Is the Mosin Nagant still worth it?

Mr. Smith, You do not know what you are talking about. The Moisin Nagant is like the military rifle of the French world. I have a French rifle from WWI. I have been at the range many times and people mistake it for Russian. " A much simpler, robust design". Apparently you have never machined parts for guns. Like everything else, they "Borrowed" the idea. Many other military rifles used for sporters were tough to get ammo for years ago, but people still used them. Face the facts. Russian bolt guns just are not good rifles to turn into deer rifles. I am probably one of the few people on this forum that actually has killed a deer with an open sighted Russian bolt action. It was a money thing at the time and nothing else. I would grab a lever action before a Russian bolt gun.
 
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Mr. Smith, You do not know what you are talking about. The Moisin Nagant is like the military rifle of the French world. I have a French rifle from WWI. I have been at the range many times and people mistake it for Russian. That is probably where the 8MM chambering rumor came from. Like everything else, they "Borrowed" the idea. Many other military rifles used for sporters were tough to get ammo for years ago, but people still used them. Face the facts. Russian bolt guns just are not good rifles to turn into deer rifles. I am probably one of the few people on this forum that actually has killed a deer with an open sighted Russian bolt action. It was a money thing at the time and nothing else.
 
You can buy a brand new Remington 783 with scope in .30-06 for $279 at Academy. It will be more accurate, easier to feed ammo, more weather resistant, handier, more powerful and much easier to hunt with. You can also get a .308 if you want less power and recoil. It will be extremely reliable.

Given that it comes with a scope, recoil pad, warranty I don't see a solid argument for the Mosin as a cheap hunting gun anymore.
 
Six or seven years ago when one of my local big box stores sold them for $95 I though they were over priced junk but I bought one anyways. I then got online and picked up a 440 round tin of ammo for $80. I never took the rifle out of the box, just stuck it in the corner of my closet and forgot about it. Last year when I moved I decided to get rid of it because all it was doing was taking up space. More than doubled my $$$..... Just proved that there's a fool for every trigger.
 
Gunplummer said:
Mr. Smith, You do not know what you are talking about. The Moisin Nagant is like the military rifle of the French world. I have a French rifle from WWI. I have been at the range many times and people mistake it for Russian. " A much simpler, robust design". Apparently you have never machined parts for guns. Like everything else, they "Borrowed" the idea. Many other military rifles used for sporters were tough to get ammo for years ago, but people still used them. Face the facts. Russian bolt guns just are not good rifles to turn into deer rifles. I am probably one of the few people on this forum that actually has killed a deer with an open sighted Russian bolt action. It was a money thing at the time and nothing else. I would grab a lever action before a Russian bolt gun.
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Gunplummer,

It's very apparent, sir, that you have no idea what you're talking about.

The Polish Wz91/98/25 "Blindee Conversion" was fielded by that military. You're welcome to look it up.

Far from rumor.

Let's address this error and we'll take care of the others later. I think next we'll address the bolt; how the Mosin bolt is similar to the Gewehr 88 is similar Mauser 71 is similar to the Mannlicher is similar to the Berdan II, et cetera.

To say that a person does not know what he's talking about without giving proof to substantiate the claim is beyond rude.

Josh
 
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More than doubled my $$$..... Just proved that there's a fool for every trigger.
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Yup I agree. I easily made 25-50% profits from selling off the small lot of Mosins I had accumulated over what I paid for them new, and that was just from a few years ago. For whatever reason people still really want these guns.

I used to be like that, I thought they were interesting. But after experiencing better designs and just stepping back and looking at the rifles as rifles, I came to dislike them. Like I said they are no fun to shoot at the range (for me) and I just had no use for them.

I am absolutely not a collector, I've found most Mosin Nagant collectors to be very unwelcoming and "cliquey". To be a "good collector" you have to have a ton of these rifles, preferably rare and expensive varieties. It's a game where it's always about who has the most rifles and who can take the prettiest pictures of them to brag about on the internet. I didn't get sucked up in that stupid game, and found the whole notion of accumulating a bunch of lackluster obsolete communist battle rifles just to say "look what I got!" to other people on the internet off-putting.

I buy guns to shoot them. With that and prices of 7.62x54mmR ammo being so high (now higher than .308 Win), just what was I accomplishing? That's when I snapped out of it... that's when I realized the Mosin Nagant wasn't as cool as I originally thought, and in this day and age it's old appeal of cheap prices and even cheaper ammo is long gone.

