Practical advantage of K98 over 91/30

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davemccarthy707

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Can anyone give an argument for a practical advantage of the K98 vs the 91/30. Personally I can see none. The safety is a little easier to manipulate (I actually like the Mosin safety if I hold the butt against the crook of my elbow for manipulating it) on the Mauser. Otherwise they are practically neck and neck. What say ye? :stirthepot2:
 
Length could be a factor (so long as you only want to compare the 91/30), and the sticky bolt won't be as much of an issue. I find the sights a bit easier to use, but that's a person to person thing.
For modern day usage, the Mosin's definitely better for your wallet if you like to shoot
 
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On a well made example of each, length and sight picture would be the only serious difference that I can see. However, war time production, the mosin trigger could be a disadvantage, and the complexity of the K98 could be a disadvantage.

Personally, I find that I can snap the K98 up and have a quicker sight picture, and it does feel a little handier then the Mosin, but I shoot a Mosin a lot more than my Mauser,

If you really wanted to get into the nitty gritty you could start looking at the cartridges themselves. The 8x57 has an advantage of being rimless, but both cartridges will kill the bad guy equally as well.
 
The Mauser is a bit more practical in a 'modern' way.

More choice in aftermarket parts and scope mounting options. Can be adapted for a detachable magazine easily, or even the trench magazine option. Parts exchangeability tolerance is better. Shorter, lighter, faster action, faster loading with many having a "bolt stop" that tells you "zis magazin vis umptee" CRF... etc, etc.

The 91/30 is cheap and robust. Nothing wrong with that.

davemccarthy707 said:
I figure the CRF of the Mauser is a disadvantage. It is the only 1 of the 2 I have had become completely jammed.
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Swap out the extractor for a different one. Could be fitting too tight in the receiver
 
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Personally if I had to place my life in one of the two I would go for the K98. These are the advantages of the K98 (at least as I see them)
Bent bolt, with a faster action
Better safety
better round (not considering ammo costs here just the rounds in general) it is a better round as it is rimless and you can carry more of it
better bayonet system
better charging method (it is so much quicker to charge a K98 than a Mosin Nagant)
shorter rifle
better sights (still a V notch but at least is a better V notch)

Do I still love my Mosin though, yes its a cool rifle that's a blast to shoot, that being said the K98 wins out on a one to one basis. Just my thoughts on it
 
This is a tough one for me!!

In my opinion Mauser has a better round, bayo system, chargers, a smoother action and an easier to activate safety.

BUT.....My eyes hate Mauser sights and therefore I shoot the mosin with greater accuracy offhand and from a rest. I'd be happy to go into battle with each, but I'd perfer a m91 mosin if I had to pick a mosin.

Now if we are talking about using in today's world, then I'll take 3 mosins and a crate of ammo for the price of one beat to hell RC K98k.

Either way both are not up there on my list, as if we are talking mausers then a swede is my first pick and if it's a rifle that shoots rimmed rounds then it's a Ross!!
 
Mosin. As a lefty, the bolt is much easier to manipulate when standing, and on the bench I grab the cocking knob in my left hand to cycle it. I do like a Mauser with a straight bolt handle, though. Very smooth actions. The Russian sights are better. My eyes treat them almost like aperture sights.

....what the heck are you guys using the bayonets for that they merit opinion? ;)
 
Mauser action most popular with hunters and building rifles on!
Mauser is still in business today!
Do they still make Nagants!
P14 and M1917 copied Mauser action!
You can hold your 91/30 or Mauser (or both at the same time) while watching Enemy at the Gates!

davemccarthy707 said:
Can anyone give an argument for a practical advantage of the K98 vs the 91/30. Personally I can see none. The safety is a little easier to manipulate (I actually like the Mosin safety if I hold the butt against the crook of my elbow for manipulating it) on the Mauser. Otherwise they are practically neck and neck. What say ye? :stirthepot2:
Click to expand...
 
Mauser action most popular with hunters and building rifles on!
Mauser is still in business today!
Do they still make Nagants!
P14 and M1917 copied Mauser action!

I've an WW1 K98, a Husky sporter 98, and a full dress 96 Swede.
Also a M-44 and an M-39...(between 91/30's at the moment).
The Russian logic is about simplicity and I tend to side with them on this issue.
Mauser is a fine piece of engineering..so is the Ross. But in the hands of an average conscripted or drafted soldier; I'd say a Mosin Nagant or Lee Enfield is a much more apt tool.
Going to have to say Mosin Nagant is the rifle with which to equip an army of yesteryear; substitute a Lee Enfield if you are talking about commonwealth soldiers.
Yes in skilled hands a Mauser is a vastly superior rifle...skilled hands. Many draftee's or conscripts are not 'Skilled Hands'
I'm betting a Mosin will keep throwing bullets longer even in less skilled hands...a Mauser; I'm thinking the dummy factor would limit it's effective usage in the field.
 
Theauser is a netter rifle in every way except for extreme cold weather perfoamce and in training requirents.

Despite what some think. Crf is important in some combat situations and the shooter is far better protected in case of case failure.

The 2 stage trigger is also nice on a battle rifle and the pull is much better on a k98.

The extractor on a k98 is also a lot more robust.

Rimless ammo is more likely to feed well.
 
Coyote Ugly said:
Mauser is still in business today!
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Yes you can still buy a Mauser but so what. How many K98s do you see them selling these days.
I love this style of claim, the Mauser 98 has been relegated to the scrap heap of designs years ago, it is to modern rifles what the model T is to modern cars.

