When I was buying them from $70 each, there were Lots of Buzzsaw Bubbas hacking them up and making mine more valuable. I belong to the Russian Mosin Nagant Forum,
http://russian-mosin-nagant-forum.com/, a preservastionist forum, and we'd have 10 guys a day join without reading the forum rules (No discussion of permanent alterations allowed) and then ask "How do I drill and tap this thing for a scope?" At least when I joined, I asked "What's the best way to scope a Mosin?" I got a non-altering answer, which I never utilized, because after shooting them, I found a scope wasn't necessary. We'd have trolls join then post pics of their Duracoated camo Mosins with the ATI scope mount kit. They'd be taken down. All the while we'd warn these guys; "Hey, someday, in the not too far future, these $75-100 rifles you're Bubbafying would have been worth some money. Ours still will be. We've seen it before. M1903's were cheap at one time, as were Mausers. Look at the prices now" (This was ten years ago) "Yes, a lot of Mosins were made. Many were imported here. But that supply is finite, and even the lowly 1942 Ishevsk 9
1/30 will be worth $200-300 someday."
Lo and behold, that day has come. "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."-Santyana There will be no more cheap milsurps, as post WWII designs were all selective fire, and even the build kits of those have gone up, and no original barrels.