I wasnt gonna chime in, but after reading some of the comments I had to.
I love the Mosin, for what it is. I have a M44 and an M91/30. First rifle I bought was a Mosin. The recoil is pretty harsh for those of us without the extra "padding". Everyone compares it to a 12g, but my shotgun doesnt kick anywhere near as hard. That IS part of the appeal for me. Owning a part of WWII history is cool. A gun with a bayonet is pretty sweet, and doesnt look as goofy as putting a knife on the end of your M16. I also like the fact that I can "bubba" my rifle, and if I screw it up, I'm only out 100 bucks.
My sticky-bolt was cured after some intense cleaning. (Gasoline works, but BE CAREFUL!) My trigger-pull was improved after some sand/polish.
After many shooting trips, I can honestly say I'm getting to be a pretty good shot with the M44. My M91/30 not so much, but I still have to test the bayonet attached thing, the M44 is dead on when folded.
(as far as Russian guns) Its a mass-produced weapon, hastily constructed during wartime by a country on the front lines. Only one of the factories that made them was NOT disturbed during the war; one was bombed, one was MOVED to a new location. Most people that were handed the weapon were not expected to fire 5 rounds before they died.
I'm not gonna say its BETTER than anything, but its pretty good for what it is.
if it's not one of the "major" calibers that's been around forever I generally tend to avoid it till it's proven itself
I laughed when I read that! Its been used by countless countries, in multiple wars, on multiple continents for nearly a century. I wonder what rounds this guy DOES shoot? "
the round has been around since at LEAST 1891". Yeah, thats forever in my book.
If one could buy a springfield, german mauser or even an enfield or arisaka for the same price, and price of the ammo, of a mosin nobody would want mosins.
If one could buy a Corvette or Camero, and fuel it, for the same price as a GEO; noone would want a GEO.