Bought a Mosin Nagant

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
Mosin Nagant.

I admit I was partly inspired by the previous thread, but after reading some of the history of this gun, and seeing how incredibly cheap they are (and that the supply is starting to dry up), I felt like now was a good time to make a purchase.

This isn't a very rare example by any means--round receiver Izzy, 1941--but the year, the styling, and the fact that it's been counterbored suggests to me that this gun saw some action in WW2. It feels really neat to own a piece of history like this. It's incredibly easy to completely dissasemble it for cleaning, and while the fit and finish is crude, as befits a Russian gun, it's all very solid.

I tried to get a chance to shoot it this weekend, but due to the snow, the lack of chains on the car, and the people trying to cut down Christmas trees, I didn't (anyone know a good outdoors place around Seattle to shoot long guns besides the pit off of exit 47?). I did get a picture of my friend posing with it. (Yes, the bayonet is on wrong...it's a mismatch, and is too tight to fit the gun without a big mallet, which is am disinclined to use. And yes, he's a lefty.)

At $90, I probably overpaid, but it's in pretty good condition save the counterbore, and the numbers all match.

I'll probably sand the bayonet a bit so that it can fit later.
 

jlee

Lifer
Sep 12, 2001
48,518
223
106
:thumbsup:

You can get them cheaper ($60ish online), but you often need a C&R FFL (plus the shipping costs). I paid $95 for my M44 carbine, and don't regret it. :)
 

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
Originally posted by: JLee
:thumbsup:

You can get them cheaper ($60ish online), but you often need a C&R FFL (plus the shipping costs). I paid $95 for my M44 carbine, and don't regret it. :)

Yeah, I found some online too, but since the C&R license costs $30 it seemed like it would be a wash.
 

jlee

Lifer
Sep 12, 2001
48,518
223
106
Originally posted by: jagec
Originally posted by: JLee
:thumbsup:

You can get them cheaper ($60ish online), but you often need a C&R FFL (plus the shipping costs). I paid $95 for my M44 carbine, and don't regret it. :)

Yeah, I found some online too, but since the C&R license costs $30 it seemed like it would be a wash.

Yep. Until they start multiplying. :Q
 

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
Originally posted by: jagec
Originally posted by: JLee
:thumbsup:

You can get them cheaper ($60ish online), but you often need a C&R FFL (plus the shipping costs). I paid $95 for my M44 carbine, and don't regret it. :)

Yeah, I found some online too, but since the C&R license costs $30 it seemed like it would be a wash.

not if you buy more C&R guns, plus several places give you discounts, like Midway, Brownell's, CDNN.

I just got my license recently and also recently ordered a mosin nagant 91/30. haven't received it yet though. i plan on collecting more. heck, considering the prices some dealers charge to transfer a gun and do paperwork, the license might just pay for itself. plus the $30 fee is for 3 years.

I don't know that I'd recommend the license if you're not really going to collect though. you have to keep a bound book of all your C&R purchases, so it might be a bit much for just 1 gun.
 

zeruty

Platinum Member
Jan 17, 2000
2,276
2
81
Originally posted by: jagec
(anyone know a good outdoors place around Seattle to shoot long guns besides the pit off of exit 47?).

http://www.traderscreek.com/gun_clubs/washington.asp

I went to Tacoma Sportsmen's Club(in Puyallup) a couple of years ago... that place was alright, it was busy though with a bit of a wait. We spent a while shooting handguns, then went over to shoot our rifles (MAK90, SKS, and Mosin Nagant) but the wait was too long that day, and we decided the handguns were enough for the day (to impress the girl I brought haha)

Interesting to note on that list is Bullseye in Tacoma... That's where the Washington D.C. sniper bought his gun
 

clamum

Lifer
Feb 13, 2003
26,252
403
126
Originally posted by: pontifex
Originally posted by: jagec
Originally posted by: JLee
:thumbsup:

You can get them cheaper ($60ish online), but you often need a C&R FFL (plus the shipping costs). I paid $95 for my M44 carbine, and don't regret it. :)

Yeah, I found some online too, but since the C&R license costs $30 it seemed like it would be a wash.

not if you buy more C&R guns, plus several places give you discounts, like Midway, Brownell's, CDNN.

