Hedley,
I never shoot a Russian mil-surp the first time without some sort of precautions. I have a set of headspace gauges, for 7.62x54... I think of headspace gauges like I think of haynes manuals for vehicals,,, A must have... But,,, I am constantly trading and buying, and selling these old rifles... Some gunsmiths will do it free,,, some for change...
But, I'll PM you with my "before I had Gauges" methods... Can't turn that info loose on the world....... Even if it does work....
I agree with most of JR47's advice about corrosive ammo.. But I would say pour instead of "spray".... Don't get the ammonia on the stock buddy, I know how stoked you get about that wood,, I do too......
railroader is right on the money with the advice about the bayonet getting hit with the primer salt when it's folded out...
Hedley, me and you have never talked about anything but target shooting and mil-surps,, but I have killed three deer with this one, as-is, with the 90 year old iron sights...It's the same one from the hex reciever pic above...
I paid $60.00 for it.... But it was a while ago..........