Mosin Nagant: Curing Sticky Bolt

The Mosin-Nagant is a magazine fed, bolt-action rifle manufactured for several decades by the now-defunct Russian Empire and Soviet Union. There are millions of military surplus Mosin Nagant rifles around the world, for a relatively cheap price. Surplus guns are commonly coated in cosmoline, a type of metal preservative. Preservative buildup can result in a sticky bolt and cause difficulty ejecting and loading rounds. Curing a sticky bolt is very easy to do, and can be done at a gun range with limited supplies.

• Gun cleaner solvent
• Lint-free cloth/rag

1. Fire a few rounds until the barrel and chamber are hot. The heat of fired rounds loosens gunky buildup inside the rifle, thus making it easier to clean out.
2. Dip a section of a lint-free cloth into the cleaning solvent, then use your finger to work the rag into the chamber.
3. Fire a couple more rounds and repeat the cleaning process with the cloth and solvent.
4. Repeat the previous steps until the bolt slides smoothly backwards and forwards while ejecting a spent casing and loading another.