STUCK BOLT on m44!

[zombieslayer]

Had a buddy give me his M44 because he was constantly frustrated with it. It's in decent shape, aesthetically. But the bolt was ALWAYS really sticky, no matter what he did to clean it, lube it, etc. Finally, at the range a week ago, the bolt seized with a fired cartridge in the chamber. I've got it down to the barelled action, and in a vise, and the bolt does not want to open fully. It rotates about 3/4 of the way and then it just wont budge any further. Im no Mosin expert. I own a Finn M39, but have never done anthing to it other than routine cleaning. Any suggestions?? Im new to milsurps and Mosins. The 44 has a fairly worn out bore, but if I can get it functioning, I'd like to keep it for a beater to keep behind the seat of my truck. THANKS!

[FALPhil]

Use a 2x4. It's a Mosin. You won't hurt it.

[bcrash15]

What have you done to try and unstick the bolt? Hand force only? I've seen some guys unstick them with whacks from a 2x4. Once you get it open, you'll have to find out what's going on. What ammo was being shot? You might find that the case ruptured, or is even still stuck in the chamber and the extractor ripped a chunk of the rim off when forced out.

If there are signs of overpressure, I would check the headspace at least. If the gun has any residual cosmoline in it, it will need a through cleaning.

[B. Lahey]

Hit it with something or kick the bolt handle. You may have a split case or something.

[zombieslayer]

Yup, tried the 2x4 first, then a hammer, then i gave up and started this thread. I even soaked the entire action and barrel with PB Blast. I'm lost... I worked in a steel shop, so muscle isn't the issue.

[zombieslayer]

The ammo was some kinda silver tip surplus that was in light aqua blue boxes (my friend gave me the remainder). I only shoot good ammo thru my M39

[B. Lahey]

Kick it. The worst that can happen is you break the stock.:)

[zombieslayer]

Ok, I appreciate all the suggestions. Seriously, without BREAKING anything, it's not budging. I'm no wimpy internet nerd. With the receiver clamped in a vise, and copious amounts of hammering, kicking, yelling at it, beating it with boards, crowbars, etc. I was wondering what I can do further. It's not worth spending any money to fix, and if it's going to need professional help, I'll just save the parts. If anyone has any ideaas about how I can get this bolt out, I'm all ears, thanks!

[Uncle Buck]

Zombie, it is obvious what is wrong, and you working in a metal shop should know this...


You are holding your tongue in the wrong position. It should placed on the left side of your mouth, between your teeth, while grunting, groaning and cursing the man who gave you this monstrosity....:D

I had an old military gun given to me with the same problem. The guy asked me to get the bolt open and did not care if I broke it. I kept trying to rotate the bolt handle (open and close, open and close) and eventually I was able to get it to rotate into the open position. I had to use a long pipe on the bolt handle. Be careful, there is a fine line between applying torque and ripping that sucker right off. Another friend suggested using heat to get the surrounding metal hot and trying to keep the bolt cool with ice cubes, but I am not a fan of applying heat to hardened steel, as I do believe it changes the structure of the metal. I also used copious amounts of PB Blaster.

But then I could not get the bolt to slide to the rear. I put a piece of metal dowel down the barrel and smacked it. It was a long, hard process and I used some colorful language (I am glad the walls cannot talk in my workshop).

Once you do get it opened, please let us know what you used and how you did it, but not the language used. Best of luck.

[zombieslayer]

Im gonna do what I always do... leave everything where it is, and in a few days or so, when I have people over, we'll drink a few cases of pabst and see where the mosin disassembly takes us. Heating the receiver a little may be the trick!:D

[gyvel]

If you haven't already, remove every part from the action that you can get off, until you have a bare, basic stripped barreled receiver. You may have the rear screw from the magazine bucket binding the bolt, although, if you have the action out of the stock, that's probably not an issue.

Also, can you pull the cocking piece back?

[zombieslayer]

Cocking piece (safety) pulls back, bolt will move thru about 2/3 of its motion, then just BINDS. Even a piece of pipe 4' long over the bolt handle, with the receiver in a vise, and a hammer- will not budge this bolt. I took a steel cleaning rod, and some pencil rod, and hammered it down the barrel, even sumultaneously tried whacking the bolt with a hammer. NO LUCK. I may have gotten a really heavy spear! :confused:

[simonkenton]

I used to have a blacksmith who made me log building tools. He made me a couple of giant chisels. He loved to get steel from old American cars. He made me a 10 inch chisel, 3 inches wide from the driveshaft from a 1953 Plymouth.
He didn't want a car after 1960.

I have always wondered how the steel would be from a Mosin Nagant, or a Mauser for making giant chisels.

[KC9LDB]

try manually locking the bolt open via the firing pin charger on the back of the bolt?

