[deadwood]

Picked up 1932 Tula all matching that I selected from a crate load of same the other day. Had lots of cosmo that I spent couple of hours removing from all the parts, including the bolt internal bits.

When I brought it to the range to test, the bolt became sticky and finally it seized after firing about 20 rounds. After I brought it home I opened the action using the rubber hammer and the spent round ejected as it should.

I brought back to the range the next day after oiling the crap out of the bolt and it was still sticky, but did not seize again.

Is this a common problem with a simple (i.e. non gunsmith) problem, or did I get a badly fitted bolt (or chamber) that needs to ground into submission by a smith.

 

[Kingleo]

In short yes mosins have sticky bolts. do a search for methods of curing it. I simply cleaned the devil out of mine.

The culprit is cosmoline, I know you said you cleaned it but something about that Russian stuff is just gummy. When you fire it it melts and then just gums up the action. Heat I have found gets that stuff out best.

 

[M91-30]

mine does not stick thankfully, but cleaning and/or polishing the bolt/receiver interface and bolt assembly (while apart) will be your solution, cosmoline and lacquer are the cause.

 

[Kingleo]

I used a $20 Harbor Freight heat gun on mine, and you wouldn't imagine the crud I got out of what I thought was a clean rifle....

 

[deadwood]

Heat Gun - Nice non-smith solution

I used a $20 Harbor Freight heat gun on mine, and you wouldn't imagine the crud I got out of what I thought was a clean rifle....

The fact that the cosmo was runny rather than gooey may have fooled me. I'll try using paint dryer (actually hair dryer) and if that doesn't work I'll make a trip down to Harbor Freight for the right tool (as usual).

Thanks all for your quick responses.

 

[Kingleo]

Some of it will seem sort of thin. That's what fooled me. When I did the heat to it it really came out. I only did the breech area as the South Carolina sun proved to be easier for the whole gun!

 

[FIVESHOT]

Sticky bolt

I havent had that happen when I use copper washed or brass ammunition.

Also , you do not want to use a heat gun (which resembles a hair dryer) to dry your hair.


FIVESHOT

 

[vintovka]

Seen sticky bolt/hangfire syndrome in a few refurbs and it had me going around in circles for awhile. No amount of cleaning would help and i finally got out the magnifier and mircrometer. In some the whole bolt body was "ovalled" as in crushed/dented just enough that the firing pin "collar" was rubbing or would stick inside the body channel. In others whoever stamped the serial on the bolt body crushed in a spot that would rub the collar and cause sticky operation. A more common one is where they stamped numbers over the cut out for the bolt connector and bent it inward. Also can be caused by careless handling when bolt is dissasembled. Seen more than one crack in this area. Some "refurbers" fail to use a close fitting steel dowel to support the fp channel while working on the bolt. Some aftermarket sniper bodies show more abuse than well used non sniper originals. I always check the FP collar and channel diameter as the bubba fix is to either reduce the diameter or drill out the channel to clear the damage.

 

[Handsome Devil]

It probably is as suggested a sticky dirty bolt.

I have a M39 that got harder to operate and I assumed it was the bolt. After swapping bolts and not getting very far I found a small gouge in the brass, at first I thought it was an extractor mark but it was to high up the case. After looking I appears there is a small burr in the chamber maybe .200-.300 from the edge of the rim cuttout on the chamber. The brass would go in easy, but once fired the case expanded and then to get it out you had to fight the bolt to extract or even open the bolt which begins the extraction process. Something to check out and illiminate that possiblitly. Cheers, John.

PS go with the easiest problem solving first, regardless detail cleaning your bolt is a good idea as well as a safety concern. Do not oil or grease your chamber, this is not a solution and can cause dangerous pressure spikes.

 

[ukrifleman]

Picked up 1932 Tula all matching that I selected from a crate load of same the other day. Had lots of cosmo that I spent couple of hours removing from all the parts, including the bolt internal bits.

When I brought it to the range to test, the bolt became sticky and finally it seized after firing about 20 rounds. After I brought it home I opened the action using the rubber hammer and the spent round ejected as it should.

I brought back to the range the next day after oiling the crap out of the bolt and it was still sticky, but did not seize again.

Is this a common problem with a simple (i.e. non gunsmith) problem, or did I get a badly fitted bolt (or chamber) that needs to ground into submission by a smith.

Try the simple option first, make sure that all the cosmoline is out, paticularly if you use laquered, steel cased ammo. If the chamber heats up enough, the cosmo can react with the laquer and turns into a sticky goo. Laquered ammo on its own should not cause too much of a problem unless you get through a lot of rounds quickly and really heat the chamber up. I have fired 30+ rounds of Hungarian l/b through my `44 Izzy pu in 5 minutes or less and have had no problems with sticky bolt syndrome.

 

[mikana]

Try the simple option first, make sure that all the cosmoline is out, paticularly if you use laquered, steel cased ammo. If the chamber heats up enough, the cosmo can react with the laquer and turns into a sticky goo. Laquered ammo on its own should not cause too much of a problem unless you get through a lot of rounds quickly and really heat the chamber up. I have fired 30+ rounds of Hungarian l/b through my `44 Izzy pu in 5 minutes or less and have had no problems with sticky bolt syndrome.

I agree... a problem with a newly cleaned rifle that gets worse as fired sounds like melting cosmoline to me. Look your brass over, as I had an m44 that had a bur in the chamber and the lugs were rubbing on the front end of the magazine well. A little time with a dremel solved it, but it happened from the first round, and did not get progressively worse as fired.