My $99 commie "Survival" Rifle

Thanks for posting this.

Can you post pictures of the bolt, bolt face, empty action,
using lots of light. This would help us understand how this
rifle works.
 
11x11x said:
Good information. I don't see why anyone wouldn't research a firearm before buying one/operating one. Like I said mine had been barely used before going into storage. Also there isn't a drastic difference between .308win and .54R to come across as a little bitch. I also managed to adjust my sights to achieve accuracy to my satisifaction. ;)
Click to expand...

90% of 54R ammo begins to tumble after about 500 yards and accuracy is drastically increased. Ballistics are alot different. .308/7.62NATO ammo can be sub-MOA accurate past 1,000 yards. You can't compare the two, they are apples and oranges. Not to mention 54R was around 60 years before 7.62NATO, so if anything, 7.62x51 is NATO's version of 54R. Another rediculous rifle for the money is the K31, by far my favorite milsurp rifle. I spent 200 dollars on mine. The Swiss Olympics team used issue K31's into the 70's. 7.5x55mm, the available surplus GP11 ammo is all matchgrade and non-corrosive, plus if you're lucky you can find the nickel jacketed carbide core armor piercing stuff. Straight pull bolt action with a detachable magazine, and a hairpin trigger. All K31s were subject to an accuracy test of a 10 shot group within 11CM at 600 yards, which I believe is a more stringent test than our M24s go through. And these were standard issue rifles. The iron sights go out to 1500 meters, if that tells you anything.
 
fnc said:
Thanks for posting this.

Can you post pictures of the bolt, bolt face, empty action,
using lots of light. This would help us understand how this
rifle works.
Click to expand...
The Mosin is about the most basic bolt action you could ever find-if you've ever operated a bolt action rifle, you know more than you need to to work a Mosin.
 
Iboschi said:
I'm not clear on what you mean by wrapped. Warped? I'd love to emulate your mod here but I don't want to screw it up. I have no experience with refinishing firearms or doing anything but shooting them and breaking them down. Here in Cali, Big 5 sells the Nagant for closer to $200 I think. I'd like to find one cheaper and copy your mods here. Nice work.
Click to expand...

Sorry for my bad spelling, I'm typing quickly in the dark :D. I bought mine at Big5 a couple yrs ago, so price may have shifted. I live in Norcal, came check it out if you so desire. Unless your into them, stay away from those Mosin's w/ 20 yard barrels lol, j/k. But my understanding is there are better types of milsurps out there for tinkering. And the Mosin is propably the least refined when compared to similar service rifles. But it would be great rifle for the "weekend gunsmiths" like us.
 
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PayetteRucker said:
90% of 54R ammo begins to tumble after about 500 yards and accuracy is drastically increased. Ballistics are alot different. .308/7.62NATO ammo can be sub-MOA accurate past 1,000 yards. You can't compare the two, they are apples and oranges. Not to mention 54R was around 60 years before 7.62NATO, so if anything, 7.62x51 is NATO's version of 54R. Another rediculous rifle for the money is the K31, by far my favorite milsurp rifle. I spent 200 dollars on mine. The Swiss Olympics team used issue K31's into the 70's. 7.5x55mm, the available surplus GP11 ammo is all matchgrade and non-corrosive, plus if you're lucky you can find the nickel jacketed carbide core armor piercing stuff. Straight pull bolt action with a detachable magazine, and a hairpin trigger. All K31s were subject to an accuracy test of a 10 shot group within 11CM at 600 yards, which I believe is a more stringent test than our M24s go through. And these were standard issue rifles. The iron sights go out to 1500 meters, if that tells you anything.
Click to expand...

Those K31's are pretty neat rifles, I read about them before. I would love to handle one in person. Is the 7.5x55mm ammo hard to find? About comparing Apples & Oranges, is it safe for me to say that they are both Fruit??? Thanks for the information, and was well aware of when the 7.62x54R round came out and when the 7.62 NATO came into service. Knit picking is cool w/ me, I don't want to confuse anyone directly.
 
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fnc said:
Thanks for posting this.

Can you post pictures of the bolt, bolt face, empty action,
using lots of light. This would help us understand how this
rifle works.
Click to expand...

I can tommorow. FYI a great website with a lot of info about these types of old war rifles is surplusrifle.com. The bolt strip's out in a second, simply by holding the trigger and pulling it out of the action.

UGH, I need to go buy a tube of cold blue and darken this bolt body, etc. Wow that is too shiney for my liking.

I snapped some quick pics for you, let me know if you want more, nevermind the RemOil that still on the action, etc -



 
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More than all the information you will ever need about Mosin-Nagant rifles.

Great site, good folks, lot of knowledge. Read the stickies. Enjoy:

http://www.gunandgame.com/forums/mosin-nagant/

They work well. Doubt the synthetic stock is much lighter than original issue.

frontfullmosincobblerleupold.jpg
 
Hey 11x11x...that's a fabulous face-lift! I want to keep my current M44 stock, but I'll be on the lookout for a good deal on another. That's a very functional looking rifle, I really like it!:thumbup:

ROCK6
 
I have been tempted to get one of these for years both a gun shop and the milsurp store in town has shopping carts full of these for $99. Been thinking of doing that same thing, putting a syn stock on it.
 
akthor said:
I have been tempted to get one of these for years both a gun shop and the milsurp store in town has shopping carts full of these for $99. Been thinking of doing that same thing, putting a syn stock on it.
Click to expand...

If you buy one can I buy it from you? I just don't know where to buy them in VA and there are only two gun shops around me and I don't trust them as far as I can kick them.
 
