Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Serenity on December 21, 2010, 12:24:52 AM
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Well, my initial plan was always to make my first purchase a Springfield Armory M1A, but not only is that out of my price range, but I realized I might want to cut my teeth on a cheaper piece of equipment until I'm familiar with maintenance, etc. I've decided to go with a Mosin Nagant as they are common, cheap, and I can afford to botch maintenance on it and get a new one.
I'm currently researching care and maintenance on the Nagant, but I was wondering if any of the gun owners here had any advice for a first-time owner. The local Cabellas has a rack full of pre-owned Nagants for about $120 each, so that's where I will probably be going. From my research, Texas does not require a permit or registration to purchase a rifle, and all of my google searches on Texas Gun Laws have not turned up any other necessary paperwork, so I'm assuming I can just walk in with ID and buy the rifle.
Is there anything in particular I should look at while picking out which individual Nagant I want to buy? And is there anything else I should add to my shopping cart while I'm there?
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All I hope you know is 7.62 are pricey......if possible try to find sellers of older rounds from like WW2. They arent going to be as good for hunting and you will probably have to clean your gun more often. BUT you will save a pretty penny. OR if you are going to be shooting like every week buy a re loader, you can re use most cartridges at least 10 times. It will be more up front but over time you will save money.
-BigBOBCH
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"And is there anything else I should add to my shopping cart while I'm there?"
An SKS and a 1000 rounds.
Cheap to buy, cheap to shoot, and unbreakable.
<S> Melvin
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Dude just come get me, I'll hook you up.
Look for a star on the receiver, and a hexagonal receiver is more collectible than a circular one. If there are deep gashes and scratches on the wood, leave it. If there are any cartouches on the stock, give me a ring and I'll tell you what they mean.
Get a good cleaning kit while your there, since most of the ammo for them are corrosive.
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Also, it shoots a 7.62x54r
Not a 7.62x39 or 7.62x51
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A person is never too old, too young, too experienced, or too dumb to benefit from a gun safety class of some sort. Though I could talk handguns with you all day, rifles are not really my thing, however the same rules apply. Know gun safety by heart, and live it. It's not just something that is allowed to go out the window when your buddies come over to see the gun. You make it clear before anyone touches it that they are to adhere to the rules of gun safety at all time, and if they mess up, they lose the privilege.
Not as familiar with Texas gun laws, but that's pretty much how it is here in Kansas. Don't forget to get a cleaning kit. I wouldn't know where to start with a gun like that, but I have no doubt keeping it clean is mandatory.
*EDIT* I would hold off on the reloading. That's a hefty initial investment, and it takes some experience. Maybe you can get there in time, but I wouldn't worry about it now.
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A person is never too old, too young, too experienced, or too dumb to benefit from a gun safety class of some sort. Though I could talk handguns with you all day, rifles are not really my thing, however the same rules apply. Know gun safety by heart, and live it. It's not just something that is allowed to go out the window when your buddies come over to see the gun. You make it clear before anyone touches it that they are to adhere to the rules of gun safety at all time, and if they mess up, they lose the privilege.
Not as familiar with Texas gun laws, but that's pretty much how it is here in Kansas. Don't forget to get a cleaning kit. I wouldn't know where to start with a gun like that, but I have no doubt keeping it clean is mandatory.
+1000 Safety first.
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Dude just come get me, I'll hook you up.
Already planning on it!
And I have no problem spending time cleaning. Knowing me, I'll probably clean it at the very least once a week even if I don't shoot it.
A person is never too old, too young, too experienced, or too dumb to benefit from a gun safety class of some sort. Though I could talk handguns with you all day, rifles are not really my thing, however the same rules apply. Know gun safety by heart, and live it. It's not just something that is allowed to go out the window when your buddies come over to see the gun. You make it clear before anyone touches it that they are to adhere to the rules of gun safety at all time, and if they mess up, they lose the privilege.
Not as familiar with Texas gun laws, but that's pretty much how it is here in Kansas. Don't forget to get a cleaning kit. I wouldn't know where to start with a gun like that, but I have no doubt keeping it clean is mandatory.
*EDIT* I would hold off on the reloading. That's a hefty initial investment, and it takes some experience. Maybe you can get there in time, but I wouldn't worry about it now.
Agreed on the safety. I'm looking into classes in the area that fit into my schedule, but between school and ROTC, I don't have time during the day and I cannot find any night classes on it.
