advice on first centerfire rifle

[hansolo]

I'll cut to the chase(BTW, who is being chased and why should I cut them?):

I am looking for an inexpensive first MilSurp rifle to share the range time with my two handguns. I have handled Mosin Nagant, CA legal SKS, Mauser, M1 Carbine in Gun Shops.....I want a caliber that I can shoot a lot of W/O giving up my toothpaste habit. Thanks in advance for not making me look like an:impaled:

 

[PATH]

The NAgants are a good rifle for notr a lot of money. I have the M-39 Finnish and I have put a scope on it. It is wonderful. Cheqap enough to pick up more than one!

 

[Preacherman]

If you want to shoot a lot, look at the cost of ammunition, not just the cost of the rifle. Surplus ammo. for the SKS and Mauser is plentiful and cheap: the other two will cost you more to shoot. FWIW, if it comes to a defensive-use situation (which it might...), the SKS will be faster-shooting (being semi-auto) and probably quicker-handling than the Mauser. So, for flexibility, I'd go for the SKS first, and buy the Mauser later. Just my $0.02 worth...

 

[railroader]

I have 2 nagants and an sks. All are fun to shoot. For blasting away the sks is better being a semi auto. The nagants have better triggers and are quite a bit more accurate. If you look around you can get some really nice nagants cheap. I have a 1954 m-44 that has a really decent stock great bluing and a clean bore. I got it big 5 sporting goods for $49. I also have a 91/30 made in 1936 that is arsenal refinished that is even cleaner, it was only $95 from cole distributing.com. As for ammo for the nagants there still is alot of surplus around for very cheap. I think aim surplus among others is still selling the stuff. The trick is with the surplus ammo is to clean the gun after shooting because it is corrosive ammo. I spray windex down the bore to neutralize the corrosive salts then clean the rifle regularly. If you go to big five for a nagant make them pull out a few from the boxes. When I got my m-44 the one on display looked like crap but they had some nice ones in the back boxed up. Mark

 

[4v50 Gary]

Finnish Nagant. Most accurate of all Nagants. You may want to modernize it by scoping it with a Rooskie PU scope. Go out in the snow and keep you r head down from Simo Haya.

 

[Engineer]

I'd go for the Cali-legal SKS first and then maybe pick up a Mauser or Nagant afterwards. The SKS is great fun to shoot and 7.62x39 is cheap! No need to worry about corrosive ammo either. Besides, of those that you listed, the SKS would probably be the first to be banned in Cali so you might as well get one of those now.

 

[Redlg155]

Definitely the SKS.

Those things are great fun to shoot and ammo is very inexpensive and readily available from just about any source from Walmart to online companies.

The very small amount of recoil makes if a fun gun to shoot all day long. I can't say that about the others.

Good Shooting
RED

 

[Lochaber]

I rather love my Mausers. Ammo is dirt cheap. Actually I do think that you can buy more expensive potting soil, per pound. 1400 rounds of Turk surplus will run you about $80 plus shipping. The various Mauser models will have you scratching your head, but if you are not worried about collector value, I would recommend one of the Yugo reworked K98k's. This are not the Yugo made M48s, they are actual WWII German made rifles restamped after the war. I have a mismatched one from CDNN, in their top grade with a laminated stock and it is one heck of a shooter for $120. Cheaper still are the Turk M38s and the Chech VZ24's but the quality of the Turks is hit and miss, and the VZs are great guns but generaly quite used.

Loch

 

[DaHaMac]

I'll have to say SKS.

Get a good one, and you'll be happy for years. Mine doesn't have the greatest trigger, but if I do my part anything out to 100m don't stand a chance.

The bolt actions are nice, and one day I'll have me a nice bolt action too. But for the price, the SKS and ammo are hard to beat.

Get one, you'll enjoy it.

 

[cratz2]

My personal preference would be for either a carbine length Mosin or a full length Mauser K98. Dirt cheap full power ammo that can be used for just about any purpose.

I'm not really into semi-auto rifles but an SKS would be nice to have aroundas well but personally I'd go for a more powerful bolt rifle first.

 

[cratz2]

Acutally, I think I should ask your rifle shooting experience before recommending those bolt rifles. They both have a bit of kick to them, nothing serious but I'd hate to recommend something that might induce flinch.

If your rifle experience is minimal (not much shooting in the 308/270 class) I guess I'd recommend the SKS first. If you have experience shooting middle weight rifle calibers, I stand by my original advice.