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Work order — Mosin-Nagant M91/30

Taking the firearm apart for a job such as refinishing, and putting it back together to specification. Generated from the Pew-Takedown entry last updated 2026-10-29. Confidence: medium.

Shop difficulty: Tier 1 of 3

Only about 34 numbered parts (American Rifleman legend), held by screws and simple springs, and it strips with a screwdriver and punches. The fiddly bits are a bolt that must be re-indexed and gauged for firing-pin protrusion, and fragile band springs. None of these needs a held-under-tension pin or timing. 34 parts (complete Mosin-Nagant Model 1891 family rifle (article states the instructions apply to all patterns; the M91/30 is named as the most common) per the American Rifleman exploded-view 'Parts Legend', ke). Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's.

Bench time: strip ~35 min, rebuild ~50 min (estimate). Actual: strip ______ rebuild ______

Special tools:

• Mosin combination tool / firing-pin protrusion gauge — Setting firing pin protrusion after bolt reassembly
• hollow-ground screwdrivers — Staked military screws
• small C-clamp — Compressing the rear sight leaf spring

Watch for:

• The bolt must be reassembled with the cocking piece, guide bar and bolt head in one specific alignment, and the firing pin screwed back to its witness mark. (reassembly; American Rifleman (NRA))
• The firing pin is under mainspring tension while it is unscrewed from the cocking piece. (disassembly; American Rifleman (NRA))
• Firing-pin protrusion has to be re-checked with a gauge after the bolt is reassembled, or the rifle misfires or pierces primers. (reassembly; 7.62x54r.net (hosted by thinlineweapons.com))
• The barrel-band retaining springs in the stock are delicate and break if pulled out by the leaf. They must be drifted out from the other side. (disassembly; 7.62x54r.net (hosted by thinlineweapons.com))
• Loose parts on the way out of the stock: the trigger pin is retained only by the stock, and tang/recoil-lug shims must be kept and put back in place. (both; 7.62x54r.net (hosted by thinlineweapons.com))

Tools

• Issued combination tool / screwdriver — Bolt disassembly and setting firing pin protrusion. The original tool includes the firing pin protrusion gauge.

1. Clear and make safe

1. Point the muzzle in a safe direction and keep your finger off the trigger.
2. Lift the bolt handle and pull the bolt fully to the rear to extract and eject any chambered round.
3. Press the magazine floorplate latch ahead of the trigger guard and swing the floorplate open to release any rounds in the magazine.
   Tip: Alternatively, cycle the bolt repeatedly to feed and eject each round.
4. Inspect the chamber and magazine well with a light, then physically confirm the chamber is empty.
5. Close the floorplate and remove all ammunition from the work area.

2. Disassemble

Field Strip — Bolt Removal

1. Complete the Clear and Make Safe procedure.
2. Lift the bolt handle and draw the bolt fully to the rear.
3. Press and hold the trigger while continuing to pull the bolt rearward out of the receiver.
   Warning: You are pressing the trigger. The chamber and magazine must already be verified empty and the muzzle in a safe direction.

Bolt Disassembly

1. Hold the bolt body and pull the cocking piece at the rear straight back, then rotate it to disengage it from the bolt body.
2. Separate the bolt head and connector bar from the bolt body.
3. Unscrew the cocking piece from the firing pin, counting turns if you want a reference point.
   Warning: The mainspring is under compression. Control it.
4. Clean every component and the firing pin channel until free of cosmoline and fouling. Reinstall dry.

3. Refinish

The components the procedures above separate. Coating, masking and cure are outside this database; follow your coating system's instructions. A part the manufacturer marks "factory fit" should not be swapped or reworked.

No manufacturer statement of materials or finish is recorded. Identify each part's material before choosing prep and cure.

4. Reassemble

Bolt Disassembly

1. Reassemble the firing pin and cocking piece, then set firing pin protrusion using the gauge slot on the combination tool: with the bolt assembled and the firing pin forward, the tip must protrude within the gauge's limits.
   Warning: This is the critical step. Incorrect protrusion causes misfires, pierced primers, or slam fires. If you do not have the gauge, have a gunsmith set it.
2. Reassemble the bolt head and connector bar to the bolt body and confirm the bolt cycles and cocks correctly before reinstalling it in the rifle.

