Impressed with the Mosin-Nagant

[GI_Jared]

A few weeks ago I got a surplus Mosin-Nagant (1938 Izzy) from Bud's and it was in excellent shape. After my first trip to the range I found that it was hitting roughly 9-10" high at 100 yards. Then I did some research and found out the most Mosins from this period shoot high because the Russian's wanted their soldiers to hold the sights at the belt buckle of the enemy in order to score a body shot at 300 meters. I also read something about the bayonet changing the point of impact as well, but I didn't try it because I don't want to fix bayonets every time I want to hit a target. So I ordered a MOJO rear sight to try and fix the problem. The sight is very well built and I really like the peep sight over the standard sight. It still shoots around 2" high so I may need to do a little grinding on the sight base in order to drop it down a little more. As of now the adjustment dial doesn't really work because it is hitting in the factory sight base, so I will need to do a little grinding there as well. The best part about this last trip to the range was finding out that this old surplus rifle was able to lay down a 1.5" grouping at 100 yards, pretty impressed with it.

 

[Buck Kramer]

Nice, I'm thinking about getting a mojo sight for my ak's. My mosin shot about 2' high at 100 yds.

 

[BCRider]

I was thinking that the peep portion was too far away to really work all that well. Seemed like it would become more like a ghost ring than a proper peep sight. But your results tend to say otherwise. That's some darn nice shooting for an MN and what I assume is surplus ammo.

I just wish that Mojo shipped to Canada. They don't, I asked in an email.

The common mod to get the elevation working more accurately is to fit a longer front pin. I've actually made two of them from 2 inch finishing nails, a file and a drill motor used as an impromptu lathe. Oh and a set of dial verniers to measure my progress. Both pins have fit with into place with a nice soft "love tap". You want the new pin to be about 3/64 higher than stock. In other words just a hair under 1/16. It'll save you having to take a grinder to the sight base at all.

And if you really must modify the sight base do consider using a large fine cut file instead of a grinder. The finish left by the file will be pleasantly flat and smooth. Just right for some cold blue touchup.

 

[GI_Jared]

I just wish that Mojo shipped to Canada. They don't, I asked in an email.

FYI- Midway USA sells MOJO sights, and i'm pretty sure they ship to Canada. I will have to consider the finishing nail mod. Was is just a regular brad nail? Do you know the exact size of the nail you started with?

 

[BCRider]

Midway does ship a lot of things to Canada. I'll have to check to see if the Mojo is one of those that is permitted. Thanks for the hint.

It was actually a 2 1/2 inch finishing nail. I went and checked. A brad would be too skinny.

And you also need the bigger round head of the finishing nail shape to file to form the taper on the end of the blade.

It'll all become clear when you tap the post out of the front post mount and see the shape. The post is shaped with three parts of intrest. At the base is a conical tapered section. Then there's a short section sized to fit with a tap in press fit to the base. Then a reduced diameter upper pin which is the actual aiming part you see and use. The 2.5 inch nail is just the right size or a hair bigger than the little press fit part depending on what brand you get. The taper isn't all that critical. It's there to avoid the post coming out through the top. But it's nice to have it long enough that you have to use a sharp cold chisel to just take a thin bit off the end so it can't go downwards either.

It's not a hard thing to do using a decent condition small file to use for turning the nail down to fit. And the raw material is cheap enough that if you mess up the first one another attempt is about another 5 minutes work and a whopping 3 cents for the nail....

Assuming you have a digital or dial caliper to check the sizes for the raw nail and the progress on filing it down it's not a big deal to find the right size in the nail rack at the hardware store. The shape is such that you'll need to file down the

 

[crracer_712]

I have a pair of Mosin's coming from Buds, hope they are as nice as what I read about. Was going to pick up a couple at the gun show, but Bud's was cheaper, and what was available at the show wasn't much to choose from. So I figured I'd just let someone else pick them out for me and my son.

 

[wasr10634unme]

after shooting my new 91/30 yesterday i want another mosin. the sights that come with the rifle work fine for me

 

[nathan]

My 1933 M 91 30 shoot 6 inch high at 100 yds with the rear ramp set at 100 meters. I havent shot it at 200 yds so i dont know if its dropping or still rising . But you re right they do shoot. If you can cover your shots in a fist sized at 100 yds, that s a kill shot.

 

[BemidjiDweller]

I find that my '29 shoots right on with the bayonet on at 100yds, and extremely high with it off. Haven't shot paper with it yet, but a few 100 clays do attest to its accuracy.

 

[Tempest 455]

I have Mojo's on all my Mosin's. Can put them back to original in less than 5 min.

Very well made sights!

 

[mgkdrgn]

It still shoots around 2" high so I may need to do a little grinding on the sight base in order to drop it down a little more.

I think you'll find it much easier to make the front post a weeee bit taller. A bit of black insulation off a bit of wire will work nicely, and is easy to trim a little at a time until you get it justttt right.

 

[stolivar]

try this

find an old govt ink pen that uses the old steel ink inserts. cut it off and slip it over the front sight. it fits perfectly.

file it down till it hits right on at 100 yards and then glue it on. walla you are all done



steve

 

[Deus Machina]

My theories on the range: Russians were to 'aim at the belt buckle' or just place belly/chest area, and shooting high would guarantee a hit to the chest or head.

More likely, it's because the ammunition they used then was round-nosed, not the sleek spitzer bullets we use now, and thus didn't have the velocity at range. This means it would have a lower POI at range.

Anyway, I'm sure those sights can be adjusted. It looks like that wheel rides on a set screw--you might have to crack the loctite, adjust that down until it starts moving right, then loctite back into place.

 

[stolivar]

which was a really stupid way to sight

It would have been better to go with a 200 meter battle sight.

Then it would have been only about 6 inches low at 300.


what were they thinking. Maybe even more kills. If a guy is lying down or hiding behind a small wall, the old battle sight would have been useless.


steve

 

[DavidMS]

Another solution

I also have a Mosin and am equally impressed with it. I am trying to get a better front sight for it so I have a Smith Sight (http://www.smith-sights.com/) on order and hope it leads to a better sight picture.

I have taken my 901/30 twice to the range and find its remarkably more accurate than I am at this time.

 

[1858remington]

I think a mojo is going to be added to my M44 Nagant. I had a peep in my AK and I loved it. That Mojo looks very well made.

 

[GI_Jared]

@DavidMS - Thanks for the link, I just ordered the target sight. Should go nicely with the optional smaller rear apertures that I got with the MOJO sight.