Mosin Nagant

[Drinking Beer 12]

I ordered me a Model 1891/30 today. I guess it has everything we can all agree on, proudly Russian made, reliable, cheep surplus ammo, good old over penetration with 7.62x54, and a history to put a proud smile on your face.

 

Well since we all seem to love these Russian arms, I thought someone here would have one...can anyone tell me how theirs shoots?...Tell me your pros and cons. I heard you need to clean these old rifles out with gasoline because of their layer of protective "cosmoline" grease from storage. Give me a heads up if anyone has one, I hope it kicks,I order some 180gr yugoslavia surplus ammo. God bless em, even though they prefer vodka and not beer.....

[Juggernaut 11,054]

I LOVE my 91/30!!!.... Fun gun and good recoil!!! I got an M-44 I need to pic up from a friend yet!!!

[jimdigriz 580]

I ordered me a Model 1891/30 today. I guess it has everything we can all agree on, proudly Russian made, reliable, cheep surplus ammo, good old over penetration with 7.62x54, and a history to put a proud smile on your face.

 

Well since we all seem to love these Russian arms, I thought someone here would have one...can anyone tell me how theirs shoots?...Tell me your pros and cons. I heard you need to clean these old rifles out with gasoline because of their layer of protective "cosmoline" grease from storage. Give me a heads up if anyone has one, I hope it kicks,I order some 180gr yugoslavia surplus ammo. God bless em, even though they prefer vodka and not beer.....

 

Yikes. I think it would be crazy to use gasoline on a firearm. WD40 or BreakFree CLP would be a much better choice; both will cut through the cosmoline.

[Juggernaut 11,054]

Hot water does wonders too!!!

Avoid anything to harsh... you may dry out the wood!!!(Crack!)

 

You can use "easy off" oven cleaner once or twice on the stock... but I wouldn't do more than that....

[Drinking Beer 12]

Haha, Im just talking about cleaning the metal on the bolt and metal breech, I wont touch the woods. I like an old ruff historic look and wont damage the wood. Remember when you were a kid and degrease you bicycle chain with gas?...thats all, not the whole damn bike! ha

 

I'm just interested in how yours shoots. Does it like steel case ammo or brass?

[Juggernaut 11,054]

Steel... It's a dirty old Russian whore!!!

 

Still.. I used break cleaner once... knocked the blue right out of the gun!!!

[ChileRelleno 7,071]

Boiling water and/or mineral spirits combined with a good nylon brush does wonders for all things metal.

Forewarning, cosmo will repeatedly magically appear in areas that were spotless the day before

Plug the barrel and fill with a good solvent, let sit for a few hours, clean, repeat a few times, never will get a clean patch, figure 70-80 yrs of crap built up

For all things wood, put wood into a black trash bag and leave in direct sunlight, wipe off seeping cosmo every hour or so.

Then I stripped the old finish of my stock and left it in a hot bath for a few hours, cosmo slicks floating everywhere.

 

Refinished it nicely, sanded it with TLC, stained a nice red and sealed it with a low gloss polyurethane

.......................................

Mine can sometimes manage a 2" group of three, but it is a consistent 3"-4" MOA shooter, well within minute of man.

And hell yeah, they've a lil kick to'em

.......................................

 

My 91/30,

http://forum.saiga-12.com/index.php?showtopic=46886

[MD_Willington 11]

I had my M44 stock (came off my M38) clean, left it in the fading sun for 15 minutes... BOOM - Brown !

 

The stocks going in a black metal box when the glowing orb - I thinks that's how they described the sun before winter - comes back to get the cosmo out!

[Paulry 50]

I believe!!!!!!!!! I really believe!!!!!!!!

[Arik 565]

Purple power and simple green do a great job of taking off cosmo. I used the purple stuff on my Yugo TT and it was clean withing 20 minutes. Transmission fluid also works good. Neither will take of the bluing but pretty efficient at cleaning off cosmo. I dont know how it effects wood so if you try it be careful. You can buy them at pep boys for around $5.

 

The 91/30s are awesome!!! My ate everything but I mostly fed it surplus ammo. Buy a few cans from different countries and see what yours likes. Reliability is great with them. I had a M44 that I neglected (before I knew what corrosive ammo and moisture did to a firearm). Shot it a bunch and stuck it in the safe. Pulled it out a few years later all pitted and rusty. Didnt bother cleaning it. Took it to the range, set up a pc hard drive on the 100yrd line and hit it with the 3rd shot. The first 2 shot were close too.

