Mosin Nagant Rifle

Exploded Views and

Disassembly
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The Mosin Nagant is a simple design that is easy to repair and maintain, but proper
technique and an understanding of the design is important. This page will attempt to
guide Mosin owners through partial and complete disassembly and provide a pictorial
reference of the various parts. For information on which parts will interchange between
various models, see the Mosin Nagant Parts Compatibility page.

Tools Quality gunsmithing tools are imperative to prevent damage during firearm
disassembly. Anyone who's handled surplus firearms has seen the stripped screw heads,
scratched metal and scarred wood. While damage in battle is part of the history of a
firearm, damage from poor maintenance techniques is a destruction of that history. Past
damage can't be undone, but future damage can be prevented. A good set of hollow
ground screwdrivers in various sizes is the most useful tool on the firearm bench.
Following that, brass and steel punches and a light hammer are very handy. Forceps for
handling small parts and a magnetic bowl for keeping track of them are useful. A well lit,
clean work area also helps prevent the loss of small parts. A protective mat on the bench
will protect the finish of the firearm and a gun vise can make the job much easier when
"three hands" are required. Plastic picks, nylon brushes, paper or cloth towels, swabs and
pipe cleaners make detail cleaning easier. A quality cleaning rod and patches will soon be
appreciated over the discount variety for periodic maintenance. Types of solvent and
opinions on their use are almost as numerous as gun owners and is beyond the scope of
this page. Dummy cartridges for checking function, a firing pin protrusion gauge, and a
set of headspace gauges round out the well equipped bench.

Exploded Views Below are exploded views of a Soviet M91/30. Other models have
variations in the parts which will be covered later. The primary differences are in the
stock hardware and sights, especially among the later Finnish models. For larger views,
click on the pictures.

1. receiver and barrel 8. rear barrel band 15. butt plate 22. follower assembly
2. stock spring 16. butt plate screw 23. floorplate latch
3. handguard 9. front barrel band (2) and screw
 17. magazine tang 24. trigger/sear
10. rear barrel band screw assembly
4. magazine
11. cleaning rod 18. receiver tang 25. bolt assembly
body/triggerguard
12. cleaning rod screw 26. sling and dog
5. nosecap
retaining nut 19. front sight collars
6. nosecap screw
13. stock recoil bolt 20. rear sight
7. front barrel band
14. stock recoil bolt assembly
spring
nut 21. interrupter/ejector
assembly

5. floorplate latch 9. follower carrier 13. follower pin

1. sear/trigger spring 6. floorplate latch spring screw 14. follower
2. sear screw screw 10. follower carrier
3. trigger/bolt stop 7. floorplate pin
4. trigger pin 8. follower carrier 11. follower carrier
spring 12. follower spring

1. ejector 4. rear sight base 7. rear sight leaf 10. rear sight slide
2. interrupter/ejector 5. rear sight base pin 8. rear sight leaf pin buttons (2)
spring (2) 9. rear sight slide 11. rear sight slide
3. interrupter/ejector 6. rear sight leaf button springs (2)
body
spring screw spring

1. bolt body 5. firing pin spring

2. cocking knob/safety 6. bolt head
3. guide rod/connector 7. extractor
4. firing pin

Disassembly The following pictures and comments will illustrate the

disassembly procedure for the Soviet M91/30.

Before beginning
disassembly, maintenance,
or cleaning on any firearm
visually inspect the
chamber and magazine to
be sure that it is unloaded.

Remove the sling by

unbuckling the dog collars
and removing them from
the sling slots.

Unscrew the cleaning rod

counterclockwise
Depress
the barrel
band
retaining
springs
and slide
the barrel
bands
forward.
Slide both barrel bands
forward past the end of the
stock and remove the
handguard. The barrel
bands will not come off
the barrel at this time due
to the front sight. Other
models may differ in this.

Hold the trigger back and

pull the bolt straight to the
rear.

Decock the bolt

by turning the
cocking knob 90
degrees
counterclockwise
and pull the bolt
head and
connector bar
forward.

Rotate the bolt

head 90 degrees
clockwise and pull
it off the
connector bar.
Using the large
notch on the bolt
tool or the
connector bar as a
wrench, grasp the
firing pin between
Remove
the
magazine
tang
screw.

Remove
the
receiver
tang
screw.

