Mosin Nagant question

When you pick up your rifle you are going to need to get something to remove the cosmoline off with.
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I got mine off a consignment rack with all the SWAG that comes with the cosmoline drenched guns..... but mine was aready cleaned..... $99.

My Yugo SKS took near $10 worth of mineral spirits and several days to clean the gunk off. It also needed a paperclip gas system fix and a Murray's firing pin to keep it from doubling..... it does not hit as hard, is less reliable, is almost as accurate, just as heavy, and cost more than twice as much as my Mosin. I wish I had bought another Mosin instead.
 
You never told us what model it is. Price is OK for a 91/30. It's great for an M38 or M44. Even better if it has a big "SA" stamped on the barrel of whatever it is. (Means it's a Finn capture, good stuff as they inspected them before they would stamp them)
 
I can't imagine reloading for the Mosin.
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Two reasons:

You'll make better ammo than the quota filling proles who loaded the ComBloc surplus stuff in some gulag 40 years ago...... and you can tailor your ammo to your gun and specific application.

That and it is fun to roll your own.
 
got it!

bought the mosin over the weekend, cleaned it up. ordered a field gauge, rubber pad and ten stripper clips for it. I broke the bolt down a few times, learned how to set the firing pin depth etc. Very busy with non shooting things:(. hope to shoot it next week.
It is a 91/30 with a 28 inch barrel. matching bolt, receiver and butt plate numbers. The LGS had a sniper, bolt numbers were etched not stamped, this made me save $30 and buy the matching numbers gun. Also got some Brown Bear steel case ammo, just to try it out. May go with much cheaper spam can brass washed ammo. Price is right, but wanted to first try some non corrosive ammo first.
 
Good luck with it. When you shoot it till it gets hot, you'll probably see cosmoline weeping out in various places. I treat any non-US, Russian caliber, ammo as corrosive. Probably don't need to with all, but it's no big deal to run some hot water down the barrel and bolt assembly, prior to regular cleaning.
 
You're going to fall in love with that rifle. I can't wait to hear your report after you've taken it out and shot it.
 
I can't imagine reloading for the Mosin. It's just not cost effective for me. I also don't load 7.62x39mm for my SKS for the same reason. Wolf ammo is cheap enough I don't worry about it. I suppose if I were shooting competition with the Mosin it might be worthwhile to load for it.
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Some people do not like to deal with having to clean out the corrosive salts from the primers that milsurp stuff leaves. Also my reloads are so MUCH more accurate than the milsurp. The only milsurp stuff I've shot that even came close to the same accuracy was that green lacquered Czech Silvertip. And shooting lacquered rounds will cause Mosin Nagant "sticky bolt" faster than anything else, due to the receiver heat melting the lacquer. Another cleaning worry.

What I do is shoot my reloads for accuracy, and milsurp for general plinking.
 
I can't imagine reloading for the Mosin. It's just not cost effective for me.
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I can't imagine NOT reloading for the Mosin.

Most of the surplus ammo is corrosive, and steel cases/bullet.

I may have only paid $99 for my Mosin but I still ain't gonna shoot that crap it it or any other guns I have.

When I bought mine I spent a bit of time going through the rack picking a good bore. Why would I do that if I was going to shoot junk.

Barrels (and chambers) are rather soft steel. Brass/Copper is softer yet so the chances of brass or copper ruining the barrel is slim. Not so with steel. Brass is suppose to work as a gasket and is suppose to expand and seal the chamber when you fire.

Steel doesn't expand at the same rate as brass.

And I wont even go to my rant about the fire hazard with steel bullets.

When I bought mine the clerk tried to sell me some surplus ammo. I spent a bit more and bought a couple hundred rounds of loaded Winchester 7.62X54R ammo. The loaded winchester stuff was cheaper then any "new" brass I could find. I don't load hot and only shoot one gun so the brass last a long time.

Also I shoot cast bullets for practice. You CAN keep the loading cost below the prices of the crap surplus ammo.
 
I use Prvi PPU 150 gr softpoints as a source of brass..... around 80 cents /ea off the shelf at Cabela's for loaded ammo and is a bit more than the milsurp stuff, but is not corrosive, not magnetic, and reloadable.

Now if I can just find a good source of inexpensive .311 Sierra Gamekings...... Cabela's wants 32 bucks/100!
 
