Mosin, Mosin, Mosin, Blah, Blah, Blah

I paid $180 for my 1945 Izhevsk M38, in very good condition. It was clean, cosmoline free, with a perfect bore, an attractive stock, and it had my name all over it. It is the most comfortable and accurate Mosin I've ever had the chance to shoot(out of two others). The only issue I have had with it, was the extractor failing to grab the rim of the cartridge, preventing the bolt from entering its locked position the second time I took it out to shoot. A very thorough cleaning of the bolt and chamber solved that problem, and it's been fine ever since.


This past saturday was the first time I have ever had the chance to shoot at something more than 50 yards away(Yeah, I know. I'm relatively new to all this). Some friends and I went out to our spot in the woods where we go to shoot(since the local Elmer Fudd ranges strictly forbid semi-auto rifles, or steel cased ammo), and we cleared a 170 yard downhill stretch of saplings and brush, and set up a variety of small, awkwardly placed, and partially hidden items as targets, such as spray paint caps, cigarette packs, small water bottles, etc. and made our way up to the rock which we decided to shoot from. Since I had never had the chance to shoot at any real distance, I didn't know what to expect. I was sitting down, shooting my Mosin offhand with iron sights, and out of 9 targets, there was only one I didn't hit on the first shot. This required moving to different, and sometimes awkward positions to see targets around trees and other obstacles, and I only had a 6 foot wide rock outcropping on the side of a hill to make use of. We were trying to bring a little more realism to target shooting, and attempting to simulate situations you may find in battle, while making use of the things we had, and our surroundings.

Now, I don't know if that is anything to brag about, but I sure was proud of myself, and it made me respect my rifle in a different sort of way than before. I had much more fun shooting my Mosin, than I did my AK, my Mossberg 590, or my friends' Savage .270 and M1 carbine. I can't wait to do it again this weekend!

To me, at least, for what I paid, you just can't beat my Mosin. Even though it is an old, ugly surplus rifle that was a bit more expensive than your average Mosin, I feel like it is the best deal I've ever got on a firearm by far. Thanks THR! I didn't even know about them until I started coming here.

I've got a couple. They're T-53 Chinese ones. I got them because they were cheap ($51.00 shipped) and I'd just gotten a C&R license. I've never fired them, and might never, but what the heck. They help fill up the gun cabinet. (The other one looks just like this one.)



I have wondered if they ever found their way down the Ho Chi-Minh trail.

sarduy


I just don't understand why i love mine so much

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Boy, that M44 is something.

Why do I love the Mosin....

1) It seems to be an answer to the question, "What is the minimum number of parts that can be used to make a bolt-action rifle?" There's nothing on it that doesn't help it go bang.

2) Of all the tools I own, only my hammers and shovels are more reliable.

3) If you were going to design a rifle for use by peasants who thought the mule was the height of technology, this is how you'd build it.

4) You can take the entire gun apart using only other parts of the gun as tools.

5) It's a weird, ugly gun that fires a weird, ugly cartridge. I like symmetry.

6) It reduces the felt recoil of all of my other guns.

7) Millions of dead Germans can't be wrong.

Basically, I love the idea that the design brief was so totally opposite what we're used to, having been raised in the American / British world of precision, craftsmanship, and beauty, and that the rifle is a great answer to that very different question.

They're just cool.

--Shannon

NC-Mike said:

Boy, that M44 is something.

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Thanks bro

Here's a run-of-the-mill M44 I did a little "bubba" work on and turned into a scout rifle. It's very accurate, especially after removing all the extra weight of the bayonet and bayonet mounting lug from the front sight assembly. The scope is a BSA "Edge" 2-7 X 28 long eye relief pistol scope on a S & K scout mount replacing the rear sight.

Total cost, about $200 and the optics/mount cost more than the rifle. Rifle came from Gander Mountain for under a hundred bucks (I got to hand pick it and they even gave me a 1 year warranty on it!).

It does a nice job on song-dogs (coyotes) out to 250 or so yards and I don't have to worry about banging up a $1000 rifle dragging through the brush. Besides, ammo is inexpensive.