Remove the magazine

assembly and receiver
assembly from the stock.
Some Mosins, especially
Finnish, but Russian and
Soviet also, have shims at
the tang and recoil lug.
When removing the action
from the stock be careful
not to lose the shims and
note their location. The
trigger pin is held in place
only by the stock and if it
is loose can fall out upon
removal of the action.
Depress
the
floorplate
latch and
pull the
floorplate
away from
the
magazine
body.
Compress
the
follower
assembly
and pull it
straight
down
from the
magazine
body.

This completes partial disassembly for routine cleaning and maintenance.

For detailed disassembly, including the magazine and bolt assemblies,
continue below.

Unscrew
the butt
plate.

Drift out the front

and rear barrel
band springs from
the opposite side
of the stock with
a small blunt nail
or punch. A hole
for this purpose
should be visible.
These springs are
delicate and can
be easily broken
if pulled out by
the leaf.
Remove the nose
cap screw and
slide the nose cap
forward off the
end of the stock.
The nose cap
screw will thread
into the top of the
cleaning rod
retaining nut and
can aid in pulling
it out of the stock.

Note: Removal of
the retaining nut
is seldom
necessary or
worth risking
damage to the
nose cap screw.
Turn the stock
recoil bolt nut
counterclockwise
with retaining
ring pliers or
another suitable
tool. Carefully
drive the recoil
bolt out of the
stock with a
punch.

Note: Removal of
the recoil bolt is
seldom necessary
and there is a risk
of damaging it.

Remove the
floorplate
latch screw
and pull the
floorplate
latch straight
down out of
the
magazine
body/trigger
guard.

Drift out
the
follower
pin and
follower
carrier pin.
The
follower
carrier
spring is
screwed to
the
floorplate.
The
follower
spring can
be
removed
from the
follower
carrier by
lifting up
and back.

Drift out
the trigger
pin and
remove the
sear/trigger
spring
screw.

Lift the
ejector/interrupter
spring and remove
the
ejector/interrupter
from it's slot.
Remove the
ejector/interrupter
spring screw and
slide the
ejector/interrupter
spring forward
from the dovetail
slot.

Note: Early
Russian
ejector/interrupter
were integral with
the spring and are
removed in one
piece just as the
spring is removed
above.
Drift out the rear
sight leaf pin and
lift the rear sight
leaf spring out of
the rear sight base.
Remove the rear
sight slide from
the leaf and pull
the buttons and
their springs out
each side.

Drift out the rear

sight base pins
and drift the rear
sight base forward
off of the dovetail.

Drift the
front sight
off of it's
base. The
barrel
band can
now be
removed
from the
barrel.

Note: The
front sight
base is
staked to
hold the
sight in
place. It
should
only be
removed if
necessary.
Drift the
extractor out
the back of the
bolt head.

Note: Removal
of the extractor
is seldom
necessary and
there is a risk
of damaging it.
If it is
necessary, a
drop of
penetrating oil
beforehand is
recommended.

Reassembly Reassemble the rifle in the reverse order of disassembly taking note of the
following:

Screw the
firing pin
into the
cocking
knob until
the back
end is flush
with the
rear of the
cocking
knob and
the slot
lines up
with the
index mark.
After fully
assembling
the bolt,
decock it,
make sure
the bolt
head is
tight
against the
connector
bar and
check the
firing pin
protrusion
with a
gauge. The
firing pin
should
touch the
shallower
(75) of the
two center
notches in
the gauge
and not
touch the
deeper (95)
of the two
center
notches. If
necessary,
adjust by
screwing
the firing
pin in or
out of the
cocking
knob,
always
stopping
with the
index mark
aligned.
A small C-
clamp is
useful for
compressing
the rear sight
leaf spring.

When
replacing the
front sight be
sure to
realign the
index marks.

When
replacing the
action in the
stock tighten
the magazine
tang screw
and receiver
tang screw
evenly and
securely.
Loose action
screws are a
common
cause of
inaccuracy.

