WOW! I'm glad I didn't chop up my Mosin Nagant!

[Onmilo]

Just stopped by G-G-G-Gander Mountain and Dunhams today.
Both had ample supplies of Mosin Nagant 91/30s and Type 53 Carbines.
Priced at $179 for the long rifles and $159 for the carbines.
I paid $75 bucks each for my two 91/30s a couple years back.

 

[Black Butte]

I'm of the opinion that history should not be "chopped up."

 

[Jcinnb]

My view, and it applies just to me, is that one is a caretaker for vintage weapons, not really an owner. Not judging anyone, just the way I see it.

 

[19-3Ben]

My view, and it applies just to me, is that one is a caretaker for vintage weapons, not really an owner.

Agreed. We don't own history, we hold it in trust.

Of course, technically, we do own a specific rifle that has historical significance and if someone wants to shorten a barrel, gold plate the whole thing, throw the stock in a camp fire, or any other thing, well... it's his property and I can't tell him not to. It just wouldn't be MY choice.

 

[19-3Ben]

Oh and to directly address the OP, yeah, the prices on Mosins have gone up. But that's the way it's gone with every milsurp.

It used to be, only 6 or 7 years ago, that you could get a Finnish Mosin for the sake prices that we see rough "war time" manufactured 91/30s these days. of course, Swiss K31s were also around $200 then.
It's simply supply and demand. There were only so many made, and so many being imported. As those numbers dry up, the prices rise so long as demand stays above the level of supply.

 

[USAF_Vet]

Aside from the availability issues, prices also go up when politicians start flapping their gums about gun control, or when mass shootings occur, or other high profile media coverage of guns.

Before I started getting into guns, word is you could get an SKS and a case of ammo for about $150. Today that won't even get you the case of ammo.

That's one unfortunate side effect of capitalism and the free market, prices can always go up, but will rarely ever go down.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Back in the 1950s it was required by convention that you "sporterise" a military rifle, since the ones available for import were not collectible grade, and US made sporters were beyond a lot of folks' budgets.

In fact, mailorder houses offered military rifles for, say, 14.95, and a "sporterized" version for 19.95 (bascally what you could do at the kitchen table yourself with saw, sandpaper and a stock finish set).

Today, at the local gunshop, the original military would be $300 as a military collectible, and the "sporterized" version would be tagged $125 as a cheap utility rifle.

I had a Type 53 with a crappy stock that I chopped the stock on. But when I bought a 91/30, it was the intent to keep it pristine. Since then I located a complete M1944 stock set for the Type 53, so I'm going backwards. And when I die, the guns will be worth more to my heirs than a couple of chopped "sporterized" military rifles.

 

[geo57]

We do not have a Gander Mountain close to us but we do have a Dunham's and their prices on mil surps border on the ridiculous. That $ 179 price there on the 91/30 will be plus 7 % or more tax I'm guessing too.

Two years ago I ordered a 91/30 with bayonet, tools, & accessories for $69 plus $15 shipping.

If a person has a C&R you can still get 91/30's and all the goodies for about $129 and shipping from wholesalers if you shop around and even less for rifles only privately at times from various classifieds boards & at gun shows.

 

[Jackal]

When you could sporterize a Mosin and have a ready to hunt rifle for around $150, it made sense. Now however, most Mosin projects cost in excess of $350, it just makes more sense to buy on of the new low end hunting rifles for $299 instead.

 

[carbine85]

That's about $40.00 high for the 91/30 around here. I just bought a Tula for $100. Typically $125 - $135

 

[hdbiker]

#44 Mosin

While at a yard sale last summer I bought a as mew (1946 ) model #44 Mosin Nagant, all matching except for the stock, pristeen bore for 75 bucks. I've put about 100 rounds of surplus ammo threw it so far. It's a clunky rifle but looks cool. I found a nice dog collar sling and some stripper clips at the fall gun show. I shoots about 4 inches high at 50 yards so I might send the front sight to Smith Sights to have it made elevation adjustable. I found 200 rounds of surplus ammo at LGS for 7.77 per 20 rounds. hdbiker

 

[geo57]

hdbiker,

Save your $ and slip a cocktail straw over your front sight post and trim to your desired POI . They work like a charm.

Jackal,

The deer I have shot with my unmodified Mosin rifles didn't get the memo that these rifles weren't ready to hunt .

 

[Armymutt]

My view, and it applies just to me, is that one is a caretaker for vintage weapons, not really an owner. Not judging anyone, just the way I see it.

I tell my classmates in vet school that I'm running a firearms rescue shelter when they question why I have so many milsurps.

 

[ldlfh7]

I have several unmodified Mosin's but I could care less is someone were to modify one. There are so many of them out there who cares if a few get modified? No need to modify though. I have no reservations hunting whitetail with mine as long as the range is close.

