Finally picked up a Mosin Nagant...

[Sooter76]

So I finally broke down and picked up a Mosin Nagant... it’s a 1945 Tula build, so I’m guessing it was one of the last to be produced in the Soviet Union and probably saw little if any action during the war. I’ve never really liked the Mosin Nagant, but being a history nerd I wanted at least one example of the main arm used by all the major powers in the European theatre. I just find it an ugly rifle with a spotty reputation for accuracy. Still, overall this one is very nice. While the receiver is a bit rough, the barrel has strong grooves and the sights are pretty nice considering they're V-notch. They’re certainly better than my AK iron sights. The bolt is actually surprisingly smooth and the trigger isn’t that bad. It’s certainly better than the one on my M48 Mauser. And that’s presumably still with cosmoline coating it. The barrel is still coated in cosmoline, but most of the rest of it seems to have been cleaned and it does a couple of small surface rust spots on the bolt handle.

Maybe this rifle will change my mind on the Mosin once I get it out to the range... But that probably won’t be for a few months.

 

[Spblademaker]

I love my Mosin M44. Huge flame out of the muzzle and nasty loud. Shoots minute of groundhog. Hope you enjoy yours.

 

[TonyTheTiger]

I think most of the MN's poor accuracy reputation comes from the surplus ammo most people are putting through them. Of the 30 or so different old military rifle designs I've shot they all are between 2.5-5 MOA guns from one lot of surplus ammo to the next, with Mosins being very average. This includes M1's and 1903's. They just get a better reputation because the people who own them have more invested in them and tend to feed them better.
The only exceptions to my mil rifle+surplus ammo=bad groups rule are Swedish Mausers and the Swiss rifles. My Swedish M38 would get slightly under 2 MOA regularly and my K31 has shot so many 1" groups in front of witnesses that it started a collector cult in my neighborhood.

 

[kraigWY]

I think Tony is right. I havent shot any surplus crap in mine (or any of my rifles. I reload using Winchester brass and it shoots great. It's not a M1903 but for what it is, it's good.

 

[sandwarrior]

IMO, the Tula is a bit better. Although a lot of Mosin accuracy nuts are fine with the corn-cob finish of the Ishesvk's. I had one of each that with my handloads using Norma Brass and Hornady 174's, would both consistently punch under 2" groups @ 100. I had one spam-can that shot under 4" and one that almost shot as good as my loads. And a small quantity of 182 gr. match that shot as good as my handloads.

With that in mind, you aren't going to win any competitions, I don't think.

 

[predator308]

@shooter73 Picture would be nice.I agree with you the iron sight are pretty nice.

 

[Sooter76]

I won’t shoot surplus. I’ll handload for it as I do for all my guns minus my AK and 9mm. Once I get it out to find out how it shoots I’ll look into shimming it for better accuracy if need be. I’d like to have one essentially stock and another to set up as a reproduction sniper if I can find one with suitable accuracy...

What size bullets do you find give the best accuracy?

 

[sandwarrior]

I won’t shoot surplus. I’ll handload for it as I do for all my guns minus my AK and 9mm. Once I get it out to find out how it shoots I’ll look into shimming it for better accuracy if need be. I’d like to have one essentially stock and another to set up as a reproduction sniper if I can find one with suitable accuracy...

What size bullets do you find give the best accuracy?

182's. If you can't find those, 174's.

 

[Forgetful Coyote]

Anybody ever run the "Soviet Extra Match"(wording?) ammo? Supposed to be the best x54r out there..

 

[steve123]

So I finally broke down and picked up a Mosin Nagant... it’s a 1945 Tula build, so I’m guessing it was one of the last to be produced in the Soviet Union and probably saw little if any action during the war. I’ve never really liked the Mosin Nagant, but being a history nerd I wanted at least one example of the main arm used by all the major powers in the European theatre. I just find it an ugly rifle with a spotty reputation for accuracy. Still, overall this one is very nice. While the receiver is a bit rough, the barrel has strong grooves and the sights are pretty nice considering they're V-notch. They’re certainly better than my AK iron sights. The bolt is actually surprisingly smooth and the trigger isn’t that bad. It’s certainly better than the one on my M48 Mauser. And that’s presumably still with cosmoline coating it. The barrel is still coated in cosmoline, but most of the rest of it seems to have been cleaned and it does a couple of small surface rust spots on the bolt handle.

Maybe this rifle will change my mind on the Mosin once I get it out to the range... But that probably won’t be for a few months.

