[nomad]

5 days, wow! Well the one I had couldn`t have benefited much from that cause it had more pits in it`s bore than a basket of cherries! Had to get rid of it,damn shame too, say, got any pointers on how to tell,thru all the cosmoline and gunk, if its even worth the 80 to 100 bucks they`re asking for in my area?

[jboot]

You won't find too many Mosins that don't have some pitting and a dark bore. Most of them are decent shooters anyway. As for pointers, You can ignore a dark bore but make sure that the chamber and crown are free of pits and scratches. Make sure the action locks down tight. The bolts were mix-and-match and Ivan wasn't too picky. I have seen a few that will "pop" out of battery. If it is possible, cycle a few rounds through the action. There is a spring that tensions the cartridge rim. If it is weak, you will only be able to chamber the first round. This is a relatively common problem. Other than that, it may be ugly but it should shoot great.

If you want a pristine Mosin, shell out an extra 3-4 bills and get a Finnish one. They are worth every penny. They were hand-fitted and most of them will shoot inside of any other stock battle rifle.