any gunsmiths around who will actually accept new jobs

[Bobby Ricigliano]

If I were to start bubba-ing my Mosins, the Red Army Soldiers who originally possessed them would rise from the Earth and spear me in the name of the glorious motherland.

[CSACANNONEER]

After owning 4 Mosins, I'd never spend a dime on another one. But, that's just my personal opinion and it goes against all the Mosin fanbois on this site.

Are you looking to shorten it and reprofile it so that the original front site base goes back on? I know an 07FFL in Thousand Oaks that would probably take the job. If you really want to spend $300 to turn a $100 rifle into a $30 rifle, shoot me a PM and I'll send you his number.

[billmaykafer]

saturday i bought a mosin nagant M-44 for $169 20.4" barrel and 40" long. yes it is a carbine. i paid $99.99 for my 1938 mosin nagant M91/30. i did not have to pay someone to shorten it for me as the factory did the job by making it a M-44. monday i fired a M-44 that a guy brought to the range to shoot and he shot my M91/30. the carbine kicks more than the M91/30 does. maybe you need to fire a carbine before you cut down your M 91/30.

[billmaykafer]

After owning 4 Mosins, I'd never spend a dime on another one. But, that's just my personal opinion and it goes against all the Mosin fanbois on this site.

so how did you stop buying at only 4???? have you bought an M14 yet???

[CSACANNONEER]

so how did you stop buying at only 4???? have you bought an M14 yet???

I tried to shoot them and was less than impressed with how they performed IN MY HANDS. I can shoot sub moa during 100 yard matches so, I know that I can shoot. Yet, I could never get any of my Mosins to shoot better than MOBSOAB and even then, I had to be inside the barn. I know enough to not expect sub moa from a Mosin (I would have been pleased with 4-6moa) and, I know that the real problem was with me and not the rifles or carbines. But, I blew them all out here and moved onto swiss surplus rifles instead. I've stayed away from M14s because, I have an addictive personality and, I need some money for food, rent and ammo for my little 50BMGs.

[billmaykafer]

I tried to shoot them and was less than impressed with how they performed IN MY HANDS. I can shoot sub moa during 100 yard matches so, I know that I can shoot. Yet, I could never get any of my Mosins to shoot better than MOBSOAB and even then, I had to be inside the barn. I know enough to not expect sub moa from a Mosin (I would have been pleased with 4-6moa) and, I know that the real problem was with me and not the rifles or carbines. But, I blew them all out here and moved onto swiss surplus rifles instead. I've stayed away from M14s because, I have an addictive personality and, I need some money for food, rent and ammo for my little 50BMGs.

yep,those M14's are best rifle i have ever been issued. i did not like issued M16,or M16A1 or M16A2. the M1 was borderline like/dislike.

[Cowboy T]

I tried to shoot them and was less than impressed with how they performed IN MY HANDS. I can shoot sub moa during 100 yard matches so, I know that I can shoot. Yet, I could never get any of my Mosins to shoot better than MOBSOAB and even then, I had to be inside the barn. I know enough to not expect sub moa from a Mosin (I would have been pleased with 4-6moa) and, I know that the real problem was with me and not the rifles or carbines. But, I blew them all out here and moved onto swiss surplus rifles instead. I've stayed away from M14s because, I have an addictive personality and, I need some money for food, rent and ammo for my little 50BMGs.

Got two Mosins. One of them, the one with the 0.309" bore (yep, a Russian), is just under MOA. Yes, I got lucky. I didn't say *I* could shoot it that well, but the rifle can.

The other one with the 0.311" bore is just under 2 MOA.

Now, as to gunsmiths refusing to work on certain guns, I've discovered there's a certain "gun snootiness" among a lot of folks. They seem to think that unless it's either expensive or German or both, it's not worth "bothering" with. I've seen some that won't work on a CETME, claiming, "I only work with the German guns", meaning H&K G3's/91's, and they said it with attitudes. Fine, I'll keep my money.

I'll bet if you told those same gunsmiths that you had a Mauser 98, they'd be salivating over it, just because it's German. They're fine rifles, don't get me wrong, but so are Mosins.

[Latigo]

Threading is something you can do. Go here.... www.swissproductsllc.com and look at the first picture. That is our threading kit for Swiss rifles. When we put that out as available, my Mother did the demo and she'd never touched one in her life. 4 minutes later she had a perfectly threaded k31 muzzle. Ours won't fit your rifle, but the threader parts are available at any supply house.

*BTW... You don't need a gunsmith to cut & crown. Any old machine shop can do it. We do it all the time, just not for the public.*

[Spiggy]

As Latigo said, you don't need a machine shop for this project. If you have a hacksaw, die holder, and file, everything can be managed for under $50 minus any aftermarket parts.

If you want to do it fancy, you can use a dremel.

And afterwards, this venture will prepare you for other projects in the future.

[Latigo]

Yup.

[boamedt]

Ya looks like i am gona end up doing it myself. Any recomendations for instructions to crown the barrel with a dremel? Cutting it off should be oretty straight foward. Dont the threading kits run o?ver $50 for all the stuff

[boamedt]

I do have a very nice mauser k98k that no gunsmith will get there grubbby paws on...grandpa stole it off a nazi he shot and brought it back home

[Spiggy]

You can find various tools and parts through craigslist. I've found all sorts of tools from garage sales and local postings about closing machine shops. I've even acquired books from schools closing their machine shop programs.

It's a sad time in economy, but you can use it to your advantage for finding decent workable materials. I haven't gotten brave enough to install Latigo's threaded muzzlebreak to my bare K31 action. But I've got all the tools ready for when the day comes.

I'd imagine it'll only be slightly more complicated on the 91/30 since the barrel will be tapered. This thread might be better off in the Gunsmithing forum. I'm sure there's loads more information there in regards to simple things like threading a tapered barrel.

[M1Kev]

I just did this myself, so here goes. Get yourself some "L" stock from home depot. Clamp it to the barrel as a guide and hacksaw off the barrel at the point you want, I took off about 5 inches. Clean up and square the cut with a file. I got a crown cutter from Brownells (I did a 45 degree) for something around $30 on sale with a handle and pilot. Use oil and cut slow, make sure you only go one way...do not reverse the cutter at all or it will dull the cutting edge. I also got a 5/8 x 24 die set with Thread starter and handle for like $50. Follow the instructions with the die. All told I was done in about 3 hours, but I went real slow and triple checked everything before I cut anything.

[drmjf]

I agree with everyone else, do it yourself. If you don't want to try, I would be happy to do it for you.
I am new gunsmith in Pinole. I will work on almost anything.