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Serenity, Go here www.classicarms.us (http://www.classicarms.us)they have reasonable prices. They are great people to deal with.
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Mosin Nagats are nice guns. Ammo is plentiful and CHEAP. 7.62x54R is available all over the place. www.widners.com has it for $300 bucks/1200 rounds. 1200 rounds will last a LONG time. My mosin was made in 1938 and is completely original. All matching serials between the reciever and other components. Lots of time serial numbers are "XXXXX'd" out and changed to match the other components. Bought it from Gander for $99 bucks. Kicks like a mule, but fun to shoot.
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All I hope you know is 7.62 are pricey......if possible try to find sellers of older rounds from like WW2. They arent going to be as good for hunting and you will probably have to clean your gun more often. BUT you will save a pretty penny. OR if you are going to be shooting like every week buy a re loader, you can re use most cartridges at least 10 times. It will be more up front but over time you will save money.
-BigBOBCH
7.62x54R is actually pretty cheap.
The biggest drawback is that it's usually corrosive, so always clean after shooting.
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It's a Mosin Nagant so don't overthink it. Buds just had a sale where they sold something like 1600 never issued Nagants in a weekend for $95 shipped. A buddy of mine bought a couple and we had them out at the range yesterday and they worked as you'd expect a Russian built gun for the lowest common denominator to shoot.
I'm not sure where he bought it but he got a spam can with 800-something rounds for about $120 shipped to his door so 7.62x54R is dirt cheap. I know I see a lot of their brass (steel) at my club in the coffee cans so there are quite a few shooters of these things out there. I thought I did well buying 5.56 green tips for $300/840rounds just to give you an idea of where the cost differences are.
While I don't shoot much in the way of corrosive ammunition hot soapy water to clean and then a few patches and some oil will have this gun last longer than you will.
You're doing well not dropping $1300-1500 on an off the rack M1A. Mil Spec (not surplus) ammunition still isn't cheap and unless you're going to drop another $1000 or so into hand loading or buying match ammunition it's not going to be as accurate as you hoped. I roll my own .308 ammunition and use very similar loads pushing match bullets as well as a hunting bullet derived from the match bullet. It isn't cheap to get into. The M1A can also be funny about what kind of ammunition you'll shoot through it but much less so than the M1 Garand which has the looooong operating rod as opposed to the gas piston of the M1A/M14.
For the price of an accurate M1A, good quality sighting system, reloading equipment and components on top of the ammunition you'd be shooting to get the brass you'd be loading I could own about 40 Mosin Nagants and have a lot of ammo to shoot through them. Start small and work your way up so I'd say you're going about it the right way. No need once your gun is cleaned and oiled to reclean and oil it every week. It's not Charlene and you're not Private Pyle...right?
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The first question you have to ask yourself is, why do you want the gun. What is your plan for it?
If you want a military style rifle you will have a hard time beating the cost effectiveness of the Nagant. That goes for it's ammo too. A lot of the ammo is corrosive so you will need to learn to clean it properly for both corrosive and non corrosive ammo. Different methods and materials.
If you want something easier to use for hunting, either big game or smaller, then go look for a regular bolt action hunting rifle. Something like the base model Remington 700 ($350 or so) in a common caliber like 30-06 or .308. It's far far easier to scope and use for long range than the Nagant. It will cost more to shoot too so keep that in mind.
If you want really cheap and fun shooting get a .22. Something like a Marlin model 60 or even a Ruger 10/22. You can shoot over 500 rounds for about $20.00.
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7.62x54 i can get from 4.25 box of 15 or 6.00 for 20 rounds all the way up to 300.00 for 1200 rounds different prices from different makers, any gun, any caliber
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You're allowed to use the phrase "Ammoengine" Zoom.
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You're allowed to use the phrase "Ammoengine" Zoom.
lol didnt want to promote :D
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The first question you have to ask yourself is, why do you want the gun. What is your plan for it?
If you want a military style rifle you will have a hard time beating the cost effectiveness of the Nagant. That goes for it's ammo too. A lot of the ammo is corrosive so you will need to learn to clean it properly for both corrosive and non corrosive ammo. Different methods and materials.
If you want something easier to use for hunting, either big game or smaller, then go look for a regular bolt action hunting rifle. Something like the base model Remington 700 ($350 or so) in a common caliber like 30-06 or .308. It's far far easier to scope and use for long range than the Nagant. It will cost more to shoot too so keep that in mind.