Edited March 9, 2010 by Arik

[brandywine 5]

Mosins of all kinds are loads of fun. I currently have an M38 and a Finnish M39. The M38 kicks quite a bit harder than a 12 gauge, and the fireball it produces is fantastic! The M39 is quite accurate. The carbines seem to have dried up on the surplus market, but the 91/30s are still around and are probably the best "bang for the buck" firearm out there.

 

And yeah, each likes its own ammo. Try to buy a little (or a lot!) of each type to see what shoots best out of your rifle. Accuracy from a 91/30 can be good, but the sights are rough and often the barrels worn. Don't expect a sniper rifle, but it should shoot a bit better than the average AK. Also, many people (me included) have trouble with lacquer-coated ammo (think brown bear). It can be a bit sticky when you are extracting. If possible stick with brass or copper wash rounds.

Edited March 10, 2010 by brandywine

[sh00ter 4]

all of the carbines kick like the proverbial mule with factory stuff

 

my M44 firing steel lacquered fmj (steel cored) is great fun but not that accurate, using handloads it turns into a rifle you can shoot all day that groups slightly better than my saiga

 

[Juggernaut 11,054]

for what they cost, they should almost be issued to every American household.....

 

I mean... If I'm entitled to a free education due to the 1st A...

I should be entitled to a free firearm due to the 2nd A.... eh?

[scoutjoe 276]

 

 

I don't look at it as a Mosin problem, I look at it that I could arm the block in the Zombocoplyse

 

Besides who could argue with this?

 

[kisatu 3]

Yes these guns kick hard, and take your abuse hard. I wanted to restore a firearm cheap. So i went out to my local gun shop and picked up a 91/30 that needed everything but a new stock for 100$ after the paperwork. Barrel was so dark i guessed it was not pitted but had no way of knowing with out taken her home. Gun Smith on sight said it was not safe to shoot in its current shape. other tools needed:

One kit by Blue Wonder.

Steel wool.

SOS pad.

A power drill.

An old worn out .30 bronze brush.

Bottle of Hoppes #9.

Gun cleaning stuff everyone should have.

I let the barrel soak in the #9 for 20 min wile plugged. Then i ran a new .30 brush down the barrel 10 times, patched dry, patched wet, repeated 10 times. Then i opened my blue wonder kit. After reading the bottle of the cleaner i used it with some steel wool as directed to clean the outside up. The name says it all i was in shock and aw at how much nicer it looked, all but new. The next step was to use the same cleaner in the barrel. Because i read that it will remove dirt and impurities that everything else leaves behind. Once again i was shocked by how much gunk my long trusted #9 left behind. On a separate project i used other cleaners from Hoppes, Bench rest copper cutter, H20 based carbon cutter, and all still left gunk that the Blue wonder gun cleaner sucked right out. I coated the inside of the barrel with the cleaner and made 10 passes with a bronze brush to spread it out and get in all the pores. Let it sit wile i took the bolt apart and hit it with the #9 and a bronze brush. (I seen some people use WD40. If you use WD40 it may sweat out over use and cause over pressure. Id advise to only use in in gas chambers that have lots of extra space, the kalashnikov platform would be a great example. Not saying you will die or horrible things will happen, just saying it can have the same affect as oil when under pressure.) Ran a dry patch down the barrel to clean it out, wet, dry. I noticed the bore dint have a brand new chrome shine but looks great! No pitting, i was happy. Next step was to redo the hacked blue job that someone else did. The same blue wonder cleaner and an SOS pad ripped off the extra dark patchy blue job. Then i cleaned the bare metal surfaces with blue wonder and steel wool, only this time to prep it i had to dry the cleaner off with a HOT hair dryer or a torch, then wipe clean with a rag. Apply blue as directed, careful to not make it to dark or give it to many coats. As far as the stock all i did was the sun trick read up on here(thanks guys) and then a rubbed the whole thing down with old English on a rag inside and out. Till it looked almost new. The Blue wonder cleaner worked on all the metal surfaces that were blued. The power drill and burnt out .30 brush with a small rag around it was what i used to clean all the cosmoline out of the chamber. May have been over powered but this whole job was done in about 6 hours. To finish the job up i took it to the gun shop had it checked out, after it passed i took her to the range. At 100 meters i had no prob hitting 4 of 4 shots on target. At 200 meters i was 3 of 4. Not bad for an old cheap gun. All it needed was some TLC. I would recommend a Mosin Nagant to anyone who wants to own a gun but due to hard times is broke or anyone who wants a bit of a project. I had a lot of fun restoring my Mosin back to shooting shape. If using corrosive ammo use #9 as a rinse out, the kerosene in it will stop the salts from pitting your barrel. The other items mentioned on this topic work as well. Yes, even water will do a pretty good job.

