Mosin Nagant, WHY?

[mrussel]

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.

What I really dont get is the cheap plastic "sporter" stocks. It has a beautiful wood stock. Why would you want to replace that with a cheap piece of plastic.

 

[mrussel]

Actually, both are 19th century designs. The kar98 was nothing more than a shorter Gewehr 98 that rolled out of Mauserwerke in 1898. Also, the Mosin was a completely new design, and when it was first developed was arguably THE best military small arm at the time. It took Pete Mauser several times to get it right. A more fair comparison to the Mosin would be the 1888 commission rifle or 1886 Lebel. Both are a POS compared to the Mosin, let alone the 98.
Really, there is no comparing one of the currently available refurbs to an original. These were basically thrown together with no mind to fitting the parts long after the war was over. I've got more than a couple of originals and believe me, many of the faults listed for the Mosin don't exist in these. Action every bit as slick as a Mauser, no jams, etc.

Thats an interesting point. Mine has none of those issues,yet it is a mismatched pieced together one. Then again,the guy I got it from ,while he was at a gun show,was a local gunsmith who had a rather good reputation. My guess is,if you get one thats made from mismatched pieces like mine,the quality of it (I guess it stands to reason) depends on the care and skill of the person whos putting it together.

 

[tv1217]

While I think the recoil is way overstated, I'm holding judgment until I can get my hands on an M44 and/or some hotter ammo.

I've been shooting shotgun slugs since I was little so maybe I'm desensitized or something.

 

[dhdoug]

xdinmyxj..."you can shank people up close". nice. pretty much felt the same as the OP till you said that. gotta have one now.

 

[smoking357]

I have not seen the popularity of this rifle like on this forum? What makes this rifle "so popular" To me its ugly as can be. Is it because its cheap, and ammo is cheap? I can think of diffrent rifles that would be cheap to shoot with lots less recoil and more parts available.

Because you essentially get a 1903 Springfield for $120, with much cheaper ammo.

Oh, and rimmed (cf. rimfire) cartridges are very cool.

 

[n9iui]

Yea,it was carried by our enemies. So what,so was an AK,so was the Brownign HP for that matter. You might imagine a soldier in Korea shooting at our guys,but I like to think about the Soviet sniper,laying there behind a ice encrusted tree stump,in a white fur army cap,his mouth filled with snow so his breath wont show,lining up a NAZI officer in his crosshairs of his scope.

Exactly the way I see it too! I just saw the movie, "Enemy At The Gates". It's the story of Vassili Zaitsev, a Russian sniper using the NG against the Nazi's.

 

[mrussel]

Exactly the way I see it too! I just saw the movie, "Enemy At The Gates". It's the story of Vassili Zaitsev, a Russian sniper using the NG against the Nazi's.

I understand he was a clerk in the Soviet navy,and he volunteered for the infantry and WANTED to be sent to the front lines to fight the NAZIs. (I have to say,there was nobler cause than putting a bullet in the head of a NAZI)

I thought it was funny at the Ohio gun show I bought it at. There were a disturbingly large number of tables selling new repro nazi paraphanelia (gun shows are more of a family thing here in Utah,with people with their sons and grandsons,some of them in Ohio were scary). When I saw the rack of Mosins I knew I had to have one. I said something to the guy at the table about how Id be ready if the NAZIs got bogged down in the NE Ohio winter and he laughed and the woman at the next table with the flags and the stack of The Turner Diaries was glaring at me.

 

[boozoo]

Good. They need to be as uncomfortable as I am at seeing them there.
They certainly have the right, but I don't have to like it.

 

[onviousluu]

This thread has me officially convinced... I have to get one.... I'm going to buy one at the next 1500.

 

[jsgolfman]

What about the Tokarev? I was interested in one.

 

[boozoo]

What about the Tokarev? I was interested in one.

The pistol? They're a ball and the ammo (surplus) is cheap. I got a spam can from AIM a while back for about $0.10/rd. Also got some PRVI Partisan, but the price on that is a little more normal.

It's a little tough for me to adapt to the grip and the trigger after shooting a CZ though.

Reason I ask is SVT40 is a Tokarev rifle and they are anything but cheap. Would LOVE to have one, though.

 

[jsgolfman]

I was thinking about the 40, yes.

 

[boozoo]

Ya know, they should be cheap, but for some reason that I've never understood, the ATF slapped a ban hammer on importing them and never lifted it. Even CANADA has far more of them than we do in the states.

The ones that are here got in before they were stopped, so they tend to average $800-$1000. I've seen them as cheap as $600 and as high as $2200. Don't know if that helps any.... I remember one of the Indy1500's last winter had no less than three of them at one show.

 

[jsgolfman]

Yeah, a little more than I thought.

 

[malern28us]

I have to chime in. I havent even shot mine yet (mosin) I just ike looking at it and thinking about where its been and what it might have done (in battle)

 

[XDinmyXJ]

xdinmyxj..."you can shank people up close". nice. pretty much felt the same as the OP till you said that. gotta have one now.

The history behind them is so cool too!

 

[gunner4564]

how bout the fact that I was able to pick up 5 T53's for like $200 bucks thru Omega when they were selling the chinese mosin's. Now they did get to me looking like they had been buried for years and dragged behind a truck for a while however after a nice clean up and restoration (no mods) and a bit of oil they look like brand new rifles and are sweet shooters with crisp bores, no sewer pipes. You just need to look for a good deal and then clean the crap outta it. Purple power works good for stripping the wood just don't over do it and I just used mineral spirits and some 00 steel wool to polish up/clean up the metal. Also now I know how to take apart the whole rifle including the bolt and put it all back together based on memory.

 

[thoffman]

there cheap and there were a bagillion made. so if something happens to it. it can be replaced easily

 

[acyork50]

I find the rifle extremely accurate, I am not concern with beauty - I reload for this rifle - .308 bullets. I use factory loads and salvage the brass to reload, NORMA brass is very expensive.

 

[sertboy354]

Its hard to beat a good thing maybe ugly but its goes bang