Online Mosin Nagant Question

[Guest Grantonius]

I have been looking into buying a Mosin Nagant rifle. (already have a Nagant M1895 revolver) and i have seen that on jgsales that i can get one for $80. The ones I've seen in my local gun shop are about $100 more. Would it be worth it for me to buy one of these online or are they not worth having. I'm just skeptical of the deal, and would rather see things in person before purchase. Thanks for any help!

[56FordGuy]

The catch is the rifle you buy online has to be shipped to an FFL dealer in TN, then you have to pay a transfer fee (usually between 20 and 30 dollars) at the gun store before you can take the rifle home. By the time you pay the transfer and shipping cost, there usually isn't much cost advantage to buying online.

[Guest Grantonius]

Thanks. Next question, what is the difference between the round/hex receivers on these rifles? ( other than one is round and the other has 6 sides)

[JeffL]

They're fun to shoot and ammo is cheap. Get your Type 03 Curio and Relics FFL and you can have it sent directly to your door! Only costs $30. Mine took 90 days to process.

[Guest HvyMtl]

Difference between the Hex (actually octagon) receiver and Round is, basically age. The Hex are older. 1891/30 Russian made Mosin Nagants.

The ones presently in the market are usually arsenal refinished and stored after WWII, with the thought that World War 3 was soon to occur. This is my 2 cents: Check with Goodlettsville Gunshop, Guns and Leather, Outpost Armory, and other of the TNGunowners.com's Vendors. I know the 3 listed have had the 1891/30. Pricing varies due to condition, and the Hex receiver seem to have a higher demand.

Gun shows are also good. I got a 1943 round receiver in excellent condition with the bayonet, sling, tools, and ammo packs for $120 OTD, including background check.

What to look for - Crown and bore in excellent shape, no counterbore at barrel end (some were "shot out" and not rebarrelled.) Excellent wood, no cracks, some shellac flaked off at most. Numbers stamped on and matching - barrel, bolt, bottom of magazine, and butt plate. Plus the full kit (bayonet, sling etc.) That should be around $120-150. Tops. If scratched wood, or cracked, $100 or less. Numbers do not match or etched, not stamped, $100 or less.

I would check with Goodlettsville Gun Shop First, as they had some good deals on the 1891/30 recently. Do let them know you are a member here.

After you get one, fair warning, they are addictive and fun. If you want to "upgrade" to a more accurate, heavy barreled version, go for a M39 Mosin built by Finland. The easiest place to find one of those is gunsnammo.com - NOTE they have Pre-1899 receiver M39's - read up on the Pre-1899 antique firearms at empirearms.com - another place to find Finnish Mosins.

NOTE: Shop around for FFL transfer fees and always add the $10 background check. It does vary.

The place I recommend for general gun shop is Guns and Leather.

Oh, and by the way, educate yourself at places like www.7.62x54r.net or http://mosinnagant.net/ Educate yourself. Then go to the local Pawn shops. Several people have walked away with steals.

Remember this: the 1891/30 is the "tip of the iceburg" on Mosin Nagants. I think 23 different nations fielded or produced Mosin Nagants, including the U.S. The Mosin Nagant started production in 1891 and have served in WWI, and on up til the present day. For example, the U.S. even produced ammo for these back in 1991 during Desert Storm... And there are reports of these being used in Afghanistan. Vietnam bring backs of Mosins occurred...

Edited July 1, 2010 by HvyMtl

[Guest friesepferd]

alrighty.

first, mosins are awesome. they are cheap and fun to shoot.

you will find tons of mosins for the $75-$125 price range, but there are differances

- most is that price range wont have a laminated stock. this means they are going to ooze out cosmilene (yuck!) every time the gun gets near the sun unless you refinish it yourself. if you can find one thats laminated for that price, get it.

- I wouldnt buy any mosin I cant have my hands on. there are enough of them out there in that price range (not a huge differance in price). get one that looks to be in decent shape. $20 isnt a big enough difference for me to buy a used gun w/o seeing it.

- ones with matching numbers is worth more

[Mike.357]

I agree with buying one you can actually lay hands on and look at first.

A typical Russian made 91/30 is never going to be worth much, something to do with a billion of them having been made. So that said matching numbers are way over rated. As long as the rifle has been through a re-arsenal process it ought to be fine. Personally I do want the receiver and bolt to match, could care less about the other parts.

I have never had a laminated stock Mosin Nagant. I have cleaned the cosmoline out of the rifles I had and the ooze of subsequent cosmo has been minimal. It is not an issue IMHO. Strip the rifle and you will most likely find a ton of the stuff under the barrel, get rid of that and what is on the trigger group. Those places seem to me to be where is keeps coming from. Once they are clean the ooze stops.

Just look around locally, I am sure you will find what you want.

[G27]

I've bought several 91/30s from JGSales and have nothing but good to say about any of them - they all look and shoot GREAT. I always pay the $10 hand-select option, but I also have my C&R so they ship to my house directly.

[Guest HvyMtl]

Yeah cosmoline is not a problem. A good cleaning and you are good to go.

True, a lot of the 1891/30 were made. And also true, the main concern is getting the bolt and barrel matching #.

Also true, there were a lot of Mausers back in the day. Now they go for a bit more then back then. So I went for a all # match and no issues for the remote possibility this will occur with 1891/30s.

If you want a shooter, focus on the condition of the barrel, crown, bolt, receiver and magazine. You can put it in an after market stock for better accuracy.

[Guest Grantonius]

Thanks for everything guys!

[Guest coldblackwind]

Prices have gone up a little recently on most mosins, 91/30 excluded. However, there are 91/30's everywhere. I typically see them for right around 109+tax and tics. The armory in Lebanon has been getting them in steadily at this price, and usually at the gun shows there will be a number of them at this price. Haven't been in many other gunshops lately, but I wouldn't do much more than that for a 91/30. As for the finnish guns, they are GREAT mosins, my buddy has one, and there is no comparison between them and the russian ones. However, expect to pay considerably more for them. Good guns, and fun to shoot no matter which one you get, cheap too. If you don't like recoil though, they may not be your best bet!

[Tempest455]

Agree with all above. But since nobody mentioned it yet, they also typically shoot high and usually not center at first. Some slight adjustment with the front sights makes them even more fun to shoot whan you can actually hit something at 100Y.

[Garufa]

Or you could just put the bayonet on.

[Guest eyescream]

Or you could just put the bayonet on.

I was always told that Mosins were intended to be shot with the bayonet on.

[Guest HvyMtl]

Correct, the 1891/30 were sighted with the bayonet on. The intent of the Soviet Military was the bayonet to stay on at all times.

The M44 is also sighted with the bayonet extended.

If you want a great shooter at a good price, look at the M39 Finnish Mosin.

gunsnammo.com and empirearms.com are good sources. Around $300ish, but really a better shooter.

[Tempest455]

Or you could just put the bayonet on.

Yes an option but not for me! I chose to make mine accurate as possible without the bayo.

Mojo sights will make them pretty accurate for Milsurp ammo.

[Guest benroe]

I love my mosin. I thought about scoping it out and turning it into a deer rifle.

[roverboy]

How much does a Mojo sight usually cost?

[Guest Grantonius]

Peep sights order form at Mojo Sighting Systems

[Guest friesepferd]

+1 for the mojo sights. well worth it