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Article by Edward Oliver

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Editor's Note
A suggestion before proceeding with making any alterations to your Mosin Nagant
firearm is that you can purchase replacement parts to perform the alterations upon, thus
leaving your original parts untouched.
Replacement Firing Pin Spring
Replacement Sear/Bolt Stop

I recently bought three (3) M-44 Mosin-Nagant “Re-arsenaled”Carbines (Izhevsk Arsenal-

Russia); they are stamped either 1944 or 1945. The M-44 is the final wartime version of
the Mosin illustrious line of bolt-action rifles, and probably the most manufactured bolt
action in the world. These may be bought for $55 for a “good”condition, to $70 for an
“excellent” condition, by mail if you have a C&R License <www.atf.gov>. Russian shoulder
weapons are simple, and very well machined and finished (except for the furniture) for a
military weapon. However, in my opinion, all three (3) of these weapons really needed at

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least three (3) functional improvements to “sporterize” the action. Bayonet removal and
stock (furniture) treatment are a subject for another day.

It should be said that the M-44 makes an excellent “Camp Gun”. It is inexpensive to own
and shoot, rugged, highly reliable, easy to maintain, compact, and powerful. It is also very
accurate for a Carbine. Usually only military weapons meet such strict criteria. Let’s get on
with how to make the functional improvements. I will assume you already know how to
disassemble/re-assemble your carbine. If you don’t, you can find excellent articles on this
web site about Mosin rifle, and bolt, disassembly/re-assembly.

1. THE BOLT WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO OPEN (acted as if jammed), and it was
almost impossible to pull the cocking knob to rotate it CCW (left) as needed to safety, or
simply to re-cock, the weapon. Since the Mosin Nagant cocks on opening the bolt, it
seemed sure the firing pin (coil) spring was too strong, too long - or both, to allow proper
operation of the bolt action. It was necessary to shorten the firing pin (coil) spring to
between 3.18” to 3.25”new length. First remove and disassemble the bolt (Fig.1 & 2).

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Shorten the firing pin spring by grinding, and “squaring” the new end of the spring. (Fig. 3)
This can be easily accomplished on a bench grinder. Re-install the firing pin and
shortened spring; then reassemble and install the bolt. This simple modification makes
bolt opening (and cocking) the piece, a hell of a lot easier. It also makes manual cocking,
or safetying the piece possible.

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NOTE: Remember that the Mosin firing pin is spring loaded (each time you open the bolt),
and not “free-floating” like the SKS - this means that if primer piercing occurs, it can be
cured by adjusting the firing pin exposure at the bolt head, using the special tool (flat
screwdriver with 3 gauge slots) provided with each weapon.

2. THE TRIGGER PULL WAS VERY HARD AND RAGGED (this is universally recognized
on these weapons). Since the firing pin spring places tension on the sear, shortening
(weakening) the firing pin spring as detailed above made a slight improvement to the very-
hard trigger pull; however, hard trigger pull, and ragged feel, also have other causes: The
trigger leaf spring/sear was made thicker at the base, and tapering gently toward the
trigger sear. Unfortunately, the machine marks on the trigger spring ran cross-wise to the
part where it engages the trigger knife edge; so, there is a built-in ragged feel to the trigger
(this is one place where Russians failed to build-in quality where it counts!). Don’t fret! Just
remove and re-work the trigger Spring/Sear (Fig. 4) as outlined below:

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A. TO IMPROVE TRIGGER RELEASE, First remove the trigger spring/sear from the
receiver by pushing out the trigger pin, then removing the spring screw (Fig. 4), then grind-
down the sear top to between .392” to .395” in height (Fig. 5). Be sure to retain the same
angularity to the sear top. TIP: Start a bench grinder, and as soon as it reaches speed,
turn it off, then grind. This affords better control of the grind. Several careful grinds
(measuring after each) will get you there.

