Mosin M38 Accuracy

[dross]

I've got a buddy who has a nice Mosin collection. He has an M38 he thinks might be un-issued it's so perfect. If I decide to pay his ridiculous high price, what kind of accuracy can I expect?

 

[hrearden]

If its that nice, you can get MOA pretty easy in my experience. Your obstacle to accuracy will be your sights that will invariably cover your target. I have a T53 that was used lightly that does MOA if I do my job right (Basically the same thing youre looking at but Chinese with a folding bayonet). Depending on his price, I would say go for it. (I got my T53 for $160 bucks out the door at LGS).

 

[ghostdncr]

I have a 1937 Sako M28/30 SKy that's pretty much all original. One chilly morning a number of years ago, I crawled up to a FFP on the shore of a large lake with this weapon. It was early in the morning, the temp well below freezing, and I laughed at how much warmer it was than during this rifle's deployment in the Winter War of '39.

I lay concealed in underbrush at the lake's edge, my breath condensing in the air thick as smoke from a wet-wood fire. My cheap binoculars scanned the opposite shoreline for targets of opportunity. Nearly a quarter mile away, some crows were fussing over something or another that was beyond the capability of my rudimentary optics to discern. I chose the sentinel as my target for the morning. It was sitting on a snag that jutted above the frozen lake, cawing forcefully...

With the sling tightened somewhat around my bicep and the rear sight ladder adjusted to 400 yards, I checked my breath and heartbeat. Tightening on the trigger of the old rifle, my cold-numbed finger finally reached the requisite pressure and the 28/30 boomed and kicked violently into my shoulder. Somewhere far downrange a crow exhaled in fervor, then lay on its back, flailing violently against the icy lake's surface. Through the binoculars I saw it flop, flop, flop, and then grow still. To this day, I don't know which of us was more surprised...

These old guns will shoot. Plain and simple.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Bore condition is everything, so if it's as pristine as it sounds, it should be pretty decent. I have one that is not pristine, and it's accurate enough that I felt it worthwhile to put a scout scope on it. Love the rifle!

 

[johntheplinker]

Realistically the M38 is a 4-5 moa rifle. One reason as mentioned above is due to the short sight radius, another is that most were rode hard and put up wet. Yes there are some that will do much better but they are few and far between. Also a very large number were built under extreme war-time pressures, and tolerances were seen as more of a suggestion than as a standard. Another consideration is what ammo you use. Most surplus available was never intended to be used in a rifle, and was loaded to looser accuracy standards.
As far as the one your buddy has, look very closely at the bore. Some of the refurbs I've seen look brand new, but the bores are at best nasty. Wear, pitting, oblong muzzles, etc.
Not trying to talk you out of buying it, just some information that I've gleaned from looking at a couple hundred M38s and having owned and shot over a dozen.

 

[strokin7.3]

What kind of price are you talking? I bought my m38 from buds a while back and the bore is absolutely perfect. My buddy after seeing mine ordered one and his has a perfect bore as well. If you buddy wants more money than what buds wants I would buy one of these and see what they send you.

Here's the link, appears that the price has gone up a little but still not too bad considering how hard these rifles are to find these days
Russian M38 Mosin Nagant Excellent 7.62x54R $254.00 SHIPS FREE

 

[DoggyDaddy]

What kind of price are you talking? I bought my m38 from buds a while back and the bore is absolutely perfect. My buddy after seeing mine ordered one and his has a perfect bore as well. If you buddy wants more money than what buds wants I would buy one of these and see what they send you.

Here's the link, appears that the price has gone up a little but still not too bad considering how hard these rifles are to find these days
Russian M38 Mosin Nagant Excellent 7.62x54R $254.00 SHIPS FREE

I only see one, and it's sold...

 

[strokin7.3]

Well crap, literally was in stock when I posted it. Keep your eye out for em buds has some nice ones. If they come back around I may pick up another.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

Well crap, literally was in stock when I posted it. Keep your eye out for em buds has some nice ones. If they come back around I may pick up another.

It did look nice, and that's not a bad price these days, especially with shipping included!