A month or so ago I received an unissued M39 from Wholesale Guns. this was back when the sale item was a "B" unissued for $229 w/shipping. I cleaned the grease out and finally took it out today. What a rifle! I really like my Mosin 91/30 alot. Just not as much as I did this morning. What the Finns did for this series of rifles is incredible. Enough blubbering. I fired 25 rounds this afternoon, and found the bolt a little stiff to open after firing. The cases showed no signs of stress, everything "felt" right on each shot. Is this a case of a new rifle being tight, and needing to be used? Has anyone else had similar troubles with unissued Finns?
Unissued Finnish M39
1 - 15 of 15 Posts
Joined
·
4,812 Posts
I believe the Finns spec'd tighter tolerances than the Russians. It wouldn't surprise me if yours limbered up a bit with use. My M39s don't like Wolf bi-metal cased ammo, and they absolutely HATE laquer coated ammo. My 91-30 can shoot a good deal of it before it starts to develop cramps. They all do very well with brass cased ammo.
"Sticky bolt" seems to be a common occurance.
I had it with my M91/30 beater and seen discussions on it on a board dedicated to Mosins.
The Url posted below contains a suggested solution. I have not tried this yet and can't vouch for it.
In my rifle, and in a friend's rifle, the problem is ammunition dependant. It occured with Czech laquered ammo. Switching to ammo that doesn't have a laquered case seems to cure the problem. YMMV
http://www.russian-mosin-nagant.com/Sticky_bolt.htm
I had it with my M91/30 beater and seen discussions on it on a board dedicated to Mosins.
The Url posted below contains a suggested solution. I have not tried this yet and can't vouch for it.
In my rifle, and in a friend's rifle, the problem is ammunition dependant. It occured with Czech laquered ammo. Switching to ammo that doesn't have a laquered case seems to cure the problem. YMMV
http://www.russian-mosin-nagant.com/Sticky_bolt.htm
Joined
·
4,812 Posts
That looks like pretty sound advice. Another issue that is frequently discussed, among Mosin aficianados, is the unreasonably stout firing pin springs that were spec'd for the rifles. Many shooters who cut up to three coils from the springs experience much easier extraction, and otherwise perfect function. Since the Mosin cоcks on opening, the super strong firing pin spring magnifies the effect of anything that causes difficult extraction.
Thanks for the advise. I took the bolt apart and cleaned it better than it was. I'd like to see if a bit more shooting loosens things up before I cut the spring. I'll keep that in mind, though. Next I'll see if different ammo helps. One question that springs to mind - When I screwed the firing pin into the cocking piece, should I worry about firing pin protusion? It seems important on our beloved M1A's and Garands, or is it just semi-autos that slam the round home that matter?
While I'm still home at lunch, I was also wondering. Mosin ammo seems to come in 150 gr and 200 gr. After market offers 180 gr. I saw on surplusrifle.com that the original Finn cartridge was 180 gr. Is this correct? Is this what the sights are graduated for?
Joined
·
4,812 Posts
Get yourself some extra springs before you perform any surgery on the ones you have.Lurch762 said:
Yes, firing pin protrusion is important. Too little, and ignition can be spotty. Too much, and you may experience pierced primers (always wear shooting glasses!). Pin protrusion should be between .075 inches and .095 inches. You can get a handy-dandy Mosin disassembly tool that will fit the slotted screws on Mosin rifles, and it has notches cut into the side of the blade that will give you a quick reference for pin protrusion.Lurch762 said:
Springs, accessories, and tools can be ordered from Tennessee Gun Parts. There are other places as well.
That is accurate, or close enough for any practical purpose.Lurch762 said:
Joined
·
4,812 Posts
http://www.gunsnammo.com
Get one! (or two, or three, or four....) while you can. You WON'T be sorry!
These are incredible rifles! Right out of a time warp!
Get one! (or two, or three, or four....) while you can. You WON'T be sorry!
These are incredible rifles! Right out of a time warp!
They're not out...just not promoting them in top billing right now.
I ordered mine this spring. The girl who answered the phone said they
still had plenty of them. They've been advertised at that price for about three or four years now.
What they have been selling out of are the more collectible "one of kind" M-N or M-39 examples. That list gets shorter every week.
I ordered mine this spring. The girl who answered the phone said they
still had plenty of them. They've been advertised at that price for about three or four years now.
What they have been selling out of are the more collectible "one of kind" M-N or M-39 examples. That list gets shorter every week.
1 - 15 of 15 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!