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Work order — Mosin-Nagant M44 Carbine

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

Same simple Mosin action and about the same part count. The extra job is the folding bayonet: its staked screw and the pinned bayonet/front-sight base trap the barrel bands. That makes it upper Tier 1, but nothing is timed or held under tension. 34 parts (stand-in: American Rifleman 'Mosin-Nagant Model 1891 Family' exploded-view legend (keys 1-34), drawn on the long rifle; the article says the instructions 'apply universally to all patterns of Mosin ri). Pew-Takedown's rating, not the manufacturer's.

Bench time: strip ~40 min, rebuild ~55 min (estimate). Actual: strip ______ rebuild ______

Special tools:

• firing pin protrusion gauge — Bolt reassembly
• hollow-ground screwdrivers — Staked bayonet screw
• brass drift — Front sight / bayonet base pins (if removed)

Watch for:

• The attached bayonet's screw is staked and hard to loosen, and the barrel bands cannot come off until the pinned bayonet/front-sight base is removed, which the reference advises against. (both; 7.62x54r.net (hosted by thinlineweapons.com))
• Bolt reassembly needs the parts aligned in one orientation, with the firing pin returned to its witness line (shared Mosin bolt). (reassembly; American Rifleman (NRA))
• Firing-pin protrusion must be gauged after bolt reassembly. (reassembly; 7.62x54r.net (hosted by thinlineweapons.com))

Tools

• Bore guide — Cleaning from the breech without wearing the throat or the crown. On a surplus rifle the crown is often the difference between accuracy and none.

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 rearward 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 rounds in the magazine, or cycle the bolt repeatedly.
4. Inspect the chamber and magazine well with a light and physically confirm the chamber is empty.
5. Close the floorplate and remove all live 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.
4. Clean the bore from the breech using a bore guide, and clean the bolt face, lugs, and chamber.
   Warning: Always use a bore guide on a surplus rifle. Cleaning rod wear at the crown is a permanent accuracy loss and is very common on milsurp.
5. Stop here for routine maintenance. Bolt disassembly is a separate procedure and is not part of normal cleaning.

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

Reassembly

1. Confirm firing pin protrusion has been set correctly if the bolt was disassembled.
2. Align the bolt with the receiver raceway, connector bar in its groove.
3. Slide the bolt forward into the receiver and close the bolt handle.
4. Cycle the bolt several times and perform the function check.

5. Torque

No manufacturer torque values are recorded for this firearm.

Fit or check on rebuild

• Firing-pin protrusion — Same Mosin bolt.
• Bayonet lock-up — The folding bayonet must latch in both positions. Well-known check, no source found.
• 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 — chamber and magazine — before each check.
• Cycle the bolt and confirm it cocks and closes fully into battery.
• With the action cocked, engage the safety and press the trigger. The striker must not release.
• Disengage the safety without touching the trigger. The striker must not release.
• Press the trigger and confirm the striker releases with a firm snap.
• Load dummy rounds and confirm they feed and eject cleanly.
• If you have any doubt about the rifle’s history, have headspace gauged by a gunsmith before firing live ammunition.
• Confirm the bayonet latches securely in both the folded and extended positions.
• Confirm firing pin protrusion with the gauge if the bolt was apart.

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

Sources

1. 7.62mm Mosin-Nagant Carbine Model 1944 Manual — USSR Ministry of Defence primary
2. Small Arms Identification and Operation Guide — Eurasian Communist Countries — U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency secondary
3. Mosin Nagant Rifle Exploded Views and Disassembly (Model Specifics: M44) — 7.62x54r.net (hosted by thinlineweapons.com) secondary
   https://thinlineweapons.com/7.62x54r/7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinDisassembly.html
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. 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.