Nagant Battle Carbine

My M44, just for fun.

 

Last M38 I bought cost me $49 .... Use to use it as my deer rifle when I lived in PA. When I got rid of it I sold it for $250

 

That is purty. I like the dark wood. My M44 is very blonde.

 

My MN 44 would have been my favorite bolt-action rifle.

Very cool gun in 7,62x54R. R means Rimmed cartridge.

But rough muzzle cleaning in mine and whichever level of leade &/ or bore corrosion caused Huge “groups” at 50 yards. About 6-8” from a soft, steady bench rest.

Usually the Best M44s have been the Polish, many of which , about ten years ago (US gun-shows) were in near-mint condition, with beech (?) furniture.

 

And then you will learn just what your rifles can do.....like everything crappy ammo, and Soviet surplus is about as bad as you can get, and I have a feeling your groups will get MUCH better.

 

To be honest, I just like knowing that I'm never gonna be out of ammo when I want/need it.

Little cost up front will keep this old warhorse doing its job for many years to come.

 

Picked up a full length one a month ago. Gal friend of mine's husband passed away and she was selling some of his guns. I paid too much for a Bushmaster AR15 and got the Nagant for $400 and a S&W Model 10 for $350. She needed $ so...

I personally never got into them. When I lived in Illinois, R-Guns got a huge import of them and was selling them for $60 each with all the accessories. I went there with plans on buying 2 of them. I couldn't do it. R-Guns used and electric pencil to scribble their name on the side of every receiver. That and I never cared for them, compared to all the Surplus Enfields, Mausers, and other guns available back in the 80's and 90's these things were tomato stakes.

 

There is nothing wrong with those thoughts and views, and the reason so many got butchered. Oddly enough those people that bought them for $60 and cut them up now see them selling for north of $500 and wonder why no one will pay $200 for their "improved" one.

I don't want to put any words in your mouth, but what was your original plan? I have a feeling sporter, but when you got there you started to really look at the things that would not be covered by a new stock, like the electro pencil and just thought that $120 was better spent else where. Please don't take offence at any of that, I am actually interested.

 

For me a huge amount of fun in seeing "how much better can I make it". The bullets are used in a few other common surplus rifles, so it is nothing really special. But I get huge satisfaction on making the groups as good as I can get them.

Just part of the fun of reloading, and for the price of a set of Lee dies and using bullets you already have on hand for your 303, or 7.7 why not.

 

Or: "RUSKA"!

 

I had no plans to "Bubba" them. I bought a complete DPMS AR15 lower from R-Guns instead of a pair of Mosin Nagants.

 

Here's a thoroughly Bubbafied one. Picked it up partially done at a yard sale some 14 years ago for 50 bucks. Bubba apparently struggled with the bolt conversion and gave up. This one has killed a few deer, a legal wolf and a small Bull moose on a tribal hunt, mostly with the Hornady 174 JRN over IMR 4064. The wolf was with the Hornady 123 Vmax marketed for the X39. A fine bullet for shock and awe on smaller critters and low recoil. It shoots much better than it looks, as well as a couple hunting rifles I own, and I don't mind strapping it to a snowmobile, bouncing it around the bottom of a 14' Lund, or utilizing it as a spare oar. Caribou would be proud.

It presently lives at camp for cheap target shooting with one of the oldest lots of surplus I am trying to use up before it goes bad.

 

Kind of a "classic" in it's own and unusual way! My M44 lives in the trunk of a car, when rumors of riots and people blocking freeways and highways are about. Although I don't believe in using a firearm as a "noise making device", I do think the report and fireball of a MN carbine would have some positive psychological calming effect. If not, it would still be very "effective".

 

I sporterized mine for the fun of it. - TR

 

Different strokes different folks. Personally I would rather light the money on fire then buy another black rifle. I see them as just a hunk of metal. Where as the old guns, or really any old things as just interesting.

Just last night I finished fixing a old Western Auto fan, it is just soo darn cool.....get it fan....cool.....

New items are just things to me, but old items call back to the time that they are made. I see them, even craptastic soviet garbage as having history, a story to tell, where has it been, what did it do.....who's hands touched it, how it works....on and on. Where as new things are just appliances.

Don't get me wrong I do own a toaster, and it works each and every time, and the AR platform is a toaster to me. Nothing special or interesting to me about it.

Like I said the world would be a total bore if we all liked the same thing, on the other hand it would also be much more peaceful.

 

I’ve got an Izvesk ‘43 that was refurbished after the war. It’s got decent wood and metal.
The new barrel evidently hadn’t been shot much.
When I started shooting it groups more resembled “patterns” with the surplus ball. I started reloading cast bullets and occasionally shot some quality jacketed ammunition for the brass.

After perhaps 300rds, the groups began getting better. I then decided to load both some Hornady 150gr Spts, and some discontinued 174gr Match BTHPT.
WOW! Groups at 100yds from a bench with H4895 in a PPU case were under 3”. It won’t hold a candle to my ‘43 Remington 03A3 Springfield, but it’s actually enjoyable to shoot.

I watched a YouTube video yesterday that shows Russian troops in the Ukraine armed with the 91/30’s. Still in front line use!