[Berzerker2 19]

I had a 91-30 and an M44. Sold the 91/30 and started tinkering with my M44. Here's a pic

[Scott Kenny 144]

I don't like the safety on Mosins, but they're nice shooters. Not as nice as a Mauser, but nice enough.

 

If you want some usable hunting ammo, Winchester makes some 180gr softpoints, PPU has some 182gr softpoints, and S&B makes some 180gr softpoints.

 

S&B also makes some match ammo. 174gr Sierra Matchkings. You could probably use them on deer, but nothing heavier.

[Deadeye 325]

I am thinking of getting one of thiese what is better the 91/30 of the m44. also what year and other things do you look for to get the good ones or are they all pretty much the same. thanks

[Salmonking 149]

I am thinking of getting one of thiese what is better the 91/30 of the m44. also what year and other things do you look for to get the good ones or are they all pretty much the same. thanks

 

You want ones that are generally produced before WWII; that's when the demand for quantity really overcame quality. 91/30s will be cheaper and generally in better condition than m44s. Manufacturer isn't that important unless you want to collect them- the condition of the metal, bolt and bore are priority number one. You want to get a tight barrel- stick a round into the front of the barrel and see how far it sticks out (the more the better). Look for a shiny bore with sharp rifling with no pitting or frosted groves. This page has some great pics near the middle.

 

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?161725-Barrel-Bore-Pictures

 

And to the above, Winchester makes a nice hunting round, but so does silver bear at 203 grains. And it's cheaper.

[Saiga_rom 91]

for what they cost, they should almost be issued to every American household.....

 

I mean... If I'm entitled to a free education due to the 1st A...

I should be entitled to a free firearm due to the 2nd A.... eh?

 

id +1 this post if i could!!

[JackKelly 4]

My Mosin was the second gun I ever bought, and I love it. Easily shoots within my margin-of-error, ammo's not pricey, and it's a piece of history in your hands.

They do punish the shoulder, though. In Soviet Russia, recoil pads you!

[671saiga 27]

my first mosin a m38 but i really want get a 91/30 now. shot the m38 last weekend,

this was shot at 50 yards, sitting

[jarrettrocksvt 0]

Haha, Im just talking about cleaning the metal on the bolt and metal breech, I wont touch the woods. I like an old ruff historic look and wont damage the wood. Remember when you were a kid and degrease you bicycle chain with gas?...thats all, not the whole damn bike! ha

 

I'm just interested in how yours shoots. Does it like steel case ammo or brass?

 

Iraqveteran8888 has a good video on this. Some of the machining they did left burrs on these guns. His process involves a 20 gauge brass brush, a drill and some polishing compound.

I have had trouble with wolf (steel cased)f ammo not ejecting, but the surplus ejects easily. Either way for <20 cents/round your shoulder will quit before your wallet will. Fun as hell to shoot.

Also they make a rubber butt stock extender for about 5 dollars (on ebay). I don't recommend buying it to lessen kick (the rubber is too hard), but it adds just enough length to make the stock more comfortable.

[Ken1961 14]

Sorry if I'm reviving a dead thread but I just love the Mosin. I used to have a pre 1900(iirc) Finnish model that I bought at a Roses dept store for about $70 back in the late '80s. I actually had trouble buying ammo later for it bacause I was dressed in an oilskin long coat and dark cap. I scarred the guy at the counter. lol

 

I had to sell it in the mid '90s along with my entire collection trying to save my house after the plant closed. (Moved to Mexico after NAFTA.) sigh... oh well.

