Mosin Love?

[Wabatuckian]

I like the Mosin-Nagant. It's one of my favorite rifles.

Properly put-together and hand-fitted, they function as well as Mausers, but have looser tolerances for better reliability and are just simpler overall.

I've not seen much Mosin love here since I've been back -- and, searching back through the years, it doesn't seem like there's been much for a while.

So what's the consensus on the Mosin-Nagant these days?

Edit: Here's how your Mosin should work.

 

[ZurokSlayer7X9]

Anymore Love for the Mosin?

Just wondering if anyone still has a love for and shoots the ole tried an true Mosin Nagant? Granted the prices have went stupid over recent years with the surplus ammo and the rifles no longer being imported. However I still find myself cracking a bit of a smile whenever i see mine in the safe...

www.indianagunowners.com

Here is a little bit. I'm currently installing a PU mount with 1" rings on my 91/30. Will probably put a Vortex on it. Not an authentic look, but hate the three post reticle the replication PU scopes use.

 

[92FSTech]

It's a serviceable rifle, well worth the $70 they used to sell for. I am not willing to pay the $500+ that folks are demanding these days, though.

My brother has one, and a few buddies had them back in the day. Most of the ones I've shot have the sticky bolt problem as the rifle warms up, and the sights are mediocre at best. There's no way I'd trade a Swede '96 Mauser for one, my '03 or '17, or even an Enfield.

The cartridge is part of the problem. Like most surplus, it was cheap and abundant at one time, but that's no longer the case. Most of what is out there is steel-cased and Berdan primed, so not reloadable, and these days that's a must of you actually want to shoot your milsurps.

They were a good tool for a conscript army, but lack the refinement and precision of some of their contemporaries. I'd still like to own one, but it's going to take a heck of a deal in today's market to get me there.

 

[COOPADUP]

Have a T-53 Chinese that is fun to shoot now and then. The coated Romanian rounds I bought years ago tends to give it a sticky bolt after about 10-12 rounds. Plus you can fry an egg on the barrel after a dozen rounds though it.
Will hand it down to my son when I'm too old and feeble to use it anymore.

 

[Wabatuckian]

Peeps, sticky bolt generally isn't an ammo issue. It's a malfitted bolt issue.

The majority of Mosins that made it over here were hastily rebuilt without regard for fitting. The Mosin shouldn't act any differently than a Mauser or other contemporary bolt action.

 

[COOPADUP]

Peeps, sticky bolt generally isn't an ammo issue. It's a malfitted bolt issue.

The majority of Mosins that made it over here were hastily rebuilt without regard for fitting. The Mosin shouldn't act any differently than a Mauser or other contemporary bolt action.

The bolt on mine functions perfectly fine when I run the action. But as mentioned, once she’s hot after a few rounds the action requires more force than when cold. As you said, hastily assembled is probably the root cause.

 

[Kalashalite]

They are a rifle steeped in rich long serving history, plenty of flavors to choose from. The surplus ammunition for them is still relatively cheap, and even new factory ammo is reasonable (neither are anywhere near as cheap as they used to be) The action is strong but the bolt is over complicated. Stacking it up against other military service rifles I consider it to be one of the worst. The Finnish models on the other hand, are some of the very best service rifles of all time being almost in the same weight class as the K31, "96 Swede and Model of 1917.

When I was a teenager they cost around $79-$99.99 for a standard Ukranian stored refurb. I talked my mom into getting me one and I thought it was the best rifle of all time. When I got it to the range I was disappointed and my shoulder was sore. I had the common sticky bolt issue, and a Range Officer helped me whack it open with a rubber mallet. I think my groupings would be easier measured in FEET not INCHES at 100yd. (I was also a bad shot so the rifle is only part to blame)

That being said I wouldn't kick one out of the gun safe. I really would like to own a PU sniper (even a replica/clone) and a Finnish variant. The holy grail of all Mosins to me is a Czech VZ.54 Sniper Rifle.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

"Mosin, Mosin, candle light
Doing the town and doing it right in the evening
It's pretty pleasing
Mosin Suzie, Mosin Sam
Do the jitterbug out in Mosin Land
And they shimmy... Sam is so skinny

And they whirl and they twirl and they tango
Singing and Jinging a Jango
Floating like the heavens above
Looks like Mosin Love"

-- With apologies to Captain and Tenille

 

[KRN123060]

I had a Polish M44. It was in "un-issued" condition. It really did look brand new. I sold it quite a few years ago for not a whole lot of money. I just did a search on current prices. Geez. I never should have sold that thing.

