I need help with a Mosin

[jben]

My Calguns search/google fu is weak tonight.

I'm thinking of buying a friends M91/30. I admit I'm new to Mosins but I've never heard of or seen one like this. It appears to be all stainless steel. Receiver, barrel, bolt, furniture clamps and bayonet. Round receiver. It has the Izhevsk mark and was imported by CAI.

Anybody know anything about a stainless Mosin? Value compared to a normal one?

[Beetle Bailey]

Never heard of a stainless steel Mosin. Maybe it has been hardchromed? I remember there was a dealer who was hardchroming M44 Mosin Carbines. Maybe someone had a 91/30 hardchromed.

[jben]

Never heard of a stainless steel Mosin. Maybe it has been hardchromed? I remember there was a dealer who was hardchroming M44 Mosin Carbines. Maybe someone had a 91/30 hardchromed.

Would the import marks go on before or after the chroming? They are still very sharp.

[Eddie1965]

Is it nice and shinny? Or is it kind of a dull grey color? If it is shinny some one down the line had it chromed like the previous poster said and if it a dull grey color more than likely all the blueing has been removed. I have a Romanian contract VZ-24 like that, some one told me that they used anti-freeze on them in the Eastern front to prevent them from freezing and by doing so they removed all the finish on the metal and the stocks turned black.

[jben]

Definitely shiny. It's not bare steel. Where we live it would be a pile of rust if there was no treatment. This thing is very clean. I'm used to chrome finishes being "shinier" than stainless but I suppose this could be chromed. I've been fooled before!

I've never seen a gun that was refinished. Would the process leave the original arsenal marks visible?

[cryoguy]

I wouldnt mind seeing some pics

[hypnoman]

I've heard and seen some chrome Mosin Nagant, though I can't recall the dealer offering them. Are you looking for a Mosin for shooting or collecting? Big5 has them on sale today for $99. If you want accuracy, you might find out from your friend how well it shoots. If he'll let you, you might slug his bore so you'll both know how well it handles the ammo available. These bores can vary quite a bit, I have 4 and they range from .310 to .314, while most commercial and surplus ammo is only roughly .310 to .311. One thing is for sure with Mosins: 7.62 does NOT usually shoot the Nato .308 with accuracy

[Beetle Bailey]

Dunno about the import marks or the process of hardchroming. If it was hardchromed by a private entity, it's not gonna have any collector value. Its only value will be as a shooter.

I am not aware of any countries that used hardchromed Mosins, but IF, and that is a big "IF", some country did, it would probably be a "parade rifle". But if I had to guess, I'd say someone probably had it hardchromed to jazz up the looks. HTH

[mievil]

Classic Arms was just selling a batch of chromed Mosins that they had done. They just dug around in their bins and found ones and had them chromed. Ugh.

[jben]

I wouldnt mind seeing some pics

Sorry. The camera is at the office and I'm dial-up impaired here at home.

[mievil]

Pics from Classic:

[jben]

Thanks for all the quick replies. You guys are awesome! especially mievel. It looks like the Classic Arms is it except this one has a laminate stock. I assumed CAI on the receiver was Century Arms...

I didn't think there would be a stainless Mosin

I'm only looking for a shooter and this one would be cheaper than Big5. My friend has never shot it but he left it with me for the weekend with a pile of ammo. I'll take it to the woods tomorrow and see how it shoots.

Thanks everyone.

[Rem1492]

like above.

1. Could be the classic bling one, with ZERO historical value and probably no range value, unless you like glaring sunlight in your eyes when trying to aim from all the bling going on.

2. Could be a refinish some bubba did in cold blue

3. Could be legit, non arsenal refurbed mosin with original bluing. which is worth MORE than the nice smooth black refinished ones.

[Z ME FLY]

How much is your friend looking to sell it for? I would probably pick it up if it was in decent condition and wasn't more than a normal mosin. So I would pay max $125-150

[Milsurp Collector]

I'm only looking for a shooter and this one would be cheaper than Big5.

Normal (not pimp-shined) Mosin Nagants are so cheap http://www.royaltigerimports.com/ind...chk=1&Itemid=2 I wouldn't buy that chromed one under any circumstances, no matter how cheap, unless you are planning on serving on the honor guard at Lenin's tomb.