Reassembly

1. Confirm firing pin protrusion has been set correctly if the bolt was disassembled.
   Warning: Do not skip this. It is a safety-critical dimension.
2. Align the bolt with the receiver raceway, with the connector bar riding in its groove.
3. Slide the bolt forward into the receiver and close the bolt handle.
4. Cycle the bolt several times to confirm smooth operation and correct cocking, then perform the function check.

5. Torque

No manufacturer torque values are recorded for this firearm.

Notes: The official military manuals give no torque value. They say: "67. Заканчивая осмотр винтовки в собранном виде, проверить, правильно ли довинчены винты хвостовой и упора. Чрезмерное завинчивание винта упора может повлечь за собой расшатывание угольника в соединении со щеками магазинной коробки, особенно если магазинная коробка верхним краем упирается снизу в ствольную коробку." [translation by this project: "67. On finishing inspection of the assembled rifle, check that the tang screw and the recoil screw are properly screwed home. Over-tightening the recoil screw can loosen the trigger-guard plate's joint with the sides of the magazine box, especially if the top edge of the magazine box bears against the underside of the receiver."] (Наставление по стрелковому делу (НСД-38). Винтовка обр. 1891/30 г. (1941 printing), p. 58 (PDF p. 62), ст. 67) "д) неравномерно завинчены винты упора и хвостовой (недовинчены или перетянуты) — пули уклоняются вверх или вниз;" [translation by this project: "e) the recoil and tang screws are unevenly tightened (under-tightened or over-tightened) — bullets deviate upward or downward;"] (Наставление по стрелковому делу (НСД-38). Винтовка обр. 1891/30 г. (1941 printing), p. 77 (PDF p. 81), ст. 120)

Fit or check on rebuild

• Firing-pin protrusion — Incorrect protrusion causes misfires or pierced primers.
• Tang screw torque / shims — Loose action screws cost accuracy, and shims must go back in place.
• Re-zero sights or scope — Sights and optics come off for coating, and point of impact must be re-confirmed. This is a standard check, so no source.

6. Function check

• Verify the rifle is unloaded before each step.
• Cycle the bolt and confirm it cocks on opening and closes fully.
• With the bolt closed and cocked, pull the cocking piece back and rotate it to the safe position. Confirm the trigger is blocked.
• Return the safety and press the trigger — the firing pin should release with a firm snap.
• Confirm firing pin protrusion with the gauge if the bolt was apart.
• Load five dummy rounds and confirm the interrupter feeds them one at a time without rim lock.

If any check fails, the firearm is not safe to fire. Stop and see a licensed gunsmith.

Sources

1. 7.62mm Mosin-Nagant Rifle Model 1891/30 Manual — USSR Ministry of Defence primary
2. Small Arms Identification and Operation Guide — Eurasian Communist Countries — U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency secondary
3. Наставление по стрелковому делу (НСД-38). Винтовка обр. 1891/30 г. (1941 printing) — Народный комиссариат обороны СССР (Воениздат НКО), 1941 — scan hosted on archive.org primary
   https://archive.org/details/nastavleniepostrelkovomudelunsd3888
4. Exploded View: Mosin-Nagant Model 1891 Family Of Rifles — American Rifleman (NRA) secondary
   https://www.americanrifleman.org/content/exploded-view-mosin-nagant-model-1891-family-of-rifles
5. Mosin Nagant Rifle Exploded Views and Disassembly — 7.62x54r.net (hosted by thinlineweapons.com) secondary
   https://thinlineweapons.com/7.62x54r/7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinDisassembly.html
6. Exploded View: Mosin-Nagant Model 1891 Family Of Rifles (American Rifleman, July 2016, p. 73), by Ian McCollum — NRA / American Rifleman secondary
   https://www.americanrifleman.org/media/ofijod0q/r1607_ev.pdf

Educational guide only. Some information comes from non-authoritative sources. Always consult your manufacturer's manual and a licensed gunsmith. Verify your firearm is unloaded before every procedure. Full disclaimer: https://github.com/Fundamental-build-LLC/Pew-Takedown

Legal notice: this material is third-party information compiled from sources of varying reliability and is provided for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not gunsmithing, technical, safety or legal advice, it is not verified or endorsed by any manufacturer, and it must not be taken as fact. Any work on a firearm beyond the routine field stripping described in its own owner's manual should be performed only by a licensed and insured gunsmith. You use this material entirely at your own risk. Fundamental Build LLC and the project's contributors make no warranty of any kind and accept no liability for death, injury, damage or loss arising from its use. Full terms: LEGAL.md.