PayetteRucker said:
90% of 54R ammo begins to tumble after about 500 yards and accuracy is drastically increased. Ballistics are alot different. .308/7.62NATO ammo can be sub-MOA accurate past 1,000 yards. You can't compare the two, they are apples and oranges.
Click to expand...

Not really.

1.) Your won't get that accuracy with surplus M80 ball -- 7.52x51 (.308).
2.) Accuracy of 7.62x51 with match bullets is no better than 7.62x54R with Match bullets (Sierra Matchkings are available in that caliber, as are Hornady SST, and Cor-Bon DPX). The latest Finnish sniper rifle is a modern stock, but still the Mosin action. That should tell you something.
3.) External ballistics-wise, the M2 30'06, M80 7.62x51, and 7.62x54R have identical nominal muzzle velocities.

They are entirely comparable cartridges.

To the OP: The Mosin is an excellent survival rifle. I'vee also got a 1946 M44 -- and I swear it's put together better than most brand new rifles I see ont he shelves. I left the military stock and bayonet on mine. I see no benefit to sporterizing, and a few cons to it, but to each his own (plus the bayonet may become very useful in hog hunting).

Mosins are fickle about ammo. Especially surplus ammo. One country's ammo may shoot shotgun patterns, the next country's ammo may put out a 1.5" group. Find what yours likes. Another trick is to pull military bullets, dump the powder in a scale for 20 or 100 rounds, then reload with equal measures of powder (use rounds from the same lot of the same country's ammo, use the same weight bullet, and mark one of the bullets you pull and seat the new one to the same depth). Most of my ammo is Chinese brass-case surplus, and it's accurate to begin with, the powder charges are consistant to the point I don't bother averaging them anymore. To these, I pull the surplus bullets and seat and crimp Hornady 150-gr SST bullets, which gives me a very lethal, hunting legal, and accurate round for cheap.

The reliability of the Mosin is also legendary, proving itself more reliable in arctic conditions than event he vaunted Mauser.

Good score.
 
These are the two shops near me that I've seen them at. They both sell stuff online so I am sure they would take a phone order. Probably cheaper if you buy right from them then if I buy it for you and ship it to your FFL.

Buyer's Gun Shop
703 Main Rd
PO Box 513
Holden, ME 04429
Phone: 207-843-6205

Frank Spizuoco
Maine Military Supply Inc.
735 Wilson St.
brewer, ME 04412
Phone: 207-989-6783


franchisekid said:
If you buy one can I buy it from you? I just don't know where to buy them in VA and there are only two gun shops around me and I don't trust them as far as I can kick them.
Click to expand...
 
Here is some of the ammo I currently have stocked up - left to right - 147gr light ball (forgot country of orgin), 180gr heavy ball (Bulgrarian), 180gr JSP (Winchester current production) and finally 203gr JSP current Brown Bear ammo. I've had great results using the heavy ball and 180gr Winchester soft points, haven't tested the other two yet. Also pictured is a weaver mount that replaces the rear iron's.



The orginal military stock, I had to refinish it because of the Cosmoline. Another fun project, and I could switch back and forth between stocks in seconds -

 
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Hi Kismet, How do you like the scout mount and LER scope combo? I bought a mount also. I like the ATI stock over the orginal mainly because I don't have to hunch over so much for a good cheek weld. The stock is nominally lighter, but as such, it really distrubutes the weight forward towards the barrel. But still need to shoot it to see if I really like it vs the orginal wood stock.
 
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Cpl Punishment said:
Not really.

1.) Your won't get that accuracy with surplus M80 ball -- 7.52x51 (.308).
2.) Accuracy of 7.62x51 with match bullets is no better than 7.62x54R with Match bullets (Sierra Matchkings are available in that caliber, as are Hornady SST, and Cor-Bon DPX). The latest Finnish sniper rifle is a modern stock, but still the Mosin action. That should tell you something.
3.) External ballistics-wise, the M2 30'06, M80 7.62x51, and 7.62x54R have identical nominal muzzle velocities.

They are entirely comparable cartridges.

To the OP: The Mosin is an excellent survival rifle. I'vee also got a 1946 M44 -- and I swear it's put together better than most brand new rifles I see ont he shelves. I left the military stock and bayonet on mine. I see no benefit to sporterizing, and a few cons to it, but to each his own (plus the bayonet may become very useful in hog hunting).

Mosins are fickle about ammo. Especially surplus ammo. One country's ammo may shoot shotgun patterns, the next country's ammo may put out a 1.5" group. Find what yours likes. Another trick is to pull military bullets, dump the powder in a scale for 20 or 100 rounds, then reload with equal measures of powder (use rounds from the same lot of the same country's ammo, use the same weight bullet, and mark one of the bullets you pull and seat the new one to the same depth). Most of my ammo is Chinese brass-case surplus, and it's accurate to begin with, the powder charges are consistant to the point I don't bother averaging them anymore. To these, I pull the surplus bullets and seat and crimp Hornady 150-gr SST bullets, which gives me a very lethal, hunting legal, and accurate round for cheap.

The reliability of the Mosin is also legendary, proving itself more reliable in arctic conditions than event he vaunted Mauser.

Good score.
Click to expand...

Great information!!! I too want to use my M44 for some hog hunting, etc.
 
Let me just correct an earlier post....54R does not tumble after 500 yards. That is a completely ridiculous statement.
 
people say it's an urban legend, but in many of the mosins I've fired the targets say otherwise. Commercial ammo, russian surplus (czech especially), you name it.
 
the biggest difference I think in the survival role is the corrosive ammo, it's very important the rifle is cleaned as it is used, and this can be tough in a survival situation.
 
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