Mosin Advice Please?

[ArmasTermin]

I'm looking at Mosins, specifically M38 and M44. I have a few questions.

I don't actually know which one I want. But I'd wanted t oshoot stuff far away and the 38 is cheaper. Whichever one I got I'd probably end up with the other evenetually, though, so whatever.

What's a good price for a 38? What's a good price for a 44?

I've never ordered online and had it shipped to a FFL dealer. Would it be worth the extra cost to (a) be able to look at the gun before buying and (b) not deal with the online buying hassle by getting it from a gun show rather than the internet?  

[Freak_090]

I would go with the M44 if you ever want to use the Bayo. Trust me when I say this, Mosin Bayonets are HELL to put on and take off. But either way, be sure to look for a rifle made after WWII because the quality is ten times better.  

[OberFeldwebel]

Well, the M38s are a bit harder to find, at least for me I've only seen one M38 at the gun shows that I went to and I bought it, and from looking at it I don't believe a bayonet is attachable. Unless the Russians had a bigger socket bayonet for the M38s.

The M44s are late war, and a lot more are after war. (1944 with a few that were made, probably as models or factory tests, in 1943)

Since the ones after the war weren't being rushed out they were machined with more care.

You could do just as good with the pre-WWII Mosins as well.
They're older, they're cooler and longer which to me spells more accuracy as long as the bore isn't shot to hell.
Make sure it's smooth and shiny and not pitted and if you can, stick a 7.62 bullet in the muzzle and see how far it goes in.

If it barely does it's good, but if it starts getting real close to the brass then I'd say no, UNLESS it was counter bored. Then it may be a bit more tricky to gauge it unless you have an actual bore-gauge.
But the counter boring was done to fix the damaged rifling and provide a fresh crown, that was done when it was 'rearsenaled'.  

[Inquisitor Brock]

If you buy after the war, you don;t get the history that the gun comes with.

For all you know, it could have been in Stalingrad and gotten dropped, picked up, and dropped again at Kursk, picked up and dropped in Berlin before finally being packed away in a crate to be put away till the Motherland needed her again.  

[uryu ishida]

Gunbroker for a pricepoint, man. Look for the AVERAGE PRICE, the range that pops up the most often, with a bit of breathing room both ways.  

[OberFeldwebel]

uryu ishida

Gunbroker for a pricepoint, man. Look for the AVERAGE PRICE, the range that pops up the most often, with a bit of breathing room both ways.

+1

Agree on the after war stuff.

Also, the prewar stuff also has the possibility of being used in WWII as well.

For example, my ex-Dragoon.
I haven't inspected it closely yet but the front sling band is prewar and the rear stock sling slot is WWII type.
It's possible that the buttstock was damaged beyond simple repair and was patched in.
Doubtful it was the cause of Ivan throwing a fit and breaking it over Vladimir's face during peace time.

I've heard some stories of people finding bits of fragments from artillery shells or grenades embedded in their stocks. eek  

[CapitalistPleb]

OberFeldwebel

uryu ishida

Gunbroker for a pricepoint, man. Look for the AVERAGE PRICE, the range that pops up the most often, with a bit of breathing room both ways.

+1

Agree on the after war stuff.

Also, the prewar stuff also has the possibility of being used in WWII as well.

For example, my ex-Dragoon.
I haven't inspected it closely yet but the front sling band is prewar and the rear stock sling slot is WWII type.
It's possible that the buttstock was damaged beyond simple repair and was patched in.
Doubtful it was the cause of Ivan throwing a fit and breaking it over Vladimir's face during peace time.

I've heard some stories of people finding bits of fragments from artillery shells or grenades embedded in their stocks. eek

holy crap  

[ArmasTermin]

Thread is relevant to my interests again. Been looking at this:

http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?groupid=117

AIM Surplus now has four different Mosin versions, and this is the most expensive so I figure best? wink

For a while now I've been itching for a lever-action .30-30, but the funds just aren't there. I've got to work on finally starting to drive, which means fixing up my vehicle and paying for lessons and whatnot. Seriously, that s**t should have been done a few years ago. But whatever. I don't see myself having the funds for a $400-600 gun until sometime after I get my carry piece when I turn 21. But a $100 rifle, and a fairly good one considering, is very appealing to me. Not to mention I've wanted one of the things for a long time. Hell it'd be half as much as the bow I just bought, which is insane when you--bah, rambling! Anyone have anything to say regarding Mosin?

Also, how does one go about ordering from AIM Surplus through an FFL? Just go down to the shop and ask if you can give them a link to the site to order it?  

