Mosin Nagant 1891/30 opions/help-ish

[Spac3m4nSp1ff]

I recently bought a Mosin Nagant 1891/30 at the INDY 1500. When I got home I did some research and found its from the Tula factory. It's a 1943 model which means it was made in 42 right before the Germans captured Tula in WWII. My question is, since this is a little bit harder find, when I restore it should I try and leave it as original as possible or just not care?

 

[jsharmon7]

I recently bought a Mosin Nagant 1891/30 at the INDY 1500. When I got home I did some research and found its from the Tula factory. It's a 1943 model which means it was made in 42 right before the Germans captured Tula in WWII. My question is, since this is a little bit harder find, when I restore it should I try and leave it as original as possible or just not care?

I don't think there is much collector value in a 91/30, regardless of year/factory. That said, I'd say modify it as you intend to use it. I have kept mine as original as possible because I think it's a cool historical piece, and it's a heck of a lot of fun to shoot. Either way, enjoy it. You'll get as much joy out of a MN that costs $120 as any other rifle you own.

 

[husker]

when I restore it

Well, if you care about it being original then you shouldn't restore it all. But it's your rifle, so do whatever you want.

 

[AFA1CY]

Oh boy! If you REALLY want to start something go to one of the collector forums and ask that question. Some of the collectors (and we are talking about the common Mosin) are rabid about keeping them original. Some of them will not even clean the cosmoline out of them.

 

[PS1911]

Anyone have any insight to the ATI stocks for the mosin?

 

[IndyGunworks]

with whats available on the market for sportized mosin stocks, ati is a good choice... you aren't going to make a top dollar gun out of a mosin no matter what so the ati stock is a good fit

 

[Sasquatchhunter]

did you get any goodies with it? I liked mine a lot better after I got a bayonet, some czech ammo, and stripper clips at a gunshow.Thats when the real fun started...and I decided to keep it original. more fun that way IMHO

 

[jblomenberg16]

If you haven't already done so, check out 7.62x54r.net . There is a wealth of information there.

Specifically, a 1943 Tula 91/30 is one of the more common rifles out there.

Rarity of Mosin Nagant Rifle Variations


I would check it for any unique markings, see if it shows any signs of being an ex-sniper (usually will be holes in the reciever for a scope mount that are plugged now).

If you put it in an ATI stock, you can always keep the wood and put it back to original if you'd like.

As others have said, Mosin's are a great inexpensive, but accurate and high power rifle. They make for a lot of fun at the range, and where legal, can even be good hunting rifles.

 

[Spac3m4nSp1ff]

Thanks for that Rarity site.

To SasquatchHunter, yes it came with all the goodies. With the bayonet fixed, its almost as tall as me. Haven't gotten the stripper clips yet but i have the clip holders. No ammo either. I'm going to wait till I fix it up before I get any. That and I need money...

 

[husker]

Most of the stripper clips do not work very well and you don't need them to use the rifle.
Enjoy!

 

[stoyan79]

I am sorry to disappoint you, but your gun is not a rare one. I don't think most of the Mosins sold today will ever be rare.

 

[Hoosier8]

Clean it, shoot it, have fun with it. The way it comes it may not be original anyway. Many went through WWII and most all of them have gone through refurb and storage for the upcoming WWIII, which gives it a place in cold war history also. I have a 1899 Mosin M91 that has seen who knows how much conflict and lots of replacement parts, almost 1.5 inch counterbore and was put up for cold war storage. They are just cool is all.

 

[jblomenberg16]

Most of the stripper clips do not work very well and you don't need them to use the rifle.
Enjoy!

Yep, very good point. Sniff around a bit for some of the "original" stripper clips. I've had very good success with the brass clips. Make sure they are well formed and have well defined features rather than the lesser defined curves. (I know, that can be read a few different ways with the "Stripper" context ).

The 7.62x54r site also has a nice guide to what to look for in a good stripper clip.

Here's a good start on ammo. AIM Russian 7.62x54R FMJ Russian 7.62x54R FMJ

This is some of the better shooting ammo out there, is clean, and best of all, doesn't have the lacquered case, which tends to cause some problems due to build up.

Before you do shoot your M91/30, I'd suggest giving the chamber a very good scrube with a copper wire brush. A .45 cal copper bore brush and some Hoppes #9 will help remove a lot of the old built up lacquer and save you some headaches with hard extractions. The brush is just a bit smaller than the chamber (which will be something like .460" to .480" or so), so you'll have to work it around a bit. Or, you can use a 20ga shotgun brush, which will fit a little tight, but also do a good job scrubbing.

If you put a cleaning rod in a cordless drill, get the chamber nice and wet with the Hoppes, you can clean it right up in just a few minutes, if it takes you that long (again, insert possible of color comments about strippers ).

 

[Spac3m4nSp1ff]

Thanks for all the advise guys. I'll be sure to put pictures up when I'm done with it.

 

[Armorer59]

Check around on the internet. You can find Sniper bolt bodies, optics and mounts to scope it. With a decent bore and good ammo, these can be VERY good shooters!