Better to keep a Mosin 91/30 stock?

[liberty -r- death 1,445]

Looking for your thoughts on keeping a Mosin 91/30 stock or change things up to modernize.

 

Keeping it stock for me would be either 100% original or changing only things that could be changed back to original condition.

 

I can make a hell of a shooter out of it either way. Just trying to decide which way to go. So if you have one post a pic. If you've done anything to it list the mods.

Edited August 27, 2012 by liberty -r- death

[KennyFSU 249]

They're so cheap, just buy 2; one stock and one you can tinker with.

[Matthew Hopkins 1,065]

They're so cheap, just buy 2; one stock and one you can tinker with.

 

+1

[liberty -r- death 1,445]

They're so cheap, just buy 2; one stock and one you can tinker with.

 

I had thought about that also.

[poolingmyignorance 2,191]

Anybody can appricate history, it takes a visionary to chop it up!!

[thebuns1 4,323]

+ 2 on above. i have 2 of them, and havent done shit to either one. i like the way they shoot as is. never really had much reason to upgrade them. my '28 tula shot as good as the 30-30 i used to have. the only thing i did was sand the barrel channels down on the stock and handguard.

[horatio 515]

They're so cheap, just buy 2; one stock and one you can tinker with.

 

i did the same thing. i haven't gotten to the tinkering part yet. in the meantime, the shop has gotten some interesting new mosins in. could use a third...

[VR762Shooter 838]

I got a stock for mine, never liked how it looked with it. Just put it back to normal and tried extracting as much cosmo out of it. One day I'm going to do a nice refinishing on it but its beautiful even without a stain job

[thebuns1 4,323]

i use hot water (almost boiling) and krud kutter to get all the shit off the stock. it should take most of it out. if not, let it dry a few days and repeat. but i found it works better to use the krud kutter with the hot water still on the stock. seems to get into the grain a little better.

[Squishy 1,149]

Good that you asked that question here, on the Mosin forum they'd have strung you up, tarred and feathered you and called you a big poopey pants. Ask me how I know.....

[liberty -r- death 1,445]

Good that you asked that question here, on the Mosin forum they'd have strung you up, tarred and feathered you and called you a big poopey pants. Ask me how I know.....

 

That's why I asked the question here. I figure the responses would be friendlier. Lol

[csspecs 1,987]

I'm of the opinion that they are frustrating to modernize, your better off enjoying them as is, or buying something else.. My brother and I have a pair of mostly stock 91/30s that we shoot from time to time. The only thing we changed was to revert them back to a more original finish and to touch up blue the serial numbers century electro penciled on, which makes them look less tacky and probably keep them from rusting.

[mogunner 240]

You can do a lot to them without "ruining" them, there's really no point in chopping the barrel shorter, it's not going to make it any more accurate, just shorter. The x54 actually needs the longer barrel to "use" the pressure from the standard load, anyone who's ever fired an M44 or M38 carbine can attest to that, the 4' fireballs are impressive and firing any Mosin at an indoor range tends to make EVERYONE stop shooting while they look around to see who brought a damned cannon in...

 

Float the barrel, make SURE the action screws are tight, they rarely are. ATI stocks are cheap and the action either drops right in or requires hours of Dremel work to make it come close. Boyd's make much better stocks but of course are much higher.

 

Tossing a Finnish trigger into it helps loads, or see if you can find a trigger and sear (actually a "trigger spring bolt stop) out of a Chinese Type 53, it dropped my trigger pull down to right at 3 1/2 pounds.

 

If you want a scope, a scout mount like Jmecks replaces the rear sight slide assembly and requires no drilling but requires a LER scope. Some people remove the entire rear sight mount and use the dovetail underneath to mount a scope, some get the scope to stay mounted, other's have launched many a scope from the recoil. Some rear sight mounts were silver-soldered on though and can result in you actually creating NEW curse words while trying to remove it.

 

I have one 42 Tula round receiver refurb that's all original and I see no need to change anything on it, I did some tinkering but nothing that changes it where I can't drop the original Tula stamped trigger and stuff into it in a few minutes. I also have a "Mutt Mosin" that would make a purists' head explode when they looked at it....lol.

 

Bought a 1937 barreled receiver off Gunbroker for $28, told the guy I was building a shooter so he said he'd check bores and send me the best one. Got it, and it has the best bore I've seen on any of them, basically like new, no frosting, everything nice and crisp, no wear at all on it. I threw in a Chinese Type 53 bolt (polished) and magazine well and parts, unknown Tula trigger and sear parts, ebay Tula front and rear sights and tossed it in an M44 carbine stock, no upper handguard. Thing is more accurate than my 42...

