Mosin Nagant, WHY?

[miguel]

Why a Mosin?

'Cause shootin' Commie guns that were aimed at our boys for decades is like taking your worst enemies girlfriend away from him and suckfacing with her until sunrise.

 

[chubbs]

why not a mosin is a better question, so why not.... anyone.... anyone.................. exactly, they are fun, cheap, and soaked in history

 

[caddywhompus]

Mosin's are a thing of beauty and until you own one you will not understand why they are so popular.

This. I know because it happened to me. Do you really need any reason to not buy a gun for $100 that will last forever and go bang every time you pull the trigger?

 

[88E30M50]

For me, it's the history. I was shooting my Finn 91/30 at the SKS shoot and kept thinking that this rifle most certainly saw combat in the Finnish forests in the Continuation War. My favorite Mosin used to be my M38, but after giving the Finn a workout in the woods, I've come to really enjoy shooting that rifle. It's both accurate and has a good trigger, which is common with the Finnish Mosins.

What's not to love?

 

[SmileDocHill]

What I have noticed, that is not mentioned often, is the connection between the history and the feel of the gun. You can talk about the history of use and design of a lot of old guns but with a Mosin Nagant you feel that history being confirmed. It was designed to be simple so a population of people that were NOT ALLOWED to ever have a previous experience with guns, and who were likely not educated through high school would be able to operate, clean, and maintain it....So it could be effective in a hot summer day (by our standards) as well as a cold winter night (like we can only imagine). Remember, the coveted German Mauser, a historic marvel of engineering, had numerous stories of malfunctioning in the cold Russian winters, whereas the simple lowly Russian rifle did just fine.
When I let a guy shoot mine and it's his first time, I love watching them carefully try to move that bolt over and back (because, you know, you don't want to break something you are borrowing, right?), they pretty much always look at me like "its stuck". At that point it almost makes me feel like this gun MAKES you respect the history of the Russian soldiers and a little of what they were about. It is almost impossible to just say "push harder", its not that simple. There is a feeling I cannot put into words that makes you want to give a history lesson that has the tone and inflection of an inspirational general talking his men into battle.
You catch yourself talking to this friend like a drill sergeant in basic training and saying things like...
--this wasn't made for "PLIINNNKKKING!" (with a tone like plinking is a luxury for peace time citizens who don't have to sleep in a snow bank tonight), its designed to be abused and still be counted on to send mortars down range...and...
--Why are you focusing on the weapon, focus on the (paper target) thats going to kill you, this gun wasn't made to be special, unique, demand attention, or care, it's made to be abused (by peace time gun standards) and operated by manly men under extreme stress and for purposes that involve human life and the destiny of a country...
--now that in mind what kind of energy(respect!!!) do you think that bolt needs to cycle the next round?!
Maybe it is my obvious passion for the human history of this era or maybe I just get carried away and frighten my friends but they usually seem to have no issue being too delicate to get the job done from that point on. They also seem to have a much bigger grin on their face as they send a ball of fire down range.

 

[herby31]

correct me if i'm wrong, but no one mentioned the mosin having been used against coalition forces in iraq. my unit confiscated several, and one of our Marines died from the effects of the mankiller 7.62x54R. (we never did find out if that one was mosin or dragunov). it's very much still a contender on todays battlefields.

 

[SmileDocHill]

correct me if i'm wrong, but no one mentioned the mosin having been used against coalition forces in iraq. my unit confiscated several, and one of our Marines died from the effects of the mankiller 7.62x54R. (we never did find out if that one was mosin or dragunov). it's very much still a contender on todays battlefields.

WOW, I would have never imagined that (the idea that they are still utilized-not that they are deadly).

 

[22lr]

They make a hi-point look like a Cadillac. Only thing they have going for them is the cheap price. The fit and finish is approaching negative numbers out of 10, ergonomics are maybe 1-10, trigger is halfway decent, bolt smoothness is about -5 million out of 10, recoil is just downright painful, reliability is poor for a bolt action (easy to jam while loading), the safety is almost impossible to actually use practically, and the history of the gun is killing innocent people in numbers that make the Nazis look like school children.

Save up a few more bucks and buy a Mauser if you want a mil-surp gun that shoots cheap ammo. The ONLY good thing about the mosin is the price, but at the same time I still dont think there worth what they sell for. Mausers are legit quality rifles and the Yugos can still be bought for under $200 if you look around. They have amazingly smooth actions, safeties that work, easy to load without jamming the gun, nice triggers (once you get used to a two stage), ergonomics are pretty good, and recoil is easier to handle.

