mosin nagant...what a bang for your buck!

[ironsights]

I was given a Russian M44 from 1948 a while back and I love this rifle. Ammo is a little hard to find but it’s quit a kick to shoot (literally). It fires a 7.62x54r. They are very inexpensive right now (under $100). I got lucky and got one in excellent condition. It's defiantly not a must have but fun anyway, and it has turned me on to a whole new area of firearms history. Some early rare models can fetch a pretty penny as well. Mine has a fixed bayonet witch I found fires more accurate extended. I was hitting pretty close to center target at 100 yards. After about thirty rounds I knew I was going to be sore and sure enough when I got home I had a fresh strawberry on my shoulder. Next time I'll throw a towel over my shoulder, I hope no one looks at me funny for doing that.

[KBCraig]

Good pig gun. Pig sticker included.

[blacktop]

You got that right. Cheap thrills - I've got a half dozen of the M44s and 91/30s. They are a handful to shoot and can be quite accurate. Eventually you will run into difficulty opening the bolt due to the lacquer buildup (with lacquer coated steel cased ammo), but it's an easy fix. Check out 7.62x54r.net for a wealth of info on these. With good surplus ammo, you get a nice fireball when you shoot it and usually you're making the biggest boom at the range. Get yourself a BATFE Curio & Relic license ($30 for 3 years - easy application and background check), and you can have the UPS man bring them right to your front door for less than a C note, delivered (no FFL transfer needed). Or pick them up at the gunshows with no NICS check. Fun all around.

[KBCraig]

My only M44 is a Polish Radom -- beeyootiful finish. The Poles and Czechs always had the best workmanship of the former Eastern Bloc countries.

I understand that M38s, which don't have a bayonet (nor even a lug) balance much better, but also recoil more harshly.

M44s are pussycats compared to my Steyr M95/34 in 8x56R. I've never had the nerve to shoot it from the bench, only offhand.

[ironsights]

You can buy modern made ammo that does not have the lacquer on the shells but it’s pricey. hey..it's a war rifle....kick open the bolt and get to work

[597newbie]

Ammo is a little hard to find but it’s quit a kick to shoot (literally). It fires a 7.62x54r. Next time I'll throw a towel over my shoulder, I hope no one looks at me funny for doing that.

1. Will need to buy ammo off the web for it to be cheap.
http://gun-deals.com/ammo
I bought some of these and I didnt even need them... they shoot great.
7.62x54R - $52.97/300 (Sportsman's Guide) - Cost per round: 17.7 cents
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/brow ... .aspx?c=96

2.I have both a rubber slip on pad on the metal butt AND a towel on my shoulder.

3. Ranges that allow full metal jacket magnetic ammo are Gibson's Outpost and Magnum in Sanger. See website on my signature for more info.

[KD5NRH]

Reload with 123gr bullets and try for about 2500-3000fps. It's a whole different gun at that power; still loud as all get out, but it doesn't hurt, and you won't bruise your hand beating the bolt open. :)

[ironsights]

That sounds nice compared to the 203 gr. surplus stick powder...thank you sir!

[KBCraig]

Mosin-Nagant: yet more evidence that James Paris Lee had it right when he made rifles that were cock-on-close.

[xpur3l0g1cx]

I took my mosin 44 out and a guy came over down the line and said what the heck is that. All he could comment was how loud it was.

[NcongruNt]

I have two Mosin-Nagants, an M44 and a 91/30. They were my first guns ever, and I still shoot them. I prefer the 91/30 to the M44 personally, as it is better balanced (after all the M44 is really just a 91/30 cut down for urban combat) and is definitely the more accurate of the two. YMMV, and I think that the bore on my 91/30 is better than my M44, also the improved sight radius is a probably factor. I am proficient enough with my 91/30 to bust clays at ~225yds (set on the berm behind the 200yd target boards), and though it's not a tack-driver, it is accurate enough to help me continue to improve my shooting technique. My 91/30 is still my favorite range gun, though the 18.5" 870 shotty is quickly catching up to it - two completely different kinds of shooting, though.

I have a small stash of Hungarian yellow silver tip ammo (steel core heavy ball - 182grn) and Czech silver tip (steel core light ball - 147grn) that perform well. You can find the stuff for decent prices online (I use Ammunition To Go in Brenham and buy it in person). If you're looking for a very good accuracy round, I'd recommend the S&B 147grn rounds. At the price the stuff runs, it's not range ammo, but would be great if you want to go hunting or some fun times seeing what your gun is capable of at the range.

Here I am at the range with her, bayonet and all:



Great guns, the Mosin-Nagants.

[597newbie]

I took my mosin 44 out and a guy came over down the line and said what the heck is that. All he could comment was how loud it was.

I get the same reaction everywhere I go w/ my M44.

At one outdoor range I overheard a guy with a $3000 AR15 telling the range warden, "that is the most obnoxious gun!"

At a 50yd indoor range I was at lane 1 and the guys from lane 7 came over to tell me they could feel the air pulse (shockwave?) and feel the thump from all the way over there. Wanted to look at the ammo and they stared at it w/ jaws dropped.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlRG-Afa ... re=related video slow motions fireball

one more thing.. it always makes kids jump (and some adults).

I actually do not enjoy shooting it... it wears me out and I am not recoil sensitive. was my first milsurp rifle and I learned a bunch from it.

[Wrightwing]

I picked one up Sunday at Cheaper Than Dirt. On sale for $89.00. M91 , good looking rifle. I need to order ammo & get to the range with it.

[blacktop]

The first time I took my M44 to the range (Hotwells) I was all nervous because even though I had checked the headspacing and gone over the gun to make sure it was safe, you never know. Well, I propped it up on the sand bags, settled in and held my head as far back from the action as I could (in case it blew up) . I gently pulled the trigger and KABOOM! Huge fireball, a great big kick in the shoulder, and the rest of the range went completely silent . Here's the part where I sit up and grin like an idiot. A number of people had to come over to see just what it was that I was shooting. No blow up, just a heck of a ride! My wife said that she could see the blastwave lay down the grass in front of the bench. It's like that every time. It does tends to frighten the kids out shooting for the first time with their .22s so I try to be courteous and take a break when they get started, but it's so darn fun to shoot!!

[xpur3l0g1cx]

The first time I took mine out i was pretty scared myself about blowing up. Hadnt headspaced it and I put it on the sandbag and just basically put a sandbag on top and kinda on the rear of the bolt. My buddy was like just shoot the darn thing. I let off the first round and all I saw was flameball and instantly had a rush. Shot about 60 rounds that day till it got kinda dark and it really "shined" then!

The first time I took my M44 to the range (Hotwells) I was all nervous because even though I had checked the headspacing and gone over the gun to make sure it was safe, you never know. Well, I propped it up on the sand bags, settled in and held my head as far back from the action as I could (in case it blew up) . I gently pulled the trigger and KABOOM! Huge fireball, a great big kick in the shoulder, and the rest of the range went completely silent . Here's the part where I sit up and grin like an idiot. A number of people had to come over to see just what it was that I was shooting. No blow up, just a heck of a ride! My wife said that she could see the blastwave lay down the grass in front of the bench. It's like that every time. It does tends to frighten the kids out shooting for the first time with their .22s so I try to be courteous and take a break when they get started, but it's so darn fun to shoot!!