Bore slugging for a Mosin

[opos]

got an old Mosin and want to slug the bore....I'm told fishing sinkers (with the hole in them) are a decent slug...just so I don't have to clean out Walmart's fishing section does anyone have an idea what size or weight of sinker makes a good slug candidate for the Mosin...Also should the slug sort of be squeezed down a little before driving it into the bbl? Many thanks
opos

[Mooseman]

5/16 diameter lead sinker is ~.312 so its a starting point.
Tap it in..if it drops in you may need the next size up.
Lots of Mosins are counterbored an inch or so at the muzzle so that will be larger than the bore itself.

[I'll Make Mine]

I used a 5/16" oval sinker when I slugged my 91/30; by the time I got the slug well started in the bore, it had upset enough to show friction marks on the exterior, but if you have worn rifling you might find that size slug doesn't fill the grooves (it still won't "drop in" because it's a good bit bigger than bore diameter). One way to improve those sinker is to upset them before you start them in the bore; hold the sinker (in pliers, unless you have tough fingers) on end on a hard, smooth surface and hit it gently a few times with a light hammer. It needs to be bigger that 5/16", but 3/8" is too big; 11/32" is pretty close to just right.

[darkroommike]

And make sure you get lead sinkers, it took me two tries, the first store had only zinc (ptui) sinkers. And grease your slug! I used white lithium grease, perfectly fine at this velocity, approx. 4 feet per minute.

[ukrifleman]

got an old Mosin and want to slug the bore....I'm told fishing sinkers (with the hole in them) are a decent slug...just so I don't have to clean out Walmart's fishing section does anyone have an idea what size or weight of sinker makes a good slug candidate for the Mosin...Also should the slug sort of be squeezed down a little before driving it into the bbl? Many thanks
opos
Or you could use candle wax, you get the additional chamber cast at the same time.
ukrifleman.

[ROGER4314]

I use CerroSafe alloy to cast chambers or bores. It melts at about 150 degrees. After casting, it shrinks for the first 30 minutes so you can remove the casting then expands to size in 60 minutes. You can buy it at Midway for $20 per 1/2 pound or RotoMetals has it at $15 per pound.

Flash

[craig61a]

#9 egg sinkers are what you're looking for. Run a well oiled patch throught the bore, and put plenty of grease into muzzle so the sinker won't get stuck. Get a piece of brass 1/4" rod to drive it through the bore. To get it started on the muzzle end place it in the muzzle and put a piece of wood over it. A few taps with hammer will get it going.

If the bore is pitted or frosty, I usually patch with solvent and then make 10 - 15 passes with a patch loaded up up with solvent and some Clover 320 grit lapping compound. Smoothes the bore out so the slug moves a little more easily, and you don't have to pound the bejeebers out of it. The lapping compound doesn't remove a lot of metal, just smoothes over the edges of the pitting so the lead sinker doesn't get hung up.