What's so great about the Mosin Nagant?

Well look at this way;
If you get one with a solid bore and a little basic basement "accurizing" you can put groups in the 3-4" at 100 meters easily with surplus ammo.
It's one of the most simple and rugged/reliable gun designs ever made.
It will shoot in any environment in any condition as long as you can work the bolt and pull the trigger.
Easy to work on.
Shoots a nice medium power round.
Ammo is very available and dirt cheap.
You can buy one for under $200!!!!

The history of them is just awesome.
You do need to own one, it's your duty as a Canadian firearms owner lol Just get one with a good bore, all other bumps can be ironed out in your garage with a 7th grade education Comrade!
 
thebutcher said:
I know, How dare I question but none the less.
My brother has been telling me forever to pick up a mosin negant. I have looked into it a couple times and I really like the shorter versions The M44, M38 etc. I just don't know about the 91/30, I am not a fan of long guns, not long-guns, just really long guns. THe length of the 9130 is what purs me off them the most. they just look huge.

I have never had a chance to fire my brothers Mosin but he says it is incredable, and ridiculously accurate, esspecially the carbine versions.

So, whats so great about a Mosin compared to say, a mauser or an sks, (I know I'm sure there is no comparison to an SKS) or say a modern bolt action rifle? Obviously seeing the price of even a New-used one out of the store is almost impossible to beat.

School me?
Click to expand...

I do not understand the whole "i don't like the look" thing. the "looks" of a firearm are just about at the bottom of the list in importance for me. Each and every firearm made is a work of art in its own way.
 
Russian gun philosophy:

"Is gun. Gun shoots. Gun has long bayonet to stick into Imperialist Pig when out of bullets. What more you want???"


Laugh2 Laugh2


That said, I have a 1939 M-N 91/30 and it shoots ok - using Russian surplus I can get 5 rounds into 5 inches at 100 yds if I'm on my game that day. I'm quite sure she's a Great Patriotic War vet, she's got a lot of dings and scrapes on her stock. The barrel is in OK shape, rifling not worn too badly. If I was to use decent commerical ammo or reload for it, I think that group size would shrink quite a bit.

She's fun to shoot, and recoil isn't bad at all. My RC Mauser kicks harder, as does my ought-six.
 
shredder said:
Russian gun philosophy:

"Is gun. Gun shoots. Gun has long bayonet to stick into Imperialist Pig when out of bullets. What more you want???"
Click to expand...

Except that it was designed during Imperial Russia times, and some parts of design were contributed by Nagant.
 
Last edited:
Can't put my finger on it but for some reason I never liked them. A friend gave me a choice of a MN or a Mk4 No1 that was a well done sporter. I took the Enfield. Reloading with cast bullets and reduced loads make it cheap to shoot.
 
What's so great? Not much. They're inexpensive and rugged, surplus ammo is still readily available and cheap. By any other measure, they're not great rifles, even comparing them to military rifles of comparable vintage. They're crude, clumsy and poorly finished. Yes, I have one and like shooting it.
 
Ar180shooter said:
What's so great? Not much. They're inexpensive and rugged, surplus ammo is still readily available and cheap. By any other measure, they're not great rifles, even comparing them to military rifles of comparable vintage. They're crude, clumsy and poorly finished. Yes, I have one and like shooting it.
Click to expand...
Crude and poor finished is quite the generalization. Only wartime example's can be described as such. Prewar and Finnish models are stunningly well forged and crafted.
 
Last edited:
EL34/6L6 said:
Crude and poor finished is quite the generalization. Only wartime example's can be described as such. Prewar and Finnish models are stunningly well forged and crafted.
Click to expand...

True to a degree about the finish, but those models carry a premium, and compared to other contemporary rifles, the finish/craftsmanship isn't anything to get excited about. The crude aspect refers to the design (rudimentary, basic, unrefined). It's no Mauser.
 
To be honest I have a wartime Izhevsk that I purchased for the fact that it had a crude wartime stock, rough machine marks and was assembled from a parts bin with lines through most serial numbers to fill that "gap" in my collection. It is sighted with the bayonet and let me tell you, it still looks great and it still shoots better than I can.

I think the flaking shellac and the low cost has a lot to do with the negative perception of these rifles. If you take the time to re-shellac them, and consider the cost is only related to supply and demand you'll have a fine shooter or collectable military rifle.
 
lalunette said:
WHAT ???

You have obviously NEVER seen my 1940 round receiver Izhevsk !!!!

The machining is precise and the finish is beautiful !!!!

You might be thinking of the war-time examples ????
Click to expand...

Even pre-war Mosins pale in comparison to a pre-war Mauser.

The whole point of my post was they're fun to shoot, but over-hyped. The only truly good thing about them is their price.
 
Ar180shooter said:
Even pre-war Mosins pale in comparison to a pre-war Mauser.

The whole point of my post was they're fun to shoot, but over-hyped. The only truly good thing about them is their price.
Click to expand...

It's entirely subjective and just a personal opinion. I have a collection of pre-war "all matching" Mauser pattern rifles, German, Yugoslavian (Post war), Czech, Turkish, etc and I honestly prefer the Mosin-Nagant and it's variants, especially the Finnish and long rifles. Better balanced, longer, better sights and I just like the history and feel of the rifle better. Just my opinion though. Za Rodinu!
 
Ar180shooter said:
The whole point of my post was they're fun to shoot, but over-hyped. The only truly good thing about them is their price.
Click to expand...

Yes, Mosin Nagants are fun to shoot.

I bought mine initially because I wanted an inexpensive deer rifle... but it's turned into an obsession. LOL

And yes, the price is good... both for the rifle and the surplus ammo !!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom