What would you do to a Mosin?

Exactly.
Just because it's a military weapon, and/or it's "old", doesn't make it a defacto "collectible" IMO.

18,000,000 of them manufactured. And let's face it, with so many "non-collectibles" available, why would one deface- and de-value, a true collectible as a project rifle?

Many are utilized just for their actions. And, one can always do "reversible" modifications that don't affect the value of the rifle. You can epoxy bed the receiver of even a collectible M28 into an aftermarket stock, with a Timney trigger, "extra" bent bolt body and a non-d&t scope mount like a J-Meck and make an already accurate rifle even more so at the range. Then, place it back in it's military stock in original condition in a matter of minutes.
 
Sporterize away if thats your thing, I dont think that there will be any shortage of them in our lifetimes. I choose to leave mine the way it is because I think it looks good and i'm not big on sporterized rifles, to each their own.
 
Mosin mods

You're on the right track but I would keep the costs to a minimum. Brass stacker scope mount W/LER scope, trigger mods, maybe new stock. That's it
 
nemesiss45 there is no argument really.
Trust me when I say I have chopped up a lot of cars into street rods and drag cars.
My point is if you can source a gun that has already been altered or damaged use that instead.
Being a collector of WW2 battle rifles and knowing that once they are modified there is no returning them to original.
Thinking back on some of the cars I've chopped up it pains me because I can see the beauty they once were and there is no way to restore that.
My last point is this.
Preserving these guns for the future generations in original condition.
As time goes by parts break and some of these rifles will be scavenged for parts to keep the nicer guns shooting. Sooner or later the only thing left will be in a safe of a collection or a museum.
The longer we can preserve these rifles in original condition the more generations can enjoy them for what they were not what we made then into.
The bottom line is it is your gun and you can do what you please.:)
 
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I completely respect that, and you make a good point about sourcing damaged rifles. I think I will try to take the route next time I want a project gun.
 
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Check on some of the collector boards and they can steer you in the right direction for U-Fix it type guns.
Also some of those guys have barreled actions and or stripped actions laying around they will part with.
Most of these old mil-surp rifles can be re-barreled into other more modern calibers.
 
There are currently (well, "in and out" of availability) "B" grade Mosin 91/30's that have not been re-arsenaled with new stocks and are a bit beaten up.

As far as using a "damaged" rifle, or parts gun, for a project, it's not really practical unless you're a machinist (or have a buddy that is) that can handle the re-barreling. With the know-how and access to a lathe, sky is the limit.

Unlike Mausers (for instance), there are no short-chambered barrels that can be fitted to an action and finish reaming/headspacing done without machining. IOW, you need a solid barreled action as the foundation for any "modded" build.

If the rifle does not have the original/correct bolt, there can be a headspace issue with a mis-matched bolthead.

Best bet is just to find a very common, re-arsenaled '43 Izhevsk 91/30 with a solid bore and start from there.
 
To me a Mosin isn't worth the effort but a German Mauser or an 03 Springfield is a prime candidate for the butcher knife.:D
 
pretty sure youre not going to find this funny , but sell it and buy a nice mauser............they are not even remotely similar in quality for the most part.....................LOUD
 
Back to my original post ....the aftermarket guys love you spending a ton of money on a Russian hatchet quality firearm. They made these things with the idea of someone who has never before had a pair of shoes with laces can be trained to point and fire until killed then another can do like wise. But we in our wisdom will try to make it into a custom beauty....all it takes is lotsa' money but you will still have Russian crude looking a bit nicer.
 
Mikey, I'm glad you have an opinion and enjoy your rifles. I can't afford to make a gunsmithing mistake on a Remington 700 or anything else. I wouldn't be comfortable taking risks with a "nice" gun. What I can do is take a crude service rifle and make it, if nothing else, a fancy crude service rifle and learn along the way. I'm willing to bet I can reduce the group size and comfort of use significantly while I'm at it too, which is really what the experience is all about. If I wanted a $500 rifle, I'd buy a Savage and call that the end of it. I want a $500 lesson.
 
but you will still have Russian crude looking a bit nicer
Click to expand...

Well, to each their own opinion.

But, there's at LEAST 505 dead men that wish Simo Hayha didn't have his Finn converted "Russian hatchet".

The "most confirmed kills" record that still stands, to this day.
 
