Posted on 03/05/2014 7:08:51 PM PST by dynachrome
. Then, I came across the Russian Mosin Nagant 91/30– a bolt action surplus rifle. I was intrigued as it was only $125, had lots of history, the ammo was cheap, and I thought I could sneak this by the wife. I bought a 1938 Mosin Nagant 91/30 manufactured at the Tula Armory from my local gun shop. That was the start of my love with Russian designed firearms.
When you purchase a Mosin Nagant, it comes coated in a bunch of cosmoline and needs lots of cleaning before you should try firing it or for that matter even touching it. These rifles need to be completely detail stripped. This gave me a little more confidence that I could work on guns. The final results were great with this rifle, having refinished the stock and also adding a scout scope to it. The rifle, without the scope, shoots a little high and to the right at a 100 yards. With the scout scope, I have it zeroed in at 100 and 200 yards. It's a great gun.
I would like to make one point about the Mosin Nagant 91/30. It shoots 7.62x54r ammo. The round is the same size as a 308, actually .312. The ammo is available in surplus tins and is quite cheap. The rifle itself kicks like a horse. I had to buy a good shoulder pad to shoot this rifle without causing myself shoulder pain and injury.
I only use surplus ammo with Mosin Nagants and that ammo is corrosive. The reason I use surplus is the cost of non-corrosive ammo is too high for me. After shooting at the range, I just swab down the bore and bolt with Windex, run a patch through the bore, and I'm done.
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I know its controversial, but the Mosin is better than the Mauser in many ways. It’s far more accurate in all except the Swede 6.5x55.
If you are mounting a scope, or building a hunting rifle, Mauser. If you are needing an iron sight battle rifle, a Mosin is fine. A Finnish rebuild beats any Mauser hands down. That’s based on a lot of shooting all of them on the surplus market.
And Lee Enfield’s are overlooked by everyone. But there’s a ton of truth in the saying that the Springfield is a target rifle, the Mauser is a hunting rifle, and the Lee Enfield is a battle rifle. And don’t forget, the Mosin wound up beating the Mauser side.
But right down to it, Swedish mauser, or Finnish Mosin M39.
Since we’re talking milsurps, my certain favorite is the Schmidt-Rubin K31. I know the Swedish Mausers in 6.5 are regarded as some of the finest shooters, but I don’t think they quite match a tuned K31. My K31 is a jewel that had no right being sold in its almost unissued condition. Sub-MOA shooter in anyone’s hands with genuine GP11. When I find a superior Swedish Mauser in the condition I want, I’ll buy it right there.
I have a Mosin-Nagant M91/30. It’s okay. I respect it more for its military history than anything having to do with it performing at a rifle range. I’d say that you can’t beat them for the price if it weren’t for a 1954 Tula SKS-45 I picked up as a curio for $75 plus tax 20-some years ago.
Also, as you mention, the SMLEs are wonderful rifles (depending on model, arsenal, and condition) but all the surplus .303 British is long gone.
I collect foreign milsurps and have a great many of them, some of my other favorites being French. No nation ever matched the French for furniture. For appalling strength, you’d have to see an Arisaka I own. I’ll get into USGI milsurps someday when I don’t worry about money so much.
Friends got a few of them off of me because I was feeling charitable, but I still have 5 Mosins in the safe.
I have the same thing, except. It is so cherry, I don’t think it was ever even fired except for at the factory. It is beautiful. It has the green leather sling, and the silver handled bayonet with a real quillon.... (a curved hook on one side and a straight guard on the other.
Odd ammo, though.....7.65mm
We do a Mosin shoot a few times a year at the http://www.desotogunrange.com/ 200, 300 and 600 yds off the ground at pistol targets. Cool prizes like Ushankas and sniper pins. Huge turnout. I don’t know if anybody else does this. The past winners have been through a Project Appleseed clinic, so be forewarned! http://www.appleseedusa.org
LOUD BANG PING
Admitted Commie Collector Here.
You will also require a back brace to stack the crates of super cheap ammo.
Ye olde Yugo M48s are great rifles.
www.mojosights.com
These guys sell peep sights for a number of surplus rifles, including Mosins. I’ve got a set on one of mine, front and rear peeps, and I absolutely love them.
I fired the Rumanian M44 with the bayonet extended and folded (it’s permanently attached) and could never get much of a POI shift.
The Finn M39 typically doesn’t come with a bayonet, since they are very rare. I’ve heard two stories about this. One, is that the bayonets were fabricated late war and most just went into storage, later to be scrapped. Second, is that, in their infinite wisdom, the Civil Guard thought the bayonet would be more familiar if it copied the Finnish puukko knife. Most soldiers, seeing the bayonet matching the knife already hanging on their belts, promptly ditched the bayonet, supposedly littering the forest floors with them.
I bought an aftermarket copy bayonet for the M39. It’s a nice trinket, but a pretty useless bayonet.
Mine was also unfired. I didn’t have the bayonet or sling tho.
I got mine out again and looked at it. I’m gonna have to take some pictures like my other guns.
Not blued, but in the white and polished, also most all the parts have the same serial numbers on them. I have a couple of Norma 7.65X53mm cartridges for it, but haven’t even shot it. Going on 11 years since I bought it for $400.
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