Mosin-Nagant 91/30

[Smw421]

I purchased a Mosin-Nagant 91/30 rifle a little over a week ago and took it to the shooting range today. It is my third gun, and first bolt action gun. I bought it mainly because it was so cheap, as was the ammunition for it. I have a Saiga 7.62x39 but ammunition prices are still too high for me, so I thought the Mosin-Nagant would allow me to continue shooting without burning a hole in my wallet.

When I got the rifle, it was covered in cosmoline, which took a long time to get off. The rifle’s wood stock was pretty beat up with scratches and wear, but the bore looked like it had hardly been used. I bought a lot of dirt cheap military surplus Bulgarian ammunition for the gun. The bullet casings look like they are made out of copper, and I was wondering if they are reloadable.

At the range I took aim at my first target, at about 50 yards away, a large stump of thick wood from the base of an old telephone pole. The bullets went clean through it, even sending chunks flying off, this is one powerful gun. I was also very surprised at the great accuracy and the surplus ammunition worked fine. This is a really great gun for the money.

When I got home I dumped windex with ammonia down the barrel to neutralize the corrosive salts from the surplus ammunition. Then I scrubbed the barrel and magazine with bore solvent, and finally I oiled the barrel, magazine, and bolt. Is there anything else I should do?


I am also looking to get a gun case for the rifle and these are the ones I am looking at, and yeah I know they are cheap ones, but it fits my budget. I have also never bought a gun case before so I’m looking for advice.

The Mosin-Nagant is 48 inches long so I think these cases should fit ok. I was also thinking about eventually getting a scope for the rifle, so I wanted to factor in the extra space for one.


http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/45503-1.html


http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/76077-1.html


http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/76078-1.html


If you know of any better gun cases for the Mosin-Nagant for a similar price, let me know.

 

[ChronoCube]

I've seen a Plano Products scoped rifle case for about $17 at Walmart. If you can find one locally, you can save on shipping.

Btw, welcome to THR!

 

[Shootin7.62Russian]

The case on the ammo you have are steel and are berdan primed, not reloadable and wouldn't be worth the bother to try. Some bullets are also steel core, but without seeing the head stamp I don't know if your's is.

Go to 7.62x54R.net, you will find more info on the mosin than you could want.

Boiling water down the bore will soften any remaining cosmoline, and Hoppe's solvent is formulated to neutralize the corrosive ammo. Get the stuff for use in black powder, as black powder contains sulfur and the Hoppe's works well on that.

As far as scoping it, it requires a bit more than just putting one on the receiver. You need a different bolt handle and to have the receiver tapped. The Boltman makes some excellent quality bolts for a good price. There are several good mounts on the market, but the one's that require tapping are usually better than the clamp-on models.

If you want to reload, buy some Winchester or Sellior and Bellot brass cased ammo. It isn't nearly as cheap as surplus, but it is re-loadable. Also if you are going to reload, slug the barrel. They are usually .312-315, with the exception of some Finnish models that are .308-309. You usually need to use .303 bullets instead of .30 cal as the .30's don't fit properly in the bore and give mediocre accuracy at best.

Congrat's on the Mosin. I have a few, Russian 91/30, Chinese T53, and a Russian M44. They are a ton of fun and become addictive due to the low price. Remember to check out 7.62X54R.net, you will find any info you need and then some.

 

[panrobercik]

Prvi brass for 7.62x54R is widely available so you may as well start your reloading with a virgin brass. This will run you about 50 cents a piece.
Drilling, tapping and bolt job will add significant amount to the cost of rifle. If you can live with a scout type scope this would keep the rifle unaltered and lower your spending on it. Before you drill, make sure your MN is not a rare one.

 

[Shootin7.62Russian]

panrobercik, if you know of a source for prvi brass please share it with me. I have been searching for it and all I can find is $1 a piece, hence the S&B brass. I would rather pay $1 a round than for a case.

 

[panrobercik]

http://www.grafs.com/product/246088
it's actually less than 50 cents...

 

[dispatch55126]

Your best option for scoping the rifle that doesn't involve drilling the receiver is to get a scope mounting base that attaches to the rear sight base and uses handgun scopes (scout rifle).

The Mosin is highly addictive and left alone in your safe with a little barry manilow playing in the background, they will reproduce.