Mosin owners....ASSEMBLE!!!

[jay2981]

If you've done your reading on them I'd say stick with what you've learned. If its just going to be a shooter you can't go wrong wih any of them.

 

[ncthorn]

Depends on the T-53, there were some imports for sale recently and some could be rough. Some on GB have gone from 155 to 295 and had the billboard import mark.

The one I have is not import marked and I got it for what I considered a decent price. The only reason I bought it was because of the date. The same year and month I was manufactured.

I agree. You have to be careful making comparisons with them because they really run the gamut as far as condition is concerned, way more so than the Soviet guns.

Also, Omega had T-53s that were at least as nice as what we have seen recently for $119 around 4 years ago, and may have been even cheaper before that. The T-53s seem to be holding pretty steady in price, probably a pretty strong reflection of the substantially lower demand and fewer dedicated collectors for these rifles, they simply don't have the allure for a lot of people since they were not used in WWII. I do expect the average Chinese rifle will run a little under the typical Soviet one in terms of value for the forseeable future.

 

[Redtbird]

This thread came along at just the right time! If all goes well this weekend, I will be looking at buying a Mosin (My first). A friend, much more knowledgeable about weapons than I, gave me some pointers.

Bring a bore light. Do the 'barrel test' then use the same round to check the headspace. Oh yeah! And bring the money! LOL!

Now, if the weather will only cooperate!

 

[lmyer]

For evaluation of bores, I find the bullet test to be not so wonderful. Best way I have found to judge a bore is to remove the bolt and look in the chamber (slightly from the side) while pointing the rifle at a ceiling light. It's quick and easy. Only problem is that you have to know how a good chamber looks before you are able to judge them correctly. I look for sharp lands in the chamber area and, all the way back to where they begin and a mirror appearance in the grooves. indicating no erosion or pitting. After all, this is where the lands are most important. If the lands/chamber are eroded, good luck with getting that bullet spinning. If the lands are great in the chamber, chances are the rifle has not been shot (or cleaned) very much and the bore will probably be good all the way to the crown. Look at a minty Polish M44 or Finnish M39 if you can find one, to get your bearings on what to look for. Of course if the chamber passes muster, then I inspect the crown end for damage or wear. I find a 0.300" bronze pilot shaft (a pilot shaft for a crown cutter) from Brownell's to be a good way to evaluate land wear in the muzzle end. Just stick it in and evaluate how much it will wiggle from side to side.

Only bad thing - I have never personally found what I consider an excellent bore in a crate of refurbs, so I think you may need to look through a heckuvalot of them (unless you get lucky) - or compromise in your standards. Bores do not have to be pristine to shoot well, but they do have to be mirror to clean easily. However I know the great bores are out there as people keep finding them, and I keep buying them.

To remove cosmoline on a new rifle, I remove metal from stock. Remove trigger/sear/pin (don't lose it, repeat don't lose it) and disassemble the bolt down to locking lug, guide, body, firing pin and spring. Clean cosmoline with odorless mineral oil and a brush (the real stuff, not the "green" replacement stuff. Note that mineral oil will NOT damage the finish on the wood if residual happens to drip out on the stock after putting all back together. Don't obsess about headspace or firing pin protrusion if the rifle is numbers matching - it was checked by an expert upon refurbishment. You will need to set the firing pin back to the depth it was in the bolt body when refurbed, so look at the end of the knob and you will most likely see it ground off flush with the bolt body at this time. Almost 100% of the time this is the depth to put it back to. Myself, I wipe a layer of Birchwood-Casey RIG on metal parts covered by the stock to protect from rust, after removing the cosmoline.

For a bore with residual material in it (as found with most Soviet refurbs), I initially brush maybe a dozen strokes with an oversize (.338 caliber) bronze brush, a bore guide, and Hoppes#9 - then tight cotton patches on a jag until dry. If you are not going to shoot it right away, don't forget to oil the bore with gun oil on patches. I also clean cosmoline from the extractor cut-out and general area by the extractor cut-out with Hoppes and long Q-tips. You will most likely not get clean patches without extensive cleaning, and trying to get there may cause more damage than it is worth. If the bore is frosty, it will always be extremely difficult to clean completely after shooting, expecially after shooting dirty milsurp. So relax a bit if your bore is frosty. Beware of bores that don't feel smooth when you push the jag with a patch through. It is not necessary to use a brush each time you clean.

