Mauser VS Mosin Nagant

[ford8nr]

They are what they are - military suplus and unless you know what to look for as far as bore, chamber throat and crown it's a toss up as to what one is better. As a rule of thumb I'd say the Mauser is a better rifle DESIGN. I own a Mosin and can hit a 12" steel plate at 200yds with open sights. Mosins will shoot HIGH without the bayonet, mine was almost a foot high at 100yds. You can get replacement front sight pins on ebay really cheap. If you're looking for a range gun with hunting capabilities either will suit you fine.

 

[Cosmoline]

In your opinion, which is the better military surplus rifle. The Mosin or the Mauser.

There is no such thing as "the Mosin" or "the Mauser" when it comes to buying. Even if we restrict this to Mauser '98's, there are a bunch of makes, models and subtypes to choose from. There are ratty old Mosins and ratty old Mausers. And there are pristine Persian Mausers and awesome Finnish Mosins. There are some inherent advantages to each design, and some weaknesses. But both are proven rifles. So it really comes down to which you prefer to shoot. Mosins tend to be more exotic for most American shooters. Mauser '98's have been the basic pattern for our own military rifles since the Springfield '03, as well as the pattern for most bolt action hunting rifles. So they're much more familiar in the hand for most Americans. But that also means much of what gets reported about Mosins is inaccurate.

the M-N was sighted in at the factory with the bayonet ON

"The" Mosin-Nagant at "the" factory? This gets overplayed enormously, and does not apply at all to many Mosin types.

All but the most "last ditch", slave-built Mausers are going to be much more nicely built and finished guns.

I've owned many Mosins and many Mausers. The Mausers have been fun, but have also included some real dogs with bad headspace, cruddy bores and poor accuracy. I've also owned Mosins that are among the finest military rifles ever made. Even the humble 91/30, when built well, is a fantastic rifle on par with any K98k. Of course there are many ratty ones that were never really sighted in and had only the crudest finishing done in 1943 or 44. With all of these rifles you have to know what you're looking for and learn how to separate wheat from chaff.

 

[carbine85]

I'm not to sure you can compare the 2 rifles. The Mauser by all measures is a better weapon. I can't think of any Mosin knockoffs mbut I can come up with a few Mausers. Gotta be something about the Mauser.

 

[Numeric]

Is Mauser ammo $80 for 440 rounds?

Nope, it's $144 for 1200rds

 

[The_Armed_Therapist]

For me, it depends on the Mauser. There are some Mausers that I'd greatly prefer to an Mosin. However, if we're just talking a standard K98 vs. a standard 91/30, I'd probably go Mosin ONLY because of cost. I also like the longer barrel, though.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

It depends on what you want to use it for. If you're looking for an inexpensive blaster, you're better off with a Mosin. If you want fine Old World craftsmanship, you probably want a Mauser, preferably a Swede, although there are some Mosins (particularly the Finnish models) that qualify. If you want to fend off the Fascist hordes with a conscript army, you want a Mosin. If you want to become a collector, the answer is...whatever floats your boat, and if you're anything like me you'll end up with multiples of both (and other types too.)

 

[Tcruse]

I recently came into two M48A mausers, both appear to be like new. One has the teak wood turned dark the other looks like brand new. These apparently were Yugo models made from Jun44 to Jan47. I suspect that they are closer to M48B models based on trigger guard. Matching serial numbers, one with accessories. Found new 8mm ammo at Cabelas. Not sure if I want actually fire them or just keep them in the "new condition" I can find no marks on bolt or barrell that indicates they have ever been fired. I found a scope mount that would not require any drilling, but have not purchased yet. Triggers seem very smooth and light, not much over travel. Apparently the triggers are the versions used in the sniper versions.
Any advice from people that might know something about them?

 

[YZ]

Sergey,

In your opinion, how do the Finnish models qualify for the Old World craftsmanship?

 

[Sergei Mosin]

YZ, I have found that the Finnish rifles tend to be much more nicely fitted and finished than their Soviet contemporaries. Even Finnish wartime production tends to be nicer than Soviet peacetime production. That said, the Imperial arsenals also produced some very nice guns, particularly in peacetime. Wartime standards were not the same, and for good reason.

It can also be very difficult to judge the original quality of a rifle decades or even a century after it was produced. There are very, very few untouched examples out there. But the Finnish arsenals tended to do a much neater job of refurbishing battle-worn rifles than did the Soviet arsenals, too.

 

[YZ]

Which parts of the rifle get a better fit and finish? The receivers are nearly all Soviet/Russian production, aren't they?

 

[Sergei Mosin]

Finland did not produce receivers. All Finnish Mosins are built on Russian/Soviet receivers. Finnish barrels and stocks are usually very nicely done. Barrels can be a mixed bag (Tikkakoski produced the finest barrels, in my opinion) but I've never seen a Russian stock that could rival a Finnish stock.

