My First RIFLE Mosin Nagant PU sniper 1943 Izhevsk LOT OF PICS!

[30cal_Fun]

Hello everyone,

First of all; It good to be a member of this forum. I have allways been interested in arms of any kind (especially firearms) and the past 2 years have been a member of a local firearms club. there's a lot of knowledge and experience here which I have learned a lot from.
Thanks Everyone!

I bought my first rifle a few months ago when I finaly got my licence (here in Holland it takes at least 1,5 years from joining a range and club before you can buy a firearm). the rifle shoots great, the rifling is very strong, and the rifle is very forgiving.
The corrosive ammo (Chech 67 silvertip steelcore, berdan primed) can be a pain in the butt to clean, but I've gotten pretty handy with copper brush and Ballistol

Its a 1943 Izhevsk PU sniper. the first time I went to the range with my new rifle (after getting the scope zeroed and the barrel warmed up), even though it was winter and raining wet snow , I shot a 2 MOA group with the Chech surplus, it made my day.
(my feet were soaking wet and I had no feeling in my fingers left )
I suspect it was first an ordinary infantry rifle that was build up with a mount and scope, and it has been re-crowned as well, but it shoots great.

Right now I have more of a chin weld than a cheek weld, but I plan on putting something on it, any tips?, I heard an Eagle Cheek pad works well.
I see now that I can only upload three pictures at a time, so more will follow!

Enjoy the pics and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!, Louis

 

[30cal_Fun]

Here are some more pics, enjoy

 

[30cal_Fun]

and some more

 

[30cal_Fun]

and the last ones

Does anyone else here have a mosin nagant? (any type, year, arsenal or shape)
Let's them If you have em

Cheers, Louis

 

[jsmaye]

I find that corrosive ammo is not that much harder to clean after than regular, only that you have to use a water-based cleaner (or water) at some point to dissolve the salts - normal solvents won't work.

I was given an M91/38 a few years back, and that started my whole military surplus collection. Without really trying I've wound up with three Mosins - the afore-mentioned 91/38 and two run-of-the-mill 91/30s.

 

[30cal_Fun]

Nice pictures and nice rifles.

I used to run hot water thru the barrel and on the bolt and keep doing that for about 30 minutes (than clean regularly). First I used Break-free, but now I use Balistol, I spray it in the barrel and bolt and let it stand for 30 minutes, than I just use patches and the copper brush to clean it as usual, works excelent!

Balistol is probably not very well know outside of Europe (never heard of anyone here using it), but it desolves, cleans, oils, lubricates, and even protects the wood and leather (it even desinfacts, you can even use it on furr)
I doesn't have an ingredient list, but the charactaristics seem to be a combination of WD40, Hoppes nr9, vaseline and regular fine gun oil.

btw: you seem to have done a lot of work on the bottom mosin, I am thinking of bedding mine, have you bedded that one?

Louis

 

[kilimanjaro]

I'm a clean freak, so this may be more work than it needs to be, but I fill a Windex bottle with 50% water, 50% Windex, and a little ammonia. When all the windex is gone, I just use ammonia, it's much less in cost. Plug bore and spray down the bolt, interior of receiver, and chamber, as well as the barrel. Let sit for a bit, then clean with patches and Q-tips, then run brush through the barrel about 15 times, then patches, repeat brush, then patches until squeaky clean. Lightly oil all surfaces and put in storage. This is all done immediately upon getting home from the range or field. In the field, spray with some of the same solution and let it sit on the drive home, then clean it at home. Do not let the rifle sit even for a day.

That's for old corrosive, or suspected corrosive, ammunition. Generally, I've stopped using surplus except for 8mm, though. The rifles may be inexpensive, but they cost too much to take the risk of corrosion.

Got 2 M44s, both nice clean Izhevsk pieces, a Tula M38, and 3 M91/30s, all nice rifles. One of the M91's is all matching, the others are force-matched. The carbines are all matching. I'll get more M44s, I think they are going to be good collectibles and appreciate like the RC Mausers.

 

[p99guy]

I use Balistol...it was good enough for the German Army in two wars, and could be used as an antiseptic as well (they thought of everything)

I have had a total of 4 Mosins, and still have two....A East German issued M44 carbine, and a 91/30 sniper like yours.

 

[30cal_Fun]

I think It would be better to name the things Balistol can't do

BEAUTIFUL RIFLE!
I love the colours on the stock, it's almost like a natural camo. and a nice background too, it seems that rifles just love to play outdoors on pictures a gun in the snow or woods makes for a beautiful picture.
How does she shoot? I get around 2 MOA if I do my part, but I've one been able to shoot it twice. It looks like an original one, I hope it isn't bubba'd in any way. mine was originally an infantry rifle that was converted at some point to a sniper-model, but I didn't know that when I bought it. I was looking for a shooter anyway, yours seems completely authentic though.

Can you post more pics please especialy of any stamps on the barrel/receiver asembly, I have a hard time identifying mine.

Thanks, Louis

btw: how can I get to show pictures directly in the post like yours and not as an attachment, I can't find the clue for that.

 

[jsmaye]

btw: you seem to have done a lot of work on the bottom mosin, I am thinking of bedding mine, have you bedded that one?

No, I just removed the old shellac and re-stained it and sealed it with a satin poly-urethane finish. I bead blasted the metal parts and re-blued them with a commercial hot-bluing system. The pictures are from last summer - I've since removed the slip-on pad and replaced it with one that replaces the original metal butt plate.

