Already placed an order from Bud’s and expect it to be delivered in a couple of weeks. I know it’s better to buy one locally so I can inspect but Bud’s claims this batch is their “best ever” and Mosin’s (believe it or not) are sold out nearly everywhere now so I couldn’t get one locally even if I wanted to.
Anything I need to know, in particular?
I’ll likely be replacing the wood stock with the synthetic and I’m considering having a curved bolt job done but would like to hear from people who have experience with this. I do not plan to try and make it a “tactical Mosin” like some of these clowns – moreso I just want to be able to mount a scope on it. Not sure if it could effect reliability or anything to get a curved bolt job. Also, my skills aside, what is your opinion on the maximum effective range of a basic Mosin 91/30 with irons or mid-grade scope? I’m looking to use it as a deer rifle this coming season and for general long distance shooting (within reason).
Odds are the bolt will be sticky. That is my major beef with the Nagant. Every one I ever fooled with had a sticky bolt that sometimes had to be smashed against a wooden post to open.
Don’t worry about the rifle being counter bored. My Mosin will hit 4 foot plates at 300 yards (standing with a sling no less) with surplus ammo and has worst bore ever. The key is getting the sling tension and focusing. The recoil is a bitch so it will get you flinching if you are tired. The trigger is a like a really shitty DAO. But shoot a really crappy DAO a few thousand times and it’s like riding a bike. The sight picture is like an AK. The range markings are on the dot, however, keep the front sight low in the groove when lining up, hold on target…that is how mine shoots anyway. Oh and bring a hammer for wind-age. I wish I was kidding. It’s an art.
I shit you not, my buddy and were hitting a full size IPSC steel target at 500 yards about every two or three shots for about 15 rounds. After that my rifle couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. I think the barrel took a dump, I know my shoulder did.
I have read that they are sighted in with the bayonet mounted so that could make a difference. I have also tried using different shims and bedding etc. There are many different thing you can do to “accurize”. My friends shot better than mine and 200 yards seemed to be point of consistency.
There is a great amount of info on these rifles and they are a load of fun to screw around with. Good luck!
I doubt the barrel took a dump unless you are getting those results on several occasions.
The recoil of the rifle bundled up with the shitty trigger, non aperture sights and metal butt plate make it an easy rifle to have a bad day with. If you get tired it can seem like it took a dump. Flinch is the most likely culprit. Also, they heat up faster than any other rifle I have owned. POI shift is likely to blame after many rounds.
The bayonet thing applies to the carbines with the folding bayonet. The POI will be off unless the bayonet is extended. Not so with the 91/30.
It seems like I will need to consider putting the extended rubber buttpad on the stock when I receive my Mosin. Does anybody run these on the ATI synthetic stock or are these for the original stocks only?
Also, what is it that makes the Mosin Nagant kick so badly? I understand the 7.62x54R is a potent round somewheres between the .308 and 30-06 but even those cartridges are not that difficult to shoot accurately so what’s the deal? Everybody makes Mosin’s (even the 91/30) out to be inaccurate fireball shooting cannons that couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. Hope it’s not completely true as it will be my primary bolt gun, given that it’s in good shape.
Wartime production M91/30’s (especially 1942 and 1943) look like the receivers were machined with a chisel, although they’re still perfectly serviceable.
Some folks prefer the Tula examples over the Izhevsk ones, because the star logo looks cooler and there were somewhat fewer made. They all shoot the same, though. Same with hex receivers over round ones.
Are you buying the 91/30 as a collectible or as a shooter?
If collectible, then clean it, don’t change anything, and shoot it.
If shooter, then clean it, don’t change anything, and shoot it.
The plastic stocks and aftermarket stuff for Mosins don’t make them any better than they were before.
The first thing you should do is familiarize yourself with the lineup and know what you’re looking at when you go to buy it. http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinID.htm
shoot it at night! no flash hider on those things. I can not remember the name of the company that makes it, but instead of bending the bolt handle there is a kit you can buy and you just cut the old handle off, drill and tap the bolt at the base of the cut off handle and they have a bolt on handle. I did this to a mosin i use to have. Its really simple to do, and IMO looks better then the bent handles.
Small metal buttplate is the cause for the complaints on recoil. It’s not too bad, I have done about 200 rounds of ball in a session with just a t shirt on…no problem. However, a thick sock on the butt helps tame the beast. The factory loads for the -06 may actually be lower energy than some of the hot surplus 54r loads out there. it varies a lot.
you can polish the camming surfaces of the mosin bolt to get rid of some of the bolt stick. Took me 20-30 min and it made a huge different in the feel. You can also polish the trigger surfaces and it will smoothen it up a bunch too. Lotta nice virtually free mods you can do to a mosin to make it feel a lot nicer. Be sure to check for the firing pin depth as well. I did both the bolt and trigger surface polishing on my Mosin PU Sniper and my regular Mosin and they feel a lot better
More than likely the rifle you receive from Bud’s will be wartime built. Wartimes are easy to spot as finish machining on the receiver is poor. The rifles being imported now will be refurbed. I own several wartime rifles and the bores are in outstanding like new condition and mirror bright.
As far as things to look for, bore condition, might wanna check the muzzle crown. Sticky bolt is an easy fix that involves polshing the chamber with a 20g bore brush, checkout youtube for vids.
I personally would stick with the wood stock and a slip on buttstock pad. I don’t recall who, but there is a company who makes a scope that will replace the rear sight so there’s no need to mod the bolt.
I picked a Mosin carbine up at a farmers barn sale about six months ago for 80 bucks. I polished the rust off the bolt, sonic cleaned it, checked it with the firing pin gauge and took it to the range.
It kicks like a mule, and has muzzle flash unlike anything I have ever seen, but I am more then happy with the accuracy considering the rounds cost less then 15, I can find them in droves, and I spent less then a bill on the gun.
My only complaint with the gun is that it is really difficult to get the ammo into the magazine.
It’s going to be a straight shooter; not a collector. I’m actually leaning towards keeping the original wood furniture now, honestly. Long as the wooden stock is not splintering or in terrible shape then I’ll likely keep it as is, with the exception of a scope mount and rubber pad. I don’t care about the looks or making it “tacticool” - I just want it to be functional and not falling apart.
Skip the Mosin and buy a 98 Mauser variant.
You can still find Czech VZ-24s in the 200 dollar range.
The 98 Mauser is just a better action all the way around…especially for a custom rifle.
-brickboy240
I had considered this, however the main reason I am going for a Mosin is to get cheap 7.62x54R and train with a bolt gun (non 22lr) for a reasonable price.
You’ll love the mosin. Totally disassemble the bolt,( unscrew the firing pin etc), and really make sure everything is super clean. Clean out the chamber real good and you shouldnt have any sticking issues. You’ll probably have to drift the sight ( remember to “chase” the bullet ), and it’ll probably shoot high. You can use a piece of rubber and slide it over the front sight post to increase post height or drop a bead of solder on it to increase the post height and lower POI. One trick to get all (most) of the cosmoline out of the stock is wait until a super hot day, and hang the stock inside a black contractors bag outside with a drip pan underneath. Have fun
A lot of surplus rifles are shipped with loose action screws. I noticed that the tightness of the action screws on my Mosin Nagants has a big affect on the height of bullet impact. Check the screws and snug them down if necessary.
