Mosin-Nagant 91/30

This weapon is a beast. Yeah, yeah it's cheap, but in this circumstance, "cheap" doesn't mean "poorly made." Some would argue that being made in the midst of the second world war, this gun was crudely made. Well you know what? They're right. The Mosin does have some rough edges. The finish isn't fantastic, there are hammer marks all down the receiver, and many of them have been repaired using other rifles so it may not fit together as nicely as your brand-new Remington 700. But this gun will run. The Mosin-Nagant is a tank of a rifle that will outlive it's 3 owners. The reason that it's so tough is because of it consists of only a few parts. The bolt, the stock, the built-in magazine, and the barrel.

Not many guns age as well as the Mosin-Nagant. The reason that many are around today is because after the war, all of the surplus rifles were stored and preserved in a jelly-like substance called cosmoline. The boxes of rifles were then shipped to the U.S. due to growing demand. You can actually pick up one of these surplus rifles for less than $200. And the ammo to go with it is also cheap. So this makes the Mosin a prime candidate for those just wanting a rifle to go to the range with.

The model 91/30 was built for a soldier. What I mean by that is, this gun requires a strong individual to operate. The 7.62x54r cartridge is powerful and can leave a nasty bruise on your shoulder if you don't handle it properly. The gun itself is large and heavy. Operating the bolt can also be a challenge, especially when it's used for the first time since the war ended. The iron sights are basic and can be adjusted for shots over 100 yards. Operating the safety (yeah, they all have one. Look it up) is just not worth doing because of the amount of effort required. Firing this weapon will definitely put hair on your chest. And the good part about it is... you can waste ammo without burning a hole in your wallet! As stated before, the ammo for this gun is relatively inexpensive for what you get. You're basically getting a rifle that fires a round similar to the size of a 30-06, but at a fraction of the cost. The box magazine is built-in to the gun and can hold 5 rounds and can be unloaded without cycling the bold by opening the latch on the magazine base plate.

And that's all there is to it!

Don't let all of this talk convince you that all Mosins are equal. There are a few things to look out for when purchasing a Mosin.

• First off, you need to decide which model you want. There are MANY different variants to chose from. But for this article, I will talk about the main infantry rifle for the Russian soldiers - the full-size model 91/30.
• Second, decide what year gun you wish to purchase. This is important because most of the time, the year determines the fit and finish of the gun. My personal Mosin-Nagant was produced in 1943 which was in the heat of Russia's involvement in the war. Therefore my rifle is pretty battle worn. If you purchase a gun a couple years before the war, your rifle may have a different shaped (higher quality) receiver along with better fit and finish.
• Next is the place of origin. Many collectors will swear that a Mosin made in _____ country will perform better than the ones made in _____ country. Honestly, I feel that this is just a preference. Sure, there might be some differences between the guns, but they are mostly the same rifle.
• Something that many people don't think about when buying a Mosin-Nagant is the barrel wear. A gun that has been fired often and not cleaned properly will have pitting in the barrel. The powder used in the 1940s was corrosive unlike the powder used today. Be sure to use a light to inspect a barrel before you buy. Also, many of the guns during the war were used so much that the rifling was shot out of the barrel. To correct this, they used a drilling tool to re-cut some of the rifling to the business-end of the barrel. This is called "counterbore." While this did improve the accuracy of a gun that had the rifling shot out, this method is crude and still did not give the gun 100% accuracy. Ideally, you want to look for a Mosin that hasn't been counterbored AND still retains it's rifling. These will be the most accurate. This is what sold me on the one that I currently own.
• When you buy your gun, make sure you ask the gun dealer if it comes with "everything." He/she should know what you are talking about. Most Mosin-Nagant rifles are shipped with a sling, a bayonet, a cleaning rod (attached to the gun), and an oil can(s) with pouch.
• All of these rifles will probably be drenched with cosmoline. This is normal, but will take several hours to completely remove from the firearm. When you shoot it, more of the cosmoline will seep out of the the gun's seams due to the liquid heating up. This is perfectly normal. Just be sure you bring a couple of shop towels to the range to clean up the mess.
• Last, be wary of the store in which you purchase the rifle. These can be purchased online and shipped to your local FFL dealer. This is risky because you cannot inspect the gun beforehand.

After you've familiarized yourself with the gun you wish to purchase, the only thing you have left to do is decide what type of wood and color you want.