If you want really cheap and fun shooting get a .22. Something like a Marlin model 60 or even a Ruger 10/22. You can shoot over 500 rounds for about $20.00.
As for the purpose, it's just to have a nice piece of equipment to put rounds downrange. I don't have a hunting license, never been and probably won't go anytime soon, so that's not an issue. I just want something military in the .308/7.62 range. I've never been fond of .22, especially when firing my friends tacti-cool Ruger 10/22.
It's a Mosin Nagant so don't overthink it. Buds just had a sale where they sold something like 1600 never issued Nagants in a weekend for $95 shipped. A buddy of mine bought a couple and we had them out at the range yesterday and they worked as you'd expect a Russian built gun for the lowest common denominator to shoot.
I'm not sure where he bought it but he got a spam can with 800-something rounds for about $120 shipped to his door so 7.62x54R is dirt cheap. I know I see a lot of their brass (steel) at my club in the coffee cans so there are quite a few shooters of these things out there. I thought I did well buying 5.56 green tips for $300/840rounds just to give you an idea of where the cost differences are.
While I don't shoot much in the way of corrosive ammunition hot soapy water to clean and then a few patches and some oil will have this gun last longer than you will.
You're doing well not dropping $1300-1500 on an off the rack M1A. Mil Spec (not surplus) ammunition still isn't cheap and unless you're going to drop another $1000 or so into hand loading or buying match ammunition it's not going to be as accurate as you hoped. I roll my own .308 ammunition and use very similar loads pushing match bullets as well as a hunting bullet derived from the match bullet. It isn't cheap to get into. The M1A can also be funny about what kind of ammunition you'll shoot through it but much less so than the M1 Garand which has the looooong operating rod as opposed to the gas piston of the M1A/M14.
For the price of an accurate M1A, good quality sighting system, reloading equipment and components on top of the ammunition you'd be shooting to get the brass you'd be loading I could own about 40 Mosin Nagants and have a lot of ammo to shoot through them. Start small and work your way up so I'd say you're going about it the right way. No need once your gun is cleaned and oiled to reclean and oil it every week. It's not Charlene and you're not Private Pyle...right?
lol. I might not be Pyle, but I have a tendency to over-maintain the equipment i care about (Shine my parade shoes once a week, even though I don't wear 'em. Clean the sunglasses daily. Etc.). Fortunately, I did find a really good source for Nagant maintenance, if anyone else is interested: http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinCleaning.htm
And I was kinda thinking the same thing. While I'm willing to put the money down for the M1A, I figure you never give a kid a Corvette for his first car, the same probably goes for guns lol.
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Beware of Mosinitis! Symptoms include... Bruised shoulder and inability to not stop purchasing Mosins and other Commie Surplus...
There like Potato Chips, Betcha can't buy just one!
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Beware of Mosinitis! Symptoms include... Bruised shoulder and inability to not stop purchasing Mosins and other Commie Surplus...
There like Potato Chips, Betcha can't buy just one!
I've got 5, I know how you feel.
Also if you buy an M44 or M38 you get a flamethrower for no extra charge
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I've got 5, I know how you feel.
Also if you buy an M44 or M38 you get a flamethrower for no extra charge
He says over his one good tooth... lol. Find me an affordable one and I'll buy it!
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He says over his one good tooth... lol. Find me an affordable one and I'll buy it!
M38, M91/59 and M44 are all in the same price range as the 91/30
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M38, M91/59 and M44 are all in the same price range as the 91/30
Well in that case, just find one!
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Well in that case, just find one!
gunbroker.com
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M38, M91/59 and M44 are all in the same price range as the 91/30
I'm not seeing that. From what I have seen, the 91/30 is the cheapest and it goes up from there. Followed by M44s then M38s and 91/59s which are a little more rare.
I have also noticed that most M38s are counter-bored and have horrible barrels. Mine is all matching and in great shape, but the barrel swallows bullets all the way the casing neck.
My 91/30 is the most accurate.
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If you're not going to be shooting on private land, make sure you have a local gun range that allows rifle FMJ. Most all of the ranges around here don't, Austin's probably worse. Cheap surplus ammo isn't as great of a buy if you don't have any place to go shoot it.
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If you're not going to be shooting on private land, make sure you have a local gun range that allows rifle FMJ. Most all of the ranges around here don't, Austin's probably worse. Cheap surplus ammo isn't as great of a buy if you don't have any place to go shoot it.
