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M44 bolt jamming

nutrac21
I bought an M44 from Big 5 a few weeks ago. I took it out to the range and after each shot I had a very hard time opening the bolt. I had to literally hit the bolt hard to pop out the shell. I am using Olympic Ammo 7.62X54. I took it back because I thought it might be a bolt issue and they exchanged it and I got a new one. I took the new one out last weekend, and it is easier, but not much and still not like it should be (I was using the same ammo). I am warry about putting too much money into it because I bought it for $104 out the door. Any ideas?

Thanks,
nutrac21
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Comments

10 comments

Date Votes
  • Tailgunner1954
    Pull back the striker (knob on the back of the bolt) and see if it still opens hard.
    The cocking cam could be a little rough (a lot of the M-44's being sold were never issued, IOW there brand new) and a dab of greese on the cam might help out.

    Whittemore
    Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.
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  • 1KYDSTR
    You might have a headspace problem as well. If this is the case you are getting a lot of backthrust on the cartridge and that could be a less than desireable issue. Alot of these guns are NIB, more or less, so I would suspect the OTHER issue, ammo. Perhaps the Olympic stuff is a triffle hot, and is causing the case to stick in the chamber. This WILL cause a difficult biolt operating stroke, so try a few different brands of ammo. The Mosin system cocks on opening, so as mentioned, it could just be the cam being a little balky.

    "When I cease learning...I'm dead"(Me)
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  • nutrac21
    So, 1KYDSTR, if it is a head space problem will it continue to be a problem or will it get better? If it will get better, I will plan on keeping it and just put a bunch of rounds through it. But if it will not get better, I should return it and get my money back. You know? Does anybody know if Olympic is a hot load? Anyone know where I would get a lighter loaded round that would ship to California? I really only want one box to see if it would solve the problem.

    Tailgunner1954, the striker (also the safety) is very hard to pull back but it is possible. I don't understand how this would effect the firing, or does it? Also, how do I add grease to the cocking cam? I don't know what part of the bolt that is.

    Thanks
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  • kingjoey
    I'd clean and lube the gun really well before doing anything rash. If you didn't clean it after you got it, that would be big problem. The guns are packed in cosmoline and often a little crud and sawdust gets in the mix as well. Take the gun out of the stock and wash it out really good with brake cleaner, re-lube, re-assemble. If the problem persists then worry about it, but usually the bolts will stick if its crudded up.

    Love them Beavers
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  • Tailgunner1954
    quote:Originally posted by nutrac21
    So, 1KYDSTR, if it is a head space problem will it continue to be a problem or will it get better? If it will get better, I will plan on keeping it and just put a bunch of rounds through it. But if it will not get better, I should return it and get my money back. You know? Does anybody know if Olympic is a hot load? Anyone know where I would get a lighter loaded round that would ship to California? I really only want one box to see if it would solve the problem.

    Tailgunner1954, the striker (also the safety) is very hard to pull back but it is possible. I don't understand how this would effect the firing, or does it? Also, how do I add grease to the cocking cam? I don't know what part of the bolt that is.

    Thanks

    Headspace dosn't get better by itself, it requires the minestrations of a gunsmith. FYI: Your rifles headspace is the difference between the breachface/boltface clearance and the thickness of the rim.
    Pulling the striker back before opening the bolt removes the force required to for the rifle to do it for you from the equasion. It's a process of elimination as to where the problem lies. At the rear of the bolt body there is a ramp that forces the striker back when you lift the bolt handle, you can get a dab (use a toothpick dipped in grease, it also holds about the right size "dab") of grease on this ramp with the bolt out of the rifle.
    The Nagants I've had required a firm up-slap of the bolt handle, going "gently" wasn't there style.

    Whittemore
    Some guys like a mag full of lead, I still prefer one round to the head.
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  • allen griggs
    Mosin Nagants are rather primitive, they are not a smooth elegant action like the Mauser.
    But they are reliable, robust actions.
    You should not be having to use that much force to open the bolt.
    Try cleaning the chamber real well. Remove the bolt. Get a wire brush for a .45. Screw it into one section of cleaning rod and chuck it into a drill. It wouldn't hurt to put a little JB paste on it. Slide that up into the chamber and spin it for a few minutes.
    You could wind a thin film of fine steel wool around the brush and put some Hoppes on it.
    I am not familiar with that ammo. Some of the Mosin ammo has lacquered cases and after firing the lacquer will come off inside the chamber.
    Try some Sellier and Bellot ammo, it is pretty good quality. It could be you just have a batch of grubby ammo. Anyway it would be a good idea to clean the chamber.
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  • Raider006
    I had a little bit of a problem with that on mine when I first got it. All it needed was a really good cleaning and some surplus military ammo for $3-5 a box. I tried some of the commercial stuff and it didnt shoot any different, so why waste the money for ammo that just burns a little cleaner.

    Austin Raider
    SFA ROTC Lumberjack Battalion
    Raiders Lead The Way!
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  • mgx
    1: Thorough disassembly and cleaning. This means everything. 2: proper lubrication. 3: You need arms like a Russian potato farmer, for whom these were designed. The real short bolt handle helps not. 4: It's the reason Willy Mauser was invented.
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  • snglstack
    With both of my NIB M44's I thoroughly cleaned everything (lots of cosmoline) and spent many evenings just working the action whilst watching the History channel. These were $69 rifles that repeatedly and consistently, with iron sights and my 54 year old eyeballs, off a rest, smack the 300 yard 8 inch gong time after time, using the cheapest surplus ammo I can find. Crude and ugly they are, but man, do they shoot. A great deal for a saddle gun that might just get rolled on by a horse or worse. I was pleasantly surprised, to say the least. My 14 year old son loves his, uses it horseback, and leaves his Mod 700 '06 at home when the country gets rough and the horse is picking its way. The more I shoot em, the smoother the action gets, but as others have mentioned, it's only going to get so smooth with cocking on opening feature. A $20 muzzle brake helps, too. You might consider polishing the bolt as well...good luck.
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  • mgx
    But I do concur with SNGLSTACK, my dry humor aside. I also bought several. I find them well-balanced, bayonet and all, for off-hand shooting. I haven't done any long-range targeting yet. The only problem I encountered was with one whose extractor was adjusted in too far, thus striking inside the casehead bevel and stopping the bolt. I reworked the lead angle a little and reshaped the extractor tang, which cured it. The Russians fielded what they knew was a good piece.
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