[Shrantic]

ArmasTermin

Thread is relevant to my interests again. Been looking at this:

http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?groupid=117

AIM Surplus now has four different Mosin versions, and this is the most expensive so I figure best? wink

For a while now I've been itching for a lever-action .30-30, but the funds just aren't there. I've got to work on finally starting to drive, which means fixing up my vehicle and paying for lessons and whatnot. Seriously, that s**t should have been done a few years ago. But whatever. I don't see myself having the funds for a $400-600 gun until sometime after I get my carry piece when I turn 21. But a $100 rifle, and a fairly good one considering, is very appealing to me. Not to mention I've wanted one of the things for a long time. Hell it'd be half as much as the bow I just bought, which is insane when you--bah, rambling! Anyone have anything to say regarding Mosin?

Also, how does one go about ordering from AIM Surplus through an FFL? Just go down to the shop and ask if you can give them a link to the site to order it?

I'm happy with my 91/30, but only because of two reasons- the price and the power. I cannot shoot very well with the iron sights, corrosive is HELL to clean, and the rifle is so large that it's difficult to move.

But at 70$, it was cheap, and I got my money's worth. (Also, it's cool to see geysers of dirt/dust fly up when I shoot downrange. mrgreen )

However, I think you can get more for what you pay if you buy a K31. Straight-pull bolt, carbine, more accurate than a Mosin, and has non-corrosive surplus ammo that's accurate enough to be called "match-grade."  

[ArmasTermin]

Rocky Sassoon

ArmasTermin

Thread is relevant to my interests again. Been looking at this:

http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?groupid=117

AIM Surplus now has four different Mosin versions, and this is the most expensive so I figure best? wink

For a while now I've been itching for a lever-action .30-30, but the funds just aren't there. I've got to work on finally starting to drive, which means fixing up my vehicle and paying for lessons and whatnot. Seriously, that s**t should have been done a few years ago. But whatever. I don't see myself having the funds for a $400-600 gun until sometime after I get my carry piece when I turn 21. But a $100 rifle, and a fairly good one considering, is very appealing to me. Not to mention I've wanted one of the things for a long time. Hell it'd be half as much as the bow I just bought, which is insane when you--bah, rambling! Anyone have anything to say regarding Mosin?

Also, how does one go about ordering from AIM Surplus through an FFL? Just go down to the shop and ask if you can give them a link to the site to order it?

I'm happy with my 91/30, but only because of two reasons- the price and the power. I cannot shoot very well with the iron sights, corrosive is HELL to clean, and the rifle is so large that it's difficult to move.

But at 70$, it was cheap, and I got my money's worth. (Also, it's cool to see geysers of dirt/dust fly up when I shoot downrange. mrgreen )

However, I think you can get more for what you pay if you buy a K31. Straight-pull bolt, carbine, more accurate than a Mosin, and has non-corrosive surplus ammo that's accurate enough to be called "match-grade."

Hm, good suggestion, but I don't know. Never heard of the gun before, and for no particular reason I don't like straight-pull bolt-action. Also it's more than twice as expensive and the whole idea now is cheap, decent rifle.  

[Fresnel]

ArmasTermin

Rocky Sassoon

ArmasTermin

Thread is relevant to my interests again. Been looking at this:

http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?groupid=117

AIM Surplus now has four different Mosin versions, and this is the most expensive so I figure best? wink

For a while now I've been itching for a lever-action .30-30, but the funds just aren't there. I've got to work on finally starting to drive, which means fixing up my vehicle and paying for lessons and whatnot. Seriously, that s**t should have been done a few years ago. But whatever. I don't see myself having the funds for a $400-600 gun until sometime after I get my carry piece when I turn 21. But a $100 rifle, and a fairly good one considering, is very appealing to me. Not to mention I've wanted one of the things for a long time. Hell it'd be half as much as the bow I just bought, which is insane when you--bah, rambling! Anyone have anything to say regarding Mosin?

Also, how does one go about ordering from AIM Surplus through an FFL? Just go down to the shop and ask if you can give them a link to the site to order it?

I'm happy with my 91/30, but only because of two reasons- the price and the power. I cannot shoot very well with the iron sights, corrosive is HELL to clean, and the rifle is so large that it's difficult to move.

But at 70$, it was cheap, and I got my money's worth. (Also, it's cool to see geysers of dirt/dust fly up when I shoot downrange. mrgreen )

However, I think you can get more for what you pay if you buy a K31. Straight-pull bolt, carbine, more accurate than a Mosin, and has non-corrosive surplus ammo that's accurate enough to be called "match-grade."

Hm, good suggestion, but I don't know. Never heard of the gun before, and for no particular reason I don't like straight-pull bolt-action. Also it's more than twice as expensive and the whole idea now is cheap, decent rifle.

It's really a very solid system. I got to play with one a week or so ago. Imagine a gas-piston system with a broken piston. Take a shot, cycle with the charging handle. But cheap is cheap, and the K31 ain't.

