M39 Bolt

BOHICA1962 · 05-05-2008, 09:07 AM

The bolt on my newly acquired M39 is very hard to turn into the cocked position. It looks good and there is no abnormal wear that I can see. When I first took it out so I could clean the barrel it flew apart and I had trouble putting it back together. I didn't force it at all so I'm sure I didn't damage anything. One of the guys at the gunshop put it back together for me in about 10 seconds and took it apart and showed how to put it back together so I don't think he damaged it. It works just fine......it just takes some effort to cock it. Seems like I heard or read about this problem and how to correct it but remember where..........Any suggestions?

gandog56 · 05-05-2008, 09:40 AM

Not unless you still have cosmoline gunked up somewhere.

SwedeSteve · 05-05-2008, 09:46 AM

Check for rough surfaces.

Mike82 · 05-05-2008, 10:09 AM

i wanna know why it flew apart in the first place?
and is the firing pin adjusting to tightly?
if the bolt is a new body it sometimes can be stiff till its broken in, i know mine was, and when i first built mine, the new spring was TIGHT even at 'standard' position, and it made it hard to break in.
now it works smoothly, but i had noticed some burrs on the bolt body where the other parts 'slide' against it, and took them off with 400grit emery cloth. Just an unfinished bolt body is what i got, had to 'finish/polish' it myself....but a brand new bolt with an extra rebuild kit only cost me $36....so i considered that to be excellent deal.

BOHICA1962 · 05-05-2008, 10:33 AM

I don't know why it "flew apart". I know it's easy to uncock a Mauser bolt not intending to when it's been taken out for cleaning. This bolt is just too hard to cock so I'll have to take it apart again and check it to see if I can find anything wrong. Thanks for all the information.

Mooseman684 · 05-05-2008, 10:38 AM

Make sure the firing pin is adjusted to spec using the screwdriver tool gauge!
Rich

Mike82 · 05-05-2008, 11:40 AM

yeah, do that....and a well worn mosin bolt will do the same when removed....i thought u meant when u opened chamber the bolt just flew apart....i was gonna say that sounded like the threads in ur cocking piece were nearly stripped rofl, if thats even possible....i can reassemble the front of a mosin bolt quicker than the 'rotating bolt assembly' on an AK....that lil rotating piece on my ak confuses me sometimes

BOHICA1962 · 05-06-2008, 09:33 AM

Yesterday I was in Big 5 and they had just gotten 3 M44s. The sale was over but the manager let me have it for the sale price. They all have the trigger locks installed so I didn't check it out. I bought one and when I got it home I found it had the same problem as my M39. I went back to the store and bought another one and it works just as it should. I'll take the first one back today. I will check the firing pin adjustment today............if it's out of adjustment the spring could be under more pressure causing the problem. Thanks for all your help.

Mike82 · 05-06-2008, 09:44 AM

yep yep....that'll do it, especially if the spring is newer or hasnt been properly broken in....also if it's a US-made spring, it could be the strands of the spring are thicker, causing it to be harder to compress....and yes, i saw an ebay auction a while back that was selling USA-made replacement parts for M-N's lol.

marion57 · 05-06-2008, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike82

yeah, do that....and a well worn mosin bolt will do the same when removed....i thought u meant when u opened chamber the bolt just flew apart....i was gonna say that sounded like the threads in ur cocking piece were nearly stripped rofl, if thats even possible....i can reassemble the front of a mosin bolt quicker than the 'rotating bolt assembly' on an AK....that lil rotating piece on my ak confuses me sometimes

I am begining to think this should be a sticky

YouTube - Mosin Nagant Bolt

andrew cochran · 05-06-2008, 03:57 PM

That might be a good idea.

Mosin Shooter · 05-06-2008, 05:02 PM

wierd way to do it but ok, all you gotta do is make sure you have pressure on the firing pin so it dont go flying, never seen it just slid back into the gun without pulling the trigger down

BOHICA1962 · 05-06-2008, 06:26 PM

I was hanging out at the gun store today and one of the local gunsmiths walked in and I just happened to have the bolt and barrel in my truck. I brought it in and he took the bolt apart and adjusted the firing pin and said it may lighten up after a while but one thing that would help would be to take the bolt apart and polish all the mating surfaces. Adjusting the firing pin did help some. I mastered the Mauser bolts and the K31 bolts but I dread taking this one apart again. May just put it in the safe and get back to it next year.

Thanks again.