Very true! I hadn't thought about that! Thanks!
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Beware of Mosinitis! Symptoms include... Bruised shoulder and inability to not stop purchasing Mosins and other Commie Surplus...
There like Potato Chips, Betcha can't buy just one!
It's true. Went to a gun show with Nef a few weeks ago. He walked out with a SKS and I walked out with my first Mosin, 1922, has some mismatched parts but all from the 3 main Russian manufacturers on the variant. Still researching her though. It was listed as a M91 forest service, buit can't find anything on "forest service" Mosins. Closest I have found is in a translated Mosin user manual which lists it as an early paratroooper/sniper variant (only 42" long) with a blade sight instead of the normal ring and post.
I just did that...the illness is getting worse...... :noid
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Just wait till you pick up your first Finnish M39, there's no going back from there.
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First gun? Why not a nice 22? Bolt action or auto, it doesn't matter. Don't put a scope on it until you are GOOD at using the iron sights out to 100 yards. Put a few thousand rounds through the .22 and then buy another gun.
Might as well get a .22 handgun to match the rifle. Revolver or auto, doesn't really matter although many say a revolver is a better first gun due to it's simplicity. I learned to fire hanguns using a S&W K-22 revolver, a beautiful pistol. I highly recommend AGAINST a browning buckmark as a first pistol because it cannot be decocked, so once a round is in the chamber the gun is ready to go with a light single-action trigger pull, and no way to decock it except to extract the round manually and pull the trigger on the empty chamber. It is a terrible first pistol and an even worse "field" gun.
My first rifle was a ruger 10-22 and my first pistol was a buckmark, but I had years of shooting experience before I bought them. My next guns were a ruger mini-14 ranch rifle (with scope mounts) and a beretta just like the military uses except chambered in .40 cal for extra punch, so I could use my own gun to help train me for my official duty pistol qualification. It worked, since I've shot expert every time I've had to qual in the M-9, M-16, and M-4.
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I deer hunt with a Mosin Nagant. Good rifle, the 7.62x54R is a good round, similar to a .308 or a .30-06
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First gun? Why not a nice 22? Bolt action or auto, it doesn't matter. Don't put a scope on it until you are GOOD at using the iron sights out to 100 yards. Put a few thousand rounds through the .22 and then buy another gun.
Might as well get a .22 handgun to match the rifle. Revolver or auto, doesn't really matter although many say a revolver is a better first gun due to it's simplicity. I learned to fire hanguns using a S&W K-22 revolver, a beautiful pistol. I highly recommend AGAINST a browning buckmark as a first pistol because it cannot be decocked, so once a round is in the chamber the gun is ready to go with a light single-action trigger pull, and no way to decock it except to extract the round manually and pull the trigger on the empty chamber. It is a terrible first pistol and an even worse "field" gun.
My first rifle was a ruger 10-22 and my first pistol was a buckmark, but I had years of shooting experience before I bought them. My next guns were a ruger mini-14 ranch rifle (with scope mounts) and a beretta just like the military uses except chambered in .40 cal for extra punch, so I could use my own gun to help train me for my official duty pistol qualification. It worked, since I've shot expert every time I've had to qual in the M-9, M-16, and M-4.
I don't like to shoot .22. I've never liked it. This is the first gun I've OWNED but not the first I've shot. I've spent plenty of time on the range with friends (Most ex-military) who drilled basic operation of firearms into me, but didn't really teach me maintenance. While I've shot everything from .22 (A ruger 10/22 in fact) to 5.56 and .308, right up to .50 (A few squeezes on a Ma Deuce), and I just don't enjoy shooting the small caliber. This isn't going to be a hunting weapon, and instead for 'fun shooting' so I'm aiming for something I will really enjoy.
I learned to shoot handguns on an M1911, and nothing else in the way of a pistol feels quite right in my hands, though I can still shoot well with the Kimber .45 and most .40 weapons. I am, however, too young to purchase a handgun.
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M44s
the model i have
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Ruger Mini 14 is inexpensive and rugged, but it isn't really all that accurate. It is pretty fun to shoot though, if you like the traditional style. You can get high capacity magazines and the ranch rifle model has a scope mount. There are custom stocks to make it look like an assault rifle if that is your thing, and they can cost a lot less than other high demand models. Plus .223 is relatively cheap and easy to obtain.