 

[thunderchicken]

Still like them but they seem to be over priced now and ammo doesn't seem to be so easy to find.

 

[walt o]

I was just given a mosen carbine bedded in an ARC Angle precision STOCK.iT HAS A TURNED DOWN BOLT HANDLE AND A folding SPIKE BAYONET that i will remove . The proprietary detachable mags.are available in 5,10 or 15 round ,just looking for some ammunition to try it out.It is an 1943 ISHEVEK stamped with the sycle and hammer

 

[ben142266]

Love them so I have three and plan on getting more. 91/30 made in '33, Finnish capture 1891 made in 1896 and rebarreled in '41 and an m44 carbine made in '44. There's so many varieties of them that I just can't get enough. Plus it makes buying ammo easy when a lot of your guns shoot the same caliber.

 

[Mgderf]

Paging @Miller Tyme ...

 

[Nugget]

There are five 91/30s sitting on my dining room table in my profile pic. I also have a pair of m44s. Love them all.

 

[Mgderf]

When I got my 91/30 it was a gift from a gun shop owner for work I did to help him get the store ready to open.
He gave me the 91/30 and a spam cam of x54R .
Then he told me the best thing about the Mosin Nagants was the fact that you could hit the broad side of a barn,
three counties away! Lol
My T-53 throws an impressive fireball, especially after dark.

 

[Mij]

Never shot mine fast enough to get anything warm, let alone hot.

But the first time I shot it I fired 3 rounds at a 3/8 steel plate at 300 mtrs 14x14 inch. Didn’t know anything about arsens or whatever that measurement is called. So I just cranked it to the top.

On the 3rd shot the whole target fell over, total weight about 60-70 lbs. Figured I hit an upright. Went out to reset the target, found 3 shots in about a 12 inch group. The rounds jackets are still a sharp obstruction when handling the target. The core went thru the plate like butter. That target is in the bed of my truck at this moment. I’ll move it back to the pistol range tomorrow or Saturday.

That was over 25+ years ago. Don’t have a clue about the guns pedigree. Still got a bunch of that ammo. I’ve Buba’d the gun since then. I like the gun a lot. Would never feel under gunned with it.

 

[knutty]

I had about 40 at one point. They were fun to collect when they were $60-70 for Russian refurbs and Finnish rifles were all around $200-$400. I'd order 3 at a time, it was fun to see what showed up.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

I had about 40 at one point. They were fun to collect when they were $60-70 for Russian refurbs and Finnish rifles were all around $200-$400. I'd order 3 at a time, it was fun to see what showed up.

I had gotten rid of my 91/30's at one point and then prices started going up, approaching $200. AIM had one last sale on them for $99 and I went ahead and got another just to have. I have it, a Romanian M44, a beater M38 and a Finn M39. I may have a T53, but honestly I don't remember. I had one, got rid of it, but I'm thinking I got another at some point.

 

[Vodnik4]

My great-grandpa and grandpa both carried them in two separate wars, so I would want an Imperial one and an early Soviet one, just to have and tell tall tales to my kids.

I am still kicking myself for not buying one at $99 in maybe 2009? No way I would pay $500 for one right now.

 

[johntheplinker]

I've got a few...

Somewhere around 50, all Finns. Sold off all my Soviet/Warsaw Pact models a few years ago when I decided to collect only Finn and Swede mil-surps. The M39 in the last pic is my favorite. Looks kinda rough but it shoots very well, and lets just say it is special.