Accurizing the Mosin Nagant Rifle: A How-To Guide to Bringing Out The Accuracy of You

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Okay guys, I tried to upload the PDF file, but it was too large for the forum to do so. If you'd like the file, I can send it to you. PM me your e-mail address and I can forward it right along to you. It makes for a pretty interesting read, it's an article published in 1927 and talks about some of the things they did to Mosins way back then.

Some pretty cool ideas, and shows some pictures (very crude quality, mind you) of some of these modifications they talk about. It all looks very well done, and if you're interested in making a sporter out of a Mosin, well there's some inspiration in there for you. Just PM me your email, and I'll forward the PDF file on to you.
 
When done properly, the Mosin Nagant was capable of superb accuracy. As I recall, the old
Soviet Olympic Team used them with considerable success. The Finns were pretty good with their version of the Mosin Nagant as well. Anyone have a link to some of their secrets?
 
Here's a few guides from an old Russian competition shooting book that a fella uploaded on the internet long ago. I figured they'd come in handy sometime.

beddingillustrated.jpg

This here shows where the rifle needs to contact the stock.
An old trick was to use felt (modern polyester felt works as well) that had been soaked in linseed oil and then inserted at these points where the rifle needed tight, firm contact. When the oil dried up, the felt would become extremely hard and would fill any gaps between the stock and action. The felt would also "stick" somewhat to the wood preventing it from shifting. Reversible and functional.
The bottom shows oiled felt being wrapped around the barrel to hold it firmly between the handguards, improving harmonics. The location of the felt may need to be adjusted, but once properly tuned the rifle should shoot much better. This is equivalent in function to the aforementioned "corking".

1.jpg

This shows a technique for removing pressure points on the barrel by using the sharpened lip of a spent casing to shave away any contact points in the stock.

2.jpg

This demonstrates locations to file to remove contact from the stock nose cap, if this is an issue.
 
Well, what can you say, Im a Mosin User myself, tizz my daily companion.

I use an M-39 as guys here probably know, and before I ever had to touch a rifle, other than in maintainace, to start with , I tighten the action screws and take it out for a test fire.

Of the three pillars to accuracy, I knock off the first two BEFORE I do any sort of improving.

I have the skills to make accurate shots, no flinching, no closed eyes, check out the trigger and the point of impact and see what I might do to improve my stance, hold, to use the sling or not and shoot at various range's.
At that time I shoot from the available ammo I have, and try different production years and countries of origin, as my M-39 loves 70's Russian and 50's Czeck, and the results in accuracy are worthy of my bi-athalon high school days scores.

Lots of practice, with pellet guns to the Mosin its self are used to sharpen and perfect your shooting skills until they are no longer a factor, I pay more attention to the ammo and finding consistent ammo at that. The closer in consistency with FPS variations the more tighter and predictable the groupings the ammo will make.


If I cannot achieve excellent results with various ammo, a basic check over and action tightening, THEN I start to do the things I need to do to achieve better results with changes and additions....................., but a first go around with your rifle will tell you many things about it and at least establish a 'base line' to measure your improvements from, and to be sure they are not actually causing you to lose accuracy or makeing it a dangerous tool.

Still, only accurate rifles are interesting, and this is the time to get a Bargain Rifle with bargain priced ammo. NO "Cheap" by any means, a Mosin Nagant will shoot up to any shooters skill, the quality of ammo and how well its taken care of. Indeed, a tweek and a carefull tuning can get better results, if its not allready there, but be sure to see if it isnt allready for ya :D My M-39s have only once needed work, and 3 shims under th action (I belive they must have been there before and fell out on a previous owner) and its a tack driver.

Mosin Nagants can be as accurate as any other rifle on Earth, too bad we couldnt ask Simo Hayha :D
 
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Well said, Caribou. One of the best accurization techniques to impart on your Mosin rifle is learning the rifle through and through. But more importantly, being able to shoot, without flinching, or letting the other bad habits get to you, will work wonders.

But after all the apropos techniques are in place, and the shooter fully understanding what he or she has to do to make the rifle hit its target consistently, should that shooter really start tweaking the rifle's performance. All of these accuracy tuning methods won't mean anything in the world if the shooter isn't capable by themselves.

Consistency, consistency, consistency. The shooter must do the same thing every time, up to and including pulling the trigger the same way. This is where a trigger modification comes in.