The workmanship found in Russian/Soviet Mosins, in my opinion, was at its finest during the Imperial era. Production from 1891 to 1914 is quite nice, quality drops off somewhat in 1914-17 and very sharply 1918-23. It then picks back up after the Civil War and Soviet rifles from 1924-40 are pretty good, though not quite the equal of Imperial production. 1941-43 production is extremely rough until things get better starting in 1944. By the end of production in about 1948 (I say about because Soviet rifles dated 1949 and 1950 are known to exist) prewar standards had been regained.

 

[morcey2]

Finland did not produce receivers. All Finnish Mosins are built on Russian/Soviet, American, or French receivers.

Fixed it for you.

Remington, NEW, and Chatellerault receivers show up on Finnish mosins also.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

Oops - don't know how I forgot about those!

 

[morcey2]

I've got a rare Finn-Captured Chinese T-53 that was used in the continuation war if you want it!

Seriously, though, I've got a finn-captured Tula M91/30 that has a part from every arsenal that made mosins prior to WW2. Tula(obviously), izhevsk, sestroretsk, chattelerault, NEW, and Remington. It's one of the reasons that I like Finns. You never know what you're going to get.

Matt

 

[Lj1941]

Mauser versus M/N

I think the Mauser is like a fine watch-while the Mosin is a cheap alarm clock.This is from a person who owns 3 rifles from the USSR and zero Mausers.It is apples and oranges.Buy whatever floats your boat and you can afford.

 

[YZ]

Trivia aside, the ones that really matter are the Russian/Soviet Mosin rifles, including the Finnish upgrades.

Sergei, from which factory was the pre-1914 production Mosin you owned or examined?

 

[natescout]

Mauser, that's my pick.. have 2 K98s one in .270 and other in 25-06... great rifles , lots of after market parts.. Don't know much about Mosin, can you get after market parts or re-barrel them ?

 

[YZ]

Yes. Parts are plentiful and cheap. Rebarreling is not likely to be cost effective, considerong a new condition barrel plus the effort vs. a new $120-150 rifle.

 

[Elkins45]

The Mauser is the better rifle if you already have or can make your ammo. The Mosin wins if you want to stockpile ammo and are on a budget.

 

[morcey2]

If you want aftermarket parts, get a Remington 700 or a Savage. It's not cost effective to customize a mauser or mosin. And this is from guy who's having a couple of mausers built into customs. I'm having them built because I have already-butchered rifles that aren't restorable. One is a 1918 Oberndorf Gew98. It was enough to make a grown man cry seeing what they did to that thing. If it was restorable, I'd have done it in a heartbeat. But instead, I'm going to turn it into something for one of my kids. Maybe a 7mm-08 or 7x57.

Anyway, if you're looking for a shooter, you can't go wrong with either of them if you know what to look for. The refurbs are pretty much a sure-thing.

Matt

 

[Dean1818]

I would reccomend the Yugo 24/47 mauser

Cheaper than the K98

Nice rifle and most of them have been shot very little

I did the bubba work on mine and bedded the action and scoped it and its a tack driver

Its not a war rifle so the collectability is limited so... Less expensive

Some of the surplus stuff has been beat to death and shot with many rounds of corrosive ammo and may not be worth getting

If you cant inspect you are taking a risk


I would also agree. I did the bubba work.....it came out great...but. I would not do it again


If you are planning on scoping..... Its cheaper ...and easier to go with a savage or something similar

 

[Carl N. Brown]

Mauser VS Mosin Nagant

The 1898 Mauser is a more modern design, the 1891 Mosin is probably the best rifle designed that year, but the Tsarist and Soviet military were real sticklers for maintaining quality of manufacture, arsenal maintenance, and culling any guns that failed to meet standards.

Mosin Nagants on the US market tend to be guns refurbished post-WWII to Soviet arsenal standards and put in storage as a bet against a Western invasion of the Motherland that never came.

Mausers on the market tend to be either (a) guns arsenal maintained and A-OK, or (b) abused battlefield pickups, siezures by conquering armies disposed as surplus, war trophies of doubtful maintaince. (yes, you can find Mosins in condition (b))

My preference would be a good individual specimen. Already have a good 91/30, so a good 98k would be cool, but for the complication of my ammo supply situation (no 8mm in my house right now).

 

[Skyshot]

You must own them ALL, before you can make your "own" judgment.

 

[greenlion]

Look at it this way. The Mauser imports have been dried up for a while now, so their price has already hit a stable selling price. The Mosins are still pouring in, so you can still find them for around 150 dollars. If you get the Mauser now, and wait to get the Mosin, you will definitely pay more for the Mosin later when supplies dry up. If you buy the Mosin now, the Mauser will probably still be at the same price a few years from now.

 

[YZ]

Too bad Sergei Mosin hasn't responded. I sure would like to hear his impressions of handling an imperial Russian Mosin from the man himself.