I just got my license recently and also recently ordered a mosin nagant 91/30. haven't received it yet though. i plan on collecting more. heck, considering the prices some dealers charge to transfer a gun and do paperwork, the license might just pay for itself. plus the $30 fee is for 3 years.

I don't know that I'd recommend the license if you're not really going to collect though. you have to keep a bound book of all your C&R purchases, so it might be a bit much for just 1 gun.
What do you mean by "bound book"? Just a simple record of your purchases or is it something official? Sorry if it's a dumb question but I don't know much about this sorta thing.

Nice rifle, OP! I didn't realize they were so cheap. I'd like to buy some older WWII-era guns (as well as modern firearms) but there's no friggin gun shop or anything within like an hour radius of me, that I know of.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
50,090
41,040
136
Originally posted by: clamum
Originally posted by: pontifex
Originally posted by: jagec
Originally posted by: JLee
:thumbsup:

You can get them cheaper ($60ish online), but you often need a C&R FFL (plus the shipping costs). I paid $95 for my M44 carbine, and don't regret it. :)

Yeah, I found some online too, but since the C&R license costs $30 it seemed like it would be a wash.

not if you buy more C&R guns, plus several places give you discounts, like Midway, Brownell's, CDNN.

I just got my license recently and also recently ordered a mosin nagant 91/30. haven't received it yet though. i plan on collecting more. heck, considering the prices some dealers charge to transfer a gun and do paperwork, the license might just pay for itself. plus the $30 fee is for 3 years.

I don't know that I'd recommend the license if you're not really going to collect though. you have to keep a bound book of all your C&R purchases, so it might be a bit much for just 1 gun.
What do you mean by "bound book"? Just a simple record of your purchases or is it something official? Sorry if it's a dumb question but I don't know much about this sorta thing.

Nice rifle, OP! I didn't realize they were so cheap. I'd like to buy some older WWII-era guns (as well as modern firearms) but there's no friggin gun shop or anything within like an hour radius of me, that I know of.

It is a hard copy record you keep of purchases conducted using your 03 FFL. Includes the date purchased, make, model, caliber, serial number, etc. You can just use a printed spreadsheet form in a binder. It must be kept current and presented to the ATF upon demand.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
50,090
41,040
136
Originally posted by: pontifex
I don't know that I'd recommend the license if you're not really going to collect though. you have to keep a bound book of all your C&R purchases, so it might be a bit much for just 1 gun.

C&R guns tend to breed. Doing the math quickly my license has saved me about $3000 in transfer fees over the time I had it.
 

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
Originally posted by: clamum
Originally posted by: pontifex
Originally posted by: jagec
Originally posted by: JLee
:thumbsup:

You can get them cheaper ($60ish online), but you often need a C&R FFL (plus the shipping costs). I paid $95 for my M44 carbine, and don't regret it. :)

Yeah, I found some online too, but since the C&R license costs $30 it seemed like it would be a wash.

not if you buy more C&R guns, plus several places give you discounts, like Midway, Brownell's, CDNN.

I just got my license recently and also recently ordered a mosin nagant 91/30. haven't received it yet though. i plan on collecting more. heck, considering the prices some dealers charge to transfer a gun and do paperwork, the license might just pay for itself. plus the $30 fee is for 3 years.

I don't know that I'd recommend the license if you're not really going to collect though. you have to keep a bound book of all your C&R purchases, so it might be a bit much for just 1 gun.
What do you mean by "bound book"? Just a simple record of your purchases or is it something official? Sorry if it's a dumb question but I don't know much about this sorta thing.

Nice rifle, OP! I didn't realize they were so cheap. I'd like to buy some older WWII-era guns (as well as modern firearms) but there's no friggin gun shop or anything within like an hour radius of me, that I know of.