Very good point on ammunition as well. Consistency is a big factor there, as well. If you're able to find bullets that work for their larger bores, reloading can get you pretty consistent as far as the ammunition part goes.

Anyone else have something more to add? I'll be scouring the web, tuning in to my google-fu, to find more tuning techniques.


Sent from my MP3/Hands-Free/Web-Browsing Device
 
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Sorry guys, haven't been on the search for a while, been busy. I'll try and do a video showing how to do the trigger job the way I did it to help others who would like to do so.


Sent from my MP3/Hands-Free/Web-Browsing Device
 
Between my brother and myself we have 5 Mosins including the carbines. The accuracy of these things ranges from so so to sucks. If you plan on doing any serious shooting or hunting with one it pretty much requires accurizing. I have worked with reloads and changing powder charges in surplus rounds and achieved some favorable results, however the rifles need work. The 2 things that you can't change are the poor quality of the barrels and the limitations of the round. I hate defeat and enjoy the challenge so these rifles are the perfect challenge for me. I don't feel bad at all modifying one.
 
carbine85 said:
I hate defeat and enjoy the challenge so these rifles are the perfect challenge for me. I don't feel bad at all modifying one.
Click to expand...

I just picked up a couple of these. They're clearly going to keep me entertained - relatively cheaply - for quite a while.

So I'm not going to take out the zombie army at 2000 meters. Yeah, well I'm not going to get called by the Pentagon to come help them on their next weapons development project either. So I'm going to tinker with these until I get bored with them.

By then they'll probably be good enough hunting rifles for some of the neighborhood kids. And I'll have been entertained for a few years.

It's cheaper than horses.
 
Nobody's said it yet, but a decent scope mount will tighten up groups a lot. In many cases, it is reversible (I am going with the S&K mounts) and some still allow you to use iron sights.

P
 
I just got my first Mosin on 3 days ago. It's a '43 91/30. Is the trigger supposed to be loose? It flops about a half inch front to rear with basically no resistance but other than that it functions fine and doesn't scare me or anything. Just thought I would ask here instead of starting up a new thread. Besides, I wanted to say;

GREAT THREAD!!!!

I am actually going to crack it off for the first time this evening, get a base line and then, most likely cork it (I like the "old-schoolness" of this a lot) and polish up and bend the trigger. I'll bed it too.

Did I mention how great this thread is?

Thanks!
 
I just got my first Mosin on 3 days ago. It's a '43 91/30. Is the trigger supposed to be loose? It flops about a half inch front to rear with basically no resistance but other than that it functions fine and doesn't scare me or anything. Just thought I would ask here instead of starting up a new thread. Besides, I wanted to say;
Click to expand...

Yup, supposed to flop like that. No trigger return spring in the design.

Congrats on your new Mosin! They're really great rifles, a lot of fun. I love both of mine. Yes, this really is a great thread for a lot of people- Mosins are probably the most common milsurp out there as of right now. Get us some pics of your rifle! :) (Maybe on a new thread so as not to clutter up this one?)
 
I just got my first Mosin on 3 days ago. It's a '43 91/30. Is the trigger supposed to be loose? It flops about a half inch front to rear with basically no resistance but other than that it functions fine and doesn't scare me or anything. Just thought I would ask here instead of starting up a new thread.
Click to expand...

Firstly, nice buy! And there are simpler ways to fix the trigger pull on these beasts, refer to my OP or post #2 for this, only need a really thin washer and a paperclip to make the spring out of. If you'd rather bend the sear-spring, be cautious and careful not to bend it too much.

GREAT THREAD!!!!
Click to expand...

Thank you! :)

I am actually going to crack it off for the first time this evening, get a base line and then, most likely cork it (I like the "old-schoolness" of this a lot) and polish up and bend the trigger. I'll bed it too.
Click to expand...

Again, I gave my concerns, but as far as everything else, be sure to post in this thread with your results. Or cite this thread in a separate post if you choose to do another one, so others can know where you got the ideas! :D

Yup, supposed to flop like that. No trigger return spring in the design.
Click to expand...

Turtle has the right of it. Wasn't designed to have a return spring, but using a paper-clip is an easy way to make one, again, reference OP or Post #2.

Yes, this really is a great thread for a lot of people- Mosins are probably the most common milsurp out there as of right now. Get us some pics of your rifle! (Maybe on a new thread so as not to clutter up this one?)
Click to expand...

Or at least pictures of the modifications for demonstration. And maybe a before and after target :)
 
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