Clean with water or Kroil or Hoppes or Butch's Bore Shine or whatever you prefer - just remember to clean soon after shooting corrosive milsurp ammo. There are different camps on what to use, but all have been successful if you clean it.

Myself, I find running 3 patches on a Jag with Kroil using a bore guide, and drying with 2 patches is sufficient to clean most of my Mosins. I install a chamber plug and fill 'er up to soak overnight with Hoppes#9 every 200 or so rounds to clean copper. However I should say that virtually all of my Mosin bores are pristine and I handload for them with modern components so I am not dealing with corrosive ammo.

Good luck and have fun.

Les

 

[LarryC]

Pretty good advice above, only thing I would add is to work the bolt a few times. I have 6 or 7 Mosin's. All are good shooters but I have one that the bolt is pretty tight (hard to work. No issues with the gun except for the force required to operate (Yeah its clean, no pressure signs, works hard with or without a cartridge). I have bought a few others - gave as gifts to my sons and a couple to friends as Christmas gifts. Extremely great guns for the price! You should also get the accessories free with the gun - Bayonet, ammo / oiler pouch containing the oil cleaner bottle & cleaning kit and sling.

 

[A 7.62 Exodus]

Ok guys, how did I do? So, I got a 1943 Izzy with all matching numbers. Excellent finishing, it looks great. The bolt is KILLER smooth and the bore is very shiny, It was shiny enough i could totally see the rifling in a dark room. There is gunk in the barrel, i think is just do to the cosmoline though. However, can someone explain something to me? After the date (1943) there is what looks like the letter "r"?

 

[Mosinguy]

Ok guys, how did I do? So, I got a 1943 Izzy with all matching numbers. Excellent finishing, it looks great. The bolt is KILLER smooth and the bore is very shiny, It was shiny enough i could totally see the rifling in a dark room. There is gunk in the barrel, i think is just do to the cosmoline though. However, can someone explain something to me? After the date (1943) there is what looks like the letter "r"?

Sounds like you did good! It is just Cryllic, if I remember correctly it either means nothing or it is unknown what it means. How great is the machining on the receiver/barrel?

Oh and

 

[A 7.62 Exodus]

Sounds like you did good! It is just Cryllic, if I remember correctly it either means nothing or it is unknown what it means. How great is the machining on the receiver/barrel?

Oh and

I am aware, pics will be up ASAP, unfortunately, that probably wont be until next weekend

Also, the machining is really good in my mind. Then again, it IS my first Mosin

 

[Wanderer]

Just a question for those with multiple Mosins: I recently acquired an Imperial Russian M1891, made in Tula in 1916, no Finnish capture marks or indicators of Spanish Civil War use or anything like that. The trigger on the thing is horrendous, it must have the worst, heaviest trigger pull out of all of my old military bolt-actions. After taking it apart I suppose I can see why; the trigger spring is actually just a simple leaf spring screwed into the bottom of the receiver. Are all Mosins like this, and I just have to deal with the terrible trigger pull, or is there something wrong with it if the trigger feels especially bad compared to military rifles from the same time period?

 

[Mosinguy]

Just a question for those with multiple Mosins: I recently acquired an Imperial Russian M1891, made in Tula in 1916, no Finnish capture marks or indicators of Spanish Civil War use or anything like that. The trigger on the thing is horrendous, it must have the worst, heaviest trigger pull out of all of my old military bolt-actions. After taking it apart I suppose I can see why; the trigger spring is actually just a simple leaf spring screwed into the bottom of the receiver. Are all Mosins like this, and I just have to deal with the terrible trigger pull, or is there something wrong with it if the trigger feels especially bad compared to military rifles from the same time period?

All Mosins are like that. There are many places that show how to polish the contact areas in the trigger group for a better trigger. Mosin triggers from the factory range from super light and crisp to super creepy and mushy.

 

[Faine]

Every time I see posts by Mosinguy and Millertime I read them and loathe doing so because I want a mosin but never seem to find one that I'm comfortable with when I have the money.

