Let's rave about the Mosin Nagant rifle

[TimboKhan]

If BOTH cost the same, inotherwords if the mosin wasnt so darn cheap, would it have anything going for it at all?

Sure it would. Simplicity. I love the '03, and wouldn't sell the one I have, but it is more complex than the Mosin. (are you picking up that I really like MilSurp rifles in general, lol?). The 03A3 has far better sights, and I would be a fool if I didn't say that they are, in general, far more accurate than a Mosin. But they are more complex. Look, you can hand forge a good deal of the parts necessary to keep a Mosin shooting if you need to. I am not necessarily saying that is a plus as much to illustrate the simplicity of the gun.

What it boils down to for me is potential. This is a rifle that is about as simple as you can get, but you can do so much with it. Don't get me wrong: It is possible to find Mosins that weren't cared for properly after firing corrosive ammo that are total crap. But, if you simply take some care in selecting the rifle you buy, you should be OK.

I think inaccurate rifles are like dull knives...better than nothing but not much. They are cheap not good. Maybe the lack of accuracy makes the owners feel better about the fact that they are unsteady and flinch and basically cannot shoot for crap. I just do not understand the fascination with something that shoots that poorly. If you just want a high rate of fire stick with an ak. Gee I sound like I do not think much of mosins. HA!

If you are buying a Mosin with the idea of throwing a lot of lead downrange quickly, you are nuts. It's sort of loony to even remotely suggest that there is any comparison between an AK and a Mosin other than that they are both firearms. Also, where do you get that we Mosin shooters flinch and can't shoot? If you can shoot a 12 gauge without flinching (which I can) you can shoot a Mosin without flinching (which I can). I won't claim to be a world class shot, but I can shoot a touch better than average.

 

[Cosmoline]

It's easy enough to make your own.

 

[RP88]

well, I dunno if i turned into a sniper, but I definitely felt like buying one of those silly winter hats they have, growing out my facial hair a lot more, and jumping into a foxhole waiting to ambush the neighbor's cats that keep killing our birds.



'43 Izzy and my '35 Tula hex

 

[dom1104]

If you can shoot a 12 gauge without flinching (which I can) you can shoot a Mosin without flinching (which I can). I won't claim to be a world class shot, but I can shoot a touch better than average.

This makes sense to me.

So what you are saying Timbo, is the attraction is like single action revolvers. Simple and effective. Or maybe a better example, the NEF single shot hammer shotguns / rifles.

I think I am beginning to understand. A "Rough Use" rifle.

I just looked up several options as far as new factory ammo as well. hmmm...

Maybe a Mosin is in my future

 

[Handgunner]

You can buy a Mosin for the price of a nice dinner, a new pair of shoes, or a set of dishes!

A Mosin Nagant that is nearly 100 years old, rich with history, traveled the world, fought in battles, killed men of several nationalitites, carried by many men, most of which are long dead and many of which died while carrying her. These rifles really LIVED... and will continue to function long after I expire, long after that $100 pair of shoes is thrown out, the dishes are broken or given away at a yard sale, and the dinner consumed...

For 100 bucks, that, my friends, is enough to be fascninated about.

I can't think of a better explanation of why I like the Mosins that I have, and the ones that I want.

 

[thebigc]

i have a 1944 tula m44 that looks like its been somewhere top handguard replaced reciver was refinished and it obviously had extreme ammounts of pitting on it where ever it has been because you can still see it even after it was refinished i seriously think the guy that had my rifle died while useing it from the ammount of sucipicous pitting that was blued over on the top of the gun
but it has an ok trigger and the bore is mirror for some reason and does not look counterbored i havent shot it yet but i am excited i payed 105 at a gun show last year for the gun and an accesory kit.

i used to have an antique m39 made in 1896 that was rediculous if i could see it i could hit it and an amazeing trigger that rivaled anything i have ever owned smooth and light i only payed 200 for the rifle and sold it for 300 about a year later like an idiot i regret getting rid of it the gun was truely a well tuned machine and much more than i could ask out of a 200 dollar gun

 

[elmerfudd]

I think inaccurate rifles are like dull knives...better than nothing but not much. They are cheap not good. Maybe the lack of accuracy makes the owners feel better about the fact that they are unsteady and flinch and basically cannot shoot for crap. I just do not understand the fascination with something that shoots that poorly. If you just want a high rate of fire stick with an ak. Gee I sound like I do not think much of mosins. HA!

