Old mosin question

[sbrville]

Recently had a mosin given to me by a friend. His son died and they found it in his house. He said his son got it many years ago as a rifle but then made it into a lamp. He cut the buttock off flat and mounted it on a stand standing up. He drilled a hole from the butt to the back of the receiver to run a cord then ran the cord up the barrel under the stock. Then he took a piece of metal rod and drove it in the barrel to mount the lamp top. I got the cord out and then got the rod out by heating the barrel( that sucker was tight!). It was only in a quarter to a half inch. It messed up the rifling a bit but not bad. My question is the safety of this gun. What should I look for to make sure there wasn't a reason he made it into a lamp. My plan is, since I have nothing in the firearm, is make a cheap sporter out of it. Cut it down and recrown it, cut stock down and refinish it. Also put a new front sight on and shoot it. Maybe someday scope it. Will the stock be ok with the hole in it from the cord? I would like to shoot it and make sure it works before I put much work into it. Should I at least cut the barrel off where the rod was in it before I shoot it? I can put picks up later if that will help. Thanks SB

 

[Hoosierman]

I think you'll have more money in getting a questionable rifle to shoot than just going out and buying one at dunhams. They are in stock at around $130. My advice would be to make it a wall hanger.

 

[Mosin Mounts]

Before you do any more irreversible cutting on it, you should look at it closely and take some measurements. There are things you can do without cutting the barrel off, depending on how deep he drove the rod. Do you have the bolt? I have a set of headspace gauges and would be willing to help you check it out. Do you ever go to any of the gunshows? I'll be at the Gosport show next weekend (17/18).

 

[Mosin Mounts]

I just checked my parts pile. I thought I had an extra 91/30 stock, but it was for a Turk 8mm. You can pick up take-off stocks at shows for $10-$15 if you keep your eyes open. I usually have one laying around.

Just a note, I've taken some very, very chewed-up Mosins and made good shooters of them with minimal effort. Hoosierman has a good point, you may be better off leaving it as a wall hanger, but it may not be as bad as it sounds.

 

[steif]

before doing anything, please take pics of the reciever markings. some of the old import were finnish mosins and if it is a older m28 or m24, it might be worth a bit of money like it is. even with the chopped stock. I'm not talking a ton of cash, but it might be enough to buy a rifle at dunhams and a bunch of ammo.

If you want to keep it for sentiment sake, I would have someone just counterbore it and install a rubber recoil pad. the pad will not hurt it since it is chopped anyway, and the counterbore will restore accuracy without modifying the original outside configurations. they counterbored rifles while in service to restore accuracy, so it would be more or less correct for that rifle, no matter who the maker is.

And also check the chamber area closely, I have had several lamp rifles over the years, and on a couple they drilled a hole through the chamber bottom to run the electric cord through. This let them still close the bolt and look neater while a lamp. This of course would be a serious injury if shot.... or like a cutting torch to bare skin with the gas pressure. then there is the fragments of stock and all that would be flying around... I have acually seen this happen with an old enfield someone was sure it was ok and did not take apart to see the chamber was drilled out... assembled you couldn't tell it had it done.

 

[johntheplinker]

before doing anything, please take pics of the reciever markings. some of the old import were finnish mosins and if it is a older m28 or m24, it might be worth a bit of money like it is. even with the chopped stock. I'm not talking a ton of cash, but it might be enough to buy a rifle at dunhams and a bunch of ammo.

If you want to keep it for sentiment sake, I would have someone just counterbore it and install a rubber recoil pad. the pad will not hurt it since it is chopped anyway, and the counterbore will restore accuracy without modifying the original outside configurations. they counterbored rifles while in service to restore accuracy, so it would be more or less correct for that rifle, no matter who the maker is.

And also check the chamber area closely, I have had several lamp rifles over the years, and on a couple they drilled a hole through the chamber bottom to run the electric cord through. This let them still close the bolt and look neater while a lamp. This of course would be a serious injury if shot.... or like a cutting torch to bare skin with the gas pressure. then there is the fragments of stock and all that would be flying around... I have acually seen this happen with an old enfield someone was sure it was ok and did not take apart to see the chamber was drilled out... assembled you couldn't tell it had it done.

+1 Could be worth a pretty penny as-is depending on model. Let's see some pics!

 

[rkesar]

I think you'd have more in it doing all of that than you would if you just picked up a cheap mosin at a gun show and you could leave your friends lamp the way he left it, could you post a pic of the lamp?

 

[sbrville]

Thanks all for help I've been busy this week ill get some pics up this weekend. SB.

 

[sbrville]

i didn't have any pics of the lamp

 

[DoggyDaddy]

i didn't have any pics of the lamp

You've got a 1937 Tula rifle. Being a round receiver, it's not anything particularly special collector-wise, but assuming that your friend's son didn't drill a hole in the receiver for the cord, it might end up being a shooter. Again though, I don't know how much I'd invest in getting it to shoot. If you can do it without spending a ton of money, then go for it!

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Interesting thread. Now I know what to do with that old junky civil war musket that gathers dust in my closet.

 

[Gunaria]

I have a feeling it's a SCW(Spanish Civil War) mosin. Counter bore the barrel, put a front sight on it then slip a limbsaver pad over the buttstock and go shot it.