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I sem to see everyone complaining about how hard the Mosin Nagant kicks...im not saying anyone from this forum, just in general web surfing and when i let people shoot mine,Anyone else that feels like the Nagant is a very light kicker?
Mosin Nagant Recoil?
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Owner
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You mean.........you don't own a Nagant?
You must acquire one!
And yea the m44 kicks a little bit but i don't own one
only shot one a few times.TBH the 91/30 will start to become the slightest bit uncomfortable but only after 30 rounds of it laying on a sandbag while i shoot. I can shoot it from a standing position all day long.
MyGreenGuns
Member
M44 kicks hard.
I have both the M44 and M91/30. My M44 is the only weapon to give me a purple shoulder. On my bare skin it took 54 rounds. The M44 is shorter and has a steel buttplate.
My bro bought me the ATI composite stock with a cheek pad. He bought it after he shot the M44, but it just didnt 'go' with the attached bayonet. So I bought the M91/30. I swear the extra length of the M91/30 reduces a lot of recoil. I dont remember if it also has the steel buttplate, I swapped it after the first shooting trip. But it doesn't kick as hard as the shorter one when I shoot it.
Did you start this thread after reading that link I posted?
EDIT: The ATI composite stock has a rubber buttplate (+1) but peels away after shooting(-1), it needs a forward barrel band.
I have both the M44 and M91/30. My M44 is the only weapon to give me a purple shoulder. On my bare skin it took 54 rounds. The M44 is shorter and has a steel buttplate.
My bro bought me the ATI composite stock with a cheek pad. He bought it after he shot the M44, but it just didnt 'go' with the attached bayonet. So I bought the M91/30. I swear the extra length of the M91/30 reduces a lot of recoil. I dont remember if it also has the steel buttplate, I swapped it after the first shooting trip. But it doesn't kick as hard as the shorter one when I shoot it.
Did you start this thread after reading that link I posted?
EDIT: The ATI composite stock has a rubber buttplate (+1) but peels away after shooting(-1), it needs a forward barrel band.
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Craigman
Member
my 91/30 hits like a girl. I can shoot it all day
Owner
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I sure did
but it wasn't just because of that iv heard several ppl tell me it kicked them and i just cant understand it....great link tho had a good laugh.@zhyla exactly!,it will turn my shoulder blue from a resting position
BCRider
Member
I just got an M91 a month and a half back. I'd call it a "medium" recoil. It's stronger than the .30-30 lever Marlin I like to shoot for rifle plinking but not by that much more. In fact it's about the same as 12Ga target loads shot from my non padded coach gun double.
I shot one of the paper packs worth of rounds my first time out. My shoulder felt like I'd been shooting but it was just a bit of minor stiffness. Much like I get from shooting 3 to 4 boxes worth of trap using my padded single barrel. But then I'm careful to get a shoulder fit that let's me feel the whole butt plate so it spreads out the recoil. Doing that really helps avoid getting bruised. All 20 of the shots from that pack were taken from a seated bench rest position. But as I said I took extra effort to ensure I had full contact with the plate.
I shot one of the paper packs worth of rounds my first time out. My shoulder felt like I'd been shooting but it was just a bit of minor stiffness. Much like I get from shooting 3 to 4 boxes worth of trap using my padded single barrel. But then I'm careful to get a shoulder fit that let's me feel the whole butt plate so it spreads out the recoil. Doing that really helps avoid getting bruised. All 20 of the shots from that pack were taken from a seated bench rest position. But as I said I took extra effort to ensure I had full contact with the plate.
Owner
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When i shot from a rest last time i was at the range the resting position was a little low so i had to position the rifle butt plate in an awkward position,now that i think about it that's a good explanation for why it tore me up so bad.
MyGreenGuns
Member
I dont think the Mosins were designed for the average human. LOL Standing is the only way I've comfortably shot these.
Cosmoline
Member
It's highly exaggerated. Pound for pound the rifle kicks no worse than a .30'06 and probably more like a .308. The difference is the buttplate is steel and the surplus ball is so cheap you can shoot all day. But it's nowhere near the high end of recoil. Try a 5 lb. slug gun firing Brenneke magnums or a Ruger No. 3 firing amped up .45-70. Ouch! It's not even the heaviest recoiling surplus rifle. That honor would probably belong to an M95 straight pull carbine firing the freakishly powerful ball.