The thing is, some MN's are tackdriving accurate. I've got a M39 that I can shoot sub 2 MOA 10 shot groups with, using the iron sights. If I were ever to scope it and work up a handload, I'd be very surprised if it didn't shoot sub MOA.

I've got an M44 which shoots nearly as good and a 91/30 which does alright too.

Then I've got another 91/30 that shoots about 6" groups at 100 yards and yet another that shoots the same size groups at about 10 yards.

There's a lot of variation there, but probably 50% of them are decent shooters. Unfortunately, I think that bore condition isn't the only factor in finding a good one. My M39 looks like it was used as someone's entrenching tool. It's just beat to hell and the bore gets absolutely filthy after shooting it and requires real work to get it clean. Still an accurate rifle though. My M44 is stamped 1945 and looks like it was never fired. It's VERY nicely made and finished compared to the average MN. It shoots very nicely too. My decent shooting 91/30 has a hex receiver and a decent, but not pristine bore. It's nicely finished, but not as nice as the M44.

My two pigs on the other hand are both 1943 Izhevsks and the work on them is crude and ugly. One has a decent looking bore and one is shot out, but neither shoot worth a damn.

 

[Caliper_Mi]

I think inaccurate rifles are like dull knives...better than nothing but not much. They are cheap not good. Maybe the lack of accuracy makes the owners feel better about the fact that they are unsteady and flinch and basically cannot shoot for crap. I just do not understand the fascination with something that shoots that poorly. If you just want a high rate of fire stick with an ak. Gee I sound like I do not think much of mosins. HA!

Sounds like you missed a great opportunity to help out some novice shooters with a Mosin and have stereotyped the rifle based on that?

OK, I am a new shooter as well. I'll admit I flinch now and then and am still working at holding things steady offhand. At 100yd, I will get 2" groups with both of my 91/30's. I've only had my M44 to the range once, but I made a 2" group at 50yd while standing but with a rest. Benchrest grade? Hardly, but I am no Carlos Hathcock either.

Oh, and part of the fun shooting a Mosin is in making other shooters flinch!

 

[Cosmoline]

Mosins crop up everywhere. Even trans-dimensional islands with weird bunkers

 

[theotherwaldo]

-Just picked up my second Mosin Nagant. It's a Finnish M-39, Valmet barrel dated 1941, contemporary SAKO stock. Bought it to celebrate my moving from being a Children's Librarian to Reference - and because I wanted a Finnish M-39. Well-worn in appearance, but the bore looks real good. A good mate to my re-arsenaled '27 Tula 91-30 hex-receiver, which is about as accurate as I am - that is to say, not very.

Hope the M-39 shoots better!

 

[lgbloader]

I like that fact that my $75.00 Mosin likes to eat the cheap cast bullet food that I feed her and still shoots well enough for me at 200 yards.

LGB

 

[Palehorseman]

My favorite MN is this 91/59 I got for 25 bucks from neighbor, it had already been buberized. So slapped $15.00 mount on it, a $2.00 BSA pistol scope (which worked out great for EER) and with hard cast bullets, it is the cat's meow for accuracy.



Did a little fiddling with scope mount for more solid fix:

http://hstrial-rchambers.homestead.com/early.html#

 

[VPLthrneck]

This thread is a little bare on photos!

So I'll help a little.
A 1934 91/30 Ishy with a hex recevier, 1943 91/30 Ishy round reciever, and a 1944 M44. The '34 91/30 and the M44 are wall hangers. The '43 because it's in great shape and the M44 because of some serious pitting that was on top of the barrel when I bought it. All 3 were Big 5 specials.


The '43 91/30 is my shooter though, This was at 50 yards. Anything further the pattern started to spread.

 

[Heavenlyfire]

Ok, I have a few pics. I have a 1943 M44 (one of 50,000) that has matching numbers on the entire rifle. Some say "big deal", I say COOL lol. I think I got lucky finding this one totally unmolested. It is in such great shape and is fun to shoot. The target pic was set at 300 yards with iron sights. 13" wide target.

