Mosins vs. Mausers

[Niner]

depends

The Mausers can be fed surplus ammo from just about anywhere without any bolt sticking or other problem, which can't be said for the Mosin Nagants.

As has been pointed out, the safety on the Nagant is terrible to put it mildly.

The Finn Mosins have a better sight and a better trigger break. And... many of the Nagants can post at least as good and often better target scores...if.. there is some decent ammo to fire down range.

The K98k and later Mausers offer a bent bolt as a regular feature, which the Nagants don't... which also makes it possible to mount a scope closer to your eye.

When you load a Mauser you have to put the round in the magazine. The Nagant you can just drop a round in and close the bolt. But the Mausers.. many of them....have a really smooth bolt action that the Nagants don't have.

The Mauser has a nice "American" butt stock and pistol grip. The Nagant in the same area looks..... strange and "foreign" to my tastes.

There is a lot of history associated with both Mausers and Nagants. I like them both.

 

[atblis]

The mauser

is much more KISS than the MN.

 

[screamin eagle]

I like the mauser better. I have a spanish mauser model 1893 but made in 1896 and i love the way it shoots over the moisn nagant rifles. I have shot both the mauser and the nagant and the nagant seemed to me to kick like a mule as to the mauser it has about the same recoil as my 270.

 

[KUJO2388]

I will be firing a Mauser (not sure what kind yet, I think a Yugo 8mm) for the first time this Wed. We will also be shooting a M44 and M1931. So I will post which one I think is best. These old surplus Firearms are great.

 

[White Horseradish]

The mauser
is much more KISS than the MN.

Now, that's a new one on me. Care to elaborate?

 

[Hoppy590]

atblis

The mauser is much more KISS than the MN.

yes, do explain. the Mauser is the basis for most rifles since. but the nagant is incredibly simple. dont forget KISS not only refers to design, but operational tollerances, ability to use "field expediant" parts. ( AKA machine screws, duct tape and parts from a 89 Camaro)

 

[confed sailor]

i have both , my only gripe with the mn, is the barrel tends to heat rather fast and walk, to its credit my rifle has a pretty steady hot zero

 

[atblis]

Take the bolt apart

The bolt is not your typical KISS Russky stuff. The machining appears quite tricky on it.

Maybe not "much more". I'll call it a tie on that regard. The mauser bolt is in some ways simpler. I wouldn't go as far as to call the MN KISS.

I don't understand the field repairs comparison. Screws as far as I know are interchangeable between Mausers.

Can you switch bolts on MNs because of the rimmed cartridge? That's the only part interchangeabilty I can think of that would be unique.

 

[confed sailor]

as long as the bolt head stays with a paticular rifle headspace does not change, the rest of the bolt parts swap nicely. Which makes a turned down bolt handle much less traumatic evolution than on a mauser.

 

[atblis]

Again

I don't really see the advantage to that. You've got a couple smaller parts instead of one piece.

If you could take the bolt straight out of one gun, and throw it in another (which you can sometimes), than...

 

[Cosmoline]

The advantage is, the parts of the bolt that wears out faster can be replaced at minimal cost, and it becomes an easy matter to fit new bolts--far easier than with a Mauser. The same Mosin receivers were able to continue in service for 100 years or more in large part because of the ease with which replacement bolt heads and bodies could be found and fitted. The Finns were re-working them into the 1970's and 80's. Look at one of the old Finns and you'll see that the bolt body, head, trigger guard and other parts have been replaced many times. You can have parts with all sorts of odd stamps on them combined into one fully functional rifle.

Screws as far as I know are interchangeable between Mausers

Lord no. There's almost nothing that interchanges between the main types, and even subtypes have many many confusing variations. Believe me I've tried. Even among '98's, see what swaps between a Turk a Yugo and a K98k. The basic dimensions are different between them. Try putting an M-48 bolt into a K98k Mauser, or the other way around.

The Mauser has a nice "American" butt stock and pistol grip. The Nagant in the same area looks..... strange and "foreign" to my tastes.

This is really what it boils down to. Most people prefer the Mauser because it's closer to what American rifle makers adopted for their own hunting rifle designs. The Mosins are a road not taken here. But if you can open your mind a little you'll see the merits of them.

 

[Metapotent]

Mauser, Mauser, Mauser.

Much more accurate than the Mosin in my experience. 2 inch groups at 100yds with 8mm milsurp is damn satisfying. You can't go wrong there.

Then 10 inch groups at 100yds with relatively expensive x54 R was a little frustrating.

I just ordered a premium-grade k98 Mauser from Mitchells Mausers. I guess that after WWII the Germans had thousands of rifles locked away and you can get the ones that never were used and simply sat in a crate for 60 years. It comes with the SS TottenKopf symbol on it as well!

Go here to see what I ordered. (don't criticize my choice to buy it cause I dont care even if it is a gimmick)

 

[Cosmoline]

I just ordered a premium-grade k98 Mauser from Mitchells Mausers. I guess that after WWII the Germans had thousands of rifles locked away and you can get the ones that never were used and simply sat in a crate for 60 years. It comes with the SS TottenKopf symbol on it as well!

Oh, ouch. Can you return it? Do a search on this forum for "Mitchells mausers" and you'll see what I'm talking about. I would advise you with all my heart to nix that sale and spend that money on a minty fresh Persian Mauser or Argie '09. For the Mauser lover these are real treats, and unlike Mitchell's "deals" they will increase in value.