Model Specifics The M91/30 was chosen because it is one of the most common
models of the Mosin design and is more similar to all other models than any other model.
Below are the exceptions to the above instructions for all other commonly encountered
models of Mosins.
Russian The M91 barrel
M91 bands are not
retained by
springs, but are
held on by
tension. The
bands are
loosened by
turning the screw
clockwise as if it
were being
tightened. The
screw is captive
to the band and if
it is turned too far
the wrong way it
will break. The
front band is
removed first, the
rear one is
loosened to
remove the
handgaurd and
then the rear band
is removed. The
bands will fit
over the front
sight to remove
them from the
barrel.
The rear sight
leaf spring is
retained by a
screw. The sight
base is soldered
to the barrel. The
rear sight slide is
removed from the
rear of the slide
and can be done
with the slide on
or off of the rear
sight base. Line
up the notches on
the bottom of the
slide with the
notches on the
bottom of the leaf
near the rear.
 Depress the
spring cap on one
side through the
notches with a
small punch
while depressing
the corresponding
button. Pull that
side of the slide
slightly toward
the rear of the
leaf to prevent the
spring cap from
reseating. Repeat
on the other side
and remove the
slide.
The buttons,
springs, and
spring caps can
now be removed
from the slide.
Soviet The M38 barrel
M38 bands will come
off over the front
sight globe
because it is
closer to the end
of the barrel. The
front sight base is
a sleeve held on
with a pin.
Removal is not
recommended.
The M38 rear
sight base is a
sleeve held in
place by a pin.

Soviet The M44/T53 has

M44 an attached
Eastern bayonet that can
European be removed by
M44 taking out the
Chinese screw. The screw
T53 is staked on the
opposite end and
Rear sight can be difficult to
same as loosen. The
M38. bayonet lug and
front sight base
are integral and
held on by two
 pins. Removal is
not
recommended.
The barrel bands
cannot be
removed without
removing the
bayonet/sight
base.
Soviet
M91/59

Same as
M38.
Soviet The M91/38
M91/38 barrel bands will
come off just as
Rear sight the M38 bands.
same as The front sight
M38. base is often
made from a
turned down M44
bayonet/sight
base and cannot
be removed
without damage
because the rear
pin is partially
removed in the
turning process.
Finnish Some Finnish
M91 long rifle barrel
M24 bands are
P-series retained by a pin
which goes
Same as completely
Russian through the band
M91. and stock. It must
be drifted out
before removing
the band in the
same way as the
Russian M91.

Note: The pin can

be delicate and
should be
removed with
care only when
necessary.
 Some Finnish
long rifle barrel
bands are
retained by a
small wood screw
into the stock just
forward of the
band. It must be
removed before
removing the
band in the same
way as the
Russian M91.

Some Finnish
long rifles use
metal sling
hangers in place
of the dog collars
and they must be
removed before
removing the rear
barrel band. The
screw passes
through the stock
and threads into
the opposite side
of the hanger.
The rear hanger is
attached in the
same way but is
larger.
Finnish Some M27s have
M27 a sling swivel
through the front
Rear sight slot. It must be
same as removed before
Russian removing the rear
M91. barrel band.
 Some M27s have
a rear sling
swivel that is held
in place by two
wood screws.

The M27 nosecap

has a transverse
and longitudinal
bolt. Remove
these to hinge the
top of the cap
open and slide it
forward off the
stock. Some
nosecaps have
extensions to the
rear that contain
the transverse
bolt.

The rear barrel

band is retained
by a transverse
bolt.
The front sight is
soldered in place
and cannot be
removed without
heating it.

Finnish The M28 nosecap

M28 has a transverse
bolt that is
Rear sight removed to slide
same as the nose cap
Russian forward off the
M91. stock. Some nose
caps have a
Rear barrel seperate front
band same plate that is
as M27. attached to the
stock by two
Front sight wood screws. The
similar to nosecap will not
M27. come off over the
front sight.
Finnish The M28/30 rear
M28/30 sight base is a
sleeve held in
Rear barrel place by a
band same retaining screw
as M27. under the sight
leaf and solder.
Nose cap The slide is
similar to removable from
M28. the leaf by
removing the leaf
from the base.
The slide buttons
are retained by
pins. (M39 sight
pictured)

The M28/30 front

sight has a blade
that is adjusted
with two screws,
one on each side.
The screws are
removed
counterclockwise
and the blade is
lifted from the
base. (M39 sight
pictured)
Finnish The M39 has two
M39 set of sling
attachment
Rear sight points. The lower
similar to rear sling swivel
M28/30. is similar to the
the M27. The
Front sight side rear sling
similar to attachement is
M28/30. held in place by
two wood screws.
The M39 barrel
band is held in
place by a spring
similar to the
M91/30. It also
has a captive
vertical bolt on
the opposite side
to provide
tension.

The M39 nose

cap is held in
place by a captive
vertical bolt and
transverse bolt.
The top hinges to
the left to allow
the nosecap to be
removed to the
bottom of the
stock.

Finnish Some Finnish

M91/30 M91/30s have a
blade front sight
Sling that allows the
hangers barrel bands to be
same as removed over it.
Finnish It also has
M91. "stacked" base.