The Mosin Nagant- The LAST Great Deal In Surplus Firearms (Review)

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Liberty's Teeth

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Here is a quick review of the Mosin. Inexpensive, reliable, accurate, and fun are some terms that can be used to describe the Mosin Nagant m91/30. It is currently the last great deal in military surplus firearms, but buying a rifle with a 125 year old design is not without it's drawbacks. This video explains what makes it fun, what it doesn't do well, what to expect and where to buy it.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrKAHkBXs_k
 
The video says that wartime M/N did not have the cartridge interruptor and will suffer rimlock. I have never seen a Mosin Nagant without the interruptor, it is part of the ejector. I have never had rimlock with a properly cleaned and maintained Mosin Nagant. I lost interest at this point.

What's with the sunglasses?
 
I know the thing about the sunglasses,
watch him, he always looks forward, never at the gun..

HE IS BLIND!!
 
Inexpensive, reliable, accurate, and fun are some terms that can be used to describe the Mosin Nagant m91/30
Click to expand...
I'm sorry but I will never look at a standard run of the mill 91/30 as accurate and will never describe one as such. of course there are VERY FEW exceptions but the majority are quite inaccurate even when gauged by other military arms of the time. I have owned and shot multiple springfields of all vintages, enfields, Arisakas, mosins and even an MAS36 and the Mosins are all right at the bottom averaging about 4 MOA.

the inexpensive part is starting to rapidly fade away. I have not seen a sub $150 mosin nagant in over a year now with the average trending towards $200. for the price of accurizing a mosin nagant I could just go out any buy a ruger american that can already outshoot the mosin without having to also worry about sporterizing as well.

they do shoot dirt cheap surplus ammo but even that is starting to disappear. people once regarded the $90 SKS and it's dirt cheap(cheaper than 22lr in the 90s) 7.62x39mm ammo in the same way and yet now all that surplus is gone and SKS average $400 depending on condition and origin.
 
Mosin Nagant

I thought I had to have one of these, and held out for the superior Finnish version--a model 39. It was accurate--at least the equal of my Springfield and 1917 Enfield--but the bolt operation is clumsy and just doesn't have that good feel to it that the aforementioned guns have, and certainly nowhere near the silky smooth feel of my Krag or even a Lee Enfield. I traded it for a muzzleloader and now declare myself cured of the Moison disease.
 
Tahunua, I think "accurate" in regards to the Mosin is very loosely stated.

Obviously its not a tack-driver or competition rifle. For me that is the only downside of the Mosins, but I never expect them to be accurate to begin with. I'm happy I can hit soda cans and wine bottles up to 40yards with open sights on my M44. Asking anything more from a crude and outdated design is not in my expectations of this cheap rifle.

The barrels alone are too crude in most Mosins to expect any kind of MOA accuracy. But I shoot them for fun and practice anyways. The muzzle blast from the M44 is entertaining..
 
Been discussed before, some, like the Finn M28's and M39's, can be "accurate" in comparison to any bolt action milsurp. Tighter tolerances, better quality translate to a more accurate rifle.

Others can be quite accurate- with the "normal" work you'd do to any other modern rifle. Having the action flopping around in a worn 75 year old stock will make any rifle inaccurate, as will a lousy trigger.

Pillars, and an epoxy bedded receiver, free-floated barrel and a Timney trigger when combined with a GOOD BORE and crown- and handloads- they're capable of minute of angle or better. Chopping and re-crowning the long skinny military barrels often helps as well.

As you can see from my sig, I'm a bit of a fan...but I have no illusions. I still prefer my Savages at 1000 yards ;)

The milsurp ammo is not "match" by anyone's stretch of the imagination. Good for cheap plinking, close-range hunting, and self-defense- not target.

200 yards, 174 SMK over 43.5 of Varget:

 
Been discussed before, some, like the Finn M28's and M39's, can be "accurate" in comparison to any bolt action milsurp. Tighter tolerances, better quality translate to a more accurate rifle.

Others can be quite accurate- with the "normal" work you'd do to any other modern rifle. Having the action flopping around in a worn 75 year old stock will make any rifle inaccurate, as will a lousy trigger.

Pillars, and an epoxy bedded receiver, free-floated barrel and a Timney trigger when combined with a GOOD BORE and crown- and handloads- they're capable of minute of angle or better. Chopping and re-crowning the long skinny military barrels often helps as well.

As you can see from my sig, I'm a bit of a fan...but I have no illusions. I still prefer my Savages at 1000 yards

The milsurp ammo is not "match" by anyone's stretch of the imagination. Good for cheap plinking, close-range hunting, and self-defense- not target.

200 yards, 174 SMK over 43.5 of Varget:
Click to expand...
tobnpr you make a good point however the OP was insinuating that the M91/30, not fin M39s are accurate now, right out of the crate. not after $200 of accurization work. after that work, they also do not fit in with his description of cheap/affordable as they rival MOA guaranteed budget brand rifles like the Ruger american and Weatherby Vanguard for price.

also, I would not use surplus ammo for hunting anything larger than racoons and skunks, lack of expansion causes serious problems with lost game animals.
 
Absolutely agree. But if you can DIY, most of the mods are simple- and free ('cept of course the Timney). Paying a smith, though, would be foolhardy.
They do make a "fun" project...

Some guys are nutz these days. There's one of those UK-59 barrels for sale online now, bid's over $300 and it ain't over yet... they take a TON of work- more than a match blank would, and more expensive.
 
Question:

I have an old Mosin Nagant (im guessing ww2 era, never can remember). I've been told on the older models shoot more accurately if you flip the bayonet up, like a counter balance or something, is this true? I haven't really noticed a difference (then again, the rifle is pretty inaccurate on its own, I haven't put the money into it that it needs). The rifle maybe set me back like, 75 bucks when I got it, so its not a huge problem. It's gorgeous though, beautiful wood.
 
Some say that...
Barrel harmonics would change with the bayonet attached (or flipped open/out on a carbine). Could be better, could be worse...

Some just won't shoot well. If the bore's pitted, worn out, chamber shot, etc. doesn't matter what else you do, it's not going to shoot well.
 
Last I checked (its been months, but I store it properly) The barrel was in pristine condition, I guess I got lucky. I'll have to do a little more research, but what you were saying makes sense to me. Either way, thanks for the information!
 
I am not a fan but I have seen plenty of MN's be exactly as he described. Paper plate or better at 100 yards.

Guy does a decent review and all he gets is flack.

OP - Loose the shades.
 
After shooting corrosive ammo, I hope no one minds if I take a whiz down the barrel :)
 
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Depends on your eyes...
I can hit a plate at 1000 with an optic...but the broad side of a barn with irons :)
 
Some say that...
Barrel harmonics would change with the bayonet attached (or flipped open/out on a carbine). Could be better, could be worse...
Click to expand...

From what I've heard the 91/30's were designed as Spear/Pike's that hold 5 rounds of ammunition. Apparently the rifles were zero'd with the bayonet's attached for this reason.
 
Really? That's actually pretty awesome! Thanks for the info, now I won't feel so goofy for shooting it with the spike out.
 
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