ATI Stocks on Mosin...your opinion?

[orangeninja]

Okay guys, I've decided to get an M38 or 44 Mosin as a "it's cold outside, lets shoot a pig" type gun. I'm going to scout scope it using an S&K Scout scope mount. I'm choosing this over my M48 for two reasons...

1.) My M48 is literally like new and the idea of a scratch on it makes me twitch.

2.) This is a perfect excuse to buy a new gun for myself.

So I thought about scouting with the origional stock left on but got to thinking that maybe I should just go ahead and put a fiberglass stock on it. ATI are the only ones I've seen, but I've heard that these don't really hold the rifle tight...is this true? What is your experience?

 

[MrTuffPaws]

A true sin in my eyes. Let the gun live with its original stock.

 

[JShirley]

I'm not real fond of ATIs, but that's just because we kept breaking them in my company.

Then again, maybe that just happens to their folding shotgun stocks.

John

 

[Sam Cade]

An ATI stock is a good way to make a decent shooting rifle into a junker.

2 thumbs down.

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

I've never been really wild about them. I looked at them over at CTD awhile back, but if I wanted a weatherproof stock for a MN-44, I'd strip the original, sand it, channel it a little around the barrel area and put a little pressure on the muzzle end under the barrel, then put a few coats of polyurethane on it.

You'd be happier that way.

Come to think of it, my MN has enough cosmoline and mystery grease imbedded in the stock that it's probably impervious to all climatic events short of a class X solar flare.

Regards,
Rabbit.

 

[Koobuh]

They're Okay.

Having actually USED an ATI stock on my M-44, I feel I must comment.

It's a decent product, taking certain deficiencies into consideration. For one thing, I sent the first one I ordered back because it was visibly warped along the foreend, literally bending to one side.
ATI replaced it free of charge, but the one they sent to me was also warped.

I threw up my hands and decided to go from there.
You will want a dremel tool or the equivalent, plus a metal bit to chew away a good portion of the stock interior.
That is because the stock will not only likely be warped, it will not fit your rifle properly. Drop-in installation my generous seat-cushion.

Now, my rifle was the Hungarian M-44, your issues may differ; however, I would plan on some quality time with the stock and your dremel tool, plus some harsh language and shaking of your fist.


On the plus side, now that it has been installed, I'm grateful I went through all that. The rifle looks sharp, and I don't have to worry about water damaging the stock. Overall the rifle is MUCH lighter, and felt recoil is significantly reduced due to the integral buttpad and flexible nature of the stock itself.
I'm in fact planning to put one on my next Mosin, for what it's worth.

I'd steer you away from the ATI bipods though, they're functional, but just so; and look like something you'd make in middle-school shop class. I'll be getting an aluminum one next time.

As for cleaning cosmoline out of the original stock, I hear that a heat gun + a couple rags + time and elbow grease will do the job. Putting the stock in a black garbage bag with kitty litter and putting it somewhere warm, like on the dashboard of your car in the summer, does the job too.

 

[Cosmoline]

For an M-38 or M-44, it's hardly worth the money. The existing stocks are light enough and add some extra barrel protection. They also balance well. The only exception would be on some of the "doggier" carbines that have stocks with very mealy receiver wood.

I have a Boyd's wooden sporter I use from time to time as "field pants" for Mosins with nice stocks. It's OK but it does tend to make the rifles very barrel-heavy and the carbines too stock-heavy.

As far as a scout mount--don't waste your money. If you find a Mosin carbine that will hold 2MOA, get one of Darrell's mounts instead. But I don't think you'll get that lucky. For the most part these are 75-150 meter carbines and if you don't like Ruskie post n' globe just get mojo aperture or double arperture. No need for a scope on it at all. Irons will work fine.

 

[karlsgunbunker]

My M38 Scout





Enough said