Well, there's a lot of things you could do, but what you have planned definitely isn't one of them, as far as a good decision, seems to me.

The answer is sell it or shoot it as is.

I remember back in the 70s and 80s, there was no end in sight to the seemingly-infinite supply of dirt-cheap K31s and Swedish mausers, so people sporterized the heck out of them. Ditto for 1917s, 1914s, & 1903s.

Now these are all sky-high in value, and anyone who sporterized one just torpedoed the value of their investment (by spending MORE time and money). So anyone who says that that can't happen with Mosins doesn't understand that the world population is increasingly at an exponential rate, and no more will EVER be made. They WILL eventually be quite valuable.

Your $89 Mosin that you turn into a $150 Mosin by spending another $200 on doodads for it ($289 total investment), will still be worth $150 fifteen years from now, when it would otherwise have been worth $_____ had you just left it alone. The $______ there is at least $300, but could be as much as $500 or more. Suppose that number is $300. Since you wasted $200 to turn it into a $150 gun, the total net value you sacrificed is $200+$150 (difference between $300 would-have-been value, and $150 actual new value). For a total loss of $350. Not to mention that you harmed the historic nostalgic enjoyment for yourself, and/or other potential owners.

So why on earth would one hassle with time and money sporterizing one, which may or may not result in an accurate weapon (luck o' the draw), when you can go get a sure thing accurate and reliable weapon for no extra work, shorter, lighter, handier, more accurate, with bolt already turned down, with more usable safety, with scope mounts holes already in there, for $300 down at Academy & Walmart (Marlin XL7, Savis Axis or 200, etc.)?

Having said all that, it's YOUR property - do what you want to do! :)
 
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PLEASE sporterize the heck out of every one you can get!

means the ones I have will be worth more in the long run!:D

My generation did it to Mausers and Springfields (and anything else we could), but back then there were a couple of big differences. One was that you could build a sporter on a military Mauser as good as what factories were selling new, or better, and usually for less money. That has changed today.

Second, what we put into improving those rifles also improved their market value. Another thing that has changed today.

Third, we didn't have legions of budding milsurp collectors screaming at us how we were butchering valuable guns. They weren't around then, and the guns weren't valuable until after we got done sporterizing them!

Remember that nearly all those "rare, valuable", intact GI condition milsurp rifles today wouldn't BE rare or valuable if guys hadn't sporterized so many of them.
its your gun, PLEASE do what makes you happy with it.:D
 
As far as bubba-ing it goes; I'd resist the urge. However, if the shellac were flaking off, I'd turpentine it and restain it. Who wants to enjoy a rifle, hands-on, if one must get the vacuum cleaner out when one is done examining it?
 
Just keeping it in perspective...

1/2 million K-31's manufactured, and about the same number of 1896 Mauser long rifles.

Depending on the source, anywhere from 18,000,000 to twice that number of MN's were produced in Russia/Soviet Union and other eastern bloc countries, as well as China.
Something like a '43 Izhevsk 91/30 will never prove to be an "investment" comparable to these other weapons that were produced in such small (relative) quantities. JMO, I was wrong once before, or so my wife tells me...:D
 
I am working on a Mosin Nagant right now in 300 Win Mag.
The effort last night was squaring the recoil lug.
Some are 2.5 degrees off square and some are 2.8 degrees. I am making them 0 degrees for my next generation front pillar / recoil lug.
 

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I'm not sure what some of you guys would like me to learn sporterizing on if you think a Mosin is a bad idea? Heck, a Ruger 10/22 used would cost me more than my Mosin Nagant did.

That said, I have decided against a couple modifications, namely chopping down the barrel.

What I have decided to do instead:

ATI Monte Carlo Stock
Trigger Job (Might upgrade to Timney, not sure)
Bolt polishing
Bent bolt (probably buy an extra)
Recoil Absorption Device (RAD for short) of my own design
Brass Stacker Scout Scope Mount
Cerakote


Which means that if I ever wanted to go back to Stock Mosin, all I'd have to do would be to pull the stock out and put in a new bolt, and maybe refinish any parts I cerakote over if I'm really going for an original look.

It will at least be less destructive than some of my other plans.

Seriously, though, what are some other good gunsmithing platforms that I shouldn't be afraid to tinker with? Where is this site that supposedly sells broken military rifles cheaply?
 
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