http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2011/03/ralph/ralphs-guide-to-buying-your-first-mosin-nagant-9130/mosin-and-tools/
I am going to a gun show tomorrow and was thinking of picking one of the up. Is the ammo available? It’s not a common American caliber is it?
Any insight on what I should look for?
If you buy one of the rifles that is still globbed up with cosmoline, be sure that everything gets a really thorough cleaning before using. That stuff can hide in every nook and cranny. Frequently gives people a case of "sticky-bolt" syndrome.
I love mine, and would shoot it even more than I do, but my shoulder complains when I shoot too much.
Good luck!
PS, Almost forgot. The old milsurp ammo is not reloadable. (Cases kinda look like brass but they aren't). Several modern manufacturers make current non-corrosive reloadable ammo in 7.62X54R.
It’s available.
7.62x54R - normally comes in 440 round tins for surplus.
Avoid Bulgarian - Any Russian, Polish, Albanian, etc. are ok. The ammo is corrosive...no biggie, just shoot windex down the barrel and around the bolt face (actually you can even use water) when done shooting to flush the corrosive salts. Then clean as normal.
May also want to buy a shoulder pad unless you’re wearing a large Russian Cossack jacket :-)
There used to be plenty of Russian surplus around. I noticed recently that Cheaper Than Dirt had removed the listings altogether. All they have now is Hungarian surplus at around $0.20 a round.
I bought mine at Cabelas for $99.00 It came with all accessories bayonet, sling, cleaning kit, ammo pouches and tools. I saw one guy buying three. The sales guy said they sell as fast as they get them and a hundred will be gone in a day.
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2011/03/ralph/ralphs-guide-to-buying-your-first-mosin-nagant-9130/mosin-and-tools/