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Ruger Mini 14 is inexpensive and rugged, but it isn't really all that accurate. It is pretty fun to shoot though, if you like the traditional style. You can get high capacity magazines and the ranch rifle model has a scope mount. There are custom stocks to make it look like a sweetie ault rifle if that is your thing, and they can cost a lot less than other high demand models. Plus .223 is relatively cheap and easy to obtain.
I was actually looking at those, and am still considering one, though in the back of my head there's that little voice that says for that price (All the ones I've found are around $800) I might as well just save up an extra month or two and get the Springfield M1A.
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My first gun was a .22LR, I can understand the desire for something a little more powerful. However, the more and more ammo I bought, the more and more I shot the .22. I enjoy my other stuff but those .22s can be a lot of fun for plinking.
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I was actually looking at those, and am still considering one, though in the back of my head there's that little voice that says for that price (All the ones I've found are around $800) I might as well just save up an extra month or two and get the Springfield M1A.
I got my good condition used mini-14 ranch rifle for $250. That was a long time ago, but at the time it was about half what a new one cost. Consider looking around at some respectable gun shops that carry used guns. Before you buy used though, get an expert opinion on the serviceability of the weapon.
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I got my good condition used mini-14 ranch rifle for $250. That was a long time ago, but at the time it was about half what a new one cost. Consider looking around at some respectable gun shops that carry used guns. Before you buy used though, get an expert opinion on the serviceability of the weapon.
I have only managed to find one store dedicated to guns in Austin I'm going to check out when I get back, otherwise I was looking at Cabellas (IIRC, the had a mini-14 on the used rack there, though I could be wrong).
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I own a 1943 Ivhevsk 91/30 Mosin Nagant. I got it for $150. It's a good gun, fun to shoot, and has a good amount of recoil.
(http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x311/archywood/IMG_0534.jpg) (http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x311/archywood/IMG_0538.jpg)
Depending on where you purchase it, it should come with a sling, bayonet, ammo pouch, toolkit, and an oil can. Ask if it does.
The big thing is cleaning. These guns were packed with cosmoline to preserver them and when you buy this rifle, guess what, all the cosmoline is still usually inside it. Your going to have to clean it out. Heat melts the cosmoline. My friend cleaned out my Mosin for me, but I cleaned out my Garand. What I did was take the entire thing apart (Mosins are very simple to take apart and put back together) and put the pieces into a tin container and dumpped boiling water over them. Let them sit and the cosmoline should come off easier. Don't forget the barrel aswell.
As for ammo, I can get military surplus 7.62x54r ammo here for around $8-$9 for 20 rounds. And as most of the guys said here, these rounds are corrosive meaning you have to clean your gun right after shooting it. That being said, I recommend getting a cleaning kit. The Hoppes#9 Rifle cleaning kit is pretty good. It comes with lubricant that helps protects against rust, Solvent that helps get rid of rust and also gets rid of the corrosive material, patches (not many so pick up an extra pack of cleaning patches), cleaning rod, and 3 cleaning rod end knobs.
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Easiest way to clean after shooting corrosive is Hot Soapy Water or Windex. Then Hoppes#9 or Oil.
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Jack and Nefarious, this goes to both of you. When studying up on the Mosin, i've seen it mentioned that while hot/boiling water is effective at getting out cosmoline and cleaning the weapon after firing, it also has a tendency to get into the threads of the barrel and other parts and cause rust. Is there anything in particular you do/did to ensure that you could dry out the rifle.
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You can use your cleaning kit and put a couple dry patches through.
Or maybe put it in front of a heater or hairdryer, but the dry patches should work.
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You can use your cleaning kit and put a couple dry patches through.
Or maybe put it in front of a heater or hairdryer, but the dry patches should work.
This gets the little droplets out of the rifling too, yes?
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This gets the little droplets out of the rifling too, yes?
It should. The cleaning patches are put on the end of the cleaning rod to clean the entire barrel. so the dry patches should clean up the water like a paper towel does.
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It should. The cleaning patches are put on the end of the cleaning rod to clean the entire barrel. so the dry patches should clean up the water like a paper towel does.
Roger, thanks!
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I don't use the Cleaning Rods that comes with any of my Milsurp. I use one of those Winchester cleaning kits (Brass Rod) or a boresnake.