I came around.

I used to get a kick out of these MN threads and had wondered why on earth anybody would want one of these so called POS's.

Then some friends started having old iron rifle shoots. I bought various old vintage rifles and competed with them, we shot all kinds of old rifles.

An opportunity came up to get a MN at a good price so I bought it. Same old story with the crappy milsurp ammo. 4-5" groups at 100Y. I got pissed and put it away.

The next year in some down time I bought dies and some 174SMK's for the MN. MY first group at 100Y was about 2", so my eyes opened a bit right then.

At a later date we were shooting our old rifles at a 200 meter chicken silhouette off bags. I rarely missed it and wasn't able to do better that day with the nicer vintage rifle that had irons.

I knew a guy that built very nice custom MN's. A few of his would shoot really well, like in the 1/2" range with a scope mounted. That stopped my previous distaste for the MN's.

Apparently I might have possibly been off with my preconceived notions about MN's, lol.

 

[ShortShooter1908]

I have a Finnish M39. I like the stock a lot better on it rather than the 91/30. Trigger is head and shoulders above the Russian as well.

 

[TonyTheTiger]

I have a Finnish M39. I like the stock a lot better on it rather than the 91/30. Trigger is head and shoulders above the Russian as well.

Weirdly enough my 91/30 trigger is way better than my M39. The Finn has it beat in all other aspects though.

 

[ShortShooter1908]

Weirdly enough my 91/30 trigger is way better than my M39. The Finn has it beat in all other aspects though.

I'll admit the first stage is looooong, but it breaks clean.

 

[asbestosglove1]

I have a new 1946 dated Izvehsk M44. We ring steel at 500 with surplus no worries. The $10 NC Star bolt on comp makes it a real pussycat. Not for purists, I know.

 

[sandwarrior]

I came around.

I used to get a kick out of these MN threads and had wondered why on earth anybody would want one of these so called POS's.

Then some friends started having old iron rifle shoots. I bought various old vintage rifles and competed with them, we shot all kinds of old rifles.

An opportunity came up to get a MN at a good price so I bought it. Same old story with the crappy milsurp ammo. 4-5" groups at 100Y. I got pissed and put it away.

The next year in some down time I bought dies and some 174SMK's for the MN. MY first group at 100Y was about 2", so my eyes opened a bit right then.

At a later date we were shooting our old rifles at a 200 meter chicken silhouette off bags. I rarely missed it and wasn't able to do better that day with the nicer vintage rifle that had irons.

I knew a guy that built very nice custom MN's. A few of his would shoot really well, like in the 1/2" range with a scope mounted. That stopped my previous distaste for the MN's.

Apparently I might have possibly been off with my preconceived notions about MN's, lol.

As stated above, one thing that gave these such a bad reputation was the first ones to come over were the worst ones. The last group to come over were the best ones.

They have their quirks, that's for sure. But the right amount of attention with a good barrel can get these shooting decently.

 

[kraigWY]

As a CSM MI I figured I'd be instructing clinics with people using Mosin's so I should figure out how to shoot them. Cabelas had a father's day sale selling them for $99. I went through a bunch with a bore light tell I found one I liked. I refused to buy the cheap surplus ammo, and Nosler had the only brass I could find. I found some loaded Wincherters 174s that were cheaper then the Nosler Brass. I started out with 300 rounds of the loaded Wincester and a set of dies.

Found out the Winchester shot quite will. So did the Winchester brass reloaded. I aslo fount that the Mosin is a good canidate for cast bullets.

Frankly I found the Mosin to be a fairly good shooter, not a Model 1903A3 but then again few guns are.

I think the biggest problem with the Mosin #1, People use crap ammo, #2: People dont take time to learn to shoot it. All guns have their quirks. you learn to work around those quirks, you end up with a fair shooter.

What I liked about the Mosin it allows people with modist means to get involved in compitition. Though the prices I've seen lately, maybe that benifit isnt there.

Some people say they have a lot of recoil, I havent noticed that its any different then other surplus military rifle, but at the CMP GSM matches where you only shoot 200 yards, you dont have to load them hot.

Anyway, I still like mine and still shot it. I just stay away from crap ammo.

 

[Sooter76]

Picked up a trigger pull gauge... The trigger pull on the Mosin varies between 5.5lbs and just over 7lbs over 6 pulls. Very inconsistent, but still better than my M48 which didn’t break until the scale bottomed out.