Edited August 27, 2012 by mogunner

[Arik 565]

Leave as is, or buy a Fin. From what ive been reading Fin 91/30 are much better. Originally they would toss rifles that didnt hold 1.3 moa @ 100 meters. Triggers and sights are better too

[Squishy 1,149]

At first I was going to go into detail but I won't. I'll just say if you speak of anything other than returning a Mosin to it's original condition you'll get reactions that would surprise most rational people. Some will just advise you against uttering the "S" word (Sporterize) and let it go but some won't. One guy actually said that when he hears someone talk about adding a plastic stock, or an aftermarket scope mount and the like it was like a "punch in the gut" to him. When I saw this I didn't take issue I just bade them all farewell and promised to never darken their door again.

 

In fact, I went back and this is in the rules section in red;

 

Sporterizing and modification topics will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not necessarily limited to:

 

a) mounting scopes; whether original, replica, or aftermarket

(b)refinishing, coating, waxing, polishing, or stripping stocks

c) rebluing metal

d) "refreshing" marks on wood or metal

e) replacing parts for the sake of making them "correct" or to change the configuration of a firearm

 

In the opinion of the Administration of this forum there is a fine line between modification and "restoration" and it is always better to err on the side of caution. Mosin Nagants have always been imported in their final military configuration and regardless of how much that may differ from their original configuration are best left in that condition. The ONLY exception to this is the replacement of broken or damaged parts to restore a rifle to working condition. If you simply must "restore" something you might consider buying an old car, and finding another forum where you can discuss it.

 

You couldn't drive a knitting needle up these boy's asses with a sledge hammer. I mean if someone who knows the rules insists on violating them ok. But there are a lot of people who are caught unaware because who the hell would guess that refinishing a stock would be considered taboo? It's not a big deal to me really, people should be as free to be anal as they want to be as long as they don't get any on me.

[Salt1219 176]

Lol sounds like i should send them pics of my sporterized mosin

[poolingmyignorance 2,191]

Yea screw those guys.

You all know how I feel about chopping up mosins.

[JoeAK 337]

I'd say if you only have one, to leave it as is, but if you get a second do whatever you want to it.

 

I plan on doing quite a few things to my second.

 

Here's my first since you asked: 1937 Tula.

 

[DrThunder88 912]

On Surplus Rifle Forum the mantra is "It's your rifle; do what you want" (pertaining to legal modifications, of course), and, despite a few fuddy-duddies who tend to gather in firearm the model-specific sections, we tend to follow that philosophy pretty well. I've got to say, it saves a lot of headaches.

 

That said, I'd leave it as is. The only modification I'd make would be to add a no-drill scout scope mount like one of Darrel's over at the Parallax board and put a micro dot on it. I did this on a k31 that I used in a surplus 3-gun that I did in the Spring, and it worked surprisingly well. There's no magnification, obviously, but there wouldn't be with irons either.

[Arik 565]

Im in the "leave it alone camp" because i never saw a good sporterized conversion. Chopping the handguards and plastic stocks just look like shit to me. The rifle itself isnt really worth scoping since most are not capable of 1moa (some are) . By the time you spend the money on stocks, scopes and whatever else you were gonna add you could have bought a nice entry level Savage with an accu trigger and more modern ammo that has better range of ammo options in whatever caliber you pick, and is reloadable. If you ever decide to sell an original one will always sell for more and far faster then a sporterized one. I know gun shops who took in sporterised Enfields and Mausers and these just sit for years where the occasional 91/30 and original condition Mausers fly out the door

 

My point is 91/30s and M44s are great for what they are....inexpensive, fun and capable of SD beyond that its kinda pointless to sink money into. But, its your rifle.

[KennyFSU 249]

MN pistol anyone?

 

 

Yeah no thanks; screw that noise! Lol.

[DrThunder88 912]

Oh boy, Obrez?

[KennyFSU 249]

Yeah I think so, saw it over on the MN forums.

[liberty -r- death 1,445]

I like the look of the stock rifle better than modernized versions. There are plenty of upgrades I could do that would allow me to return the rifle to stock form.

 

After getting a little edumaction on the MN91/30 here's what I have learned about mine. 1938 builds are failry common, and mine does not have the arsenal refinishing stamp on it. Which to me is pretty cool to know that it was in good enough shape that it did not to be reworked.

