I bought a Hex Mosin a few years ago. Rifle was in great shape with strong rifling and a fairly shiny bore. After the usual cleaning of grease from every part (a total stripping of every part) I scrubbed as much copper and crud from the bore as I could. Between hoppes and m 7 pro copper and bore cleaner I was proud. I have shot the rifle fairly often (on second can of 440) when I decided to try cleaning and soaking the bore in Ballistol. After 2 weeks of soaking and scrubbing patches are as black as coal. I was shocked.
I know this is a 83 year old rifle and I'm sure the Russian troopers didn't have the best barrel hygiene but geeze when will it stop?
BTW the accuracy is amazing. I have only fired this rifle at 200 yds. Seems any less would be cheating.
I bought a 1943 ex-sniper it has the fit and finish of a fence post there are more tool marks on it than bluing but at 100 yd I can drop 5 in sweet spot without trying. It is amazing how accurate it is for how crude it is.
Guys its still just as accurate as it was before i started scrubbing the bore. Actually it seems more consistent between hot and cold. The rifling is visibly sharper. I do want to add that i have been using a .35 caliber bronze brush to clean bore.
Here is a patch from this morning.
I can't hit the broad side of a barn with my Mosin at 50 yards. I've held it above the target, below the target, left, right etc. Barrel is still loose after tightening screws.
Plug the muzzle and fill it up with Simply Green and leave it there for a day or two. No more crud. You are not in a winter war in combat conditions. You won't even have to take a whiz down the barrel. You are also not shooting a musket. You have the time and means to get it right. Even though a rifle may still operate when filthy, i.e. stories about AK-47 in mud for 10 years and so on), it will shoot more accurately when clean. The only real way to prove it to yourself is to set up whatever target distance you wish, fire 100 rounds, then clean as suggested and do it with the same ammo under the same outdoors condition re: distance, wind, humidity, etc. and examine the spread on your groups.
I bought a Hex Mosin a few years ago. Rifle was in great shape with strong rifling and a fairly shiny bore. After the usual cleaning of grease from every part (a total stripping of every part) I scrubbed as much copper and crud from the bore as I could. Between hoppes and m 7 pro copper and bore cleaner I was proud. I have shot the rifle fairly often (on second can of 440) when I decided to try cleaning and soaking the bore in Ballistol. After 2 weeks of soaking and scrubbing patches are as black as coal. I was shocked.
I know this is a 83 year old rifle and I'm sure the Russian troopers didn't have the best barrel hygiene but geeze when will it stop?
BTW the accuracy is amazing. I have only fired this rifle at 200 yds. Seems any less would be cheating.
I don't claim to be an expert but I am treating my 3 newly acquired Mosins to a bore break in. I have done the first cleaning as per the video link below. The bores are noticably cleaner even the patches . One of the Mosins is a Buds Gun Shop Arsenal refurb and the bore was really really dirty.........Hopefully Wednesday I get to Brookhaven for the fire/clean sequences....The Sweets cleaner is amazing!........ Hope this helps you!
Thanks for all the replies. When I made the post I meant it as a testament of the effects of Ballistol. I completely understand how to clean and care for a rifle. As clean as I thought the bore was using these new fangled cleaning chemicals it took a 100 year old solution of all natural stuff to prove new is not always better.
Also it just goes to show how crudded up these rifles really are. Last dollar I would not worry about barrel break in. It was broken in by some Russian peasant when Hitler and Patton were alive.
[sup] Someone told me about NEVERDUL. It's a metal polish that comes in a black can. It's not a liquid, it's like cotton material that has the cleaner in it. It works good for me and I use it every time I clean my bore. Even after using the old corrosive surplus ammo it still does the job. Hope this helps.[/sup][sup]vet like, , it'slish[/sup]
Just a little bit off subject, I have a black powder plains rifle that I picked up at a garage sale last year.The barrel/bore was in really bad shape. After cleaning it (allot) and firing it I still get some rust when I clean it but it doesn't stop it from doing 3 inch shot groups at 50 yards.
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