I had a Yugo M48 and Mosin at the same time. Sold the Mosin and will never buy another unless its the last gun on earth. As a gun community we all complain about poor quality firearms, yet somehow the Mosin still gets some praise. I think its a conspiracy designed to undermine our taste in real rifles, that actually work.

*disclaimer* I do like the Finish models for the historical value and would buy one if I found one for a reasonable price.

 

[SmileDocHill]

I was operating under the assumption that only an idiot would buy one because they were trying to find the finest firearm they could for plinking. If there isn't a component of History, or collecting in your motivation for owning one I cannot recommend it either. Along those lines if this was a thread inquiring about how good a particular rifle was for hunting I wouldn't critique it from the standpoint of it's ability to be used with a bayonet.
Not saying you (22lr) went about posting with the wrong intent, I'm just saying what my vantage point is when I speak highly of it. My gun background is only about a couple of years, but I've been a connoisseur of history for a lifetime.

 

[1943Izzy]

I have only owned my 91/30 for a few weeks . Only had it to the range once ,but I did not find it unpleasant at all to shoot (no sore shoulder) . I think the recoil is highly over rated and I was shooting sitting down. I had read so much about needing a buttpad for these that I almost bought one for it . I'm glad I didnt . Sure it kicks more than a small caliber rifle but not as rough as my son's single shot 20 guage . I found it fun to shoot and will probably keep this one and maybe buy more.

 

[762minigun]

Good great swell.... You all got me thinking about getting my C&R again...

 

[indyk]

whaa!!!! i dont believe what im hearing about nagants

They make a hi-point look like a Cadillac. Only thing they have going for them is the cheap price. The fit and finish is approaching negative numbers out of 10, ergonomics are maybe 1-10, trigger is halfway decent, bolt smoothness is about -5 million out of 10, recoil is just downright painful, reliability is poor for a bolt action (easy to jam while loading), the safety is almost impossible to actually use practically, and the history of the gun is killing innocent people in numbers that make the Nazis look like school children.

Absolutly wrong Its obvious you had a bad experience with one. I would challenge my M44 against ANY Mauser etc. It has smooth bolt action "as long as your not using laquered ammo. I attach a LimbSaver on 'Olga' for
an all day shoot. " Only thing they have going for them is the cheap price" PLEEEEZE. I can take out skeets sittin at 200 yards with open sights. SUPER fit and 100% reliable.
Jams? whaa?
and the history of the gun is killing innocent people in numbers that make the Nazis look like school children.
I wont even go there.....

 

[Tomcat_AL200]

My roommate bought one for "apartment defense", Ill let that one sink in... and my only expierence with it was a fam shoot. All I will say is meh.

 

[ShooterLee]

My roommate bought one for "apartment defense", Ill let that one sink in... and my only expierence with it was a fam shoot. All I will say is meh.

Apartment defense? really.. might be time for a new roommate .. He shoots the intruder, through the wall, the refridgerator, another wall, toilet, you sleeping in your bed, another wall, and three neighbor kids standing in a single file line...


But seriously, nagants are a lot of fun for under $150 (gun+100 7.62x54r)... I love it, just an average gun, but excellent for the price.

Also, they do work on disabling unruly microwaves... try it.

 

[caddywhompus]

Also, they do work on disabling unruly microwaves... try it.

Pesky microwaves.....

 

[LtScott14]

I took my Mosin 91/30 for a trip to the range for it's performance rating.Just had one problem. Only brought 80 rds of 7.62x54R., wanted more! I slid on an unused recoil pad from a shotgun, at 100 yds hit the target, not great groups. Used my sandbag and improved. Tried to adjust the sight for 100 yds and only moved it up 2 clicks to hit my point of aim.
Overall opinion, fun shooter. Going today to get some more ammo .The recoil was not as bad as I have read, and upon finish cleaned the bore with windex, and hoppes. It is ready. I named mine Nickolai, seemed to fit.

 

[rlspach]

I just bought a 91/30. My wife, who "tolerates" guns, immediately started pointing out various placed in the house where it would look good mounted. I think it's a beautiful rifle.

 

[tuoder]

The Mosin Nagant is a beautiful example of old-world craftsmanship. It was the primary sniper rifle of the Eastern front of WW2. I would not be surprised to find that it has killed more Nazis than any other infantry rifle. The most successful sniper known was a Finnish man with a Mosin who killed hundreds of Russians using the Mosin's iron sights. It is one of very few rifles currently available for that price and that quality.

 

[762minigun]

You cannot compare a M-44 to a Mauser. They are two different ballparks.

 

[antsi]

You forgot a few, Russo-Japanese War, Spanish Civil War, Winter War, Continuation War, etc.

My bad. Can't disrespect the Finns, and certainly can't forget Khalkin-Gol.