The 91/30 would be my last choice of the mosin family, but at least its action is tough, and more easily cleaned and stripped IMHO. For that alone I would take it, but like I say, its my rock bottom of the mosins.
 
Both are sturdy rifles and both have prooved themself in WW2. But 2 stages trigger and lenght are importants factors for me... So i'd go with the mauser. I learned from my years in the R22R that the shorter the rifle, the easier it is for the soldier, specially in deep woods, urban area etc. Even just a few inches will make a big difference. I'v seen the transition between the FNC1 and the C7 and I wont start a debate between those 2 rifles, but the overall lenght factor was huge, specially when crawling in those very dense Quebec's forest or in urban situation. So I'd say Mauser all the way. Shorter, shorter, shorter, pistol grip, 2 stages trigger. I beleive that not enough peoples actually know the mauser 98k because of its high price... On the other hand we all have Mosins because they are dirt cheap. Its actaully normal that people will prefer the rifle that they own over the mauser that they cant have or that they tried once at the range... 2 very good rifles nevertheless!
 
The 98 Mauser action is still the heart of many of the finest sporting rifles made today. One can believe advertising claims but Paul Mausers basic design hasn't really been improved upon in my opinion. You could just as easily say the 1911 Colt design is obsolete.
 
I have both. I shoot both, and I hunt with both. I think the 8mm bullet is a bit superior for my open sight shooting in bush areas than is x54.

As said in todays terms, Mosin is a lot cheaper to buy and shoot, many times cheaper. There is a much bigger selection of Mosins on the market and much more availability for ammunition, both commercial and surplus with vastly superior savings. I've dropped many times more deer with a Mosin than I have with a Mauser.
 
The Mosin while utilitarian and reliable has a number of issues that came up in its long military service.

The 91/30 is just plain too long compared to a carbine. I think its more than just a matter of taste in the type combat in WWII, but Russian troops made it work. The rifle is even longer with the bayonet mounted, which is pretty much required to put shots on target.

The safety really isn't very useful on the Mosin, nor is it as safe as the Mauser design which truly blocks the striker.

The bolt release on the Mosin, or lack thereof. Because of the safety issue, troops usually carried the rifle with a round unchambered and with the safety off. When slung up, if the trigger got hung up on anything, the bolt would fall out. Imagine going into battle only to discover you don't have a bolt in your rifle.
 
MauserMike said:
The Mosin while utilitarian and reliable has a number of issues that came up in its long military service.

The 91/30 is just plain too long compared to a carbine. I think its more than just a matter of taste in the type combat in WWII, but Russian troops made it work. The rifle is even longer with the bayonet mounted, which is pretty much required to put shots on target.

The safety really isn't very useful on the Mosin, nor is it as safe as the Mauser design which truly blocks the striker.

The bolt release on the Mosin, or lack thereof. Because of the safety issue, troops usually carried the rifle with a round unchambered and with the safety off. When slung up, if the trigger got hung up on anything, the bolt would fall out. Imagine going into battle only to discover you don't have a bolt in your rifle.
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Dare you to find any combat footage of a Russian with a rifle slung & the action open. Why would you have you rifle slung with a rnd in the chamber? Did the germans do that? Did the Brits? Seems kind of nutty to me cause the mauser & enfield safeties are not exactly fool proof.

As for the subject at hand, the only real advantage I can see to the k98 is its much easier to charge with stripper clips.
 
The trigger on the M-N is long as the Volga and as creepy as a mausoleum.
.....But with a shim and a tweak or two its fixable.
The trigger on the K98 has been compared to 2 pieces of concrete being dragged over one another. Expedient war time examples need a stoning (I'm told)
Both have after market jeweled trigger options available to them with the majority being for the Mauser.

The CRF of the mauser was an issue on early models with extractor breakage occurring when closing the bolt on a loaded chamber. Later models fixed this with the adoption of a spring steel extractor that allowed for this to be done.

The rimmed cartridge of the MN may be cumbersome to look at but the interrupter in the MN solves the problem of rim hang ups in a box mag, it also allowed case to case tolerance variants as 7.62x54R head spaces from the rim not the shoulder like the 8x57.

Single loading the 7.62x54R can be tricky, place a cartridge too far forward in the mag and push it home and you will have a hopelessly jammed cartridge.

The scope mount options for the K98 were wide and varied, so much so that finding a scope and mount to fit your gun could be an issue. The Germans used commercial mounts of various configurations, short side rails, long side rails, at least 3 variations of claw mount and a long eye relief scout mounted scope.

The PE and PEM scope were by far a better system than the PU series on the M-N . However the development of the SVT rifle and war time cost dictated a single model production. Even the PE and PEM (zeis designs) were subject to seal failures causing fogging and dust/debris entering the scope.

The Mauser has the edge for mounting scopes today, the bolt lift being more accommodating as the M-N lifts straight up in the centre of the bolt with a close to bore mount being a difficult if not impossible fit on the M-N.

The M-N was a great infantry rifle, could be completely stripped using nothing more than the rifle and bayonet its self. Was rugged and reliable and well suited to the cold Russian north.
The K98 was also a superb infantry rifle with a strong action and reliable nature.

For after market builds I would go with the mauser. The market suport and also the geometry of the action lend its self to builds.
The open rear bridge, vertical locking lug race,permenant magazine,vertical central bolt handle all pressent problems to overcome in a M-N build.
 
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