The Mosin Scout

[brianc]

Man did I start something in that scout madness thread.... Like they say about opinions.... Anywho.. This little M44 rifle sat in the back of the gun shop collecting dust. It had a cracked stock, a bent bayo and front sight! I walked out with for $45.+tax. The stock is from ATI. I still have the orig. if I want to do something with it. The stock recieved a several coats of truckbed liner, makes for a great grip. I removed the front sight/bayo assy and the rear sight. Once again I still do have everything OE! ( HINT HINT! ) I did cut off about 1" off the barrel, it had a nasty gouge in the muzzle. then recut the muzzle. All of the metal work was done first in black baking laquer. I then made and installed the scout mount ( I will post another thread about the process! ) Mounted a BSA 2X pistol scope. Did my own camo job on it with krylon textured paint. Made the Ching sling out of 1" nylon webbing. Cut off the bolt handle of a junk sale Mosin bolt ( yes I still do have the OE...) And installed a bolt-on bolt handle from ATI made for Mausers. I have only fired at 60yd. But so far everything has gone in under an inch. Bout 500 rds have been fired in it as it sits. Everyone who has tried has liked it! It is not for everyone though. So here are the specs.
Barrel 19.5" Overall 39" Rifle cost $50. scope and mount $50. Stock $50.
Bolt handle $15. Sling and ammo carrier $10. So I have a great P-Scout for under $200 I doult you could buy a used Savage for that.
More to follow, take care and let me what you think!
BrianC

 

[meef]

I said:

What I think.....??



I think you didn't mention how it groups...?

brianc had already said:

I have only fired at 60yd. But so far everything has gone in under an inch.

Oops..... my bad.

(note to self.... read more closely dammit, before posting)

 

[KaceCoyote]

"I have only fired at 60yd. But so far everything has gone in under an inch"

I think you need to attend a tactical rifle with that thing!

 

[SpookyPistolero]

I have an extremely similar rifle that was one of my most favorites. It grouped quite well, but handled extremely well. I could rarely fault it for anything. Enjoy!

 

[Aguila Blanca]

Neat-o.

I'm curious about two things, though:

1) How do you like that scope?

2) Since the scope is mounted well forward of the bolt handle, why did you bother replacing the bolt handle?

 

[brianc]

The BSA scope has worked great so far. As for the bolt.. I wanted a little more leverage. The standard Mosin bolt worked, but it was a tad short.

 

[magsnubby]

Nice......very nice.

I'm also building an M44. So far i've replaced the stock with an ATI and removed the bayo. Haven't decided on the scope yet.

 

[brianc]

Just posted in the gunsmith section how I made the mount!

 

[Ad Astra]

The true fun (and it's a whole 'nother hobby) is in rebuilding or saving a clunker/junker. And you get a cool shooter like yours when done.... nice job.

 

[dm1333]

Except for the finish that is my rifle. I have been shooting 147 grain surplus through it, come deer season I have a couple of boxes of 180 grain soft points. My BSA scope has held its' zero for over 500 rounds. Nice job!

 

[00blkgt]

I like it! You did a fine job and the price was right, congrats!
J

 

[Cosmoline]

Paint on the barrel, though? Everything else aside, that just can't be good. Paint is simply not able to endure the temp extremes and expanding and contracting steel, so it chips and little air pockets open up under it, allowing water to get on the completely dry and unprotected steel underneath. There's a reason you don't see factories selling painted barrels or receivers. If you want them to be a certain color, you should use a barrel coat of some kind. Krylon paint, even their toughest industrial outdoor blends, is still just paint and isn't able to tolerate that kind of heat plus expansion and contraction without breaking bond with the steel. If you don't shoot it very often maybe it will be OK, but Mosin barrels can get red hot really quickly.

 

[brianc]

I know I ask everyone for their comments. But, Cosmo.. You just don't get it, do you? We all know you do NOT like paint!!!!!
Get over it! Look at pictures from Iraq, or special forces ( snipers etc ) Does it look like they have high polished blued barrels on thier rifles? NO! Spray paint! If you would have taken your time to read my post, You would have read " All metal parts coated in baking laquer". Before the camo job. That stuff is pretty hard to get off. Yes, I'm sure you could take a knife and scrape it off, But the same thing would happen to your precious bluing! I'm sure the paint will be scraped and worn off. But thats the beauty of it, Ease of recoating!
I'm sure that you also hate old cars being chopped and hot rodded out. Go bug them for a while. :banghead:
To the rest who Posted, thank you for for comments Brianc

 

[Cosmoline]

One day you'll be visited by the ghost of rifles past, mister.

 

[brianc]

I'm sure.. Me and thousnds of others! Til then I think they have a sale on junk Enfields somewhere... I sure my wife would like a hot pink scout rifle someday.. NAH.. Maybe purple! (His wife - speaking! - would probably prefer a sweet little .50 BMG - what the hell would I do with a hot pink or purple rifle?????)
Do you think I can paint it???

 

[Cosmoline]

Well maybe not you personally. But I tell you what, if the fellow who slaughtered the poor F-chamber M-27 Finn I've got is getting haunted on a nightly basis! Likewise, the loon who hacked up a Greek navy Mannlicher-Schoenauer with a two digit SN. I saw it a while ago at a pawn shop and almost started to cry. Obviously an M-44 isn't one of those--but then again maybe it is! Sometimes you see one made in an unusual year. Or maybe it has an SA stamp on it, making it very rare indeed. You just don't know what you don't know. And long hard experience has taught me to never assume. That's one reason you'll find lots of posts from me here asking for information about new rifles before I do bupkus with them. Even before I shoot them.

 

[John G]

One day you'll be visited by the ghost of rifles past, mister.

Cosmo, I've got to use that for my sig line! (with your consent)

 

[Jaim03]

brianc, congrats on your "new" pscout treasure. Very innovative, cost effective and awesome!

Cosmoline, I must be of/near the same generation as you, so I thank you for the points you made (in general, not specific to brianc's fine work) about s/n's, history etc. As someone new to milsurp (but definitely with the "fever" I'm always lloking to learn).

 

[Terrierman]

If you were a goalie and that rifle was a puck the announcer would be screaming NICE SAVE.

I like it. I'm thinking about maybe trying one of those three point slings out. But I've never seen one up close and personal so as to be able to reproduce it. I make my own slings out of leather and rivet them, so it would be fairly important to get it right the first time. I guess I need to find somebody that has one and fit it to me so I can get the dimensions right... But not to hijack.

Nice Rifle, and I like the paint job.

 

[brianc]

Terrierman.. Make one first with nylon like mine.. Make all adjustments. Then make one out of leather! And If you look close.. The center sling slider is made from a chain link!
Cosmo.. Nothing personal! But please give us a benefit of doubt, that we do have a few brain cells and not hack up rare rifles. I'm sure it has happened, I'm sure it will happen again. But not everytime!! And not this time!