Geo M44 · 05-06-2008, 07:51 PM

The first couple of times are tricky, but once you have done it a few time it's pretty easy. Now owning 7 MN's I'm getting pretty good at it.

marion57 · 05-06-2008, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Geo M44

The first couple of times are tricky, but once you have done it a few time it's pretty easy. Now owning 7 MN's I'm getting pretty good at it.

even if you own one and take it apart on a regular basis it becomes easier . Like Geo said practice helps ..just book mark the vid and refer to it

Mike82 · 05-06-2008, 10:47 PM

fortunately i had decent enuff memory when it came to reassembly the first time, this was before i had ever even gotten on these forums or ever looked at assembly vids or even diagrams, you can imagine the fun i had, rofl, couldnt figure out why i couldnt unscrew the bolt at back of cocking piece....then i attempted to "tighten then loosen" like someone had told me....well it tightened so easily i was like "hell, guess it's suppose to go this way" rofl

Mosin Shooter · 05-08-2008, 07:23 PM

it takes me about 30 seconds to completely dissassemble the bolt, and about 5 to completely strip the rifle.

ghost_raven · 05-08-2008, 07:38 PM

First, I'd say clean the bolt pretty thoroughly. The bolt on my M39 was really hard to work with the first time I took it out to the range, but when I took it home and cleaned it with some Hoppe's #9 and a little oil, it's been working great ever since.

One time, I accidentally took the bolt apart when I was just messing with it. I'd pulled it out of the rifle and was looking at its mechanics and getting to know it (first time I'd ever touched a bolt action rifle), and as I was tinkering with it, it came apart. I shrugged and calmly put it back together within two minutes... just a matter of checking what fits where and how... it really can't be put back together wrong.

Mike82 · 05-09-2008, 12:59 AM

well, the bolt CAN be put together wrong, but then the idiot(used freely) cant get it back into rifle unless he corrects his mistake lol

texnmidwest · 05-09-2008, 12:02 PM

When I had the problems with my m39 bolt that Moose helped me with I found that before I cleaned it it was pretty smooth. Then I cleaned it well and it started getting hard to operate.

Moose can fill you in on what he did for me but after he worked on it polishing the cam parts and adjusting the firing pin it operated beautifully.

05-05-2008, 09:07 AM	#1
BOHICA1962 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LUBBOCK TEXAS Posts: 216	M39 Bolt The bolt on my newly acquired M39 is very hard to turn into the cocked position. It looks good and there is no abnormal wear that I can see. When I first took it out so I could clean the barrel it flew apart and I had trouble putting it back together. I didn't force it at all so I'm sure I didn't damage anything. One of the guys at the gunshop put it back together for me in about 10 seconds and took it apart and showed how to put it back together so I don't think he damaged it. It works just fine......it just takes some effort to cock it. Seems like I heard or read about this problem and how to correct it but remember where..........Any suggestions?

05-05-2008, 09:46 AM	#3
SwedeSteve Thor's Hammer Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Alaska Posts: 10,400 Images: 1	Check for rough surfaces. __________________ Thank God we don't get as much Government as we pay for! -Will Rogers

05-05-2008, 10:09 AM	#4
Mike82 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Starkville, Mississippi USA Go BullDAWGS!!! Posts: 1,043 Images: 7	i wanna know why it flew apart in the first place? and is the firing pin adjusting to tightly? if the bolt is a new body it sometimes can be stiff till its broken in, i know mine was, and when i first built mine, the new spring was TIGHT even at 'standard' position, and it made it hard to break in. now it works smoothly, but i had noticed some burrs on the bolt body where the other parts 'slide' against it, and took them off with 400grit emery cloth. Just an unfinished bolt body is what i got, had to 'finish/polish' it myself....but a brand new bolt with an extra rebuild kit only cost me $36....so i considered that to be excellent deal. __________________ No Trespassing! Violators Will Be Shot! Survivors Will Be Shot Again!

05-05-2008, 10:33 AM	#5
BOHICA1962 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LUBBOCK TEXAS Posts: 216	M39 BOLT I don't know why it "flew apart". I know it's easy to uncock a Mauser bolt not intending to when it's been taken out for cleaning. This bolt is just too hard to cock so I'll have to take it apart again and check it to see if I can find anything wrong. Thanks for all the information.

05-05-2008, 10:38 AM	#6
Mooseman684 Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Alaska Wilderness Posts: 9,702 Images: 2	Make sure the firing pin is adjusted to spec using the screwdriver tool gauge! Rich __________________ You know you might be facing your doom,when all you get is a click when you're expecting a BOOM!

05-05-2008, 09:40 AM	#2
gandog56 Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Montgomery, IL. Posts: 4,346	Not unless you still have cosmoline gunked up somewhere.

05-05-2008, 11:40 AM	#7
Mike82 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Starkville, Mississippi USA Go BullDAWGS!!! Posts: 1,043 Images: 7	yeah, do that....and a well worn mosin bolt will do the same when removed....i thought u meant when u opened chamber the bolt just flew apart....i was gonna say that sounded like the threads in ur cocking piece were nearly stripped rofl, if thats even possible....i can reassemble the front of a mosin bolt quicker than the 'rotating bolt assembly' on an AK....that lil rotating piece on my ak confuses me sometimes __________________ No Trespassing! Violators Will Be Shot! Survivors Will Be Shot Again!