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B. TO LIGHTEN AND MAKE SMOOTH THE TRIGGER PULL Rework the spring/sear as
follows: First, remove about .010” in thickness from the spring/sear curved side (under the
sear) from about .040” to between .030”to .032” thickness measured at the thinnest part
(Fig. 5). A hand rotary tool (Dremel or equiv.) - with a ½”dia. sanding drum really speeds
up the work (Fig 6). Then, make smooth the flat part of the spring surface adjacent to the
sear (Fig. 5), and smooth out the back of the sear where it engages the bolt (Fig 5).
Surface Texture of the reworked areas of the spring should be polished, first with 220, and
finally with 500 grit sandpaper to provide a clean pull, and release. Note that modification
to the Trigger itself is not needed, unless you wish to make smoother the knife-edge
where it engages the spring/sear.

NOTE ON HAND TOOLS: We Do-it-yourselfers are in luck! A 6" digital readout caliper
can be had for under $10, while a 12V. Rotary grinder with A/C adapter, 60 attachments,
and case, cost me under $10 at Harbor Freight Tools. Think what you could do with these!

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C. TO MAKE THE TRIGGER SPRING/SEAR “SLICK”, AND PREVENT CORROSION,

lubricate all re-worked (now shiny) surfaces with a metal conditioning (penetrating) grease
lubricant such as “Tetra”(or equiv.); then reinstall parts on carbine. You will be rewarded
with satisfactory trigger travel and pull, as well as a clean trigger release, and it didn’t cost
you anything. As with most military surplus weapons, one can do a lot by removing the
“surplus”, a little here and there, but only if you know where, and how much.
.
I don’t know why Russian-made springs are so overly strong, but these were. Perhaps
they have “age-hardened” over 60 years. It is important to remember that different
arsenals may have produced different batches during WWII conditions, and hence
possibly differently functioning weapons, so proceed with caution. Improving/customizing
one’s firearms to meet personal needs, while on a budget, can be rewarding in terms of
personal pride and accomplishment. Should you go wrong, or ever wish to restore the
carbine to its original state, Mosin-Nagant parts can be bought on E-Bay, and other places
at a very reasonable price. For example a trigger assembly, complete with spring/sear,
and screw, can be bought for under $10.

3. THE REAR SIGHT ALSO NEEDS A SMALL IMPROVEMENT. When the weapons were
re-arsenaled, they were re-blued, and beautifully so. The rear sight, marked for elevation,
was also deeply blued; making the etched graduations almost impossible to read (black
on black); so, remove the bluing with fine sandpaper, or steel wool. This makes the
elevation markings very visible in contrast to the (now) shiny sight metal (Fig. 7). SKS
Carbines were made that way.

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I modified Three (3) M-44 carbines as above without problem, then tested each against
accidental trigger release by working the action (No Ammo!) and banging them hard
against the floor - butt first; while pointing up, and none malfunctioned. Man! Make sure
there is no ammo around. - It is sneaky! You don’t want an unplanned hole anywhere.

WORD OF CAUTION: Take all necessary precautions when firing military surplus
weapons for the first time. These carbines were re-arsenaled 50 plus years ago, and
some of them have never been fired. First make sure you have thoroughly cleaned the
barrel, and the chamber. A fixed firing stand is best, but if you must fire from the shoulder,
please use protective glasses, and a plastic face-shield (like carpenters use). A thick
jacket, and thick leather gloves are advisable. You always see Pros use these, so be a
Pro!

FIRING TEST: Using precautions above, all three (3) Mosin M-44s passed my test. Each
was fired 20 times (using mil-surplus Polish 144 gr. Ammo) without undue effort, or
mishap, and without a single hang fire. Single feed, Magazine feed, and rapid fire were
smooth and successful. Examination of fired cases showed proper “dimpling” of the
primers, proving the effectiveness of the firing pin spring modification. This was just a
functional performance test, so my tired shoulder and I, decided to leave “sighting-in” for
another day. Will these improvements improve your/my shooting? It is bound to, but
remember that a smoothly working trigger, good eyes, uniformly made ammo, shooting
skill, stock ergonomics, etc. all contribute to fine shooting. Most of us need all the help we
can get! Have fun!

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Article by Edward Oliver

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