Need Mosin help

[savasyn]

Hi, I'm new to the buying old rifles thing so I thought I'd start cheap and pick up a Mosing from Big 5 this weekend. I need help from the experienced C&R people as I don't know what to look for or avoid other than obvious damage. I'm looking for a shooter, not a collector, so mis-matched numbers is fine.

1)What should I be looking for to know if a particular rifle is good or bad if they are all in roughly the same shape?

2)Are there cases where the action & barrel will be good but the stock will be crap and vice versa? I assume I should get the best action & barrel as the stock would be easier to replace(Buy two and make one good one??)

3)There are two Big 5s near me, I suppose I'll go to both and see if they'll let me go through their collection of rifles, if they have more than one, that is. Have you found that they are ok with doing that?

Thanks so much!!

[milsurpshooter]

save and buy a mauser or swiss k31. you won't be disappointed with either. but if you got your heart set on a mosin then make sure to check the bore it will most likely to be dark but jb bore paste will fix that. m44 are usally in better shape. m38 are a little nicer. 91/30 are good too however all the ones i have ever dealt with had sticky bolt. and remember its a rifle for sale for 89.99 so expect a 89.99 rifle. but ammo is super cheap if you buy surplus. which is all you need. hope this helps and good luck.

[Fate]

M91/30s will be more accurate than M38s/44s in general. Find one that has a good muzzle/crown and the sharpest lands you can find. A tight headspace would also be desireable for a shooter. Clean it well (break down the bolt, clean it of cosmo as well as the chamber, locking lug recesses, extractor recess, etc. including doing the treatment for "sticky bolt") prior to using. Also be on the lookout for warped fore stocks. You want one that is straight and doesn't put any sideways pressure on the barrel. Also look at the sights and make sure they're not tweaked. I've seen some Mosins with the front sight bent to compensate for damage or poor workmanship. Don't get me wrong, I love my Mosins (esp. the Finnish ones), but some are built better than others.

[bigthaiboy]

Check the Bore. To remove the bolt, open the action, press down on the trigger and pull the bolt all the way out of the action.

Hold the barrel up to the light and you should be able to see all the way through the barrel. Bare in mind some may have a thick layer of cosmoline (cosmoline is your friend - it preserves the steel) look for nice clear rifling. Avoid barrels with a dark furry coating inside.

Pick a good barrel over cosmetics, as wood can always be refinished.

There are 4 Mosin Nagant rifles to be had at the moment:

M91/30 - This is the long barrelled rifle similar to the sniper rifles in "Enemy at the Gates".

M38 - Carbine version of M91/30. Most are WWII dated.
M44 - Similar to M38 with the folding Bayonet. Most seem to be dated post-war.
M91/59 - Basically a M91/30 cut down to a carbine during the late 50's. These are the scarcest of the four, and tend to be in very good condition. Good collectable potential.

I have seen all four models in Big 5's in the last few months.

Here is an incentive to buy a carbine. This is me firing my M38 at steel plates this evening. Check out the muzzle blast....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmbXLDyb6Lc

[GSequoia]

I think you meant this one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmbXLDyb6Lc

[hybridatsun350]

I've got a 91/59 and an M39. They are both great rifles, but I prefer the carbine. It's just easier to handle. The worksmanship can't be compared to the beautiful Finnish rifle, but it's just more handy as a shooter.

[milsurpshooter]

only thing is big five has a no removing the trigger lock thing. so take a flash light with to look down the muzzle.

[savasyn]

Thanks for all the advice! I'll update this thread if I end up getting one.

[savasyn]

Oh yeah, one more question. Do you HAVE to have the bayonet deployed to fire the M44 or can you shoot with it folded back?

[Corbin Dallas]

You can fire it folded back.

[Fate]

If you want a carbine length shooter, definitely go for the 91/59 if you can find one. They are generally in much better shape (borewise) and shoot lights out!

Regarding the M44 bayonet, some ranges (like Angeles) won't allow you to shoot with it extended...and M44s typically group better with it extended.

[savasyn]

Sorry for the confusion over the bayonet. I had a read a number of people in other threads complaining about it and it sounded like it needed to be extended to shoot. Didn't make sense, so I asked.

Why would it group better with it out? Is it a balance thing?

[GSequoia]

some ranges (like Angeles) won't allow you to shoot with it extended

I've had no trouble shooting with it extended at Angeles. The range officer said something at first (just cracking a joke about it, something about stabbing targets) and I explained to him why I had it extended, all was good after that.

Sorry for the confusion over the bayonet. I had a read a number of people in other threads complaining about it and it sounded like it needed to be extended to shoot.

The rifle is sighted to be fired with the bayonet extended. If it is not extended you'll find the shots veer left, this is because of the balance of the rifle. You can easily drift the front sight over to compensate for this if you don't like having it extended, you can also completely remove the bayonet although I suspect you'll still have to re-sight the rifle afterwards as the weight balance / distribution will be changed.

[duenor]

There's been a lot of discussion whether nor not having the bayo extended makes a difference.

I personally find it hard to believe that russian conscripts were expected to carry their rifles around with the bayonet extended at all times during combat. In my own experince, neither makes much of a difference. This is from 2 T53s, 2 M44s. Perhaps someone could post a picture record of this phenomenon?

[Fate]

I personally find it hard to believe that russian conscripts were expected to carry their rifles around with the bayonet extended at all times during combat.

Generally speaking the Soviets conducted 19th century warfare during WWII. Human wave tactics were common, hence the bayonet typically fixed in combat.

I've had no trouble shooting with it extended at Angeles. The range officer said something at first (just cracking a joke about it, something about stabbing targets) and I explained to him why I had it extended, all was good after that.

I've talked with the Manager and he vociferously said, "NO BAYONETS!" Also gotten that from several ROs, so it's nice to hear you had a good experience there. Maybe things CAN change!