 

[Metapotent]

Oh, ouch. Can you return it?

No, but nor do I want to.

Do a search on this forum for "Mitchells mausers" and you'll see what I'm talking about. I would advise you with all my heart to nix that sale and spend that money on a minty fresh Persian Mauser or Argie '09.

The thing is, I want an actual German mauser and the German SS symbols that are on it will go good with my collection. I have an ivory grip SS Luger, an SS dagger, SS medals, SS helmet, and a bunch of other nick-nacks.

For the Mauser lover these are real treats, and unlike Mitchell's "deals" they will increase in value.

Ah well.

 

[Cosmoline]

It's your money, of course. But it would be interesting to see how well that rifle shoots compared to my beat up rearsenaled Ishy 91/30.

 

[atblis]

I agree about the Mitchells

$400 for a Yugo mauser,

 

[Texas Gunman]

Aim Surplus just got in a new shipment of M48s, these even come with front sight hood and cleaning rod.

$109.95

Based on what I;ve read, these may be the last of the M48s coming in.

TG

 

[jagdpanzer347]

I saw one of those at AIM yesterday. Looked a little better than the "shooter grade" I bought a couple of months ago from them. The prices of really nice M48's seem to be climbing at a decent pace. Wish I would have bought an unissued/excellent M48 and M24/47 for a little over a hundred bucks each when I had the chance. Oh well, so many rifles, so little money.

-jagdpanzer

 

[cracked butt]

Based on what I;ve read, these may be the last of the M48s coming in.

Importers/ wholesalers always claim that what they are selling is the last shipment of its kind coming in.lol.

Mausers of Mosins? I like them both.

 

[White Horseradish]

The bolt is not your typical KISS Russky stuff. The machining appears quite tricky on it.

Maybe not "much more". I'll call it a tie on that regard. The mauser bolt is in some ways simpler. I wouldn't go as far as to call the MN KISS.

I don't understand the field repairs comparison. Screws as far as I know are interchangeable between Mausers.

Can you switch bolts on MNs because of the rimmed cartridge? That's the only part interchangeabilty I can think of that would be unique.

There is simplicity in use and repair and simplicity in maufacture.

As far as use and repair, Mosins beat Mausers hands down. No extra catch for the bolt, ability to shoot even with a broken magazine (try single-feeding a Mauser with a broken mag spring), field-adjustable headspace are all important in a rifle of that class.

As far as milling needed to make either rifle, they are very comparable.

What do you mean by switching bolts because of a rimmed cartridge? Switch with what? And what does the cartridge have to do with it?

The thing is, I want an actual German mauser and the German SS symbols that are on it will go good with my collection. I have an ivory grip SS Luger, an SS dagger, SS medals, SS helmet, and a bunch of other nick-nacks

Er... So if you wanted a German mauser, why'd you buy Mitchells? All of theirs are made in Serbia(Yugoslavia).

The SS lightning bolts on a Mauser are about as historically accurate as a zipper on a suit of armor. Color me confused...

 

[gaweidert]

I own several of both, but for some reason I shoot the Mosin Nagantsa lot more often. I got one on a lark just to see what they were all about and now have several including an original sniper that it a great shooter. The Finns reworked these rifles to very high standards and put Tikka, Sako or VMT barrels on them. Their rifles had to shoot a sub 1.5 MOA to be accepted by the military. My M39's are great shooters too.

 

[PAC 762]

The thing is, I want an actual German mauser and the German SS symbols that are on it will go good with my collection. I have an ivory grip SS Luger, an SS dagger, SS medals, SS helmet, and a bunch of other nick-nacks.

You know the Mitchell's mausers are not really german, right???

 

[Metapotent]

PAC 762 said:

Quote:
The thing is, I want an actual German mauser and the German SS symbols that are on it will go good with my collection. I have an ivory grip SS Luger, an SS dagger, SS medals, SS helmet, and a bunch of other nick-nacks.



You know the Mitchell's mausers are not really german, right???

Yes but thats not what I'm going to tell all my friends and house guests.

 

[EvisceratorSrB]

Why not buy an original K98K? I believe some of them do have the SS death's head stamped on the barrel, though probably a bit pricey. I think it's worth the history. I have a pretty original one, with Waffen stamps and such, factory code and date. Only alteration I can tell is the finish, some professionally reworked patches here and there I guess to get rid of the dings...which is stupid IMO. Maybe the gunsmith did it a REALLY long time ago, or else that was just not cool.

 

[Ash]

"The Mausers can be fed surplus ammo from just about anywhere without any bolt sticking or other problem, which can't be said for the Mosin Nagants"

Big time apples and oranges. Find steel-cased laquer -finished 8mm Mauser. You can't in any quantity. So, there is no comparison to firing it. Feed a Mosin brass-cased ammo and extraction becomes a non-issue.

Also, the a great many commercial actions today are neither Mauser or Mosin. The only thing "Mauser" on a Remington 700 is the locking lug location and the magazine. The bolt on modern commercial actions is actually more Carcano than Mauser. Sure, you can get a CZ or a Zastava, but the push-feed bolts on Remington, Winchester, Howa, Savage, and several others are more related to Carcanos than Mauser.

Ultimately, you can get Mauser action rifles (that still aren't fully mauser, as the Mauser safety has been discarded on most actions) from several sources, but the marketplace spoke and took neither.

By the way, the M28/30 or M39 have better, more adjustable sights than the k98k mauser.

Ash