Ha, and maybe I've just shown my noobness, but Basically I'm looking to be able to clean this thing out and put it back together. Perhaps "takedown" isnt the right term or not. I dont know. Its all a learning experience for me

 

Hi George! Welcome to the forum. When you get a minute, stop by the intro thread, and tell us about yourself.

In the meantime- OLD? HAH! I got boots older than that! Your rifle was made between 1960-1971. You can get a repro of the owner's manual from Victor & Cheryl Havlin at havlinsales.com for a few dollars. They are very nice folks, run the Mossberg Collector's Assoc, and a a great source for Mossberg parts.

This is the owner's manual for the 353- but field strip instructions should work for yours. Click HERE: http://stevespages.com/pdf/mossberg_353.pdf

If you have problems, post here, or drop me a private message. Warning- Mossberg 22s are addictive. Started with one, have about 18 of them now. I think they multiply in the dark in the safe.

 

Hi C3shooter,

Thanks for the warm welcome and the great info! As I'm sitting here with it, it seems like that rear bushing really inhibits the cocking handle to reverse all the way to the most rear hole. Is this correct? Do I need to remove the bushing first?

 

Yep. Clear the gun of all ammo, remove magazine, pull trigger to drop the striker. Remove action from stock, unscrew breech plug, get whacked in face by spring, crawl around looking for spring with the one good eye you have left, pull operating handle back to last hole, pull handle out, slide striker and bolt out of rear. Immediately misplace bolt handle so you can look for it when trying to reassemble.

Well, that's the way I usually do it!

 

hahahaha. I'll see if I can replicate this. Thanks!

 

hmm, This rear bushing is not coming out. Is there any tricks that you or anyone knows about on how to get this to come out?

 

See if this site will have a manual that might help you. Good luck.

http://stevespages.com/page7b.htm

 

Action is out of stock? Breech plug unscrewed? Bolt handle removed from bolt? ? Should be able to grasp bushing, pull to rear. May have to squeeze trigger while pulling gently to lower the sear.

 

action out check. breech plug is out although it was a pull out not a screw out-check, bolt handle not removed. It seems to not want to travel far enough back to get to the rear most hole. Thoughts? Again, this help is much appreciated!

 

ok, I think I figured out where I was going wrong. The Breech plug. I thought that the breech plug was just the plastic piece but I now see that the metal portion of it is threaded into the barrel. I however cannot get it to unscrew. The best I've tried is using the plastic part to help attempt to turn it. The metal just doesnt seem to want to unscrew. I've tried some Kroil on it to help it along with no success. Any thoughts?

thanks again for the help!

 

That breechplug is threaded, and that does have to be removed- the bolt slides straight out of the back.

Suggest you let it Kroil soak in for a day, try again. It should unscrew with finger pressure. Most of my Mossys are older, and use acone shaped external breech plug, but they changed to the one with the tapered plastic tail on yours for looks.

If KROIL does not do the job, I am going to suggest another forum- rimfirecentral.com There is a Mossberg section, and one of the regulars there may have a 352K. Tell 'em C3 sent ya.

 

Yeah my breech plug doesnt look exactly like that. very close. The plastic part fits inside the metal part. The plastic just doesnt have enough grip to turn the metal. ive tried kroil on the outside, and also trying to hit it from the interior.

Ive tried a heat gun on both parts. no go. Ive tried a heat gun on the barrel and then cooled down the breech plug with a air duster can upside down. no go.

 

This may be a dumb thought, but are you turning it the right way? It may be reversed threads. Just a thought.