Owner
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haha i was thinking about buying an m95 but i guess if its the heaviest kicking surplus rifle it might not be fun to shoot.
Years ago when I first shot my 91/30 I thought my shoulder was going to break after four shots.
I came to realize I was just shouldering it improperly, and next time I shot all the 60 rounds I'd brought and was still wanting more. This was all off a bench of course. People that complain that Mosins recoil like howitzers just aren't used to shooting .30 cal rifles. It really isn't much different from my 8mm Mauser or .30-06.
I came to realize I was just shouldering it improperly, and next time I shot all the 60 rounds I'd brought and was still wanting more. This was all off a bench of course. People that complain that Mosins recoil like howitzers just aren't used to shooting .30 cal rifles. It really isn't much different from my 8mm Mauser or .30-06.
fatcat4620
Member
Its not that bad at all but I also shoot a lot of 1oz/1600 fps shotgun slugs.
Cosmoline
Member
With handloads it would be fine I suspect. But it really kicks hard with the S-Patronen "Rottw" surplus ball.
KSCCHTrainer
Member
Both my 91/30 and M44 will smack your shoulder if you don't keep them pulled in tight (just as with any high powered rifle) and with the Bulgarian 185 grain "Heavy Ball" it's pretty fierce, but most of the surplus ammo available these days is 147-149 grain "Light Ball" mainly because of the semi-auto sniper rifles still in use by the old Sov bloc countries. They weren't designed to take the receiver pounding of the heavier loads.
The light ball ammo has almost exactly the same ballistics as the US 30-06 round out of an M1 Garand rifle. The Garand may kick a bit less because it's gas operated, but I've put a lot of rounds down range with both the M44 and 91/30 in a single session and even with the steel butt plates, I don't go home with a black and blue shoulder unless I get careless and hold 'em loose. Do that and they will slap the bejesus out of you, especially the M44.
The M44's biggest problem comes from shooting it in dim light or at night though. It has been nicknamed the "flamethrower" for good reason. The 91/30's longer barrel lets much more of the powder burn before the bullet exits the barrel and consequently, the muzzle flash is only a couple inches compared to the M44's 2-3 feet (sometimes more). Shoot an M44 at night and your night vision goes bye-bye after the first shot.
The light ball ammo has almost exactly the same ballistics as the US 30-06 round out of an M1 Garand rifle. The Garand may kick a bit less because it's gas operated, but I've put a lot of rounds down range with both the M44 and 91/30 in a single session and even with the steel butt plates, I don't go home with a black and blue shoulder unless I get careless and hold 'em loose. Do that and they will slap the bejesus out of you, especially the M44.
The M44's biggest problem comes from shooting it in dim light or at night though. It has been nicknamed the "flamethrower" for good reason. The 91/30's longer barrel lets much more of the powder burn before the bullet exits the barrel and consequently, the muzzle flash is only a couple inches compared to the M44's 2-3 feet (sometimes more). Shoot an M44 at night and your night vision goes bye-bye after the first shot.
minutemen1776
Member
A Mosin-Nagant (especially the shorter M38 and M44) CAN be unpleasant to shoot, but they don't have to be that way. These rifles shoot a .30-'06 class cartridge, which really produces a lot of power at both ends. The problem, though, is that the Mosin-Nagant has a steel buttplate and is typically short-stocked. This, I believe, leads to shooters awkwardly or incorrectly mounting the stock, often resulting in painful felt recoil. One easy solution is to attach a small-size Limbsaver slip-on recoil pad. The pad is cheap, fits nearly perfectly, increases the length of pull to a more normal level, and cushions the shoulder considerably. It's an easy fix.
Joshua M. Smith
Member
Hello,
It's no worse than a hunting rifle in .308 or .30-06.
The perception of heavy recoil comes from a stock with a too-short length-of-pull, just like most military rifles I've seen.
As most shotgunners can tell you, the length of pull is critical for reducing felt recoil, and one that is too short will effectively slam into your shoulder instead of pushing your shoulder back. This slamming is what causes the perception of high recoil.
There are several aftermarket extension recoil pads on the market now that increase the LOP by about 1". The term "recoil pad" is used loosely here as the ones I've seen are hard rubber -- but I personally prefer this, to be honest. These take out the sting and keep the rifle hard against your shoulder, making your body one with the rifle and absorbing the recoil impulse without the pounding of a too-short stock.
The price is best. I bought mine for right around $12 shipped.