 

[lmyer]

Just a question for those with multiple Mosins: I recently acquired an Imperial Russian M1891, made in Tula in 1916, no Finnish capture marks or indicators of Spanish Civil War use or anything like that. The trigger on the thing is horrendous, it must have the worst, heaviest trigger pull out of all of my old military bolt-actions. After taking it apart I suppose I can see why; the trigger spring is actually just a simple leaf spring screwed into the bottom of the receiver. Are all Mosins like this, and I just have to deal with the terrible trigger pull, or is there something wrong with it if the trigger feels especially bad compared to military rifles from the same time period?

Soviet Mosin triggers are notoriously heavy. Don't fall for the shimming under the spring thing you will find on the Internet.

Can you see the bolt move up and down when you pull the trigger? If so, eliminating the friction that causes this will help immensely with trigger pull and feel. Think about wasted, inconsistent movement of a heavy spring.

Finnish M39 2-stage triggers had two rollers added by the Finns to get the two stages. Sets of M39 triggers/sears are available on Gunbroker. They are drop-into any Mosin. Also, in my factory M39s I have noticed the sear shape has been reworked by the Finns.

Triggers for Finnish M27 and all of the late Finnish competition and sniper variants are a unique floating design and are known as one of the best original Mosin triggers. These also available on Gunbroker but are not cheap. Drop into any Mosin, but may require relieving the end of the trigger slot in the magazine. I have two of these sets. One installed and one spare.

Good luck!

Les

 

[Mosinguy]

Every time I see posts by Mosinguy and Millertime I read them and loathe doing so because I want a mosin but never seem to find one that I'm comfortable with when I have the money.

I hate reading about Miller Tyme's newest acquisitions in the best way possible. All I've got is refurbs and only a few at that.

 

[Faine]

I hate reading about Miller Tyme's newest acquisitions in the best way possible. All I've got is refurbs and only a few at that.

Better than what I've got.... I almost grabbed one at the 1500 but I just wasn't comfortable with the seller and who I buy from is important to me.

 

[Wanderer]

All Mosins are like that. There are many places that show how to polish the contact areas in the trigger group for a better trigger. Mosin triggers from the factory range from super light and crisp to super creepy and mushy.

Can you see the bolt move up and down when you pull the trigger? If so, eliminating the friction that causes this will help immensely with trigger pull and feel. Think about wasted, inconsistent movement of a heavy spring.

Thanks for the advice. When the bolt is cocked, the cocking piece does move slightly when the trigger is pulled, as a matter of fact. I'd rather not replace any parts if I can avoid it, so I'll look into polishing some of the surfaces in the trigger group. I may have been exaggerating a bit, the pull isn't that bad once you get used to it. It's just that I'm more accustomed to nice, crisp Mauser triggers and when I first dry-fired the Mosin I was surprised by the heavy, mushy feel. My M91 is a very nice rifle overall and I'm quite satisfied with it in general.

 

[Miller Tyme]

I hate reading about Miller Tyme's newest acquisitions in the best way possible. All I've got is refurbs and only a few at that.

Well Mosinguy you are really going to hate reading about the one I got today.

 

[Miller Tyme]

After the date (1943) there is what looks like the letter "r"?[/QUOTE]


The r is Cryillic and in Russian it means "year"

 

[aaron580]

Well for the first time I got to shoot my recently acquired mosin! I have never shot a 54R before and I must say that is the LOUDEST gun I think I have ever shot. I cannot imagine hearing that bang without hearing protection! I LOVE it!!!

 

[lmyer]

Well for the first time I got to shoot my recently acquired mosin! I have never shot a 54R before and I must say that is the LOUDEST gun I think I have ever shot. I cannot imagine hearing that bang without hearing protection! I LOVE it!!!

Looks like a very nice m38.

 

[johntheplinker]

Ok guys, how did I do? So, I got a 1943 Izzy with all matching numbers. Excellent finishing, it looks great. The bolt is KILLER smooth and the bore is very shiny, It was shiny enough i could totally see the rifling in a dark room. There is gunk in the barrel, i think is just do to the cosmoline though. However, can someone explain something to me? After the date (1943) there is what looks like the letter "r"?

That is the Cyrillic abbreviation meaning "date of". As in date of 1943. Yeah, we need pics!!!