Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Rimfires Mossberg 44US(a)

So I have one of these coming in a few days and I have to say I am looking forward to some plinking with it once it gets in. Was curious to see if there are any other Mossberg trainer shooters out there.

My uncle gave me one that had the barrel chopped to 18". I used it for years, plinking and hunting woodchucks and squirrels. The thing is phenomenally accurate. I gave it to a nephew last summer. He's putting it to good use. My only advice is to buy an extra mag or two since they're pretty hard to come by.

from what I have read on the (a)version, the bores where all lead lapped and tend to be very accurate. should be in tomorrow and I hope to shoot it by the weekend.

When I shot DCM matches in high school, we only had so many M52s and 40Xs, the other team members shot Mossbergs, as a percentage it was probably 3-3-20. They DID give us a run for our money, at every practice we had. Ultimately, the triggers on the Winchesters and Remingtons made their scores better, but it wasn't mechanical accuracy, it was the better stocks and triggers. Redfield sights helped too, but even so, the Mossbergs held their own.

We had good coaching and worked hard, and even our Mossberg shooters were beating out the JROTC teams shooting Anschutz rifles. Tis the singers, not the songs...

I have my grandfather's 44(d). Lovingly referred as my chunk of tree with a pipe mounted to it. Yet, appearances aside, it is woefully accurate with the right ammo. This one doesn't care for the high velocity stuff, it will shoot it just fine, but on paper it's not as impressive as standard, shorts or even C'Bees. Rabbits, squirrels, prairie dogs, even skunks, raccoons, opossums, feral cats (I did WDC for the state). It quietly clobbered them all.

Swapped out the old weaver tube, because the hair line crosshairs were to hard for my right eye to pick up. It came with several mags, the hooded front sight, and two rear peep sights. One swings out of the way, the other doesn't. Not a pretty .22 or have any glam, but being accurate doesn't always have to be.

I'm thinking any of the scouts that I let use this rifle for their rifle shooting merit badge should have a decent chance at getting their 5 qualifying targets or they just can't shoot at all.

If they can't get their merit badges with it, it's not the rifle, unless it's been ravaged by carelessness.

I agree. Unless someone's abused the rifle, it should be a shooter. The one I own and the others I've shot were all very accurate.

Jim, I have 3, no now just 2 of these trainers. Got mine from the CMP few years back. They all shoot great. I also bought 3 of the Remington 513T trainers when they had some of them in stock.

I have used mine mostly, as trainers, at local NRA youth camps. The kids love it when they find out they are shooting a real WWII trainer!

dave

I picked it up last night and it doesn't look too bad at all. the stock looked pretty bad with still a bit of cosmoline showing and some darker greyish stains near the butt. I removed the stock and scrubbed it with WD40 and 0000 steel wool. I then wiped it down with mineral spirits. in the near future I think I will rub in a few coats of tong oil or teak oil. Just enough to pop the grain out. will shoot this thing soon hopfully.

I won my Marksmanship merit badge back in '66 with one of those. I never seemed to make it up to the scout camp range in time to draw one of the Winchester 75's. I had my heart set on getting one when I got home, but a nicely priced Winchester 52A winked at me from the LGS rack and I was derailed. Lots of mowed lawns and hefted hay bales later, she was mine. Perhaps I should re-instate my search for a Mossberg, but it may be like hooking up with an old girlfriend- not the dream girl I remembered her to be...

Well I finally got out to shoot this thing today and other than the trigger pull weight I am more than thrilled with this rifles performance. Dang thing shoots really well.

I got a 1938 Mossberg 43 three weeks ago at a gunshow for $50.
It came without a magazine.
I bought a magazine for it for $45 from Havlin Sales.





I got a ~1960 Mossberg 342KA today at a gunshow for $75.
It has the magazine:)

All those old Mossberg's shoot good. My 22 magnum chuckster is no exception to the rule either...

I think I might just sand down and refinish the stock on this old beast over the winter. while it is apart i'll see what I can do to lighten that trigger some. it's the only knock I have on the rifle at this time.

I've had this thing out a few times now and the more I shoot it the more impressed I am with it. for now I am resisting the urge to scope it but something tells me if I did I could get some teeny tiny groups out of it. yea I know I should be able to with open sites too but these old eyes just aren't there like that anymore. but they were good enough to out shoot the kid again, however I think in time that wont happen much anymore either.

Jim,

Scope it, shoot it and love it! We a couple retired guys who shoot them in our 100 yard RF fun matches ... a 3-position match and do well with them.

well i'll have to look around for the appropriate mount. the side of the action is drilled and tapped for a mount. then to decide what would look good

I have a 340BA that I am VERY happy with. Here is a target from 50 yds, with peep sight and golden bullets. Shoots the hollow points best. Oddly enough, the expensive target stuff does not shoot as well.

that's a really nice target and 10 shots to boot. hard enough to get a rifle that will shoot like that much less then do it with open sites. don't know which is more impressive, the rifle or the shooter.

The shooter is mediocre. Damn good shooting rifle.

I'm bringing this thread back up for a couple reasons. first is to show how this thing looks all cleaned up. i did an oil wash to the stock to clean it up but did not want to re-finish it. i left the battle scars but now the stained birch stock shows some figure. the second reason i brought this up is i would like to find one more (i have one now) magazine for it. Havlins are out of them at this time and i can't see paying 60.00+ dollars for one unless i didn't have any. but if any of you guys have one you could spare at a fair price i would really appreciate it. it doesn't have to be minty or even original, just functional.

still looking for some help on a spare mag if anyone has one to part with. again thanks for any help that may be forth coming.

Fixing to post thread about ballistic tests w my 144LS

I wish I had bought several mags when I got the rifles I have. I bought two of the CMP "incomplete" M44US rifles, and must have gotten them out of the very last batch. One is a fantastic shooter that I scoped with a Havlins mount glued on with Black Max from Loctite. No drilling needed. I haven't messed with the other one. I need a front sight to match the peep sight I got from Havlins.

Good luck on finding a magazine.

I did find one guy that is selling me one. Should have it next week. I'm going to get one of those scope mounts for my rifle and see how good it really shoots.

The one I have a scope on out shoots my Kimber 82G.

hey where in Missouri are you motocyclista?

Jim, a pic from a few years back of couple M44US's I have, along with some other US marked family members.

dave

That looks like a whole afternoon of fun sitting on that table!

those mossbert US44's came from cmp, some were parked, some were blued. 69bucks a piece at the time.