What would you do to a Mosin?

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dakota.potts

New member
Just picked one up to learn about gun working and skills.

First step is to find time to clean the cosmo out.

After that will come some trigger and bolt work. Mostly polishing and buffing with sandpaper or maybe some stones.

Then among the list of plans is to chop the barrel down to maybe 20-24", get a lightweight stock on it, drill and tap for a scope mount, build a recoil absorption device (of my own design), and maybe (?) see if I can't get it threaded for a muzzle brake. I'm not sure because I'm imagining LOUD.

I'm sure there are a few things that I'm missing.

I have access to surface grinders, mills, and band saws at work but only novice skills on them. I could maybe get somebody to help me with some things but would generally like to stay away from any machining too advanced. Other machines I have but don't know how to use include lathes, presses, sanders, and miscellaneous other hand power tools.

Let me know what you guys would do or suggest! It's a learning experience but I'm also trying to build a halfway decent rifle. I'm expecting to sink some cost over just buying a rifle because I want to learn some workmanship.
 
I don't have a mosin but I think you need to add bending the bolt handle so it functions with a scope. Depending on how you plan on making the scope mounts and the length of the scope.
 
That's a good point, blindstitch. I wonder how hard it is to do. It's looking like that or a scout style LER scope which I'm not familiar with.
 
I bent the handle on mine, but it looks stupid. I will buy an after market angled handle, chop mine, and weld the new one on when I jave the time.
 
Don't bother bending the bolt handle, it's too short.
Replace it.

I had one of my Mosins cut to 22 inches, rear sight removed, re-stocked in Boyds wood, replaced the bolt handle with a Rock Solid extended handle, had a Rock Solid mount installed, light trigger work, and Duracoated.
Leupold glass on it.

Never be worth anywhere near the money it takes to do that.
Shoots adequately with surplus, no tack driver.
Another Mosin I only put a Boyds stock on outshoots it with iron sights.
It's a crap shoot, and the point about depending on imported ammo is a very good one.

I have 10 or 12 rounds of surplus socked away, but that stuff will not be available forever. :)
Denis
 
Invest $500 in a $99 rifle...but it won't shoot a bit better with commie ammo! I have three that nicely fill a previously empty corner and all the tags give them real character. Sorry but there are so many nice rifles out there that I never got the Mosin fever.
 
buy ammo and SHOOT IT...
Click to expand...
Thats what Id do.

The old military rifles are what they are, and Im just fine with that. Most shoot just fine as they come too. If I want/need something else, Id just go that route, and get exactly what I want right off. Its usually a lot easier and more cost effective to get there too.

It seems these days, many, if not most, seem to think rifles have to have a scope mounted to be effective, and iron sights are somehow less effective and/or desirable, and that couldnt be further from the truth.

The next thing you usually hear is, the stock is too short as well.

With iron sighted bolt guns, the straight bolts are much easier to operate, and quicker to operate, than the bent bolts. They also make carrying the gun by the balance easier.

Lots to be said for those old, stock military rifles. They are usually accurate and fun to shoot as well.
 
Don't Bubba it.

That what I would do to a Mosin.

It's not about "well there are millions of Mosins, who cares if I cut up just one!" it's more about you ruining what is a cool gun and dumping money into it to and all you've accomplished is lowering the gun's value and destroying it's coolness as a historical item.

JMHO.

YMMV.
 
What would I do to a Mosin?

Leave it on the used gun rack at the store. Nothing about that rifle appeals to me. IMO you'd be better off finding a bubbaed Mauser or 1903 to try and fix up.
 
I will never will understand why anyone would buy a 130.00, 80 year old milsurp rifle; spend 300.00 or more dollars on it and expect it to group like a modern day gun.
Save your money and buy a Saga or an AR.
Secondly these are historical pieces and each one has a story and a history if you know how to decode it.
 
Imo, if you want to practice gunsmithing, a $100 mosin is a good place to start. Sure, every old gun has a story, but there a piles upon piles of old mosins that all tell the same story. Sporterizing it adds a layer to that story, and if it is still around in 100 years, that story will be better than "it came out of a pile of abused milsup rifles and went in my safe". A cheap rifle that can be given a new life is what sporterizing is all about. I would not do it to a valuable gun... but you're not losing much on a mosin.
 
nemesiss45 sad to see such and attitude.
Yes there where millions of Mosin made and to some they look like just old junky guns but they do not all tell the same story.
If some one wants to learn gunsmithing find dealers that sell "U-FIX-IT" guns.
There are a number of web sites that sell milsurp and modern rifles that need repair.
In the long run you will spend about the same amount of money and learn a whole lot more.
This is a great way to learn and no destroy a piece of history.
 
Let me know what you guys would do or suggest! It's a learning experience but I'm also trying to build a halfway decent rifle. I'm expecting to sink some cost over just buying a rifle because I want to learn some workmanship.
Click to expand...

You hit the nail on the head. You can certainly purchase rifles that will be at least as accurate (and usually more so) for less than you're likely to sink into a MN "project".

But they're a great way to learn some basic gunsmithing (cutting/crowning, d&t scope mounts, receiver bedding, etc) without risking four figures if you screw it up.

I have customers that make no modifications, and others that are amateur smiths (some that even hire smiths) and modify receivers, boltfaces, and thread and chamber their own barrels onto actions that they true.

The "neat" part is ringing steel at 600 yards and having someone walk up to my bench, stare at the rifle for a minute or two, and ask "What type of rifle is that?" (Provided the telltale mag didn't give it away).

Point is, have fun, and learn.
 and for cripe's sake, don't expect much from surplus ammunition. Reload, or at least get decent factory ammo if you're serious about accuracy.
And for sure- no one mentioned the Timney trigger. A "must", although some guys modify Finn triggers. Disclaimer- don't ever mess with a trigger/sear engagement unless you absolutely know what the heck you're doing.

One of mine:



and, a couple of customers' guns:




 
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madmo44mag said:
nemesiss45 sad to see such and attitude.
Yes there where millions of Mosin made and to some they look like just old junky guns but they do not all tell the same story.
If some one wants to learn gunsmithing find dealers that sell "U-FIX-IT" guns.
There are a number of web sites that sell milsurp and modern rifles that need repair.
In the long run you will spend about the same amount of money and learn a whole lot more.
This is a great way to learn and no destroy a piece of history.
Click to expand...

I dont think its sad. its like building hotrods. some people restore cars to their original condition. Some people preserve cars as best they can without repairing them too much and destroying their original finish. Other people build hotrods, restoring a car while putting their own touches on it and making something one of a kind. I dont believe any of these things is ruining history. The same goes for guns. I have historical weapons i will not modify and i have a mosin that i keep as an ongoing project. it is my opinion that the value of protecting the originality of a firearm lies in the rarity of the gun. There are so many mosins, I think a few can be aforded a rebirth as a modern sporter. If you prefer to never modify a gun because it ruins the historical significance, thats fine, and if you cannot accept the validity of a persons choice to modify guns, there is no point in further discussing it, but thats just my opinion.
 
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