Big 5 Mosin Nagant M38 and the Range...

[jp.cherokee]

Finally took my $100.00 out the door Mosin Nagant 7.62 x 54R to the range today. Due to time constraints I went to American Shooting Center in San Diego. It's only 25 yards, but good enough for a first time. The first trigger pull was a little nervous, but flawless. I've never shot a bolt action before, so I pulled the trigger and WHAM to the shoulder , WOW, COOL ... Pull the bolt, chamber another round, flawless, sink the butt deep into the meat of my sholder, WHAM, WOW, COOL. I went through 20 rounds, that is all I could take for the first outting. I LIKE IT...Sure would be nice to have one of those huge "thick" Russian coats. Yes, comrad my shoulder is sore, but I LIKE IT...

[M. Sage]

Yeah, they're an addictive rifle. Congrats!

You'll get the hang of how to shoot it without killing yourself. Pull that stock in DEEP, make sure you've got all the contact you can possibly get against your shoulder, lean forward a bit, and let 'er rip.

Pick up a ten-pack of these for the total MN shooting experience:

http://www.johnmasen.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=J&Product_Code=MN03

And remember to clean it for corrosive after shooting surplus ammo. Other than needing to clean it at the range, I'm totally happy with shooting old surplus through mine.

[TMC]

Other than needing to clean it at the range

It can wait until you get home. Just spray a bit of windex w/ammonia down the bore, let it sit for a few minutes and swab clean. Then a bit if CLP and your done, unless you really want to clean the bore for copper and fowling which means the whole routine.

[M. Sage]

Nah, I don't get too anal with it at the range. I just soak a few patches with water, run 'em through, then patch dry and put a coat of Hoppes solvent in for the drive home.

Usually it only takes a few more solvent patches to get it the rest of the way clean after I get home. On the plus side, the little "pre-clean" at the range seems to make it a bit easier to get clean when you get home. I do my pre-clean when the gun's still warm.

[mike100]

I always wait a couple hours and clean it at home. It isn't that important. My m44 bore is chrome shiny still. The czech steel core stuff is super cheap, but it can't be shot in many places.

I also got a 24/47 on the sam dros and shooting that with hot 8mm Yugo ammo really hurts. make the x54r seem like a tame round.


BTW, the bore on my m44 is like new (as it is a postwar 1946 example), but the m38 I bought sucks bad and I get better patterns with my full choke sgotgun. the bore is shot out. I just about had the bullets clover-leafed at iron sights indoor range when I shot the m44 the first time the evening I got it. How's your m38?

[guimus]

My M38 will put most shots into 5" at 100 yards. The bore is pretty nasty, but it shoots well enough. Every once in a while there's one shot way off (sometimes off the paper) which I think must be due to ammo variations. I just got two tins of the Hungarian light ball, though, so I can test that theory.

[Justang]

I just got one... well, I bought it anyway. I don't get it for a few more days.
Can't wait. this will be my first bolt action rifle as well. Big 5 for $89.99.

[Richie Rich]

Congrats on your new commie boomstick.

I love my M38, it always draws a crowd at the range. Sometimes I spend almost as much time answering questions and letting others shoot it then actually shooting it myself.

The local indoor range will not let me shoot my milsurp ammo and the cost of WWB 7.62x54r was killing me ($15+ for 20 rounds). Found Olympic ammo at Turners for $5 a box so I use that.

The sore shoulder thing was fun for a while but got old so I got a slip on recoil pad. $30 well spent. Now the ladies love shooting my rifle.

Started a little Nagant army amongst my friends. Three of us have them and 2 more are in the waiting period as we speak.

[Vepr62]

Mosin

Took my Big-5 M-38 and my antique Fin M-39 out yesterday to Rancho Cordova Shooting Center.
M-38: Shoots 4 inches high at 25 yards, I think the front sight is too short. Rear sight was at its lowest setting. Group was about 3 inches spread with 5 shots. Barrel has some pitting but not that bad, and it is counterbored at the muzzle about 1/4 of an inch. Was short on ammo so i didn't try it at 100 yards.
M-39: Russian hexagonal receiver, retrofited with "B" barrel by Fins. Bore is pristine with no pitting whatsoever and groves are very sharp. That thing impressed me. Shot it for the second time. 25 yards with iron sights, milsurp ammo, about 3/4 of an inch spread with 5 shots. Took it to 100 yards, and it printed about 4 inch group with 5 shots. The rear sights were set at 300m. and all bullets went from 1 to 3.5 in high from the poinf of aim.
Both rifles were fired from sand bags with iron sights.

Vasiliy

[M. Sage]

Your bore is probably counter-bored because at some point a soldier who carried it didn't bother using his cleaning rod kit right. He wasn't using the muzzle cap that guides the cleaning rod down the bore without banging against the crown and wore the crown out. Doesn't really hurt accuracy, though.

WWB is expensive for being crappy. It's only so-so IMO. I haven't tried Olympic, but if you guys want the REAL recoil experience, track down some Ingman. I still have a few of their 150 gr SP ammo, it kicks noticeably harder and is noticeably louder than anything else I've shot in my 91/30. Should make a hell of a flash in a M38 or M44. 7.62x54R.net claims it's doing about 3,000 FPS out of a 91/30. Ssssssmokin!

@ Richie: do you shoot off the bench a lot? That's about the only time I've had trouble with the recoil... If you're standing or kneeling, it's not so bad... as long as you're not holding it like it's an AR. :P

[Richie Rich]

I have not shot mine from the bench yet. It is not that I have trouble with the recoil, but after a night of shooting I do get a little soreness. Has to do with being thin and having shoulder problems.

Just figured I might as well make it more comfortable. Also makes my girlfriend want to shoot it more and she looks good doing it

I always wondered what the heck that thing was in the cleaning kit (muzzle cap). Makes sense now that you mentioned it. I have always just used pressed the web of my hand onto the end of the barrel to guide the cleaning rod in. Glad you mentioned it before I screwed up the barrel on mine....

[Mike 56]

The Nagant front sight fix shrink tube for wiring. You can find it at auto parts store. A Limbsaver slip on recoil pad tames a nagants recoil. Wal-Mart has them for twenty dollars worth every penny. Mike

[Spiggy]

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v614/Spiggys_pics/?action=view&current=kvnM44.flv

My freind kevin firing off his M44 for the first time. We had some soft loads for him because we werent too sure if he'd be able to take it. -slowly he started using the surplus, and fireballs ensued

And yes, the first shot, he hit the target.

[pewpewguns]

I just purchased an M38 (last day of the big 5 sale!) and I'm scouring the internet trying to figure out what kind of ammo to buy.
I bought this gun because I keep hearing stories of mighty recoil and incredible reports, so I'm wondering if their is a specific cartridge out there that has more bang than the rest. Price is also a consideration, so, cheap and loud. Hit me with your suggestions!

If you guys have a website you trust for buying cheap ammo pls link the URL,
Thanks.

[snafu510]

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php/ammo-for-rifles/7-62x54r/p/7-62x54r-czech-ammo%2C-800-rd-cases-/cPath/12_42/products_id/1386

Czech silver tip. That's about 8 cents a round (before shipping)