also dissasemble the bolt entirely [careful not to launch the firing pin] and clean the crap out of that one too.


ammo:
Some say steel cased ammo doesn't expand properly when fired. That means it doesn't seal on the chamber walls, so some of the fouling gets into said chamber walls. After a few rounds the tolerances are much tighter and leads to sticky bolt problems. Supposedly.

Laquer melting sounds plausible, but not usually the case. It'd have to be some pretty crappy laquer [and an army that wanted it's troops to die]

[8200rpm]

My only problem with it is the sticky bolt, but it only sticks when firing, I can dry cycle rounds all day with no problems at all.


Uh oh! There may be a slight chance that it's more than cosmoline in the chamber. But hopefully not.

Did the rifle ever exhibit these symptoms before you de-cosmolined it? If not, it's most likey what others have mentioned.

However... I had a 98 Mauser that had a sticky bolt only after firing. The cause was determined by a gunsmith to be excessive headspace.

[kymasabe]

I've found that a 20 gauge brush works pretty well and like others mentioned, a short piece of cleaning rod and a cordless drill. Lots of aggresive cleaning fluid...Hoppes is a little light, might want to try something like Shooters Choice. Also, take the cleaning kit to the range with you.