So that's me explaining myself to all the people above. I woke up from the Mosin Nagant dream.

JMHO.

YMMV.
 
Yeh good job, in three weeks you went from praising the Mosin to now calling out people as stupid for buying them. You would make a great politician.
 
All the talk about Mosins on this site almost had me buy one because I was getting tired of being the only guy who didn't have one. Now I don't feel so bad about not having one. Thanks guys. :);)
 
Model12, the Mosin is the finest battle club known to man. There has never been a better rifle, manufactured in the history of warfare, at beating your enemy in the head with. The reach out and touch someone value of the Mosin Battle Club is unrivaled. Just think, most (not all) Mosins are the finest examples of what starving, beaten, imprisoned, slave labor could turn out with worn out tolls they had no motivation to operate properly.
 
I own three M91-30's...one is a 1943 Izzy sniper rifle with a 3.5x PU scope --- It shoots 1 3/4" m.o.a. three shot group @ 100 yards, with Russian 7N1 sniper ammo. I love the history of the rifle....and when I proudly have it uncased at the range, I'll occasionally wonder how many battles it's been in and how many Nazis have been KIA with it.
 
Erno, I wonder the same thing every time I shoot my Nazi sniper rifle. I know it killed quite a few men. The man my father bought it from killed the Nazi sniper who had it.
 
There are enough good choices out there-look at the "used" racks, e.g. that the idea of using a Mosin as a "budget" hunting rifle really is not worth it. By them for the history.
 
Model12Win said:
I've found most Mosin Nagant collectors to be very unwelcoming and "cliquey".
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I haven't seen that at all, and it it is kind of funny you mentioned it when you think about. Most of this thread is saying:

"If you like something I don't like you are an idiot!!!"

The Mosin Nagant is what it is, a simple bolt action rifle designed in the Victorian era, and aside from some small details (length and sights) unchanged since then. It can still be found in active service today, 125 years later. Not many things you can say that about.

If you want to build a hunting rifle, there are better choices (like buying a hunting rifle). If you are trying to build a benchrest rifle, there are better choices.

Ammo can still be had for ~40¢/round, more expensive than .223 or 7.62X39, but that is simple economics, the case bullet and powder charge are all bigger, more materials equals more cost, and when that cost isn't subsidized by the various members of the Warsaw Pact, then prices rise.

For a shootable piece of history, then yeah, it is worth it. If all you want is a cheap rifle with cheap blasting ammo, then don't buy one. Go buy a Ruger American or Savage Axis in .223 and blast away.

Or keep doing this:

stop-liking.jpg
 
Mr. Smith, I am sorry you do not know what you are talking about but some people need rudeness. It seems there is no end to people like you. I seriously doubt you have done more with a Russian rifle than shoot it and read about it in a book. What do you actually know about a 30-06 chambered Russian? I would bet VERY few people on this forum have even seen one. What I cannot understand is why all you people that pray to the Mosin Nagant now, would not buy any when there was no ammo available. Where were you all? There were Russian rifles (And pistols) all over the place. Some were Korean bring backs, some from Vietnam, a whole bunch were made in the USA and never delivered. If they make such great hunting rifles, why didn't any of you guys buy them? Lots of guys used Arisakas, the M/S, and Carcanos. They just ponied up the bucks for Norma brass and reloaded. I've owned them, shot deer with them, rebarreled them(Yes, even to 8MMx54R-there is load info in the Finn load books) made bolt heads and other small parts for them. I am not stupid. It makes as good a cheap deer rifle about as much as a 1898 Krag does. They are what they are. Do not try to change history.
 
Gunplummer said:
Mr. Smith, I am sorry you do not know what you are talking about but some people need rudeness. It seems there is no end to people like you. I seriously doubt you have done more with a Russian rifle than shoot it and read about it in a book. What do you actually know about a 30-06 chambered Russian? I would bet VERY few people on this forum have even seen one. What I cannot understand is why all you people that pray to the Mosin Nagant now, would not buy any when there was no ammo available. Where were you all? There were Russian rifles (And pistols) all over the place. Some were Korean bring backs, some from Vietnam, a whole bunch were made in the USA and never delivered. If they make such great hunting rifles, why didn't any of you guys buy them? Lots of guys used Arisakas, the M/S, and Carcanos. They just ponied up the bucks for Norma brass and reloaded. I've owned them, shot deer with them, rebarreled them(Yes, even to 8MMx54R-there is load info in the Finn load books) made bolt heads and other small parts for them. I am not stupid. It makes as good a cheap deer rifle about as much as a 1898 Krag does. They are what they are. Do not try to change history.
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No, not trying to change history. Why would I?

