Mosin Nagant......tell me everything....

[Lockwood2988]

I've been thinking of buying one these......seen a few at big 5 for sale (169.99).It will be my 1st bolt action rifle and I'm thinking it would be a fun gun to take to range and "play around" with.

So tell me anything you think I should know about these rifles....

Thanks!

[serjm1a1]

I just picked up my first Mosin last month, Shot it at 100 yards, man, it was soooo much fun, love it! using the bolt action to re-chamber rounds is fantastic...also, loading one round at a time and slamming that bolt shut is also gnarly.....There is something to bolt actions.... historic bolt actions...cant get better than that....

[ClassicalLib]

Well, Mosins are fun!

As you've probably read online, a 440 round "spam can" of surplus (corrosive) 7.62x54R runs about $90-$100 meaning big savings over a 308. Buy a crate of 2 to get the can opener. You can get this at the next crossroads or online (I don't think that execrable ban on online sales passed this year but I could be mistaken).

When you go to big 5 bring a mini maglite with you, pull out the bolt (open bolt, depress trigger, pull bolt back) and look at the bore. Some of them have a pretty rough bore (e.g. my 1934 hex) and some nice (my 1943 round). Pick the nicest of the lot if you have a choice.

If you live in the South Bay, Eddie's shooting sports always has a few for an extra $20... last time I checked, they were planning on buying a crate. The Chinese type 53 (when the Russians moved on to the SKS, they donated the Mosin tooling to there comrades) is a blast from what I've heard.

Anyway, for 160-200 how wrong can you go?

[Capybara]

I'm not going to tell you squat but these guys will http://7.62x54r.net/

[plumbum]

Best value for a centerfire rifle, even at current Big 5 prices.

I love all of mine!

[hambam105]

Buy me a 440 rd. case of Ruskie 7.62X54R and I'll tell you all about it.

[10mmOutdoors]

I have a few. Checkout the link that Capybara posted. I learned a lot there. The history behind these rifles is fascinating. The more you learn about them the more intriguing they are. I think these rifles will serve your intended use very well.

Look to "berserks9", here on Calguns. He's one of the best sellers of Mosin Nagants that I've ever dealt with. Top notch. Discipline is in order when buying Mosins. They can be like potato chips. All the best.

[Kokopelli]

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...d.php?t=831054

[jarhead714]

How big a man are you? That determines whether it's fun or not.

[Lockwood2988]

Thanks for the replies......pretty sure I'll be picking one up very soon

[OneStepBehind]

Do yourself a favor, look in the marketplace for someone selling locally. No dros fee or wait, might even save a few dollars. My most recent one was an excellent 91/30 from a guy in San Jose and it looked MUCH better then the ones at Big 5. And the best part was the guy already cleaned off the cosmoline, which sucks to do.

[thenodnarb]

169 is too much for a mosin. Look into antique mausers. There are some high quality mausers out there that don't even require an FFL because they are antiques and are 10 times the gun that the mosin is. Look into the 1891 argentine mauser. You might pick one up for under 200. Also consider lee enfields, and 98k mausers. Heck even the 1871 mausers are awesome(but ammo is unfortunately expensive or unavailable. roll your own).

[mosinnagantm9130]

169 is too much for a mosin. Look into antique mausers. There are some high quality mausers out there that don't even require an FFL because they are antiques and are 10 times the gun that the mosin is. Look into the 1891 argentine mauser. You might pick one up for under 200. Also consider lee enfields, and 98k mausers. Heck even the 1871 mausers are awesome(but ammo is unfortunately expensive or unavailable. roll your own).

You're finding Argentine Mausers for under $200? You have a time machine or something?

7.65x53, .303 British and 7.92x57 are all more expensive than 7.62x54r.

[TitanIsrael]

Capable of hitting a 1k Yards, nice recoil, goes thru 1/4 inch Diamond plate, ammo is plenty, 79.99 for 440 rds. Buy like 4 of them of if you can and have fun.

[Swagman00]

Mosins are a hoot to shoot. It kinda starts you off of a BIG step as a first gun compared to a .22 LR.

Things I know now I wish I knew then:

- Buy cosmo covered gun and 440 round spam can. (I still remember the days when this was $200 flat...)
- Remove barrel and assembly and place in bucket of HOT water (fastest and easiest way to get all of that junk off). Wipe cosmo off of stock with a rag. Reassemble when done.
- Lubricate all areas of bolt, action and magazine. Run a boresnake of the stuff through the barrel.
- (optional) Sand the contact points where the bolt touches action for easier locking/unlocking. This will make extraction slightly easier.
- Take to the range. Remember to bring a towel, preferably a THICK one or your have a Mosin welt. Just drape it over your shoulder, use as a buffer, and be glad you have it.
- The milsurp steel will stick after a few rounds of firing. This is normal, so just smack it around till the bolt unlocks. Brass won't do this if you buy the good stuff.

Enjoy.