 

[mudriver]

My '23 Mosin is crap

My '23 Mosin my wife got me for Christmas sucks. It has beautiful dark wood, great machining, slippery smooth bolt, but will only shoot 1.9" at 100 yds with Bulgarian ball (don't all other guns shoot at least .5 MOA with surplus?).

Anyway - at least hitting 300 meter 24" steel is easy and fun, and of course, its pretty!

 

[Beetle Bailey]

Yes, some of them have bad triggers, and some of them have bad bores. And some of them just plain don't shoot.

But it isn't hard to find ones that can shoot pretty well. I've got a Finn M28 and two Finn M39's, as well as a Russian M91/30 ex-sniper. All four have very good triggers and all four give me sub 2MOA at 100 yards.

Surplus ammo is still cheap so you can blast away with a full powered rifle round. I love hitting steel plates with mine. Super simple, tough, and reliable. Very interesting history and inexpensive centerfire rifle. It's a nice change of pace from shooting EBR's.

 

[Heavenlyfire]

I really love hearing the metal target chime (at 300 yards) and turning around to see everyone looking.

 

[fireman 9731]

I love my 1927 Dragoon conversion to 91/30. Its accurate enough for me, and I love cheap ammo.

Without a doubt the most bang for the buck of any gun out there!

 

[Maverick223]

Without a doubt the most bang for the buck of any gun out there!

For sure no one doubts the bang (or the thud)...at least not on the M44 version.

 

[jpwilly]

Yes, some of them have bad triggers, and some of them have bad bores. And some of them just plain don't shoot.

But it isn't hard to find ones that can shoot pretty well. I've got a Finn M28 and two Finn M39's, as well as a Russian M91/30 ex-sniper. All four have very good triggers and all four give me sub 2MOA at 100 yards.

Surplus ammo is still cheap so you can blast away with a full powered rifle round. I love hitting steel plates with mine. Super simple, tough, and reliable. Very interesting history and inexpensive centerfire rifle. It's a nice change of pace from shooting EBR's.

Well Said. The rifles are rugged and reliable and inexpensive history that are still lots of fun to shoot. I secured a few extra tins of ammo back when they were $40ea and have owned an ex PU sniper, an m38, m44's , m91/30's over the years... I think it's time I find a Finn.

 

[Rock Island]

The Russians invented it ( with some Belgian help) but the Finn's perfected it. Look into the Finn M39, a riflemans rifle, and the top of the Mosin infantry rifle food chain. More money it may be, but well worth it for the trigger, brand new bores, pistol grip stock, sights useable even by the half blind. The M27, M28, M28/30, M24, and the Finn built M1891's are all top shooters as well, but unless you are very lucky or bought them 20 years ago you will not find them for a hundred bucks today.

 

[Birddog1911]

Glad this thread came up. What is counter-boring, what does it affect, and how can you tell if the rifle is counter-bored?

 

[svaz]

Reasons I love the Mosin:

1. Cheap - I'm married, w/ children, hence, I'm poor
2. Cheap milsurp ammo - see above
3. Simple design - I can 'smith on it .. in my garage .. with felt, sandpaper, and soda cans!
4. It's beautiful - subjective, I know, but comparatively speaking, my Rem 700 looks boring.
5. Powerful cartridge - I'm not a hunter, but I like the reach & power
6. It feels solid - I don't like plastics; give me steel & wood
7. History - I've never felt the desire to spend months researching the Savage 110 ...
8. Smell - sooooo nice, wood & cosmo
9. Cheap - yeah, I mentioned it, but that's important
10. I'm a Russophile - I learned a little Russian to read about their aviation accomplishments so the Mosin, naturally, falls right into my area of interest

I've always loved rifles but they were always too pricey for me; ditto for the ammo. The Mosin introduced me to milsurp, and while I like the Enfield and respect the Mauser, the Mosin just appeals to me.

 

[dougw47]

m/n's

are so ugly I like 'em, plus they go bang !

 

[Rock Island]

Mosin cleaning rods cause wear at the crown of the barrel. A cheap way to get a bit more use from these bores is to drill out the first inch or so of rifleing until you are into strong rifling again. It's easy to tell, hold it so a strong light shines down the pipe and you will see were the rifling comes to a stop just before the muzzel. or you drop a .30-06 round down in bullet first, if it keeps going to the shoulder it's counterbored. The reds counterbored rifles, so did the Finns.