I just made a bunch of points you're not refuting. Why?

Where was I? Well, I'm 38 now, so wasn't quite old enough to be shooting centerfire after Vietnam.

Later, growing up in a shotgun-only-for-deer state, I didn't own a rifle outside of rimfire for a long time. When I did begin to get interested, an M44 carbine was the first rifle I bought, because it was inexpensive at the time.

Turned out I liked it, and now I have more milsurp rifles not limited to the Mosin. I like them, too.

The Mosin just happens to be a tinkerer's platform, and being a tinkerer, I was drawn to it.

I do not like MIM or many modern rifles. I do like the older Winchester and Remington bolt actions, and I appreciate modern rifles with good craftsmanship.

The feel of a hardwood stock and machined metal has an allure to me that ARs and similar just don't fill.

I'm not saying the Mosin is a super rifle. Don't put words in my mouth. I am saying that it's as good a deer gun as is a military Mauser with open sights, or Gewehr 88 Commission Rifle, or M1903, etc.

Josh
 
I liked them due to the primitive nature of the rifle.

you could still buy pristine examples of them.

the ammo was cheap and plentiful.

mine was $80 at the time.

mine lives with my EX, so I am no longer interested in it. :D:eek:
 
Gunplummer said:
If they make such great hunting rifles,
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Just curious, do you see any reason for the existence of a old military rifle, other than to hack it up and make it in to a hunting rifle?

If not, you quite simply do not, and will not, get why some people like them.

Josh Smith said:
Turned out I liked it, and now I have more milsurp rifles not limited to the Mosin. I like them, too.
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For a lot of people, the Mosin Nagant, with the cheap purchase price and cheap ammo cost were gateway drugs into Milsurp collecting.
 
emcon5 said:
For a lot of people, the Mosin Nagant, with the cheap purchase price and cheap ammo cost were gateway drugs into Milsurp collecting.
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You know, it went like this:

1. M44 carbine
2. SKS
3. M9130
4. M88/05 Turkish (everything's with it, including cleaning rod)

etc

It was my gateway into centerfire rifles period. Come to think of it, I don't think I've actually owned a non-milsurp rifle. I've handled them, of course, thought about buying, but always ended up getting the milsurp beside it.

I wish I still had that SKS. It was legally imported into the US from China with a bayonet -- there were only a couple years where they didn't make the bayonet be removed.

I'll probably end up with an AR or similar sooner or later due to its utilitarian nature, but they feel so unsubstantial (I guess would be the word) next to pretty much any military surplus rifle I've handled.

Regards,

Josh
 
The original post asked about using a Moisin Nagant to make a cheap sporter. I am not the one that started dishing out BS about the history of them. That is a pretty poor resume for spreading information about Russian rifles. One would never know it was the same person writing the first post and the last couple. As I thought, you have absolutely no experience with guns.The only redeeming point is you owe up to it. It is ridicules to put a Russian rifle in the same class as a 98' Mauser or .303 British when it comes to cheap deer guns, if you stick with open sights. The Mauser and .303 at least have a safety you don't have to fight with. So do the Carcano and Arisaka. The Mauser and Arisaka are easily scoped, and the Carcano is easily side mounted and you can bend the bolt enough to clear it. The Arisaka safety will work fine with the scope over the bore, but needs a bolt welded on for length. Russian guns? As is, they are usable. Been there. Done that. Build a CHEAP sporter? No. Stop whining because other people think you have junk. I collected Arisakas for years. I collected long and recurve bows. Talk about being looked down on. When I moved to a smaller place, I consigned it all to a major Auction House. I laughed all the way to the bank.
 
With the price of Modern hunting rifles these days and considering how good they shoot to be under 600 bucks, there is no such thing as a "cheap" Sporter. Back when my Dad bought me my first deer rifle (No. 4 Mk 1 Long branch) for a Whoppin 69 bucks from Roses dept store yeah it turned into a cheap Sporter, but nowdays, ugh NAW Just my .02

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
 
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