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I don't use the Cleaning Rods that comes with any of my Milsurp. I use one of those Winchester cleaning kits (Brass Rod) or a boresnake.
Good to know! Are they something I can find at a local store? Or should I plan on hitting the internet?
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Good to know! Are they something I can find at a local store? Or should I plan on hitting the internet?
The Hoppes#9 Rifle Cleaning kit I mentioned comes with a 3-piece cleaning rod. The pieces attach together to make a 1 long rod.
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Couple things come to mind after reading the thread:
1: Do not use boiling water or windex to clean your gun. Its unnecessary and exposes the wood to moisture which could mar the finish and cause rust if you are not super careful about getting all the water out/off AND letting the wood dry before you reassemble it. Hoppes #9 (or similar) is all you need to clean the metal on your rifle, regardless of how many rounds of corrosive primed ammo you burn through. You linked an article on 7.62x54r.net, read it, and go back through the posts on their forums. Lots of good info there.
2: Cosmoline removal - don't dunk your rifle in hot water, for the same reasons stated above. There are other, less risky, methods for getting the cosmoline out of your rifle. Don't disassemble it and stick it in a low (150 degree) temp oven. It makes a mess, stinks up the house, and your wife/girlfriend/significant other will not be happy. Other than that it works pretty well if you have to de-cosmoline your rifle over cooler months. The best method I've heard/used is to put it in a sealed black garbage bag on a nice warm summer day. Don't expect, or even try to get all the cosmoline out in one session. I've had 6 sessions with my M44 and I STILL have cosmoline seeping out on summer range trips.
3: Do go to Wal-Mart, or your local gun shop and pick up a recoil pad. Using a recoil pad makes you no less of a man. Of course, I DO recommend shooting a few rounds without the recoil pad first, just so you remember why you bought the recoil pad.
4: Do not expect accuracy. Do not expect a "shot group". Expect a "pattern". If at 100 yards you can get a 5 shot group of 6 inches, be thankful. Try to do better, but remember in many cases you are shooting a gun that has had inexperienced conscripts maintaining your rifle and its barrel/rifling. If you luck into one of the ones that can pull off tight groups, your expectations will be met and exceed.
5: If your final decision is a Mosin-Nagant, see about getting an M44, the slightly higher price is more than made up from the enjoyment of the fireball at dusk/night.
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I agree with what Coshy said.
The fireball makes me squeal with joy
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Couple things come to mind after reading the thread:
1: Do not use boiling water or windex to clean your gun. Its unnecessary and exposes the wood to moisture which could mar the finish and cause rust if you are not super careful about getting all the water out/off AND letting the wood dry before you reassemble it. Hoppes #9 (or similar) is all you need to clean the metal on your rifle, regardless of how many rounds of corrosive primed ammo you burn through. You linked an article on 7.62x54r.net, read it, and go back through the posts on their forums. Lots of good info there.
Do as you want... Here is what I do. I own three Mosins (91/30, M38 and a T-53) and I use Windex. I spray the Windex down both ends of barrel and that's it. I run a few Windex soaked patches and then I run Hoppes#9.
I make sure all my patches are clean and dry before storage. I also check all of my firearms once a month for rust and a general wipe down.
2: Cosmoline removal - don't dunk your rifle in hot water, for the same reasons stated above. There are other, less risky, methods for getting the cosmoline out of your rifle. Don't disassemble it and stick it in a low (150 degree) temp oven. It makes a mess, stinks up the house, and your wife/girlfriend/significant other will not be happy. Other than that it works pretty well if you have to de-cosmoline your rifle over cooler months. The best method I've heard/used is to put it in a sealed black garbage bag on a nice warm summer day. Don't expect, or even try to get all the cosmoline out in one session. I've had 6 sessions with my M44 and I STILL have cosmoline seeping out on summer range trips.
I agree here, the trash bag method does work the best. Although complete disassemble and soaking of ONLY metal parts in some kind of degreaser will remove COSMO from all metal. Once or while that is being done, put the stock in a garbage bag out in the sun on HOT day and you will be fine.
3: Do go to Wal-Mart, or your local gun shop and pick up a recoil pad. Using a recoil pad makes you no less of a man. Of course, I DO recommend shooting a few rounds without the recoil pad first, just so you remember why you bought the recoil pad.