 

[olyinaz]

Nice rifle and great pics! Welcome to The Firing Line.

And thanks for the tip on Ballistol. I had heard of it but I had NO idea that the stuff was not a petro chemical and neutralizes corrosive salts from corrosive ammo. This is really great!

Cheers,
Oly

 

[30cal_Fun]

Thanks!

I was a bit sceptical at first too, but it seems to do every job of claining and maintaining a firearm just fine, no different stuff for corrosive ammo needed makes cleaning corrosive ammo no different than regular ammo

How common is Balistol in the US? I've heard almost nothing of it on overseas forums, here in Europe everyone has been using it for decades. can you buy it anywhere there?
(First Break-Free was more common here because the military used it for some time, but thats long gone. )

Im interested how you clean any firearm, theres always something to learn.

take care, Louis

 

[olyinaz]

How common is Balistol in the US? I've heard almost nothing of it on overseas forums, here in Europe everyone has been using it for decades. Can you buy it anywhere there?

I honestly have no clue where I'd find it locally but I'm going to look for it.

It's easy to get by mail off of the internet, however, (Amazon, Midway, etc. etc.) so I've already ordered some. Really looking forward to trying it!

Hey I looked at a rifle like yours in one of my local sporting goods stores in Tucson today. Unfortunately they bugger 'em up over here with some really ugly electro-pencil importer markings on the receiver (U.S. import laws). That said I really liked it and were they not asking $500 for it (seems a bit steep to me) I'd have gotten one just to join the Mosin crowd.

I'll be keeping my eyes peeled!

Best,
Oly

 

[30cal_Fun]

It will work fine, I've never regreated it!
how much did you pay for it in the end btw? for a rifle like mine costing around 450,- in the US seems good (If it would be an original sniper 700-800 would be good)

How I do my cleaning(with corrosive surplus ammo):
I put PLENTY of soft paper (and something under it, like newspaper) on the ground and put the rifle muzzle down on the paper (be careful not to damage the muzzle) then I spray plenty of balistol down the barrel, in the receiver, and on the bolt face. I let it soak for 30-60 minutes. then I clean as normal with the copper brush, patches and balistol untill the patches come out clean

I Usually push the copper brush (again with some balistol on it) about 6 times thru the barrel and then about 2 patches. I have to repeat that process around 4 times before the patches come out allmost clean. but it was a whole lot more when I cleaned it the first time.
I wouldn't use Break-Free btw. It doesn't work nearly as good.

but living in the USA you do have an advatage over Europe as for choise, other time proven recipies like Hoppes nr.9 are very dificult to find out her (except for ordering it of course like you )

well, Have fun with your new rifle!
and good luck with the cleaning (let me know if you have any trouble cleaning, I'll be happy to help, surplus firearms can be a pain in the but to clean sometimes)

let us know how she shoots! and if you have any pics, please show em

 

[kilimanjaro]

An original sniper would be nice to see, so far I've seen only the $100 Mosin-Nagant rifles with $129 in mount and repro scope attached, with electric pencil numbering all over the things, for $450 and $500...looks like the Bolsheviks know what capitalism is all about.

 

[bop]

Nice weapon ! It"s young folks like you that give me hope for our future. Your patience is to be honored. Thanks for the info on BALISTOL to clean these wonders with. Good luck! And great pic's.

 

[30cal_Fun]

Thanks bop!
Im young (20 years old) so there is still a lot for me to learn.

In Holland there is still pretty much a tabboo on shooting, most don't really see it as a sport. If you say you shoot (even when emphasizing its at paper targets) people often react by thinking your aggresive and violent .
Very strange considiring the fact that shooting is (one of) the safest sport here because of all the rules, regulations and random police checks. In 40 years there hasn't been a serious accident at my shooting club.
The government doesn't maintain any shooting ranges (except military) so clubs are on their own to create oppertunities.
all this means there isn't a shooting-culture like in the US. there is hardly a handfull of people at my club that have some real knowledge and experience with things like handloading.

So Im very grateful there are forums like this where there is so much knowledge and experience about firearms, ammunition and everything that has to do with it. I have only recently become a member of this forum, but in the past years I've been intersted in firearms I've really learned a lot from everyone around here.

Thanks and take care, Louis

 

[KEN K]

Interesting to hear about gun regulations and attitudes from other countries, some times I forget how much freedom we have hear in the U. S. We tend to take things for granted and do a lot of complaining about the few resrtictions we do have.

 

[Fullthrottle]

Still too many restrictions Ken!....yes it could be worse(maybe will soon) but that is a topic for a different thread in this forum!


ON TOPIC:
Welcome here 30cal.fun, I just purchased my first C&R Mosin Nagant M38. What fun it is to clean the cosmoline!sarcasm

Then again at least it did help protect the gun for 60+yrs. My MN is a 1944r Izzy M38. Matching#s....soon to be fired!

 

[Tracerdee]

Congrats on the rifle. I have a 91/30 I like very much except for the sights being regulated at about 300 meters! Concerning Ballistol, its relatively common here in the midwest and I use it when shooting corrosive ammo and black powder guns with zero problems. We call it moose milk because it looks like milk when mixed with water. Doesn't smell the same however and its wonderful stuff. If I were you I would continue to use the stuff, easily to use and it works. T