Josh Smith
Smith-Sights.com
It's no worse than a hunting rifle in .308 or .30-06.
The perception of heavy recoil comes from a stock with a too-short length-of-pull, just like most military rifles I've seen.
As most shotgunners can tell you, the length of pull is critical for reducing felt recoil, and one that is too short will effectively slam into your shoulder instead of pushing your shoulder back. This slamming is what causes the perception of high recoil.
There are several aftermarket extension recoil pads on the market now that increase the LOP by about 1". The term "recoil pad" is used loosely here as the ones I've seen are hard rubber -- but I personally prefer this, to be honest. These take out the sting and keep the rifle hard against your shoulder, making your body one with the rifle and absorbing the recoil impulse without the pounding of a too-short stock.
The price is best. I bought mine for right around $12 shipped.
Josh Smith
Smith-Sights.com
Ari3sgr3gg0
Member
I love shooting my mosins, m44 and m91. The recoil has never bothered me and I started on the .22. My shotgun with heavy 3" slugs gives a much greater kick. I use the standard mosin stock and I've never experienced bruising from bench rest shooting or standing. Shoot the cheap mil surplus which I think most other people shoot. Personally they're probably my favorite gun since they're very cheap, can load up on ammo and will keep going until hell freezes over
KSCCHTrainer pretty much summed it up. The mosin M44 carbine and the M91/30 all weigh about the same. The recoil in both is essentially the same. The M38 and M91/59's do not have a bayonet and thus their slightly lighter weight would have a little more recoil. What is different is the muzzle blast that KSCCHTrainer described. It is very significant and probably gives the impression of more recoil. Shooting off a bench generally causes the shooter not to shoulder the rifle correctly. That probably explains why one person can shoot 100 rounds with no pain and another can only shoot 4 rounds and have to quit. I can attest to the pain motivation when learning how to correctly shoot a mosin. A coat or shoulder pad helps for those who are slow learners!
henschman
Member
They are fine in any position for me if I get a proper shooting position with good shoulder pocket, cheek weld, and turkey neck.
I shot through an Army Qualification Test with a 91/30 at an Appleseed last year wearing just a T-shirt, and it didn't bother me one bit. I even got all the rounds off on the seated and prone stages where you have very limited time. I was cranking that bolt and ramming down those strippers as fast as I could, but I did it, and shot Expert to boot!
One of my bonier instructors has trouble shooting his in prone... he is so bony that his shoulder pocket is very narrow, and the stock always ends up resting on his collar bone or his shoulder bone. I can see how that would be uncomfortable, but I don't have that problem. I'm not any porker, either... I'm 5'9" and 170 lbs.
I shot through an Army Qualification Test with a 91/30 at an Appleseed last year wearing just a T-shirt, and it didn't bother me one bit. I even got all the rounds off on the seated and prone stages where you have very limited time. I was cranking that bolt and ramming down those strippers as fast as I could, but I did it, and shot Expert to boot!
One of my bonier instructors has trouble shooting his in prone... he is so bony that his shoulder pocket is very narrow, and the stock always ends up resting on his collar bone or his shoulder bone. I can see how that would be uncomfortable, but I don't have that problem. I'm not any porker, either... I'm 5'9" and 170 lbs.
I have two Mosins, they're no worse than any other .30 caliber bolt rifle, IMO. I had a Jap type 99 Arisaka for awhile, and that thing was a beast! Might have been the ammo too though, they were handloads that came with it. And some Bubba had removed half the stock too.
But my M1 Garand.....shooting that is like dancing with a lovely young lady.....
But my M1 Garand.....shooting that is like dancing with a lovely young lady.....
RevolvingGarbage
Member
Having just shot my new 91/30 today, I can say I would put it about on par with a riot shotgun firing birdshot. Its noticeable, but not bad, and certainly not painful, even with only a steel buttplate.
Also, the Russian light ball surplus stuff seems to thumps much less than the newer production 174gr FMJ.
Also, the Russian light ball surplus stuff seems to thumps much less than the newer production 174gr FMJ.
KodiakBeer
member
Anybody that thinks the MN is a hard kicker has probably only fired .22's and .223's. The recoil is about like a 30.06 which nobody would characterize as being hard to shoot.
It kicks less than a 12 gauge and I know teenage girls who can shoot a 12 all day long.
It kicks less than a 12 gauge and I know teenage girls who can shoot a 12 all day long.
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