dep714 10 Posted October 19, 2013 Report Share Posted October 19, 2013 Hi, I was thinking of adding an M44 to my humble collection. Was wondering if there was anything in particular to look for or avoid. Are any factories better? (Tula vs Iskavik) any thoughts on the Chinese Type 53. Any and all help would be greatly apprieciated. (Sorry for any typos or spelling errors) Thanks in advance. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shandlanos 1,470 Posted October 19, 2013 Report Share Posted October 19, 2013 I have a few M44s, and like any other Mosin, they're beautiful, functional rifles. The Chinese Type 53 is well-made - I've seen lots of them, and while the wood is often super fucked up, sometimes painted black, the actions are usually in good condition. As with any Mosin, or any military firearm from the era/country of corrosive ammunition - carefully check the bore! I have a Romanian M44 - it was my first Mosin, and it's an extremely accurate firearm. By far the finest fit and finish of any M44s I've seen are the Polish models. I have one, and unfortunately, it's pretty well beat to shit. The bore's alright, but the wood has not been treated well.The first thing to look at is condition. If you have a pile of rifles to look through of different makes, good for you - it's rare to see more than one or two in the same place anymore. The difference between a rifle made at Tula versus Izhevsk comes down to preference. I've never noticed any real qualitative difference. Some people have a preference one way or the other - and it probably comes down to which mark they like better.Find a rifle with a good bore, first. Then buy it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SGL 530 Posted October 19, 2013 Report Share Posted October 19, 2013 You can also check out the M38 if you want a rifle the length of the M44 without the attached bayonet. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shandlanos 1,470 Posted October 19, 2013 Report Share Posted October 19, 2013 You can also check out the M38 if you want a rifle the length of the M44 without the attached bayonet. Definitely! I have one and love it. Still haven't fired the little beast, but it's the smallest factory Mosin out there, so it probably kicks like a mule and a half. They are substantially harder to find than M44s, as many fewer were made - to the best of my knowledge, only the USSR produced them (please, correct me if I'm wrong), and they were in concurrent production with the M91/30. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
storm6490 2,768 Posted October 23, 2013 Report Share Posted October 23, 2013 The finnish mosin is the biggest ass kicker in the bunch. Costs more but it will be a good shooter even with the barrel half shot out of it. I also had a lucky one years back, it was an octagonal receiver russian one. forgot who made it. The Finn mosin is probably the best out of all the 90 dollar rifles I have owned and traded over the years. They are now a collectable rifle since they are consistently better than the rest. Have fun and FIX BAYONETS! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shandlanos 1,470 Posted October 24, 2013 Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 Man, I wish I'd gotten my Finn for $90! I paid $80 for my first M44 in 2005, and that was the cheapest Mosin I've ever purchased. I felt like I got a great deal when I picked up my Finnish M39 for $200 at a show. It's a Russian hex receiver, with "96" on the underside of the rear of the receiver under the wood - I had one place tell me that meant the receiver was originally made in 1896, but I'm not sure if that's accurate. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
haugpatr 972 Posted October 24, 2013 Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 Man, I wish I'd gotten my Finn for $90! I paid $80 for my first M44 in 2005, and that was the cheapest Mosin I've ever purchased. I felt like I got a great deal when I picked up my Finnish M39 for $200 at a show. It's a Russian hex receiver, with "96" on the underside of the rear of the receiver under the wood - I had one place tell me that meant the receiver was originally made in 1896, but I'm not sure if that's accurate. If there is a 96 on the underside of the rear "tang", your rifle was made in 1896. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Shandlanos 1,470 Posted October 24, 2013 Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 Man, I wish I'd gotten my Finn for $90! I paid $80 for my first M44 in 2005, and that was the cheapest Mosin I've ever purchased. I felt like I got a great deal when I picked up my Finnish M39 for $200 at a show. It's a Russian hex receiver, with "96" on the underside of the rear of the receiver under the wood - I had one place tell me that meant the receiver was originally made in 1896, but I'm not sure if that's accurate. If there is a 96 on the underside of the rear "tang", your rifle was made in 1896. That's pretty damned nifty. Guess I'm in possession of an antique. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Arik 565 Posted October 24, 2013 Report Share Posted October 24, 2013 M44 are pretty straight forward. So longas it doesnt look like its been abused (stocks dont count). M38s are trickier. Some are just that, a carbine model 38 while others are could also be an M91/59, an M1891/38, made from cut down M91/30s or original M1891s respectively. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bws1 58 Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 It's possible to get Type 53's as "you fix em's", as long as you don't give a rip about your numbers not matching. I've heard of rifles going for as little as 60 to 70 bucks a pop, but you take your chances... And it's a foregone conclusion that there will be parts missing or the stocks will suck. I picked up a Russian M-44 from Gander Mountain that was missing its bayonet. Other than that it was in almost perfect shape. All the numbers matched, the rifling was razor sharp and really shiny. Best 150 bucks I've spent in awhile. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
scoutjoe 276 Posted October 25, 2013 Report Share Posted October 25, 2013 They are pretty addicting. 7.62x54.net is a huge wealth of infoI haven't shot my Finn yet. I like the sights the best on my New England Westinghouse M91 though. Rifles tend to like light ball (147 grain) while carbines tend to favor heavy (175ish grain). That's pretty general though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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