Dropping weight on a mosin

[Swantech 50,000]

First off I'd like to say hello to everyone. I used to be a part of FALfiles but most of those guys are way too anal retentive(or maybe I'm just too much of a headache haha).

Anyway I want to turn my M44 into a proper scout rifle, after reading the ten page scout conference thing it seems like it would be a great candidate if I could just drop a bunch of weight, it's 9lbs, so like 2-2.5lbs need to go.
Obviously I need to chop off the bayonet, how much is that? A pound maybe.
The only other thing I can draw from that I know of is the stock. I know ATI makes a synth stock but others have told me it weighs just as much as the wooden one(I've never handled one). So I figure my option is to do some cutting and chopping. I'm willing to go a little crazy as long as I don't sacrifice much durability. Function over form, it can be super ugly as long as it performs well.
So what should i do?
I'm sure this is a project many people have undertaken so someone will facepalm and be like "duh! you just do this..."

Also, are the B-square mounts any good? For as cheap as they are I'm afraid of getting junk.

[Merc1138]

Cut 4" off the barrel(to make it 16" and then re-crown it)), replace the stock with a synthetic model, and ditch the cleaning rod.

Then just prepare for the mosin fans to tar and feather you.

[hypnoman]

I lightened mine down to 7 - 8lb and fine her a real pleasure to shoot and accuracy is more than adequate for open sight shooting to 200yds.

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showpost.php?p=6715994&postcount=8

[paul0660]

2-2.5lbs need to go.

Take off the bayonet, lose that ugly wooden stuff, and you are there. You just do that.

[hypnoman]

Yeah, take off that bayo (if you don't care about purists' backlash) and you can sight that thing to shoot straight without bayo bias.

[Eagle Eyes]

To agree with the others:

Bayo and mount - remove

Clean Rod - remove

Barrel cut to 16.5" and recrown with 11 degree crown ( just in case your 16" is a hair below and you get a crazy LEO that wants to get you)

Remove rear sight/mount completely - repalce with aluminum (or remove front and rear completely and get a light weight tactical aim point scope).

Synthetic Stock - Yes it ALMOST weighs the same but 10% less weight is still less. Glass bed it at the very least to get good accuracy, pillar it to get really good accuracy (use the aluminum ones). If you got a really good gunsmith he can carve out certain areas of the stock in the right spots to reduce even more weight without causing weak spots or accuracy loss..

That is pretty much all you can do, but do all of that and you will have a nice scout that is even more accurate.

[kcstott]

If you are going scout style then remove sights as suggested then get a long eye relief scope and barrel mount it with lightweight rings and bases.

[Swantech 50,000]

Thanks for all the info. It's good to know the synth stocks are lighter, like ya say even a little bit is reduction.
Bayonet-chop off with with vengeance. (It was my first gun as a kid and I stabbed way too many things with that bayonet, to include trees and the ground ) I'll be glad to see that thing gone
Barrel- How will shortening it affect my ballistics? I know at 200 yards I get about 10 inch drop from the 20" barrel(depending on ammo obviously). I would prefer it to not deviate too much from this level. So if chopping it 4" doesn't do too much I'm all for it.
Cleaning rod gone.
Thoughts on a very lightweight bipod? No bells, no whistles. Fixed height bipod that is cheap is all I would consider getting.
Being a lefty the cheek pad on the synth stock will also go away.

I purchased a leupold 1.5-4x28 scout scope and Leapers med-height 3/8 dovetail rings. I should have asked before I purchased but do you guys think I should have gone with the low profile? A gun with chin weld instead of cheek weld is literally useless to me. I guess at $25 it isn't breaking the bank to buy both.

[w55]

What no one screaming!! OK I will arrrgggghhhh no poor Mosin murder!!

[wash]

You could reprofile the front end of the barrel. I would choose that rather than chopping it just to avoid really really huge fireballs.

If you are a machinist and don't want a manual safety, you can lighten the cocking piece of the bolt which has the benefit of decreasing lock time also but not much actual weight loss.

The trigger guard could shave a few grams off too.

There are some areas of the receiver that could be lightened but it's already considered marginal for free floating the barrel...

[Clarkm]

This is 8 pounds before the scope is put on.