 

Here's what I'm thinking. MN 91/30 recoil pad, brass tacker scope mount, some kind of variable power scope that has the required long eye relief.

 

Should be able to do all this for $150 or so. Which would put me into it for around $250.00

 

I know what some of you are saying about just buying a new gun if you want a modern style gun, and I agree. I don't think my proposed mods really modernize it. Before anyhing gets done to it I have to get it to the range and see how it prints on paper at 50 and 100yrds.

[thebuns1 4,323]

well liberty, its your gun so fuck what all of us would do. just do what you feel needs to be done, as your going to be the one shooting it. if you want to modify it, do it. if not, thats cool too. i like them either way, but i prefer to keep them original. but thats my preference. others' may vary. and thats one of the good things about this forum IMO.

[mogunner 240]

If I were to go "Sporterizing" one, it'd be a wartime one with crappy machining on the outside of the barrel and such, they were in such a hurry to get these out to the front that it's evident that there were no quality checks on the barrel other than that it would fit in the stock. The 1937 barreled receiver that I bought is in SWEET condition, nice and smooth, no machining marks at all.

 

I'm one of the sponsors on a "historical" Mosin Nagant forum, they don't want to see the Bubba jobs but at least will politely inform you to please read the rules instead of just slamming the door in your face, although if you persist they will lower the ban hammer on you since, as some have said, if you know the rules and continue to go against them then you will get hammered. I was banned from the 7.62x54r.net forums for something that I posted on ANOTHER forum without any contact or slap of the hands at all, just couldn't log it, it gave me the "ban notice" After contacting them asking them WTF was up, they sent me an email back with what I had posted on the other forum copied and pasted into the message... the Hell with them anyways, if a "Rescued Mosin" ain't their thing thats fine, I didn't post it on their site and didn;t break any of their rules, they just got anal reflux and panties all bunched up.

 

Anyways, here's my Mutt that got me banned...I know it looks funny because it's the 91/30 in a carbine stock, but that barrel is about as "floated" as you can get! lol

 

1937 Tula round receiver and barrel

 

 

Polished Chinese T53 bolt and mag well assembly

 

 

In an M44 carbine stock

 

[liberty -r- death 1,445]

If I were to go "Sporterizing" one, it'd be a wartime one with crappy machining on the outside of the barrel and such, they were in such a hurry to get these out to the front that it's evident that there were no quality checks on the barrel other than that it would fit in the stock. The 1937 barreled receiver that I bought is in SWEET condition, nice and smooth, no machining marks at all.

 

I'm one of the sponsors on a "historical" Mosin Nagant forum, they don't want to see the Bubba jobs but at least will politely inform you to please read the rules instead of just slamming the door in your face, although if you persist they will lower the ban hammer on you since, as some have said, if you know the rules and continue to go against them then you will get hammered. I was banned from the 7.62x54r.net forums for something that I posted on ANOTHER forum without any contact or slap of the hands at all, just couldn't log it, it gave me the "ban notice" After contacting them asking them WTF was up, they sent me an email back with what I had posted on the other forum copied and pasted into the message... the Hell with them anyways, if a "Rescued Mosin" ain't their thing thats fine, I didn't post it on their site and didn;t break any of their rules, they just got anal reflux and panties all bunched up.

 

Anyways, here's my Mutt that got me banned...I know it looks funny because it's the 91/30 in a carbine stock, but that barrel is about as "floated" as you can get! lol

 

1937 Tula round receiver and barrel

 

 

Polished Chinese T53 bolt and mag well assembly

 

 

In an M44 carbine stock

 

 

Wow! Getting banned from a post on another site is a bit over the top. Nice looking rifle. It's good to see that you did something with it, and it looks nice to boot.

[pinetopfirefighter 34]

I have a bone stock M44 which I love. May refinish it but thats it. The 91/30 my son uses has a Monte Carlo stock, turned down bolt, mount/scope (not the cheesy sight mounted pos), and a bipod. At $79 a piece, you really can't go wrong.

[theorangeplanet 968]

Show me a modern production rifle that I can get in 7.62x54r without paying thousands of dollars for a custom job and I'll forget about working on 91/30's. Until then, I see no alternative than taking these 'pieces of history' and building them into fun shooters to take advantage of the super cheap historic ammo that they shoot.

[Salt1219 176]

one of these days i'm going to get around to chopping down my barrel and threading on a flash hider. one of the reasons i want to chop it down is its too long to fit in any of my cases.