Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Tell me why you have a x 7.62x54r in your closet..

Saw an old Mosin for cheap and it looked like something everyone should play with at least once in your liftime...things long enough i can see the sights without my readers ! My late buddy said his grandma killed a boxcar full of elk with hers outside of steamboat back in the day...should i buy it and run a box through it or will the thing blow up ?!?

Won't blow up, fairly strong action. I had an M44 for a minute or two, but moved it along. Never could get to like it other than the price. It had a creepy trigger, wouldn't shoot to point of aim, was minute of bucket accurate at 50 yards when it did group, and was a heck of a flamethrower/blast producer with the shorter barrel. The cheap ammo available at the time was corrosive. Folks at our outdoor range moved away when I shot it. It was cool to shoot a piece of history, but that's about it for me. Your mileage may vary. Despite all of that, you're right, everyone should have one and use it for a bit. it was fun, despite the issues above.

old70 pretty much nailed it. I still have my M44 though. I have it because it's simply a load of fun to shoot. When I take someone to the range who hasn't shot much almost invariably their favorite rifle to plink with is the M44.

Not terribly accurate, stock design doesn't help mitigate recoil, large muzzle flash (which admittedly can be part of the fun if you shoot at dusk), corrosive ammo, awful trigger, rough action...but loads of fun and a piece of history.

My Great Grandpa and Grandpa on Dad's side used 'em for YEARS...was all they could afford. Put down a few truckloads of deer with 'em.

I have a couple, ammo was super cheap and the corrosive issue is not a big deal. Worlds biggest plinker. Like Old70 said everyone shoot play with one.

I've had close to ten of them. Currently I don't have any.

I think it's about 5'6" with bayonet. I think I paid $139 and came with a spam can. It just another part of the collection in the safe. Haven't shot it in about 6 months. Mine is more consistent than it is accurate and has what feel like a 12 lb. trigger on 80 grit sand paper.
If it is under $150 with a good bore it's a decent deal. Could be flipped for $175 or so.

Because I ran out of room in the safe.

I had the one my dad mailed home to my mom from the Korea war. I think he had to cut the stock and that's why he invested in a fajen stock for it.

He never shot it for fear of explosion, because you never knew what metal was used in military guns when countries were struggling in the war. I think it was a Japanese rifle issue.
I shot a box of shells through it, and gave it to my sister since she collected most of my dad's military stuff. I have no kids to give it to do hopefully hers understand military tropies like that have some sentimental value.

Otherwise I couldn't get excited about it.

The 91's 91/30's and 39's don't have the flamethrower/noise problems the 44's do.

Chinese not Japanese. They got them from the Soviets. The Vietnamese did as well.,

I got mine from my son, who got it while working for Gander. It's already worth twice what he paid. It's a 1926 Izzy hex and everything matches I believe. Shot it once with some Silver Bear 200+ grain SPs. It shot high and right at 50 (need to try it with the bayonet). Got some surplus to try before I dink with the sights. The trigger pull is long, rough, and probably off the scale.

They're a little crude, but very strong and solid. Good ones give respectable accuracy from what I've read. I need some brass and dies, but there's a lot of other projects ahead of it in line.

The bayonet is pretty scary!

The good ones are VERY accurate, ask any German who survived Stalingrad!

Those guys are getting harder and harder to find, for some reason...

I've got a 91/30 and a 44, each was $79.99 from Big 5 approx 8 yrs ago. Ammo was a similar value for 880 rounds, more than I'll likely ever shoot thru them. CHEAP FUN is why I own them. Secondary reason is historical value. Mine are a 1943 and a 1944. (And my garand is April 1945). Wish they could tell what combat they have seen...

Never had the urge.

Have three 7.62x63 though.

You can't. They were held in miserable conditions in POW camps in the USSR until 1955. At that point 95% were already dead.

I find the #4 Enfield more interesting.

I owned one (a Finnish Sako), learned enough about it that I didn't care for it, and swapped it off. Even though it was rather accurate, that didn't compensate for its clumsy feeling and its agricultural design/finish. I figure myself to be above the intelligence level of the illiterate serfs they were designed for, with a more developed sense of aesthetics to boot. Just because they are/were cheap doesn't mean you have to run out and buy one.

Because Tom Cruise is in there.

I apologize. My example was insensitive.

Simply meant to point out that the Russians used these as sniper rifles.

Regards,
Bob.