05-06-2008, 09:33 AM	#8
BOHICA1962 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LUBBOCK TEXAS Posts: 216	Yesterday I was in Big 5 and they had just gotten 3 M44s. The sale was over but the manager let me have it for the sale price. They all have the trigger locks installed so I didn't check it out. I bought one and when I got it home I found it had the same problem as my M39. I went back to the store and bought another one and it works just as it should. I'll take the first one back today. I will check the firing pin adjustment today............if it's out of adjustment the spring could be under more pressure causing the problem. Thanks for all your help.

05-06-2008, 09:44 AM	#9
Mike82 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Starkville, Mississippi USA Go BullDAWGS!!! Posts: 1,043 Images: 7	yep yep....that'll do it, especially if the spring is newer or hasnt been properly broken in....also if it's a US-made spring, it could be the strands of the spring are thicker, causing it to be harder to compress....and yes, i saw an ebay auction a while back that was selling USA-made replacement parts for M-N's lol. __________________ No Trespassing! Violators Will Be Shot! Survivors Will Be Shot Again!

05-06-2008, 03:57 PM	#11
andrew cochran Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Little town in ARKANSAW! Posts: 2,169	That might be a good idea. __________________ If you don't have anything good to say... Don't say it!

05-06-2008, 05:02 PM	#12
Mosin Shooter Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 416	wierd way to do it but ok, all you gotta do is make sure you have pressure on the firing pin so it dont go flying, never seen it just slid back into the gun without pulling the trigger down __________________ Save a cow, eat a vegetarian.

05-06-2008, 06:26 PM	#13
BOHICA1962 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: LUBBOCK TEXAS Posts: 216	Mosin Nagant Bolt I was hanging out at the gun store today and one of the local gunsmiths walked in and I just happened to have the bolt and barrel in my truck. I brought it in and he took the bolt apart and adjusted the firing pin and said it may lighten up after a while but one thing that would help would be to take the bolt apart and polish all the mating surfaces. Adjusting the firing pin did help some. I mastered the Mauser bolts and the K31 bolts but I dread taking this one apart again. May just put it in the safe and get back to it next year. Thanks again.

05-06-2008, 07:51 PM	#14
Geo M44 Senior Member Join Date: May 2006 Location: The Desert Posts: 2,212	The first couple of times are tricky, but once you have done it a few time it's pretty easy. Now owning 7 MN's I'm getting pretty good at it. __________________ Remember when seconds count... the police are only minutes away.

05-06-2008, 10:47 PM	#16
Mike82 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Starkville, Mississippi USA Go BullDAWGS!!! Posts: 1,043 Images: 7	fortunately i had decent enuff memory when it came to reassembly the first time, this was before i had ever even gotten on these forums or ever looked at assembly vids or even diagrams, you can imagine the fun i had, rofl, couldnt figure out why i couldnt unscrew the bolt at back of cocking piece....then i attempted to "tighten then loosen" like someone had told me....well it tightened so easily i was like "hell, guess it's suppose to go this way" rofl __________________ No Trespassing! Violators Will Be Shot! Survivors Will Be Shot Again!

05-08-2008, 07:23 PM	#17
Mosin Shooter Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 416	it takes me about 30 seconds to completely dissassemble the bolt, and about 5 to completely strip the rifle. __________________ Save a cow, eat a vegetarian.

05-08-2008, 07:38 PM	#18
ghost_raven Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 408	First, I'd say clean the bolt pretty thoroughly. The bolt on my M39 was really hard to work with the first time I took it out to the range, but when I took it home and cleaned it with some Hoppe's #9 and a little oil, it's been working great ever since. One time, I accidentally took the bolt apart when I was just messing with it. I'd pulled it out of the rifle and was looking at its mechanics and getting to know it (first time I'd ever touched a bolt action rifle), and as I was tinkering with it, it came apart. I shrugged and calmly put it back together within two minutes... just a matter of checking what fits where and how... it really can't be put back together wrong. __________________ The First Amendment defines America, the Second Amendment defends it.

05-09-2008, 12:59 AM	#19
Mike82 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Starkville, Mississippi USA Go BullDAWGS!!! Posts: 1,043 Images: 7	well, the bolt CAN be put together wrong, but then the idiot(used freely) cant get it back into rifle unless he corrects his mistake lol __________________ No Trespassing! Violators Will Be Shot! Survivors Will Be Shot Again!

05-09-2008, 12:02 PM	#20
texnmidwest Listen to yur Inner Hippo Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: South east Wisconsin Posts: 3,464	When I had the problems with my m39 bolt that Moose helped me with I found that before I cleaned it it was pretty smooth. Then I cleaned it well and it started getting hard to operate. Moose can fill you in on what he did for me but after he worked on it polishing the cam parts and adjusting the firing pin it operated beautifully. __________________ "Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati" (If all else fails play dead)