If you want to save even MORE money, Sportsman's Guide sells a chamber conversion from x54r to x25TOK, which is, like, a dime a round for the corrosive surplus s**t.  

[Shrantic]

ArmasTermin

Rocky Sassoon

ArmasTermin

Thread is relevant to my interests again. Been looking at this:

http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?groupid=117

AIM Surplus now has four different Mosin versions, and this is the most expensive so I figure best? wink

For a while now I've been itching for a lever-action .30-30, but the funds just aren't there. I've got to work on finally starting to drive, which means fixing up my vehicle and paying for lessons and whatnot. Seriously, that s**t should have been done a few years ago. But whatever. I don't see myself having the funds for a $400-600 gun until sometime after I get my carry piece when I turn 21. But a $100 rifle, and a fairly good one considering, is very appealing to me. Not to mention I've wanted one of the things for a long time. Hell it'd be half as much as the bow I just bought, which is insane when you--bah, rambling! Anyone have anything to say regarding Mosin?

Also, how does one go about ordering from AIM Surplus through an FFL? Just go down to the shop and ask if you can give them a link to the site to order it?

I'm happy with my 91/30, but only because of two reasons- the price and the power. I cannot shoot very well with the iron sights, corrosive is HELL to clean, and the rifle is so large that it's difficult to move.

But at 70$, it was cheap, and I got my money's worth. (Also, it's cool to see geysers of dirt/dust fly up when I shoot downrange. mrgreen )

However, I think you can get more for what you pay if you buy a K31. Straight-pull bolt, carbine, more accurate than a Mosin, and has non-corrosive surplus ammo that's accurate enough to be called "match-grade."

Hm, good suggestion, but I don't know. Never heard of the gun before, and for no particular reason I don't like straight-pull bolt-action. Also it's more than twice as expensive and the whole idea now is cheap, decent rifle.

They're very solid- I was a bit iffy on the idea, too, at first. But after handling one, they feel just as robust as a Mosin.

The gun's about twice as expensive as a Mosin, but it's easily three times as good. Unless you just don't have the money, I'd suggest you put a Mosin on hold and get the créme de la créme of inexpensive surplus guns.  

[090Freak090]

ArmasTermin

Thread is relevant to my interests again. Been looking at this:

http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?groupid=117

AIM Surplus now has four different Mosin versions, and this is the most expensive so I figure best? wink

For a while now I've been itching for a lever-action .30-30, but the funds just aren't there. I've got to work on finally starting to drive, which means fixing up my vehicle and paying for lessons and whatnot. Seriously, that s**t should have been done a few years ago. But whatever. I don't see myself having the funds for a $400-600 gun until sometime after I get my carry piece when I turn 21. But a $100 rifle, and a fairly good one considering, is very appealing to me. Not to mention I've wanted one of the things for a long time. Hell it'd be half as much as the bow I just bought, which is insane when you--bah, rambling! Anyone have anything to say regarding Mosin?

Also, how does one go about ordering from AIM Surplus through an FFL? Just go down to the shop and ask if you can give them a link to the site to order it?

It was simple for me when I ordered my Lower Receiver. I went to my local gun shop told them I wanted to do an FFL transfer, they asked where/who from I told them AIM, and the had AIM's info on file, simple as that. If they don't have the info on file then this.  

[Floyd]

The Cabela's in Boise has Mosin rifles and Schmidt Rubin Carbines in retched excess. Go cheap or go quality. Either can be fun.

Problem with the Schmidt Rubin is the scarcity of the 7.5mm round. Granted they're accurate as some match rifles, but they weigh as much as a '98 8mm Mauser. No advantage to the size.

One major problem with buying Mosin by mail order is the unseen wear on critical parts like the barrel. Kind of pointless how cheap the gun is if it can't hit the side of a barn at 100 yards.

If push came to shove, I'd buy the Schmidt Rubin, just because it was designed and built in Switzerland. Makes me think the rifle will be better cared for mechanically, and will last forever and a day.  

[ArmasTermin]

Hm. Better rifle = better rifle, but I don't know. I just want the Mosin more. There's no justification, it's just preference. That and I just know nothing about this K31. I mean on any firearm forum in existence there's a thread about people and their Mosins, the stupidly cheap wonder-rifle that everybody owns at least one of. But I'll do some research and look into the thing.

EDIT: Also cheap ammo is a good thing, and apparently the Swiss is more expensive in that regard. Do you think picking the "best of five" option for the Mosin would keep me from getting a lemon?

And of the three Mosins offered by AIM, is the most expensive one at 99.95 necessarily the best one? Because I've heard of hexagonal receivers being better somehow, and if I were to get one I'd want to get the best kind.

Also, I've been thinking about starting to put together a MOLLE system and would want pouches to accommodate 7.62x54R-loaded clips. Can any of you think of any well-suited for that off-hand?