Mosins are far from "junk", they had a 60+ year service life, saw action in some of the fiercest and most savage fighting in every weather from hot summers to Arctic blizzards. IMHO "sporterizing" an 1891 adopted design with some design features that are crude and awkward by our standards, that was manufactured and assembled under somewhat primitive conditions, destroying a bit of history...better to start with a recently manufactured modern action. And the 7.62x54R is the equal of 303 British, 30-40 Krag, 308, and any of a dozen commercial rounds.
Mosin nagant rechamber
- Thread starter nch_2018
- Start date
Unlicensed Dremel
Moderator
Exactly... I will concur: Far from junk, but not worth screwing with at all. T/C Contender in .357 max. Get a frame or barreled frame off gunbroker, and then get the barrel from Eabco, Bulberry, gunbroker, etc.
Gunplummer
New member
Clark, Are you making a new bolt head? I did a couple conversions and a lot of your feeding problems go away when the bolt recess is compatible with the cartridge rim. I did a couple to 30-40 Krag and they fed perfectly. I also made new ejectors to reach in on the smaller case. They are good guns to experiment on because they are cheap. Other than that, they really don't have much going for them as hunting rifle conversions. Once the laws allowed ammo into this country, most people lost interest in converting them. It is not something you want to pay someone else to do unless you have handfuls of money.
Slopemeno,
I can't see well enough for open sights, not since I was 40.
I keep rebuilding old Lyman 57 sights on old 22s, but I don't initiate it.
My right eye WILL focus through the 1X Leupold prismatic scope.
I think the best thing for MNs is a TIG welded bolt handle and an ATI scope mount.
Gunplummer,
I bought a quality of MN bolt heads and extractors off Ebay for evil experiments.
I opened up the bolt face with a hand ground bit for 45/70 and just shoot it single shot.
The 7mmRM, 300WM, and 30-30 work with the stock MN bolt face and extractor. I mill out the magazine and it works as a repeater.
I milled out the bolt head to get the extractor in tighter for the 223 and then just bend the extractor in tighter.
I shoot it as a single shot that ejects out the mag well.
This is actually less trouble than converting a 98 Mauser to 223.
I can't see well enough for open sights, not since I was 40.
I keep rebuilding old Lyman 57 sights on old 22s, but I don't initiate it.
My right eye WILL focus through the 1X Leupold prismatic scope.
I think the best thing for MNs is a TIG welded bolt handle and an ATI scope mount.
Gunplummer,
I bought a quality of MN bolt heads and extractors off Ebay for evil experiments.
I opened up the bolt face with a hand ground bit for 45/70 and just shoot it single shot.
The 7mmRM, 300WM, and 30-30 work with the stock MN bolt face and extractor. I mill out the magazine and it works as a repeater.
I milled out the bolt head to get the extractor in tighter for the 223 and then just bend the extractor in tighter.
I shoot it as a single shot that ejects out the mag well.
This is actually less trouble than converting a 98 Mauser to 223.
No question that a $300 Ruger American will be more accurate than even the Finn MN's...but that's never been what customizing rifles has EVER been about...
None of you owns a car (or a B.O.A.T.) that you've sunk in far more money than the pit is worth? We do it for the fun of it, for the hobby, for the escape into the shop for a few hours...
Or, even if a smith is paid, to have a truly unique rifle that never fails to draw second (and third) glances- as well as stop dead in their tracks- from shooters on the firing line trying to figure out "what the he** is that?" (especially with the telltale mag modified).
And yeah, when a competent smith (amateur or professional) re-barrels, trues the action, and works it over thoroughly it WILL outshoot said Ruger, albeit for more $$. Really, who thinks they can compare any milsurp firearm with a 70-100 year old barrel to a modern production rifle on a cost/accuracy basis alone?
But hey- Ruger Americans are outshooting Rem 700's costing more than twice as much out of the box...
As to Mr. Lowman's opinion...well, we all have one...
My guess is he's unaware that the Russians won the Biathlon in 1976 with one chambered in 6.5 x 54R...
Or, that the Finnish Defence Forces STILL use a Mosin-Nagant as a sniper/DM rifle, the TKIV 85. Oldest small arms still in use by a Military.
Perhaps he's just trolling...
Nice video with the scope mounts, Clark. That jig for aligning the mount for welding is ingenious.
None of you owns a car (or a B.O.A.T.) that you've sunk in far more money than the pit is worth? We do it for the fun of it, for the hobby, for the escape into the shop for a few hours...
Or, even if a smith is paid, to have a truly unique rifle that never fails to draw second (and third) glances- as well as stop dead in their tracks- from shooters on the firing line trying to figure out "what the he** is that?" (especially with the telltale mag modified).
And yeah, when a competent smith (amateur or professional) re-barrels, trues the action, and works it over thoroughly it WILL outshoot said Ruger, albeit for more $$. Really, who thinks they can compare any milsurp firearm with a 70-100 year old barrel to a modern production rifle on a cost/accuracy basis alone?
But hey- Ruger Americans are outshooting Rem 700's costing more than twice as much out of the box...
As to Mr. Lowman's opinion...well, we all have one...
My guess is he's unaware that the Russians won the Biathlon in 1976 with one chambered in 6.5 x 54R...
