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.

No worries mate.

Dang Dude, that's harsh. Oogly guns need love too. Most military rifles dated around 1891 were kinda ungainly.

Anybody have a pre-revolution or one of the American made ones? Wondering if either are finished better or run smoother. A lot of the US ones were crudely re-chambered to '06 for sale here after the Reds took over.

Timney makes an after market safety and trigger for them, but they arent cheap.

I played with one just enough to know I didn't want one, but they do seem to be somewhat popular out here. For about the same money, if I just want a fun noisemaker, I can buy an SKS which I like better. Also seems to be more plentiful and cheaper ammo for the SKS here, perhaps that is not the case everywhere. Local store here has a case of SKS and Mosin's that they have labeled "premium" or "select" or some such, and they actually do appear to be much nicer than the average, for about $60 more than a run of the mill specimen. Still not tempting enough to buy one though.

I wouldn't pay what they bring now either. For $100, including a couple hundred rounds of ammo, it was worth it for me. I'll shoot the ammo, then sell it or hang it.

That bayonet makes it great for chasing off Jehovahs Witnesses.

Well done...

i knew a guy that imported them from russian by the crate load and resold them to places like gander, dunhams, etc. i bought a 91/30 and 2 spam cans for $175. it was a beeotch to clean all the cosmoline or whatever that green schit was that it was dipped in. went through 2 or 3 cans of brake cleaner. it had the whole setup, bayonet, sling. i could never warm up to it. it was like a 2x4 with a barrel. horrendous trigger but it would hit a pie plate at 50 yards usually. i sold it a while back with most of the ammo for $325 and haven't missed it. my brother still has a half a dozen or so and a bunch of those clunky mosin revolvers.

along those lines i much prefer the jap arisaka in 6.5. ammo is more expensive though but mines a shooter.

Life is too short for ugly rifles with crappy triggers. Such rifles are too expensive for my taste, no matter how little they cost.

YMMV

Come on guys, their part of history. Think of Carlos popping that NVA sniper right through the PU90.

Good ones, like my rearsenaled 91/30, are very accurate (1.5 moa with Privi hunting ammo), trigger is long, smooth and about 5 pound w/no tuning. Soon will have a PU 90 on it. Fits in with my NM M-1, WW I original 03, clone 03A4, Swiss K31, Swiss 41 rimfire, last of the #4 Lees (1954), Swede/Finnish Mauser made M96 6.5x55 sniper clone and Dad's WWII 1911A1.

All guns are fun !

I owned one for awhile. Mine was was almost accurate. The rifle simply did not fit me though. Worst stock design of any rifle I've ever shot. I'm a slow learner though and after the Mosin was gone I bought a M44. Man, talk a bout a flame thrower. It was fun to shoot at dusk just to watch the fireball it made.

j

I have both a Remington and a Westinghouse made 1891 and they seem to be a little more refined than the WWII and the refurbed models sold lately. Regarding comparison with the refurbished, much may be to the rough refinish of the guns compared to the original condition, 100 years of use can smooth actions a fair bit.

A couple buddies collect Mosins, they had over 200 of them each last I heard. Some are much better finished than others with the Finnish rebuilds being very well done. At least in comparison to the Russian ones. The French models were closer to the Finns than the Riussians from the few I have seen.

I am blown to 6 Mosins, the two U.S. made guns, one M38, one M44, and a pair of refurbed 91/36s. One of the latter is a hex receiver which means nothing as its a refurb but some ooh and ahh over just the same. The other is a round receiver which I just finished turning into a scout rifle with a UTG replacement sight. I did this as the rifle showed promise with Hornady Vintage Match ammo with open sights. I hope to develop an accurate load if possible, and use it in a couple of fun matches.

I bought these back when $88 got you three 91/36s two M38 or 44 or a combo, or a single SKS. For under $350 I bought all these as well as a spam can each of the appropriate ammo. I shpuld have bought more.

Yup ugly as sin. Kinda a Ruger skeleton or a Glock.....

Wow, I thought I got a good deal at $79 each for my 91 and 44!

Until recently, I had a minty Remington Armory 1917 with a U.S. cartouche. I understand that when Russia quit fighting in WW1, Remington was sitting on tens of thousands of these rifles that they turned over the the U.S. Army for basic training (Manual Of Arms?) weapons and also for issue when the U.S. Army was guarding the eastern end of the Trans-Siberia Railroad, circa 1918-1920.

I have an ex PU sniper 91/30 my wife got me for Christmas a while back. It is surprisingly accurate.

I am always on the lookout for a Finn 38. I missed my opportunity when they were cheap.