It's official. You can use a loose leaf notebook with pages printed out from the internet. It has to show specific info. You have to show your acquisitions and dispositions.
 

sjwaste

Diamond Member
Aug 2, 2000
8,757
12
81
Originally posted by: jagec
Mosin Nagant.

I admit I was partly inspired by the previous thread, but after reading some of the history of this gun, and seeing how incredibly cheap they are (and that the supply is starting to dry up), I felt like now was a good time to make a purchase.

This isn't a very rare example by any means--round receiver Izzy, 1941--but the year, the styling, and the fact that it's been counterbored suggests to me that this gun saw some action in WW2. It feels really neat to own a piece of history like this. It's incredibly easy to completely dissasemble it for cleaning, and while the fit and finish is crude, as befits a Russian gun, it's all very solid.

I tried to get a chance to shoot it this weekend, but due to the snow, the lack of chains on the car, and the people trying to cut down Christmas trees, I didn't (anyone know a good outdoors place around Seattle to shoot long guns besides the pit off of exit 47?). I did get a picture of my friend posing with it. (Yes, the bayonet is on wrong...it's a mismatch, and is too tight to fit the gun without a big mallet, which is am disinclined to use. And yes, he's a lefty.)

At $90, I probably overpaid, but it's in pretty good condition save the counterbore, and the numbers all match.

I'll probably sand the bayonet a bit so that it can fit later.

Careful. I have a Mosin that's no longer safe to shoot, despite it checking out well after I bought it.

Check the headspace. If you don't know how, take it to a gunsmith and have it looked over. In fact, I suggest this anyway. They can eye the receiver for fatigue and also look for any irregularities in the chamber.

Mine spaced okay, but after a month or so of infrequent trips to the range, it started cracking casings axially from the neck. If you're unaware, that's really dangerous. Could cause a backfire, or if the thing lodges just right, the receiver could blow apart.

These things have a lot of history and are cheap and fun, but always keep an eye out on safety. Remember, the Russians didn't care if it blew up and took out a troop. They built 'em cheap and somewhat reliable, but absolute quality was never the goal.

Second, resist the temptation to buy cheap heavy ball ammo. These were designed to shoot a 147gn load. There's plenty of surplus available in 147 and 180+, a lot of the cleaner looking stuff is the latter. While it's the same caliber, it wasn't what was issued for most of these. Stick to the lighter loads, at least that's what I've been told.

I'm probably overreacting, but its best to mention it. These are nice starters and even now are really cheap to take out for the day. Did you get the 91/30 full length, or the 38 or 44 carbines?
 

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: pontifex
I don't know that I'd recommend the license if you're not really going to collect though. you have to keep a bound book of all your C&R purchases, so it might be a bit much for just 1 gun.

C&R guns tend to breed. Doing the math quickly my license has saved me about $3000 in transfer fees over the time I had it.

hehe, yeah. i bought a Enfield SMLE No.1 Mk. III at a gun show back in september and I applied for my C&R license a few days later. There are tons of C&R guns I want to get but I don't have the money for all of them. :(

Currently thinking about splurging for an M1 Garand or maybe a M1903 or even an M1 Carbine. The last 2 would be the cheaper of 3 and I do want them also, but the Garand is just my highest want atm.
 

Baltazar325

Senior member
Jun 17, 2004
363
1
0
I got a carbine last year but I've not had a chance to shoot it. I've fired them before and enjoyed it.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
50,090
41,040
136
Originally posted by: pontifex
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: pontifex
I don't know that I'd recommend the license if you're not really going to collect though. you have to keep a bound book of all your C&R purchases, so it might be a bit much for just 1 gun.