Or, that the Finnish Defence Forces STILL use a Mosin-Nagant as a sniper/DM rifle, the TKIV 85. Oldest small arms still in use by a Military.
Perhaps he's just trolling...
Nice video with the scope mounts, Clark. That jig for aligning the mount for welding is ingenious.
7.62x54r is not legal for deer in Indiana. Deer regs are terrible here minimum bullet diameter of .357" minimum case length of 1.16" and maximum case length of 1.8" so I'm limited to pistol cartridge rifles or wildcat rounds.
Here is a 1 minute video I made of my friend shooting an antelope buck with a Mosin Nagant with 180 gr Sierra.
He finished it off with my 380.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S7vdJVDSNQ
He finished it off with my 380.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S7vdJVDSNQ
aarondhgraham
New member
Either .357 Mag or .44 Mag would seem to be the practical choice,,,
Here's my thinking,,,
Choose the .357 Mag or .44 Mag,,,
Either would seem to be the practical choice.
Both are proven cartridges,,,
They're readily available anywhere,,,
They don't cost you an arm and a leg to shoot.
Then just buy the type of rifle you like and/or can afford.
Some high dollar rifle are the Ruger 77/357 or 77/44 rifles,,,
They MSRP at $969.00.
A medium price option would be any of the lever guns,,,
I've fired a Rossi that shot very nicely,,,
Thy run around $450.00 to $550.00.
A couple of cheaper options are the H&R or Rossi single-shot rifles,,,
The rifle itself runs around $250 plus a decent scope,,,
One could be outfitted nicely for $350 or so.
I'm all about ease and convenience,,,
I'll leave the custom rifle projects to you guys.
Aarond
.
Here's my thinking,,,
Choose the .357 Mag or .44 Mag,,,
Either would seem to be the practical choice.
Both are proven cartridges,,,
They're readily available anywhere,,,
They don't cost you an arm and a leg to shoot.
Then just buy the type of rifle you like and/or can afford.
Some high dollar rifle are the Ruger 77/357 or 77/44 rifles,,,
They MSRP at $969.00.
A medium price option would be any of the lever guns,,,
I've fired a Rossi that shot very nicely,,,
Thy run around $450.00 to $550.00.
A couple of cheaper options are the H&R or Rossi single-shot rifles,,,
The rifle itself runs around $250 plus a decent scope,,,
One could be outfitted nicely for $350 or so.
I'm all about ease and convenience,,,
I'll leave the custom rifle projects to you guys.
Aarond
.
tahunua001
New member
. why is this? would 7.62x25 also be illegal? you could use one of these.
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You're correct for the most part, except for the pesky little Indiana regulation that says the 7.62X54R isn't legal for Bambi. why is this? would 7.62x25 also be illegal? you could use one of these.
The regulations for a rifle are a minimum bullet of .357" diameter minimum case length of 1.16" and a maximum length of 1.8". Handgun regulations are 4" barrel minimum bullet diameter of .243" and minimum case length of 1.16" no maximum limit.
Gunplummer
New member
As most hunting rifle discussions go, the pro/con people are from different parts of the country. My first "Deer rifle" was a long, hex receiver Russian. Where I live the hunting is about straight up and down. (I live across from a State Park that averages one hiker a year dead from falling off the trails. We are up to two this year already.) The rifles you have pictured are really nice looking, but you would not want to hunt around here with them. I also had a sporterized Krag I hunted with. It was like carrying a '57 Pontiac axle around in the woods. I could not trade it off fast enough. If you are hunting where it is nothing but open ground and time/reaction mean nothing, I think you could use about anything. The real question is, would it be worth the change over? I have an Arisaka that I cut and welded for 7.62x39. It uses Ruger Mini 30 magazines and I have never had a missfeed yet. The point is: By the time I was done, the only original parts left were half the barrel, about 2/3ds of the receiver, and some small parts. At what point does a Russian rifle stop being one and become a custom put together? If you have to do that many changes to make it huntable, I would consider it a bad choice to start with.
A common misconception is that we are recquired to use straight walled cartridges. We can use bottleneck cartridges as long as they meet size recquirements.
Willie Lowman
New member
Nope. Wasn't aware. I'll probably never see one of those rifles either. Ken Block races in a heavily customized Ford Fiesta, does that mean the stock Fiesta is something special? No. Same for those custom rifles and the stock Mosin.
boltomatic
New member
If cost is important, I think you will be able to find a used rifle chambered in the caliber you prefer for significantly less than buying a mosin and having it re chambered.
Sorry I could not be more helpful, admittedly my knowledge of custom gunwork is limited but from what I do know it seems like you would be better of financially by going with a used .44 instead of having one custom built.
One more note, the prices of mosins has increased a lot around me, they used to be at gun shows for less than $100 but now I'm seeing even the junkiest ones sell for at least $150.
Sorry I could not be more helpful, admittedly my knowledge of custom gunwork is limited but from what I do know it seems like you would be better of financially by going with a used .44 instead of having one custom built.
One more note, the prices of mosins has increased a lot around me, they used to be at gun shows for less than $100 but now I'm seeing even the junkiest ones sell for at least $150.