Here's a run-of-the-mill M44 I did a little "bubba" work on and turned into a scout rifle.

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Looks to be a very effective rifle ya got there.

Love the custom wussy pad!

Thank you Mr. Johnson, I nearly put a mouth full of coffee on my keyboard.

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+1, great post WL. Need to resurrect the "What can a MN be used for" post, it was a hoot.

There is just something about a rifle that is sturdy enough to club someone/something to death and still function as a rifle afterwords. They are a cheap part of history that will never be made again. Ammunition for them is still fairly cheap and can still be found in stock. Enjoy them while they last.

There is just something about a rifle that is sturdy enough to club someone/something to death and still function as a rifle afterwords.

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There is also something to be said for a rifle that is more accurate when shot rather than used as a club.

They are what they are...cheap, reliable, stoppers...nothing fancy about them...but they get the job done.

Cheap rifle, cheap ammo, deadly as a rifle, spear, or club, powerful, reliable, fun...

I also like it's ugly, utilitarian,"gets stuff done" vibe. I've actually never totally cleaned mine (scrubbed the chamber and barrel but that's about it) because I like its...something...that "functions dirty" feel. Kinda like the AK of bolt-action rifles.

Enjoy them while they last.

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That will be a loooong, loooong time.

That will be a loooong, loooong time.

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Agreed, they will outlast us...our great-great-grandkids will still be trying to break it in...to get it smoothed out.

And after a few hundred years, and a couple million rounds that might happen...well maybe not...

Best of the Mosin's

I agree that they are fun to shoot and have a very storied history and in the last 6 months alone have increased several times in price from $60 to an average price of $125. They are fun to shoot and to collect. But if you really want one that will out-shoot almost anything from that era, including the Kar98k, pick up a Finnish Mosin-Nagant, they are worth the money. The Finn's did a terrific job of re-tooling the Russian guns, the actions are smoother and the Finn barrels make them Nail Drivers, they are a target shooters dream. Everyone Gun owner should have a Mosin to play with, every Mosin collector MUST have a Finnish model just to feel the difference......That's my 2Cents....

Is it possible to sight these under 150 yards? Also, from what ive read the m44 is basically the carbine version?

A couple of ways to do the 150 thing:

Slide a piece of electrical insulation over the front sight post and slide it up or down to adjust elevation.

Do a little creative gunsmithing to replace the front sight post with something longer.

Replace the rear sight with a Mojo sight which is just a "drop in" replacement. Save the rear sight and you can restore the rifle to original if you sell.

The M44 is a carbine version of the 91/30 with attached bayonet. The M38 is a carbine without attached bayonet. There are probably other subtle differences, but that is the only thing I've noticed on the ones I have.

Cheap, accurate...I was gonna buy one, but couldn't pass up the Gew98 for the same price. Either way, bolt action military rifles are what I have the most fun shooting.

I have one in shiney chrome I want to sell

I have one in shiney chrome I want to sell. It is a M38 in a laminated stock, I have only shot it 5 times. What would be a fair price to ask??

I have a 91/30 in a laminated stock

I have a 91/30 in a laminated stock, has never been fired, what would be a fair price to ask?

I started w/ a M38

I started w/ a M38 from a gun show, paid $64.00 for it. Now I am up to eight of them. The M38 is called 'The hand cannon'. It is one tuff rifle. I can't tell you how many time I had shot this thing. Thed more I shoot it the more accurate it has become. I have polished the bolt w/ a dremel tool and jewlers rouge, the action is very smooth now. I have a M39 Finnish capture w/ a D-Cartridge stamp on it. I bought it from a woman that needed a tank of gas for an Ford Escort, she was on her way to Houston Texas. I gave her $30.00 for it. I have tried to find different types of arsnel stamps, hex, high sides stuff like that. They will create an inner fever for the ones you don't have YET. I would like to find me a TULA, HEX High side to add to the collection.

Mosin nagant are fun to shoot

W L Johnson: Thank you for the humor, or is that the basic truth of the matter ????

an interesting thread. I pick up my M44 tomorrow afternoon. I can't wait to see it again and look over all the numbers. It'll just be a while before i get to fire it.