[zombieslayer]

yep- no luck Its baffling me how stuck this thing is. Even if I get it freed, I probably shouldn't count on shooting it much. ever
This DOES now give me an excuse to look for a cheap, decent m44, now that I have one for parts ;) never really liked the m44's but If I can get this one even decently functional, I'll be happy. Heck any free gun is cool to me.

[KC9LDB]

Yeah, dime a dozen, my buddy has a real tough bolt due to a non numbers matching gun. Mine is numbers matching, the bolt moves very freely... So get a numbers matching one, should solve the problem

[zombieslayer]

The one I was given is a numbers matching, 1945 Izzy. Two previous owners shot the heck out of it with all kinds of corrosive ammo for a few years. I just thought this freebie would be a cool "throw it behind the seat of my old truck gun". I haven't given up. Tomorrow night 12 Pabst Blue Ribbons and some loud music will probably decide this gun's fate :)

[hickstick_10]

have you tried pushing forward as hard as you can while rotating the bolt?

[the rifleer]

seriously, wrap a towel around it, clamp it in a vise upside down, and whack it with a rubber mallet or a 2x4. that thing is probably so corroded that it doesn't really matter.

[zombieslayer]

Yep. Im lost now. gotta get good n mad and beat on it some more tomorrow. I've been to the Mosin forums and 54r.net, and this thing is just not wanting out:mad:

[KC9LDB]

Pabst and problems always goes together, good to see a fellow Pabst fan!!

[KLRANGL]

Dude, Pabst and good never belong in the same sentence without a negative modifier... :barf::p

Seriously though, beating on it only does so much. Using the 4' pipe was a good start, but you really need something longer. My buddy has a ten foot long pipe that fits a breaker bar nice and well for those ridiculously stuck bolts. I suggest finding the same. Forgo the hammer, just apply massive amounts of torque with a long pole... And get a few buddies to help...

The only other thing I can think of is rigging the barreled action upside down and using a hydraulic press on the bolt handle...

[zombieslayer]

Good Ideas, KRANGL. I guess it's like removing the flywheel from an aircooled VW engine! A ten foot pipe and a few buddies. No wonder morale was so low among the Soviets :D

[KLRANGL]

I guess it's like removing the flywheel from an aircooled VW engine! A ten foot pipe and a few buddies.
Funny you mention that, because my buddy does indeed have a baja 60s VW beetle, and I have been that buddy helping with the ten foot pipe ;)

[MikeG]

The ammunition you used sounds like Czech steel core, light ball. That ammo has a lacquered steel case that's notorious for sticking. I think your bolt starts opening, but hangs up when it starts camming back and extracting the case. Try putting a stout rod down the muzzle and tapping the case back enough to loosen it after you've opened the bolt as far as it'll go. If you get the rifle open, clean the chamber thoroughly and try different ammo next time.

[MagnumWill]

I've never experienced this problem myself, but maybe the rim came off of the case and is wedged between the extractor and the chamber, or something.

Post some pics, so we can see what's going on.

[zombieslayer]

I'll get some pix up soon, I'm a bit lo-tech.

[10-96]

But in the mean time... and in betwixt beatings and cussings- I guess you've had it soaking with a good penetrant like Kroil or something?

That's just plumb weird.

[gyvel]

This would be a royal PITA, but maybe it's time to remove the barrel and see what's going on.

[zombieslayer]

FINALLY GOT IT! Thanks guys, I left it soaking in PB Blast for a couple days. Put it back in the vise, and decided to try a crowbar- just the ticket. Was up all night, but its all good now. It had NEVER been cleaned! All kinds of laquer was in there!

[Uncle Buck]

You also had to hold your tongue in the right position, didn't you... Then it came open. :D

[zombieslayer]

Tongue must be clenched between teeth at about 3 o'clock

[pesta2]

My M44 did this. I had to beat opened the bolt with a block of wood set on the bolt and hitting it with a hammer. I could not believe how stuck it was. It made me appreciate the Mosin even more, that extractor dug into the case a pulled it out.

I tried to allivate the problem, what I did was I took a 20 gauge brush. Put it on the end of a section of cleaning rod. Stuck that in a drill. Wrapped a patch round it soaked in Hoppes and ran it in the chamber moving back and forth. Then I Let is soak for a few minutes then put a clean patch in. Did that about 6 time to get all the crude out. Then I took a patch and put some J-B Bore Cleaning Compound on and polished the chamber with it. Then went back to Hoppes until the patches came out clean. Then a little oil. I have not shot it yet to see if it was still sticking but the chamber looks a lot better.

My big mistake was not buying M38 when they where $70:(

[zombieslayer]

I took a 20 ga brush and hoppes to my chamber, too. Yeah, im wishin I'd gotten a 38 when they were cheap. But, I do well just checking the bargain and clearance and trade-in bins at pawn shops. Got a sweet m39 for cheap a while back. That things nice!