Mosins and Safetys

[Picknlittle]

One thing that struck me as odd about the T53 was the lack of a safety. I disassembled this thing to the last pin and screw. I found nothing that resembled a safety.

I'm not missing anything am I?

 

[Rodgerp]

The safety is part of the cocking knob. Pull the cocking knob to the rear, turn counterclockwise not quite a 1/4 turn then release. (It helps if you rest the butt of the stock in the crook of your arm when doing this.)

Hope this helps

Rodger

 

[Daemon688]

^^^^ What he said......it's also a horrible safety design so I don't even bother with it.

 

[cwmcgu2]

The best safety with a Mosin is your finger.

 

[redneckrepairs]

On the rare occasion that i need to switch positions with a chambered mosin ( mine only gets use as a plinker ) I turn the bolt unlocking the action to safe it . Its just easyer for me than the cocking knob .

 

[sectional_density]

Although it's not exactly a "safety", you can also have round in the chamber and decock the rifle (gently). Then when you're ready to shoot something you just have to pull back on the cocking knob and you're ready to fire.

 

[trueblue1776]

Although it's not exactly a "safety", you can also have round in the chamber and decock the rifle (gently). Then when you're ready to shoot something you just have to pull back on the cocking knob and you're ready to fire.

an excellent way to hurt yourself, these rifles are not meant to me "decocked" on a live round, if your hand slips you just blasted a nice big hole in something.

As RogerP posted, the design allows for capture of the firing pin by a 30 or so degree turn to the left. It is not a very good safety to begin with, it makes it much less trustworthy being on a 70 year old rifle.

I don't mean to sound like an a-hole but I really think it is a pretty bad idea to attempt to decock a MN. if you drop the rifle or fingers slip while decocking it could go off.

 

[grimjaw]

I believe a decocked Mosin Nagant bolt rests with the firing pin on the primer, so leaving it in that position with a live round is not drop or bump safe. Someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

jm

 

[Slamfire]

Although it's not exactly a "safety", you can also have round in the chamber and decock the rifle (gently). Then when you're ready to shoot something you just have to pull back on the cocking knob and you're ready to fire

Please, please don't do this!. The firing pin is resting on the primer when you do this!.

To prove the point, go to the range. Load the rifle and follow your decocking procedure. Point the rifle down range and hit the cocking piece with a block of wood, raw hide hammer, or plastic hammer. When you give it a sharp enough rap, the primer will go off. BANG!!!

I have done this a number of times with the old Colt SAA to show people don't load six rounds in the thing. Makes a believer out of everyone.

 

[sectional_density]

RE: Decocking

My bad.....Glad you guys are keeping me in check. Just got my first MN last week and love it. Haven't used my decocking method, but it seemed like something that could be done. I suppose I should have asked if this could be done safely, rather than guessing that it could .... given all of the knowledge out there in this forum. Thanks for the info, all.

 

[sacp81170a]

The best way to be safe with a MN is to not chamber a round until you intend to shoot. If you're hunting this may be a pain, but it's safer than relying on the mechanical safety on a surplus rifle.

 

[DMK]

If you're hunting this may be a pain, but it's safer than relying on the mechanical safety on a surplus rifle.

While certainly inconvenient to use, the Mosin-Nagant safety is extremely positive and reliable. I cannot see how it could accidentally 'unsafe' itself no matter what happened to the rifle. It's probably one of the safest safeties out there.

 

[fletcher]

I agree with DMK. It's an unusual safety, and not terribly fun to operate, but the metal in there is more than enough for a good whack with anything to disengage it somehow.

 

[ball3006]

The best safety on a Mosin Nagant rifle...

is the one between your ears. In addition, the rotating of the cocking knob positively captures the firing pin making it impossible for the rifle to fire. The easiest thing is to not chamber a round until you are ready to fire. chris3

 

[jesse485]

The MN safety has grown on me. It does take a little bit of brute force, but it is completely silent. The same cannot be said for the other surplus rifles I own. I prefer the K31 safety, but it is almost the same design as the Mosin, just a little easier to work.

 

[azhunter12]

Mosin and safety don't go together in the same sentence that well.

 

[Avenger]

I think the only way that the MN safety could be any safer would involve welding the entire bolt shut forever.

 

[Hoppy590]

once again we see that the Mosin is the epitimy of beauty in simplicity. i dont even feel a need to chime in with my obvious mosin bias... instead im gunna figure out where im gunna get the funds for atleast 2 more t53's

 

[Dave Markowitz]

HERE is an interesting mod to a M-N to make the safety more usable (scroll down a bit after you click the link). I'd like to get a spare cocking piece and try that one of these days.