Personal preference here ;)
4: Do not expect accuracy. Do not expect a "shot group". Expect a "pattern". If at 100 yards you can get a 5 shot group of 6 inches, be thankful. Try to do better, but remember in many cases you are shooting a gun that has had inexperienced conscripts maintaining your rifle and its barrel/rifling. If you luck into one of the ones that can pull off tight groups, your expectations will be met and exceed.
I agree here. Here's my tip... Buy a box of bullets and take one single bullet with you on your purchasing trip. Use the bullet as a barrel tester. ASK the seller if you can "test" the barrel, if he asks, tell him you are going to stick the projectile into the end of the barrel to get an idea of how it fits. While its not completely accurate, you can gauge which rifle should be more accurate by how much the barrel "swallows". As mentioned by Coshy these rifles were handled by conscripts and some of them may have been counter-bored or just plain Shot-out, like my M38 (From what I have heard most M38s are). If the bullet goes all the way to casing or behind, PASS. The more bullet it shows the better.
5: If your final decision is a Mosin-Nagant, see about getting an M44, the slightly higher price is more than made up from the enjoyment of the fireball at dusk/night.
Here is my M38 spittin' fire!
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/blast3.jpg)
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/blast2.jpg)
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/blast1.jpg)
I would look at all the Mosin-Nagants they have and inspect each one. I will agree that I like the fireballs, but I also like the feel of the full size 91/30.
NEF...
PS... Great comments Coshy.
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ooh, Nef, you made my day. That comment on testing the barrels was EXACTLY the kind of info I need! (I do, of course, want to pick out the best!) I'm not sure I understand what you're saying though. Do I place the round, bullet first, into the business end of the rifle? Or do I place it into the chamber?
And is the 7.62x54r regularly available in gun stores? Or should I start buying boxes of it online. (I ask because while I would love to run to the store and check, I'm currently on holiday in California)
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ooh, Nef, you made my day. That comment on testing the barrels was EXACTLY the kind of info I need! (I do, of course, want to pick out the best!) I'm not sure I understand what you're saying though. Do I place the round, bullet first, into the business end of the rifle? Or do I place it into the chamber?
The Business end like this... Sorry I just searched and grabbed them from the web. (Bullet Barrel Test, Mosin Barrel Test). The pictures seem to be all M44s.
Good
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/dwoymw.jpg)
Bad
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/oiajow.jpg)
Worst (and it could be worse... My M38 goes all the way to the bottom of the neck)
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/images.jpg)
And is the 7.62x54r regularly available in gun stores? Or should I start buying boxes of it online. (I ask because while I would love to run to the store and check, I'm currently on holiday in California)
In Gun Stores... Yes it should be.
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The Business end like this... Sorry I just searched and grabbed them from the web. (Bullet Barrel Test, Mosin Barrel Test). The pictures seem to be all M44s.
Good
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/dwoymw.jpg)
Bad
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/oiajow.jpg)
Worst (and it could be worse... My M38 goes all the way to the bottom of the neck)
(http://i205.photobucket.com/albums/bb180/ralphmunnich/images.jpg)
In Gun Stores... Yes it should be.
For the purpose of this test, I have a deactivated 7.62x54r keychain (It claims to be a deactivated cartrige, might be a straight replica though.) I'm guessing that would work too? (Carrying around a loaded bullet might not end well, if someone gets jumpy). And so ideally the entire shell itself won't go into the business end?
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I don't know... In a gun show or gun store, I don't think anyone would care keychain or a live bullet as long as you were polite and asked before trying.
But then again, I live in West Virginia. :D
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I don't know... In a gun show or gun store, I don't think anyone would care keychain or a live bullet as long as you were polite and asked before trying.
But then again, I live in West Virginia. :D
I'm in Texas, but it's Austin, the hippie side of Texas, so I'm not terribly sure... lol
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The show Nef and I went to where I got my Mosin Nef just asked if he could borrow a round to test the barrel. They had no problem with it.
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I've got like a thousand of em Serenity.
Next time I see you I'll give you a couple
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I've got like a thousand of em Serenity.
Next time I see you I'll give you a couple
The third or fourth of january I'm thinking of taking a road trip to a couple stores in Austin and then Cabellas to make the purchase. You free?
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The third or fourth of january I'm thinking of taking a road trip to a couple stores in Austin and then Cabellas to make the purchase. You free?
Yup
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Keep us updated! And post some pics...
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Keep us updated! And post some pics...
Definitely! I'm stoked, it's the first thing I'm doing when I get back to Texas!