Mosin Nagant

[Kyle Hyde]

I just bought an M38 1942 Mosin Nagant with a really smooth bolt action from big 5 for 139.99 on sale. I live in CA...did I pay a fair price based on where I live?

[rexj]

If you like it and you can shoot it well,I say shoot the snot out of it and have alot of fun.You may want to stock up a little on ammo,you never know.
rex

[Leche]

If you like it and you can shoot it well,I say shoot the snot out of it and have alot of fun.You may want to stock up a little on ammo,you never know.
rex

+1. The round is sorta odd ball but still plentiful enough. Cheaper than dirt usually has quite a bit in bulk for cheap. The Nagant is an excellent bolt rifle if maintained well.

[auk1124]

7.62x54r is pretty easy to reload. I agree, shoot the bejeezus out of that sucker.

[airplanedoc]

It is a good deal as long as you are happy with it.

[stobes21]

+1. The round is sorta odd ball but still plentiful enough. Cheaper than dirt usually has quite a bit in bulk for cheap. The Nagant is an excellent bolt rifle if maintained well.

Be careful to clean the gun as soon as possible after shooting most mil-surp ammo. Most of it is corrosive and will eat your bore if not cleaned.

The Mosin is a well built, accurate and powerful gun. The power is pretty equivalent to the .30-'06, so you can hunt a huge range of game with the right ammo. And because ammo is pretty cheap and the gun is tough it makes a good plinker. You did well. Now post some pics!

[Kyle Hyde]

Now post some pics!

I will once I get it. I'm picking it up on friday (we have to wait 10 days here in CA)

[soapbox]

I've seen Mosin-Nagants much cheaper (around $85), but perhaps they weren't in such good condition as yours, etc. You paid more (partly because of the California issue with firearms, I'm sure), but if it's a nice rifle, you got a good deal.

+1 on being very very cautious about corrosive ammo. We're talking "clean it really well within an hour or two after shooting it," okay?

[WhosYerBob]

I have a 1939 Finnish Mosin-Nagant M-39, with a Russian 1896 Tula receiver and a Finnish 1944 Sako barrel. Very accurate out to about 350 yards for me and very affordable - I paid about the same amount for mine about 6 years ago.

[Kyle Hyde]

Anyway to tell if mine was used in WWII?

[airplanedoc]

delete

[soapbox]

Anyway to tell if mine was used in WWII?

I don't know, but if it was manufactured in 1942 -- and note that there was a shortage of combat rifles in the USSR during WWII -- there's no reason it would have been kept in storage for three years while a war raged.

[airplanedoc]

and note that there was a shortage of combat rifles in the USSR during WWII

Good point, at Stalingrad, the russians sent in the troops and told them to pick up a rifle from the dead, as they could not supply them. I would guess that would be a huge confidence builder

[stobes21]

I don't know, but if it was manufactured in 1942 -- and note that there was a shortage of combat rifles in the USSR during WWII -- there's no reason it would have been kept in storage for three years while a war raged.

+1. I highly doubt you'll ever know what exactly the rifle did in the war, but in all likelihood it was at least issued to someone somewhere during the war.

[sandmountainslim]

+1. I highly doubt you'll ever know what exactly the rifle did in the war, but in all likelihood it was at least issued to someone somewhere during the war.

Great rifles Served in many conflicts for a century or longer.
They sell for anywhere between one hundred and two hundred in Bama.
Wp

[Hansel]

Heh, I'm not a big Mosin fan myself...But they work.

Just one tip, try to avoid "Heavy ball" ammo and stick to the lighter "Light Ball" stuff. Seems to keep my 91/30 from sticking up, and it's more accurate with the light ball anyway. Rumor has it the 'Heavy Ball' ammo was really intended for machine gun use only and isn't good for the rifles in large quantity.

[soapbox]

A little more ammo information here. Good info about corrosive primers and cleaning up after shooting the military surplus ammo.

[Hansel]

A little more ammo information here. Good info about corrosive primers and cleaning up after shooting the military surplus ammo.

Ahhh yhea, I almost forgot about that...I've shot so much corrosive stuff that it's almost normal to me.

Let me make it quick, easy, and simple:
When you shoot corrosive ammo, even just one shot, any and all areas that the resultant propellant gases contacted, including your bayonet if it was mounted during firing, are coated in a corrosive salt compound. It has to be removed ASAP after firing, and it can and will eat away at the metal no matter how much oil you pile on top of it. Bolt action rifles are easy to clean, auto loaders somewhat less so.

1) Run a patch soaked in some solvent (paint thinner works great) through the bore to pick up large bits of copper, lead, any grease or oil, etc, down the bore, over the bolt face, and any other exposed areas. We don't want any salts to hide under some grease or goop. Follow with a dry patch.

2) Use HOT soapy water, it's the only (non-toxic...) thing I can guarantee to remove these salts, on the affected areas. A lab wash bottle may be helpful if you want to pour the solution down the barrel. Otherwise, use lots of it on patches. Brush the wet bore a bit.

3) Wipe off and patch out as much of the water as you can. Use some acetone on a patch to help all of the water evaporate.

4) If the rifle is still dirty, use standard cleaning solvent, brush, and patches, to get the rest of the dirt out. The bore should be shiny when the rifle is clean, at least on the lands but perhaps not in the grooves. Oil the rifle heavily.

5) If the rifle is going to sit in storage, unfired, for more than two weeks, check up on it 5-10 days after cleaning. If you see any unusual discoloration, rusting, dulling, or anything funky happening to the rifle (Especially in the bore! Pull the bolt out and look!), you should follow these steps again to be sure that all of the salts were removed. if the rifle shows no signs of corrosion, it should be fine. Before firing, remove excess oil from the action and bore to reduce fouling.

The difference between properly cleaned and improperly cleaned is HUGE! My Mauser has a round count somewhere over 4000 shots, every one of them corrosive, yet it looks nearly brand new. A friend of mine purchased an identical rifle at the same time, but failed to heed my warning about corrosive ammo. He probably hasn't even fired 1000 shots, but his barrel is pitted pretty bad already...

[murchmb]

I paid about $40 for mine, but that was probably 12 years ago when they were coming into the country in droves. I never got around to shooting it and gave it to my brother a couple of years ago. Wish I'd bought the sniper variant that was also available cheaply at the time.

[Trigger]

I have one just like the one you describe. I would say that was a fair price. The rifle is capable for plinking, hunting (with the correct ammo) and long range shooting. With cheap ammo available and what can be done with your purchase, it's hard to wrong. Heed the advice on the corrosive stuff though. Many happy Recoils!!!