 

I have another now of course. This one was made in '32. A model 91/30 Ishevsk with all matching numbers save for the bayonet.

 

She sits in a rack nearby, loaded and waiting for intruders. Ever on guard.

 

Gotta love those old guns.

 

ETA: I just saw it's not so dead. Coolness indeed.

Edited August 13, 2011 by Ken1961

[IndyArms 10,186]

Aim has 91/30 s for 80 bucks right now...

[Lone Eagle 839]

Remember, comrade, you don't shoot he Mosin, Mosin shoot YOU!!!

 

I have a '25 Izzy hex receiver, pristine bore, and great shooter. I recently slapped Mojo Microclick on it, and it tightened up my groups considerably. I refinished the stock, as the shop I got it from went gonzo cleaning the cosmo and took most of the shellac with it. Wife bought the butt pad so she could shoot it. She has since bought a Limbsaver slip-on(size medium FYI).

 

 

 

Not bad for a $40 pawn shop find.

 

Can't speak for the Winchester(only shop carrying it local closed last year), but that Silver Bear will lay a hurting on most North American game. I picked up several cans of Romanian 149gr Silver Tip while AIM had it, and it is more consistent than the ordinary Russian. If you want a well-balanced round(and can still find it), go with the Hungarian 184gr Heavy Ball. I got lucky and found 3 cans at a yard sale.

[flashpoint08 0]

Remember, comrade, you don't shoot he Mosin, Mosin shoot YOU!!!

 

I have a '25 Izzy hex receiver, pristine bore, and great shooter. I recently slapped Mojo Microclick on it, and it tightened up my groups considerably. I refinished the stock, as the shop I got it from went gonzo cleaning the cosmo and took most of the shellac with it. Wife bought the butt pad so she could shoot it. She has since bought a Limbsaver slip-on(size medium FYI).

 

 

 

Not bad for a $40 pawn shop find.

 

Can't speak for the Winchester(only shop carrying it local closed last year), but that Silver Bear will lay a hurting on most North American game. I picked up several cans of Romanian 149gr Silver Tip while AIM had it, and it is more consistent than the ordinary Russian. If you want a well-balanced round(and can still find it), go with the Hungarian 184gr Heavy Ball. I got lucky and found 3 cans at a yard sale.

 

does yours tend to shoot high with the silver bear? mine shoots really high with the 203gr brown bear. mine favored the privi 150gr sp the best

[scoutjoe 276]

That Hungarian heavy ball out of a carbine lets you know you're still alive that's for sure. Bonus if you miss whatever you're shooting at if it was alive before its blinded by the flash and partially deaf.

 

 

I shot most of my can up though

[bdub 6]

Classic arms has 91/30's with "surface rust" for $65.00.

 

from the site:

..."Now and again we will open up a crate of M91/30 rifles and find a few with some surface rust.

It happens, even though they are wrapped in rust wrap inside the crates sometimes a little moisture or salty sea air will settle inside the crate somewhere along the voyage from Russia to here, and rust will form inside the crate. Well, we opened a crate of round receiver rifles this morning and almost the entire top row showed some signs of rust. Now I know from experience that most distributers will either brush or polish this rust off and send the rifles on out the door, but we simply don't do that here. It's like a carfax report, we want to always be honest with you about what you are buying... As such , here's the deal. We have 8 rifles for sale that have some degree of surface rust on each rifle... I have checked each rifle and there is no rust in any of the bores, however you will likely find it on the import stamp, the slide, and or the bolt mechanism. All of this will polish off fairly easily but as you know with rust you will need to coat the metal with some form of protection to keep it from coming back. That is the bad news... The good news is that other than a little surface rust, each of these rifles is as good as any other M91/30 we have and the bores are all rust free. They each come complete with a matching # bayonet,sling, and full accessory package. Best news is the price.

We are letting these go at the unbelieveably low price of only $65.00"

[Sirex 34]

I love the Mosin Nagants. I have a M39 and a beater 91/30. Love them both. Had a couple more but gave one to my Dad, and sold one to pay bills. Now I really want either a Polish M44 or another M39. My 2;

 

The one I gave my Dad;

 

Being he's older, he likes the smaller caliber guns now since his shoulder was dislocated. This is mainly one I did for him to hang, but I'm buying some 48gr practice ammo for him so he can comfortably shoot it.