Mossberg 44US From CMP

L

Lionheart

New member
I just received a Mossberg Model 44 US from CMP. No magazine and the trigger guard was busted as they said. Also, mine was missing the hood for the front sight. Wood had a few dings but cleaned up nice with Murphy's soap and boiled linseed oil. Metal had some scratches. The bore looks pristine, but one of the extractors seems to be worn, one is angled and the other is kind of rounded over!!??

I decided to order a more expensive aluminum trigger guard from Brownell's instead of another plastic one from Numrich or The Mossberg owners group. The latter run about $14 or $15 plus postage and the aluminum I got for $36 or $37 (have to check the invoice) but that included shipping by US priority mail. It arrived in no time and fit in real nice. (Also gets me a Brownell's catalog and the order taker was real nice to deal with.)

The aluminum version doesn't have the finger grooves like the original Mossberg ones, but that doesn't bother me.

The problem with the original guards is that the screw holes in the guard don't marry up with the screw holes in the stock, so the guard is always under tension and it's no wonder they break. I extened the slot in the front of the guard back to the screw hole by grinding away some of the plastic with my Dremmel. I may try to fix the old plastic guard with some epoxy.

I ordered a hood for the sight and a magazine from Numrich. Expect they'll arrive in a few days. More when they do.

I really had to look around for this stuff and put off getting the M44 cuz I was afraid of having to scrounge for parts, but, all in all, this looks like a nice rifle for $75 plus the handling (heavy son-of-a-gun) and wasn't all that much of a hassle.

Just thought you all would like to know.

I'm thinking about putting a scope on it and I'm wondering if anybody has any suggestions or experience with scoping a M44US?
 
I'd not use a scope on this gun. If you want to put one on, I'd suggest you stay away from those "Air Gun / 22" type scopes. I haven't checked my Mossberg lately but I don't think it has the standard grooves for mounting a scope. I'd be really leary of drilling holes in the gun just to put a scope on it. I really like the iron sights myself.

Try Havlin Sales for parts. I got my trigger-guard through them. It even has the finger grooves.
 
Thanks, Badger.
I appreciate the scope comments.
I looked at Havlin, and their prices for some of the parts seem a bit better. I bought the trigger guard from Brownell's because I wanted the aluminum more than I wanted the finger grooves, even though it means the rifle is no longer "as issued."
I ordered the hood from Numrich cuz I didn't see it anywhere else and thought while I was at I might as well order the magazine at the same time and save some handling costs. Also, they ship US postal service which means I don't have to play tag with UPS.
My next move, I think, will be to join the Mossberg owners' group.
 
Re: extractors.

Your extractors are not damaged. The right one should be hooked. The left one should be rounded to permit the shell to cam it out during the ejection process.
Sounds like a good candidate for bedding the action.
 
Good news on the extractors, thanks.

I put in a spent case to keep from peening the chamber during a dry fire and the ejection seems fine. Course, I didn't know if that would still be the case with a live fire. Havlin or Numrich was offering extractors and I thought that might be a flaw, similar to the plastic trigger guards being prone to break.

Bedding is a possibility. I'm counting on the gun being a shooter. I like the weight, and, was mulling over the possibility of adding a scope, which Badger voted against. At this point, I'd just like to find the time to get a few rounds off and see how it shoots.

There's a gunsmithing school in Pittsburgh that I'd love to enroll in, but it's way expensive.

I really think this rifle was a good buy.
Nothing fancy, just solid.
Like its owner. :D
 
WOW, those are STOUT extractors at that. Mine were the same way. Checked the receiver and, yes, I'd still recommend not trying to mount a scope. As far as glass bedding goes, I'd also stay away from this. Barrel diameter is more important on rimfires. If you would like to bed it, you'd have to full-length bed the barrel due to the design of the stock and attachment to the action.
 
Scope a M44US

Check the Smallbore forum at http://www.jouster.com - they have some discussion about a scope mount that uses the existing peep sight screw holes on the left side of the receiver. I haven't tried it, so I don't know if it's a good one.

Regards.
 
hmm, I was eyeballing them at the CMP site a while ago... It caught my attention because I have a Mossberg 144 LSB.

Does anyone know anything about that version? I see stuff for the 144 but no info for what the deal is with the "LSB"....
 
Here's a photo of the Scope Mount I found SOMEWHERE on the internet. Not my picture.
 

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You might check with the Mossberg owners' group.
Check you rear sight: If it says Lyman on it somewhere, the "LS" probably designates special Lyman sights that were installed on some models. If not, does your gun have a left-handed bolt? Mossberg used an "L" to designate "left-handed" when it offers such models. The "B" might just indicated improvements made to the original 144, which appears to me to be pretty similar to the 44US from CMP. Might be a civilian model, as military ones my have a different trigger or somesuch.

Meanwhile, my magazine and front-sight hood arrived from Numrich. There's a little screw in the bottom of the mag, which, I guess, allows you to insert the mag and fire single-shot, but it seems I saw another explanation for the screw somewhere, so I'll have to check the archives here and check the Numrich website again. More important, does anyone know how the hood needs to be installed? I thought it would just slip over the front sight, but it's real wobbly and I'm wondering if I'm just not doing it right or if it needs to be attached by a gunsmith.
 
FWIW

Had a chance to check Brownell's website and found out what the screw is for in the Model 44 magazine:

"The full length thumb screw ... threads through the baseplate and extends up, through the follower. Keeps .22 shorts from nosing over and jamming. Remove screw for shooting .22 long and long rifle."
 
7

You might check with the Mossberg owners' group.
Check you rear sight: If it says Lyman on it somewhere, the "LS" probably designates special Lyman sights that were installed on some models. If not, does your gun have a left-handed bolt? Mossberg used an "L" to designate "left-handed" when it offers such models. The "B" might just indicated improvements made to the original 144, which appears to me to be pretty similar to the 44US from CMP. Might be a civilian model, as military ones my have a different trigger or somesuch.
Click to expand...

Lionheart, yes, it does have lyman sights :)

thanks for the feedback!
 
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