Posted on 09/19/2010 4:30:54 PM PDT by dynachrome
had in their custody 26 firearms and an RPG-7 launcher captured from Taliban fighters or collected from caches.
Of these weapons, 12 were variants of the Kalashnikov assault rifle, 8 were bolt-action rifles from World War II or earlier, 4 were variants of the PK machine gun, and 2 were small semiautomatic pistols. This was in some ways a typical mix for Afghanistan, although the ratio of bolt-action rifles was higher than what many units outside of Helmand Province have seen.
The ratio is interesting and aligns with the experience of patrolling in and near Marja and other contested areas nearby. Insurgents in Helmand Province seem to have used bolt-action rifles more than in many regions of Afghanistan. Whether this indicates a pressure on the supply of assault rifles and their ammunition or a preference for the longer effective ranges of Lee-Enfield and Mosin-Nagant rifles is not clear
(Excerpt) Read more at atwar.blogs.nytimes.com ...
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Interesting to note that Af. has prompted a return to a rifle sized caliber (.308) to replace the .223 mouse gun. Insurgents don’t have ammo for Pray and spray.
If one were to remove about ten inches of barrel from a Mosi, how would that effect the weapon’s accuracy? I’m assuming modern powder cartridges (fast burn) are available for the Mosin.
Yeah,,,, Insurgents who enjoy shooting 1.5 inch groups as they sit up on that concealed mountaintop. Mine looks ugly,, and i can always cover 3 shots with a silver doller from the bench.
Not to mention that it’s the rifle most used by the worlds most successful sniper Simo Hayha. Finn versions are a bit better, but only to a minor degree,, the basic one is deadly.
To add salt in the wound,, compare it to anything else available in 1891.
Too pricey, unless a M44 or M38 carbine. Big5 (similar to Dunhams or Fleets) just got done with a $99 sale on the 91/30s. Someimes you can find a gem or two.
Hell if I know for sure.
It would certainly degrade the accuracy, to what degree I cannot say.
Surely you are not thinking of making a “pirate pistol” out of a Mosin?
Honestly, our boys would be better off if the taliban all had AR-15s. In a few months, most would be out of business in those conditions with no parts, and without the religious cleaning required. Shorter effective range too,,, also the taliban types would soon fall into the old spray and pray habit.
A nagant practically begs you to slow down, and take aim. It really is ridiculous how good those old things are.
I love mine.
Best 75 bucks I ever spent.
Amen to that,,,,
Amen to that.
I’d rather face a fireteam of spray and prayers than one good marksman with one of those quaint old bolt action pieces.
It's a good mix for a mountain fighting team.
I think it was Wyatt Earp who said something to the effect that the winner in a gunfight is the deliberate man who took his time and fired once. It seems the enemy follows his advice.
After reviewing the pictures I’ll bid $500 for the whole lot (shipping not included).
They run about $70 + shipping to a Dealer or C&R, including bayonet, ctg. boxes, sling and accessories. Most are arsenal reconditioned.
More for a hex receiver, laminated stock, or a sniper of course.
Century Arms still has tons of them, from when cash strapped Russia cleaned out their salt mines where they had blocks of them stacked on pallets since the end of WW-II.
I got a “U-Fix-Em” 91-30 for about $38 that took a little tweaking, but it’s a decent shooter now. Got some good deals on battlefield pick up M-44s too, but those deals are drying up fast.
Torque up the action screws after cleaning out the cosmoline and before shooting - all of them I’ve received have been loose. they shoot a lot better when snug.
The M-44 (side folding bayonet) and M-38 carbines make better deer rifles / truck guns but wear ear protection; they sound like a bloody cannon going off and the fireball muzzle flash is spectacular. Some of them can be surprisingly accurate - luck of the draw. Try shooting with extended / fixed bayonet; often tightens up the group.
The 7.62X54R is about on a par with the .30-06 for power - plenty of potency and range.
Mosins are Built like a Russian tractor to be reasonably durable and peasant resistant. Stripping and re assembling the bolt can be a bit of a trick till you get the hang of it.
A lot of those No.1 Mk.III Ennies were supplied by our CIA back when the Muhajadeen were fussing with the Rooskies, and the Rooskies learned a healthy respect for them.
I’m surprised that more of our choppers are not being shot at with US supplied Stingers - they sure raised the dickens with Russian gunships for a while there.
Up in the Khyber pass they can make just about any kind of weapon known to humanity, and I guess they do a pretty good job of it too.
From what we understand some pretty interesting guns turn up in Afghanistan.
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This looks like the typical cache of weapons we would seize in Somalia. Funny how the names and places of the dirtbags change, but their weapons stay the same...
Gotta echo the BIG5 post. You can go hands on with lots of 'em. Ask to see the ones in back, too. Sales come and go frequently, -38's and -44's come up. I've seen as low as $79.95. For that price, get a hex and a round receiver, pick a year of production...go nuts.
its not a bad price, it’s just you can do better. (i call the bayonet,sling,clening kit and ammo pouch, the “goodie bag”. haha)
Answer: if you did it right, accuracy would not suffer at ranges that you are likely to be shooting at (100-300 yards). Then again, I'd never dream to cut my Moseys. If you want a short one, just get an M44. $150 cash and carry. They are the bees knees. Trust me.
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