C&R guns tend to breed. Doing the math quickly my license has saved me about $3000 in transfer fees over the time I had it.

hehe, yeah. i bought a Enfield SMLE No.1 Mk. III at a gun show back in september and I applied for my C&R license a few days later. There are tons of C&R guns I want to get but I don't have the money for all of them. :(

Currently thinking about splurging for an M1 Garand or maybe a M1903 or even an M1 Carbine. The last 2 would be the cheaper of 3 and I do want them also, but the Garand is just my highest want atm.

Garands are fun to shoot, I've got two myself. You can score a Field Grade from the CMP for $500. It probably won't be the most beautiful gun in the world but it will work just fine.
 

JJ650

Golden Member
Apr 16, 2000
1,959
0
76
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: pontifex
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: pontifex
I don't know that I'd recommend the license if you're not really going to collect though. you have to keep a bound book of all your C&R purchases, so it might be a bit much for just 1 gun.

C&R guns tend to breed. Doing the math quickly my license has saved me about $3000 in transfer fees over the time I had it.

hehe, yeah. i bought a Enfield SMLE No.1 Mk. III at a gun show back in september and I applied for my C&R license a few days later. There are tons of C&R guns I want to get but I don't have the money for all of them. :(

Currently thinking about splurging for an M1 Garand or maybe a M1903 or even an M1 Carbine. The last 2 would be the cheaper of 3 and I do want them also, but the Garand is just my highest want atm.

Garands are fun to shoot, I've got two myself. You can score a Field Grade from the CMP for $500. It probably won't be the most beautiful gun in the world but it will work just fine.

:thumbsup:

CMP is a good route to take if you want them. The problem is finding a club in your area. If you are current military, then you can buy directly from CMP.

Got the M1, '03 Springfield and Carbine all from CMP.
The M1 turned out to be a Winchester in absolutely fabulous condition.
The '03 is great and the Carbine were great as well. All of the available "upgrades" were installed on the Carbine from the armory.
The M1 Carbine is a great plinking gun. Easy to shoot and maintain and not much recoil. I would like another one.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
50,090
41,040
136
Originally posted by: JJ650
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: pontifex
Originally posted by: K1052
Originally posted by: pontifex
I don't know that I'd recommend the license if you're not really going to collect though. you have to keep a bound book of all your C&R purchases, so it might be a bit much for just 1 gun.

C&R guns tend to breed. Doing the math quickly my license has saved me about $3000 in transfer fees over the time I had it.

hehe, yeah. i bought a Enfield SMLE No.1 Mk. III at a gun show back in september and I applied for my C&R license a few days later. There are tons of C&R guns I want to get but I don't have the money for all of them. :(

Currently thinking about splurging for an M1 Garand or maybe a M1903 or even an M1 Carbine. The last 2 would be the cheaper of 3 and I do want them also, but the Garand is just my highest want atm.

Garands are fun to shoot, I've got two myself. You can score a Field Grade from the CMP for $500. It probably won't be the most beautiful gun in the world but it will work just fine.

:thumbsup:

CMP is a good route to take if you want them. The problem is finding a club in your area. If you are current military, then you can buy directly from CMP.

Got the M1, '03 Springfield and Carbine all from CMP.
The M1 turned out to be a Winchester in absolutely fabulous condition.
The '03 is great and the Carbine were great as well. All of the available "upgrades" were installed on the Carbine from the armory.
The M1 Carbine is a great plinking gun. Easy to shoot and maintain and not much recoil. I would like another one.

CMP started to accept C&R licenses under the proof of marksmanship activity a few years ago. That combined with my membership in the Illinois State Rifle Association (affiliated CMP org) qualified me to purchase.

I do need to pick up a Carbine(s) one of these days to fill out that part of my collection. Already have the Garands and a Springfield 03A3.
 

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
I was looking at the service grade Garands (i think those are the $600 ones) and I was concerned about the quality of rifle I would receive from them. Their descriptions just don't instill that much confidence that I'd be getting a decent rifle.

There aren't any clubs in my immediate area. a few about 45 minutes away, but i could also just join the Garand Collector's Association to fulfill that requirement and my 03 FFL fulfills the other requirement.