Leaving a Mosin loaded....

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greyhound

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So say all this "election influencing terror attack" becomes real...and I hope not...well, my shotgun and .22 went South to Alabama with the GFs folks this weekend, so my only "long gun" is my Mosin 91/30.

So say I want to leave it loaded - I'm a little skeptical about the safety, though it seems to work. Just seems like if you "slip" in releasing it, it could set the round off.

Anyone just keep 4 in their M-N, just under the interrupter? This would leave the chamber empty, yet cycling the bolt would draw up a fresh cartridge. Seems to work OK with snap caps.

I guess in general this raises the question (with me at least) about leaving mil surps loaded. Many of them have primitive safeties compared to modern battle rifles.

Of course, the best safety is following the 5 rules....
 
Close the bolt and turn the rifle over. Open the magazine and dump five rounds in there. Now carefully close and latch the magazine.

Five rounds in the mag, empty chamber. Leave the firing pin charged, do not dry fire (not for safety reasons, but because it will make the bolt easier to cycle). I don't know about you, but I can cycle the bolt faster than getting that dang safety off.
 
Thanks, gotta try that. So 5 rounds will fit under the interruptor if loaded from beneath? Huh, never would have thought of that.

Wonder if the Soviet soldiers in WWII did it that way? Though from what I've heard, safety wasn't priority one in the Red Army...

As an aside, I've read here that some of the members have a hard time with reliable stripper clips for M-Ns. I just got some from Makarov.com, and they work great, at least with snap caps...
 
Dunno about Mosin's, but with my two Mausers (Turk M38, and Swede M96) I can load a full stripper clip into them, and then by pushing down a little on the top round close the bolt. That gives 5 rounds in the mag, chamber empty, and no need to mess around with removing the mag floor plate.

YMMV.
 
no need to mess around with removing the mag floor plate.
Click to expand...


Actually, I did just try it and though I was able to get around the floor plate it did come off once I tried to squeeze it to insert the rounds.

It was easily reattached but I'm not sure its worth one round; unless theres some way of getting the ammo in without having to manipulate the "springy part" of the floor plate.

Maybe a buncha stripper clips loaded with 4 rounds each?
 
I have an M44 carbine. I simply do what SUMPNZ says. You can push them down, and close the bolt. I agree, you can leave it cocked so the bolt will cycle a little quicker and you will be ready to go.

The fact that your floor plate popped open would concern me no matter what. That just should not happen. :(
 
The Mosin Nagant magazine only holds 4 rounds under a closed bolt. I keep a 91/30 loaded just as you describe with 4 rounds under the interruptor. I don't like to keep rounds chambered mostly because I like having an extra margin of safety and due to the slight risk to firemen & neighbors due to cookoff in case of fire. I can work the bolt about as fast as the safety of a Mosin-Nagant. As far as clips if you have any I would load them with five since if you are reloading, you need to put a round in the chamber immediately as you just shot 4 rounds at something.

Using Albanian ammo I cannot load 5 rounds under a closed bolt. Those of you that can- Is your floorplate flush with the bottom of the magazine or has it been forced down some?
 
Anyone just keep 4 in their M-N, just under the interrupter?
Click to expand...
If I were ever in a situation in which the M-N were my defensive gun for the moment, that's EXACTLY what I would do (chamber empty, 4 in the magazine, and the safety in the off position). I am a LOT faster cycling the bolt than manipulating that safety, which thinks it is the breech end of an artillery piece. Just practice cycling the bolt without looking, with the idea of ingraining muscle memory into your cerebellum so that you don't short-stroke the bolt under stress.

Also think through your fields of fire ahead of time if you live an any sort of populated area. 7.62x54 is a major caliber and will go through a lot of drywall, so you wouldn't want to shoot in the direction of a neighbor's house if you were forced to use it in self-defense.
 
I've never used a Mosin before, but I own many Enfields and a Mauser and it would seem that the safeties on these weapons are no more primitive than the safety measures on current issue weapons.

The safety on an Enfield is two solid steel protrusions that simply will not allow the bolt to move forward. I have tested this numerous times in numerous conditions (I was interested) and you simply cannot fire the weapon while safe unless you have a very faulty safety catch - ie. the thing has been installed backwards or something.

Modern weapons also rely on this 'A cannot reach B if C is between A and B' logic for their safety measures. If anything, I would trust the safety on an Enfield before I would trust the safety on an M16 or Steyr.
 
threeseven, the safety on a Mosin is the cocking peice on the back - pull it back and rotate to the left to rest on a cut out shelf on the reciever. Remember to twist COMPLETELY to the right when taking it off. That simple.
I go chamber empty safety. I sincerely doubt I would need more than one or two, at night, in the house. The muzzle flash and thunder would cause any housebreaker to defecate himself on the way out the window.
 
For those using a mosin for self defense, have you considered using that hollow core ammo for urban situations. Its supposidly accurate out to 200 meters and reduces chances of overpenetration. Ive been thinking of picking up some and giving it a try.

Back to the originial question. Im planning on using a m44 as a truck gun, and Im going to store it with a buttcuff of ammo, and four rounds in the magazine, bolt closed, chamber empty, safety off.
 
When I use my Mosin M44 for defensive purposes, I keep 3 rounds in the magazine and the safety on. I do this in case an unauthorized person got ahold of the rifle. The safety thing would confuse quite a few persons! BTW, if when using an M44 in self defense you miss, then if the blast doesn't get 'em, you still have a bayonet!
 
I can't get more than four rounds in the magazine of my brother's M44. Not sure what kind of ammo he is using.
 
The fact that your floor plate popped open would concern me no matter what. That just should not happen.
Click to expand...

Just me explaining badly!:D

It didn't pop open, but when I squeezed it while open it "opens up" a little bit on its pivot point and can be taken off, kinda like a pliers.

Unless I squeeze the "springy part" all the way against the floor plate, it won't move.

Thanks for all the help, I'm tempted to go with the "4 under the interruptor method" though I am also intrigued by the "leave the safety on to confound anyone who gets their hands on it that shouldn't".
 
The idea of using an M44 as a HD weapon is beginning to sound very interesting. What BG would stand his ground when he is the target of a bayonet charge by a screaming bearded old guy wearing plaid boxer shorts? :D
 
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