Prime M44 - Came With Everything You See Here

Joshua M. Smith · 09-20-2007, 04:36 PM

Hi All,

I found a really nice Russian M44 Mosin-Nagant at what I thought was a reasonable price. No rust was evident as I cleaned the cosmoline off.

I'm pretty sure this is what a Russian soldier would have been issued.

This ammo has be baffled, but I believe it's the same stuff found here: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... m=80929981

This is my first centerfire rifle. Any advice would be very appreciated. I'm pretty sure this surplus ammo is corrosive; do I just run a Windex patch down the barrel after shooting it? I do not want to shoot the thing until I know exactly what I'm doing.

It'd be nice to find some stripper clips as well. Might have to go back as I think I saw some at the gunstore a while back.

So, whatcha' all think?

Josh <><

solvability · 09-21-2007, 05:47 PM

Looks nice - I have a couple of the 91/30s and they are good shooters - the ammo is corrosive so running a few patches with soapy water or windex is required within a few hours of shooting - then path it dry then run a patch through with light oil - clean the bolt head as well since it is exposed to the corrosive salts. Corrosive is not a problem if you handle the follow up correctly. The 7.62x54r is in the same power category as the 30-06/308 - I prefer the light ball, but often the heavy ball is more accurate. You may want to check the bore diameter as they vary - I handload using the hornady .313 dia bullets with good results - my bores are on the large size. I have some stripper clips but find them a nuisance.

Joshua M. Smith · 09-22-2007, 11:41 AM

I decided to really lay in with the cleaning today.

I started with a regular cleaning which gave me clean patches after about five passes. I wasn't sure where the gunk came from as I had cleaned it yesterday, so I let the bore soak in Hoppes for a few hours.

When I ran another patch through it, I got green again. I kept doing this and eventually got brown, what I assume is Cosmoline. The patches eventually came through clean again.

It's been soaking for a few more hours now. I'm watching it and every half hour there is more crud that surfaces. I figure I'll just run a soaded patch through it now and again and keep it soaking.

The good news is that this thing is beginning to resemble a *new* bore. Maybe it was one that was shot a few times and then never picked up? Dunno. I'm pretty sure some of this stuff has been in there since it was issued in '44.

The chamber has begun cleaning out as well, and ya'll were right: there's brown gunk coming out of it as well. I attached a drill to a 20 gauge bore brush and went at it. I only thought it looked nice before.

I'll keep ya'll updated! This may turn out to be a nicer rifle than I first thought!

Josh <><

Joshua M. Smith · 09-23-2007, 07:16 PM

Hi All,

Someone on one of the many boards I frequent asked for a picture of the bore when I got through with it. I do not remember what board it was, so I'll just post on all of them.

While this bore looks bad, remember I have it under extreme magnification and the pitting cannot be seen with the naked eye. While not target grade, I consider this to be acceptable and it certainly is accurate. The picture was taken after two days of soaking followed by "boilouts," before oiling.

It's not the "new" bore I thought it might be once I stripped it of its copper fouling, but it doesn't seem to matter with open sights. I'm playing with the idea of 'scoping it and I may have issues then. Until and unless I decide to do this however, I'm happy.

Josh <><

09-20-2007, 04:36 PM	#1
Joshua M. Smith Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Wabash IN Posts: 77	Prime M44 - Came With Everything You See Here Hi All, I found a really nice Russian M44 Mosin-Nagant at what I thought was a reasonable price. No rust was evident as I cleaned the cosmoline off. I'm pretty sure this is what a Russian soldier would have been issued. This ammo has be baffled, but I believe it's the same stuff found here: http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... m=80929981 This is my first centerfire rifle. Any advice would be very appreciated. I'm pretty sure this surplus ammo is corrosive; do I just run a Windex patch down the barrel after shooting it? I do not want to shoot the thing until I know exactly what I'm doing. It'd be nice to find some stripper clips as well. Might have to go back as I think I saw some at the gunstore a while back. So, whatcha' all think? Josh <><

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09-21-2007, 05:47 PM	#2
solvability Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Alabama Posts: 130	Looks nice - I have a couple of the 91/30s and they are good shooters - the ammo is corrosive so running a few patches with soapy water or windex is required within a few hours of shooting - then path it dry then run a patch through with light oil - clean the bolt head as well since it is exposed to the corrosive salts. Corrosive is not a problem if you handle the follow up correctly. The 7.62x54r is in the same power category as the 30-06/308 - I prefer the light ball, but often the heavy ball is more accurate. You may want to check the bore diameter as they vary - I handload using the hornady .313 dia bullets with good results - my bores are on the large size. I have some stripper clips but find them a nuisance.

09-22-2007, 11:41 AM	#3
Joshua M. Smith Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Wabash IN Posts: 77	I decided to really lay in with the cleaning today. I started with a regular cleaning which gave me clean patches after about five passes. I wasn't sure where the gunk came from as I had cleaned it yesterday, so I let the bore soak in Hoppes for a few hours. When I ran another patch through it, I got green again. I kept doing this and eventually got brown, what I assume is Cosmoline. The patches eventually came through clean again. It's been soaking for a few more hours now. I'm watching it and every half hour there is more crud that surfaces. I figure I'll just run a soaded patch through it now and again and keep it soaking. The good news is that this thing is beginning to resemble a new bore. Maybe it was one that was shot a few times and then never picked up? Dunno. I'm pretty sure some of this stuff has been in there since it was issued in '44. The chamber has begun cleaning out as well, and ya'll were right: there's brown gunk coming out of it as well. I attached a drill to a 20 gauge bore brush and went at it. I only thought it looked nice before. I'll keep ya'll updated! This may turn out to be a nicer rifle than I first thought! Josh <><

09-23-2007, 07:16 PM	#4
Joshua M. Smith Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Wabash IN Posts: 77	Hi All, Someone on one of the many boards I frequent asked for a picture of the bore when I got through with it. I do not remember what board it was, so I'll just post on all of them. While this bore looks bad, remember I have it under extreme magnification and the pitting cannot be seen with the naked eye. While not target grade, I consider this to be acceptable and it certainly is accurate. The picture was taken after two days of soaking followed by "boilouts," before oiling. It's not the "new" bore I thought it might be once I stripped it of its copper fouling, but it doesn't seem to matter with open sights. I'm playing with the idea of 'scoping it and I may have issues then. Until and unless I decide to do this however, I'm happy. Josh <><