MOA on m91/30 Mosin Nagant

R

Ransome

New member
I recently purchased a semi sporterized m91/30. It has been drilled and tapped, with a rail mount on the receiver to accept a scope. The guy before me shot tons of corrosive ammo through it and failed to clean it. When I bought it, it looked like a 30 year old iron sewer pipe. After days of cleaning the bore it looks decent with medium pitting. I took it out to the range today and sighted it in fairly good at 100 yards. I think I am saying this right, but it was about 2 MOA at 100 yards with a 9x power scope. Or, about a 2-3 inch diameter bullet pattern at 100 yards. Is this decent for a pitted Mosin at 100 yards, with a 25$ tasco scope? And excuse me if I am mistaking what MOA means. That is why I included to say that the diameter of the bullet pattern was about 2-3 inches, with 7 shots.
 
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A group with a 2" circumference at 100 yards would be a lot less than 2MOA--it would be something like 0.6 MOA

Generally groups are measured between the centers of the two shots that are farthest apart. So the group measurement would be more like a diameter than a circumference. Nothing wrong with measuring a circumference, it's just not the way most folks do it.

A 2 MOA group would have a diameter of about 2" at 100 yards--a circumference of about 6.3".

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An MOA (Minute Of Angle) is generally approximated as 1" at 100 yards. It would be about 2" at 200 yards, about 0.5" at 50 yards and so on.

1MOA is really about 1.047" at 100 yards, but it's rare for people to get down to that level of precision.
 
My apologies, I mean diameter. It had about a 2-3 inch diameter at 100 yards. I'll go ahead and edit the first post to diameter. Thank you.
 
I wondered about that. :D

Yes, a 2-3" diameter group at 100 yards would, indeed, be 2-3 MOA.

That's pretty good for a Russian military surplus rifle-even if the bore were in good condition. Not amazing or anything, but certainly nothing to complain about.

It's also good enough for anything reasonable one would want to do with a rifle like that.
 
Alright thank you, I'm pretty new to shooting so I am learning along the way. I think I got a grasp on MOA now.
 
The barrel was probably like a 30 year old sewer pipe long before the other guy got the rifle. Mosins were issued to illiterate peasant conscripts who didn't care if the thing shot well or not, just like AK's and SKS' were. Not that it really matters.
2 or 3 MOA is still good for a beat up rifle. Especially one that has been 'semi sporterised'. Bubba being what he is.
"...what MOA means..." Means 1" group diameter per 100 yards. 1" at 100, 2" at 200, etc. A consistent 2 or 3 MOA is plenty accurate enough for deer/bear/elk hunting.
 
Hello,

My favorite Mosin will do about 1MOA with handloads. It is shimmed, with pillars, has an adjustable front sight, and light, two-stage trigger.

It looks stock.

Regards,
Josh
 
Russian "sniper" M91/30's were carefully selected at the factory for accuracy, where they were built --- Then stamped with a different serial number an released to the sniper division.

My "Izzy" Mosin 1943 - PU 3.5x scoped - sniper shoots 3/4" MOA - three shot group @ 100 yards --- using Russian sniper ammo.
 
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The barrel was probably like a 30 year old sewer pipe long before the other guy got the rifle. Mosins were issued to illiterate peasant conscripts who didn't care if the thing shot well or not,
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Kind of a shame to burst a bubble, but many MNs are un-issued. Pretty no, corroded out, no as well.

I had one that had to have come in from Spain before the wall went down (forget the arms dealer, but he was famous) - upshot was it had a very clean rifling. Either not shot or not shot much.

Of course the Spanish and International Patriots who used them were not illiterate Russian peasants
 
How do you figure many were unissued, RC20?

Most 91/30s were indeed issued; they were still trying to keep folks supplied in WWII. WWI saw many Berdan II rifles issued to supplement the Mosins.

Regards,
Josh
 
This one will do good things at 100 yds as well. I have never been able to test it out past that. No import markings.

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How do you figure many were unissued, RC20?
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The were made in millions in WWII, but many were not issued.

You look at them and they clearly came out of storage, as pristine as the WWII mfg got them.

Mine was beat up but the bore was outstanding. A MW gauge did not go past almost perfect for the 7.62 Ruskie.

Russians over produced. Many were rear troop arms that never saw use.
 
RC20,

I'm not doubting your word. Was just curious.

Are you sure it's not refurbished? Most were refurbished as part of Soviet "busy work," then stored away in cosmoline until Russia ran out of money to warehouse them.

After that, they sold them off at scrap prices, and that's how we got the really inexpensive Mosins.

Regards,
Josh
 
2 MOA???

The 10-X ring of the target used in the CMP uses in their GSM 200 yard matches is right at 3.5 MOA, a 2 MOA rifle is capable of cleaning the targets.

Just thought I'd throw that out there.
 
I'm not doubting your word. Was just curious.

Are you sure it's not refurbished? Most were refurbished as part of Soviet "busy work," then stored away in cosmoline until Russia ran out of money to warehouse them.

After that, they sold them off at scrap prices, and that's how we got the really inexpensive Mosins.
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I found this, that is the sort of info/reference that works.

http://www.russian-mosin-nagant.com/refurbishment/index.html

They also used MN barrels for PPS machine guns. Beat up, broken ones would be ideal.


My dad got me an MN when I was a kid, I think he sort of lost his senses, it was more a joke. Then he realized we had a real gun that could wind up with a cartridge in it.

The firing pin got cut off and I was not allowed to point it at anyone (ok, that really wrecks playing combat)

While it was not shot out you could see the wear on it. Samuel Cummings pickup for sure, probably from Spain. Pr WWII dated and likely the War in Spain.

I sold it a while back to someone who wanted a higher quality barreled receiver pre War. Not much money but got put to use the way it should
 
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