Loading problem with 91/30

[millman]

I think I am in agreement with the others that the ejector piece is not moving back far enough to allow the shell to be pushed down into the magazine. Mosinjunkie, has already asked the questions I would ask to diagnose the problem. Take it MJ.

[desdem12]

Thanks martin that is what i was thinking of and thanks for letting it slide...this time

[WeldonHunter]

The ejector in the first picture definitely looks like it's sitting higher than the one in the second picture. I would "not" start filing on anything. Once you start removing metal from parts especially not knowing what the problem is you may create another problem. Plus once the metal's gone you can't put it back and it may make diagnoses even harder. It may also fix this problem while masking another. Diagnose the problem you have first to best of your ability. It may mean taking these guns apart to compare the ejectors. Just don't mix them up.

I don't mean to harp but I'm an auto mechanic and diagnosis is done by not altering things unless you're fairly sure what the problem is.

[desdem12]

Try an ejector from another rifle that works and try it or compare the two out of the stock at least. It does look a little fat. You can buy new or surplus ones someplace I think.

[pacanis]

With the forum down last night I decided to take apart that rifle and really eyeball things.
I can push a cartridge through with the barrel removed from the stock. It feels "tight" compared to loading the rifles I have shot already, but it does push past the ejector.
There is no obstruction on the inside of the stock on that side. I took the multi tool and scraped off what little shellac there was. It's down to stained wood. And you can barely feel a slight depression where the ejector is pressing against the stock when you try to load it.

Today I'm going to take apart another 91/30, one I have shot, and see what the inside of the stock looks like on the ejector side. I'll also drop the offending barrel into that stock and see if it will allow loading when in a different stock. If it does, I'll do some sanding on the original stock. Give the ejector and spring a little more clearance. If it doesn't I'll blame it on the ejector. Since that would require ordering another ejector anyway, I'll do some light dremmeling and make it look more like the rifles that load properly. Give that notch a slightly deeper depression. It shouldn't take much.

This rifle is the one with the black paint on it. Also, all the numbers match, right down to the letter prefix. And the wood is beautiful. So what does this mean? My guess is it was rearsenaled and never shot? It's like someone took their time assembling the parts, enough time to stamp match them with prefixes, touched up any bad spots, then sent it on its way for a cosmoline bath. Maybe the ejector had to be replaced and it has never been used.

I will say, I'm learning a lot more about how things work. That's pretty slick the way the spring for the ejector is also the interupter.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Typical of rifles that went from refurb to storage box without ever being issued, problems like this that would have been fixed by the field armorers are now your problem. I am no gunsmith but I have seen this problem before, I have bent the interrupter/ ejector in various ways, or simply ignored the problem and left the rifle as is as an example of Soviet work. On the left alone rifle, a wartime date refurb, I would load five rounds in the mag, then unclasp the floorplate and let it drop down just a half inch or so, not enough for the rounds to dump out, but enough for them to align properly in the mag. After that they would cycle just fine.

[pacanis]

Whelp, she's workin'.
I have no idea what the problem was, so finally ended up dremmeling the ejector into more of a notch like the others. I could put the barrel into another stock and load ammo, but in the stock that came with it no go. I even put a piece of masking tape inside the stock to see where the spring might be hitting... I sanded and tried it and sanded and tried it... finally I pulled the ejector off of the one I had apart and it was indeed a slightly different size. Maybe barely 1/64", but overall the ejector on the rifle with the loading problems was slightly larger. I did not want to keep sanding the inside of the stock down and wasn't sure if that was entirely the problem or not, so I put the grinding wheel on and smoothed things up on the ejector. BTW, I noticed the other rifle's ejector was stamped, the one I polished wasn't.
It's not my smoothest loading Mogin, but over time I'm hoping she breaks in more. At least I can load it normally now.

[desdem12]

I have to go shoppin where you do i guess. You seem to come up with all the good stuff for sure. Glad it is working for you

[MN Fan]

Nice job with the repair and still keeping the rifle's original integrity. I hope it all works out well for you!

[Junk Yard Dog]

I keep extra parts on hand just in case of stuff like this, mostly bolt heads, but there are some other small parts in a little can around here someplace. at least you got it working at last.

[pacanis]

It was a good experience Junkyard, albeit a frustrating one putting it together and taking it apart so many times. That bottom barrel ring really rubs trying to slide it off and on.
I wouldn't say I'm ready to wrench on an $800 rifle, but I became much more familiar with my Mosin having to tweak it a little.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Strip down the rifle, pile the parts on the floor, turn off the lights and spin yourself around fast ten times then reassemble the rifle in under one minute in the dark To add real stress to the test have a friend waiting in the corner with firecrackers ready to toss at the time of his choosing.

[pacanis]

On the floor? Not outside in two feet of snow with blizzard conditions?

[MN Fan]

I bet those frozen Russian soldiers learned to grab the trigger hinge pin even in the dark! Man, talk about a helpless feeling

[Junk Yard Dog]

On the floor? Not outside in two feet of snow with blizzard conditions?

Good idea, now you are thinking! Lets dispense with the firecrackers and give your friend a shotgun full of BP dragon loads that he will pop off at irregular intervals right behind you.

[desdem12]

I accomplish the in the dark one all the time. I just misplace my glasses and then i have to feel around for the parts.

[Rick C]

Same problem 1953 Polish carbine
Remove bolt, remove stock, see lh side receiver
Identify ejector held in by flat spring
Remove spring if possible if not carefully raise
spring and remove ejector
Lay flat on 220 grit sandpaper and give both sides
a few strokes to polish and deburr
Otherwise debur especially semi circular area
behind the ejector pin
Reassemble with light lube to ejector
The Russians aren’t big into deburring parts