Finally shot it yesterday. Love the gun. Shot Russian Brown Bear ammo. I shot the rifle at 100 yards. First few rounds were decent shots. Then I started hitting all over the paper. I was pulling the trigger instead of squeezing it. Not used to a rifle with this kind of trigger pressure. Hope to shoot it again tomorrow. This thing is a lot of fun. Just gotta figure it out, and take my time shooting.
Let you know how it goes, and thanks for all the helpful insight.
 
I use Prvi PPU 150 gr softpoints as a source of brass..... around 80 cents /ea off the shelf at Cabela's for loaded ammo and is a bit more than the milsurp stuff, but is not corrosive, not magnetic, and reloadable.

Now if I can just find a good source of inexpensive .311 Sierra Gamekings...... Cabela's wants 32 bucks/100!
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I found a great place for brand new Lapua brass! $30 per 100! So far I've bought 300 of them.

https://www.store-p4kyluh.mybigcommerce.com/7-62-x-53r-7-62-x-54-russian/

As for lead a while back Wideners had .311" 150 grain FMJBT pulls on sale for $153 for 2500 shipped. I bought like 3 of them and have been running on those for a long, long time. Too bad, I'm finally getting low and they have them no more! I did find a place that sells a 1000 .310" 150 grainers for $125 + shipping.
http://www.polygunbag.com/bullets.html
 
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Well, shot it again, much better. Still not totally comfortable with the trigger, but, I feel more confident with it now. Shot surplus ammo this time, brass washed, MUCH easier extraction than the laquered modern made rounds were. I can see that this rifle will be shot a lot, it is simple, inexpensive fun. Love it.
After getting it nice and hot, cosmoline was beading on the wood and showing up in places I believed to be clean. Cleaned and cleaned again. Let it sit for a couple days and cleaned it some more. Enjoyed the entire process. These guns are very cool, and fun to shoot. Should have bought one sooner.
It is a nice enough gun, it is counter bored:(, but whatever. Now that I have some understanding (first hand), of what these guns are all about, I want more of em and better quality ones. Money isnt real tight, but every purchase is a consideration. So I will look around and try to find the best versions in the best condition possible. Thanks again guys, this gun has been a very interesting experience so far. First foray into the Milsurp world, won't be my last.
 
Since you have fired it, and like it I would suggest getting a slip on butt pad. It makes shooting it a whole lot more enjoyable. I have bony shoulders, and having a metal butt plate driven into them does not feel good after a few rounds.

Oh and as far as reloading for it goes. I reload for mine, and I have 2 double spam can crates of spam can ammo. It cost me more to reload for it. Though making reduced loads for Mrs. M&P makes it worth it. She is not recoil shy. She has past back, and neck injuries. If shooting the spam can, or full power loads after 5 or 10 shots she is ready to go home due to pain in her back, and neck. With the reduced loads she keeps telling me to buy more brass.
 
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Don't let Mrs M&P shoot your MN, even with with a butt pad. A neck injury is nothing to fool with. Even padded that round will provide a jolt. Let her shoot something milder. Good Luck!
 
DE she shoots it loaded with Trail Boss loads. It makes it like a .22 lr. The main part of her injury was 3 herniated thoractic disc, and strained muscles in her neck. That was about 12 years ago. She shoots it just fine with the reduced loads. In fact one of the rifles is hers. She keeps telling me to buy more brass for her rifle. It is the one I reload for the most. I have shot some warmer hand loads with decent results. Though for the most part for just me shooting I use the spam can stuff. I doubt it will run out in my life time.

Here is the video of me testing the Trail Boss loads for her rifle.

http://youtu.be/WQ0b9dsMlXE
 
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For all you guys who object to "corrosive" ammo, consider this. Every Mosin Nagant rifle is over 70 years old. Many are well over a hundred years old. All that has ever been shot in them was potassium salt primer (corrosive) ammo, and most of these rifles have been shot A LOT! If a hundred years of that stuff hasn't destroyed them, a few rounds at the range isn't going to either.
 
;) Everything was cheaper yesterday.

If you have a Big-5 store near you check it out often. I found two with bayonets and a bag of accessories for $69 ea. but it was a while back. I bought them for the wood but now I will just keep them for the holidays.

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....MJ....

200 yards. ;)

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Geeze, all the people complaing about the corrosive primers!!

You just have to clean them a little different. I never shoot any of my guns without cleaning them after the session, so I don't worry about it. The corrosive salts residue left behind are easily washed away with hot water. Just make sure you run an oily patch through after the barrel is dry.

P.S. I do reload for this caliber, but can still buy spam cans of surplus stuff at a cheaper cost. My rule is my reloads for accuracy, surplus for just plinking.
 
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