Mosin Nagant 91/30 - opinions

[Stingray]

My dad used to collect WWII era milsurp rifles when I was a kid. I really enjoyed shooting them back then, and lately I've been thinking of picking one up. Looking around, I like the looks of the Mosin Nagant 91/30 and it's something that I can actually afford. Those of you who have owned/ shot one of these guns, what do you think about them? Are they so inexpensive because they're junk or are they really the bargain they seem to be? How do they shoot? How available is the ammo and is it reasonably priced? This would be for occasional range use and nothing more, but I don't want a gun I can't hit anything with.

Thanks for any input.

-S

 

[ch-47 mech]

i loved the ones i had wish i had never got rid of them my dad and brother still have a few. pretty accurate as far as im concerned especially for a rifle as old as they are. ammo isnt to hard to find i actually seen a shelf full of it today at a surplus store soft point and fmj didnt look at the price but its not near as bad as some of the more commonly used cartridges id say get one you probably wont regret it. just make sure you get one with a decent bore and not one thats been shot out. enjoy

 

[ronny]

They are inexpensive because there were millions of them made.

They shoot fine.

Ammo is readily available and is the cheapest of the .30 rifle family.

If you can shoot worth a hoot, you can fit with it.

Everyone should own at least one.

Current gunshow 91/30's are going for $115-120 w/accessories and the selection is decent.

 

[ch-47 mech]

$120 huh i think i might have to get me another one

 

[OldBlackChevyTruck]

Also look on the Gunbroker website. I found them on there for $80-$100. Superb rifles for the price.

 

[Perplexed]

Like Ronny said, literally millions of 91/30's were made, and a good many of them were put into storage in decent to excellent condition, especially since they went through at least one refurbishment process. So it's fairly easy to find a very nice one for less than a C-note and a half.

The ammo is likewise inexpensive and not hard to find, either - you can find sealed tins of the stuff at gun shows and online. They come in two flavors, light ball (~147 grain) and heavy ball (~182 grain), but the surplus stuff will almost certainly be corrosive, so be sure and clean your rifle thoroughly as soon after a range session as possible.

The 91/30 is a fun plinker, and the PU sniper versions, while considerably more pricey, are a gas for shooting longer-range

 

[Daryl Licht]

These things are a lot of fun. Ammo is available and not terribly expensive.

My first Mosin was a M44 I got at a gunshow 7 or 8 years ago. Later I got the 91/30 and a M38. Rifles made either before or after WWII will be nicer looking rifles than the ones made during the war. The external machining on the war time production guns looks plenty rough but both of mine (made in '42 and '43) are solid shooters and work well.

 

[criticalbass]

Every one of these I have shot is dead accurate. They do kick. The safety sucks canal water. As said above, clean thoroughly after every range session, and if you don't already know about cleaning after corrosive ammo, look it up and select a good method.

There is a non kicking ammo alternative if you can find it. It's a light jacketed lead round that is less than 50 grains and is good out to 200 meters. Shoots good (still corrosive). Check with gunshow ammo sellers to see if there is some still around.

Buying mail order will add a good bit of shipping cost. Best deal I have seen is at recent gunshows. About $110 or so, and that's a pretty good deal. Look at muzzles to see if the gun has been counterbored. (No rifling visible, it has been) Doesn't really hurt accuracy, but . . .

These are fun on the range. Not so good for hunting. Too long, impossible safety, hard to scope, etc. CB

 

[Stingray]

You guys are doing a pretty bad job of talking me out of getting one of these. I guess I'm going to have to hunt one down.

As far as cleaning them, I always clean all of my guns thoroughly right after shooting. I never put a gun away dirty, so that's not a problem at all.

I don't guess anyone has seen any for sale in the Tulsa area lately have you? I've found tons of dealers online that have them, and plenty cheap at that, but I'd much rather skip the hassle and expense of shipping if at all possible.

-S

 

[30BulletHoles]

I've got a couple of em and both are great shooters. That said I wouldn't buy one without being able to examine it first. Ordering one from a distributer you're likely to get a steaming sh!tpile that it beat up and counterbored.