Which is your favorite MN ?
I have basic examples of the Russian guns. M1891, M91/30, and M44. I do not have any of the Finn variants yet, but have shot a couple.
Unlike my Mauser preference for short rifles, my personal favorite among the Mosin family is the original M1891.
My 1891 is 1919 Tula production, Russian Republic marked, it functions great with albanian early 80's brass cased surplus. It didn't like the 60's Czech vintage Silvertip at all. I had to beat the bolt open after every shot.
My 91/30 is a 1926, hex receiver, converted Dragoon, unlike most of these I have seen, this one had an original cleaning rod with it. This gun also likes the albanian surplus ammo.
My M44 is a 1948, Izzy, all matching numbers, that except for two small handling dings in the wood, was like new. I do not believe this gun had ever been fired before I purchased it. It was the only one of my MN's that would shoot the Czech ammo and not have to have the mallet to open the bolt.
I also have a Hungarian M44 that I purchased as a $20.00 Ufixem from Century. It had only about 5% bluing and very dirty wood, but the Ufixem status was due to the 1/2" piece missing out of the front barrel band. This gun was purchased to practice refinishing on, but it headspaced great, so I stripped it, cut off and re-shaped the bayonet lug, re-blued the metal, cut down and refinished the stock, added QD swivels and a leather sling, and now have a nice little knocking around/truck carbine. I think I will have this gun Parkerized in the near future.
What are the favorites in your collection ?
rebelgas V.I.P MODERATOR
Posts: 426
(4/9/02 6:21 am) Reply
Re: Which is your favorite MN ?
Ive got 8 mosins that are all shootable, some are quiet accurate...others would be more effective if thrown at the target..
My favorites would be;
1941 TIKKA arsenaled 91/30 type III Dragoon
1927 IZHEVSK "bow and arrow" 91/30 Dragoon with blade
front site. Hex reciever
1944 VKT SA marked M39 Hex reciever (Best shooter)
And my most collectable of the bunch;
1941 SAKO M39 Hex reciever and rare "Straight Stock" by the way,..it was the only one that came with a cleaning rod!
The other 4 are various Russian STAR arsenaled 91/30's that have seen better days but are shootable.
Ive always liked the MOSIN rifle,..the history of these relics are quiet interesting and can be a hobby all in it self just trying to research the rifle and its "Marking".
The Mosin is a rugged customer and very easy to work on,..they have the best safety of any rifle ive ever seen. They are very dependable and can be very accurate depending on the Ammo.
And with the current market prices of these rifles,...it makes good sense to pic up a couple when buying one.
Word of advise though,.....buy up all the cleaning rods you can afford.......they seem to be getting scarse and demand a premium price when found
V.I.P MODERATOR
Posts: 152
(4/10/02 8:47 pm) Reply
Re: Which is your favorite MN ?
Don't own one yet so I don't know. But I like the way they look so I have a feeling by the end of the year I will own one at least.
rebelgas V.I.P MODERATOR
Posts: 429
(4/12/02 5:35 am) Reply
Re: Which is your favorite MN ?
TLynn they are so brute ugly that the have new puppy appeal. Now let it be known that the bolt operation is a bit on the ruff side when compared to the Enfields we both love. They are not smooth. When I got my first Mosin I thought it had a problem, the bolt was very tight and hard to close,..after firing it was very hard to open requiring me to smack open the bolt knob with my palm. Thats normal I found out when shooting certain Chezck surplus ammo.
Also if ya get one ,..tear it down remove the trigger group and flat spring and clean the heck out of the reciever. Pay close attention to the chamber area. Ive found that chucking a chamber brush in a drill and using a good cleaner (your choice) work the brush in and out at a slow to medium speed will work wonders there.
TLynn,....the M44 carbine can be on the brutal side for Ladies to shoot. It has a helluva muzzle blast. Im not insenuating anything here,......but I do remember you talking about painfull shooting one time over at AW, so I thought Id fore warn ya here. The M44 leaves me purple for a cpl days and Im not a Little fellar by no means!
I'd try for one of the M91/30's or M39's first,......the added weight and length tames the round quiet a bit. And you will probably be more comfortable starting with it.
Like I said,...not try to be boss'y or nuthin,...just lookin out for a friend! Image by FlamingText.com
Re: Which is your favorite MN ?
I've said it before and I'll say it again. My favorite has to be the M-44. I'll always have a soft spot for my 91/30, but the M-44 just seems more balanced and easier for me to shoot. Call me sadistic, but the little extra kick of the M-44 I like. This coming from a guy who loves Jalapeno peppers and spends hours running up and down the Rugby pitch knocking heads with guys 10 years younger.
Re: Which is your favorite MN ?
My kind of guy. I like my M44's also. and yes they do hurt....but it's a good hurt. Kinda like childbirth I would guess, not that gender...but a good comparison none the less.
<***** language="Java*****">
-- Hide the ***** from old browsers --
function surfto(form) {
var myindex=form.select1.selectedIndex
if (form.select1.options[myindex].value != 0) {
location=form.select1.options[myindex].value;}
}
//-->
If you like the forums and would like to make a donation please click here, thank you.
guns and survival board treasurer and assistant administrator
Email This To a Friend
Topic Commands
Click to receive email notification of replies 
Click to stop receiving email notification of replies 