 

[amx4080]

In 2003, I purchased an M44 (1946, Izhevsk, 1.TRZ stamped) for $69.00 and an M91/30 (1938, [SA] marked) for $40 the same day. Two thoughts went through my head. First, my wife was going to be pissed off that I dropped over $100 on rifles. Second, that with these purchases I'd be set for life with Mosin Nagant rifles and would never buy more.

I was wrong on both thoughts.

Regarding prices going up, no more are being made. A bunch are getting "sporterized" (or a more recent term: Bubba'ed). Nice examples will hold or increase in value over the long term.

 

[mgkdrgn]

When you could sporterize a Mosin and have a ready to hunt rifle for around $150, it made sense. Now however, most Mosin projects cost in excess of $350, it just makes more sense to buy on of the new low end hunting rifles for $299 instead.

IMHO, most Mosin's are "ready to hunt" once you clean the cosmoline out of them. What you do beyond that is just gravy.

 

[USAF_Vet]

Regarding prices going up, no more are being made.

That doesn't mean much. They aren't making Ford Pintos anymore, either. Don't see the price of a used Pinto going up as fewer and fewer of them are available.

 

[Abel]

I would love to blow up about fifteen crates of mosins with some C4. Then take the debris and sweep it into a pile, then blow that up too.

 

[justice06rr]

When you could sporterize a Mosin and have a ready to hunt rifle for around $150, it made sense. Now however, most Mosin projects cost in excess of $350, it just makes more sense to buy on of the new low end hunting rifles for $299 instead.

It doesn't have to cost over $350 to sporterize one if you choose to.

My last 91/30 that I sporterized (and sold) only totaled $240. I bought the rifle for $140, stock for $50, scope and mount for $50. You can still buy 91/30's from Bud's around $150 shipped.

 

[Steel Horse Rider]

Abel: You have some deep seated aggression there. Maybe it would be better served by taking a 91/30 out for some long range shooting. Mine will ring a 6"x 14" gong all day at 300 yards using the stock sights.

 

[Ash]

It really doesn't matter what you think of a Mosin. There are some very fine, superbly-crafted Mosins - SAKO, Tikka, SIG, and Remington got involved with Mosins. Remington made entire rifles, SAKO, Tikka, and SIG made barrels, and SAKO & Tikka (not to mention Valmet) built rifles on their barrels as well as made other parts. SAKO, Tikka, and Valmet all started by manufacturing Mosins.

You don't have to like a Mosin to appreciate the fact that in original condition many are worth quite a bit of money. Some in the several thousand dollar range. They aren't Ford Pintos - that is reserved for the early model 1903's that actually did blow up due to brittle receivers (yeah, rarely happened, but happened it did).

The best Mosin military rifles are truly superb rifles. The most basic remain utilitarian models with good accuracy and rugged actions.

 

[ColtPythonElite]

Chop 'em up if you want to, boys. It's not like they are uber rare. Big deal if you lose a hundred bucks. Many of us blow off that much in lead and powder in no time.

 

[DPris]

There are so many of the things floating around in varying degrees of condition that I feel no guilt whatever over sporterizing the two I've done.

The least expensive one just got a new Boyds stock & a Smith adjustable front sight.
After which, it put three holes in under an inch at 100 yards with surplus ammunition.
That's despite the mediocre bore, and rust craters on the barrel exposed by removing the warped wood that came on it. Not speckles, craters.

Not every Mosin is a museum piece.
My more expensive project Mosin was re-stocked, barrel cut to 22 inches, rear sight removed, Duracoated, minor trigger job, and a Leupold scope mounted.
I coulda put that money into a plastic-stocked Ruger American or Savage rifle and had some left over, but I've got real wood & a rifle with more character that pleases me. It also shoots better than it did with its original furniture.

Making a run-of-the-mill Mosin into something that you can tailor to your own preferences kills no kittens & will not cause St. Peter to bar the gates when you show up.
A true collectible is a different matter, but I've about 8 go through my hands in the past 15 years or so, none fit that category.
Denis

 

[Centurian22]

I've opted for one of each. I'm keeping one Mosin original and one I'm putting into a Boyd's thumbhole stock and hoping to add a long eye relief scope to the rear sight base. With a little luck both mods will be easily reversible.

 

[docsleepy]

I have several.

One, with especially low throat erosion, I completely reworked, with a sleeved & shortened barrel, new muzzle crown, reworked stock, long-eye-relief scope. The sleeve was made from 3/4" steel pipe and carefully joined with epoxy.

With the resulting stiffer barrel, I recently hit an 800 yard target, had a pretty good group at 400 yards, reasonable and 600 and at least HIT the target at 800. Of course, these are handloads.

That's what some rifles are for: to be able to place a projectile accurately on a distant target. Other people may have other rifles with different goals.

It is a very valuable deer rifle to me. I've got about $160 in it so far.