Mosin Nagant Accuracy...

[cherokee]

Older thread but it is at the top...and I am watching computers work....so.

I have 4....all different flavors. I generally talk a 5 shot group.....I have one that will do a fist sized group....one that will be lucky to put 5 shots on a 4x8 sheet of plywood....the rest in between.

Condition is so much to do with it....if you want a shooter get one that is the best mechanically that you can find....if you need something that will fill a hole in your collection you might get a sewer pipe.....and that is ok....it is not why you bought it in the first place.

They really are unique rifles, and non of mine have had any real issues in running the gun. They work fine, they are pretty smooth....they are still about the best bang for the buck out there for a full power rifle cartridge.

That all said remember you can go to walmart and buy a new savage axis that will shoot far better for about the same money.....I don't understand the bubba mentality in "improving" them...you never improve it to the point where it is going to shoot better then a new factory rifle....even something as lowly as a savage....and I LOVE savage, but you could toss ruger american and all the others in that price range.

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[browningautorifle]

I don't understand the bubba mentality in "improving" them...you never improve it to the point where it is going to shoot better then a new factory rifle

That's not quite true...but I agree for sure about Nagant rifles. They're probably at peak from the factory.

[Aragorn243]

That's not quite true...but I agree for sure about Nagant rifles. They're probably at peak from the factory.

They peaked when the Finns captured them and were finished with them. Otherwise, yes, they peaked at the factory.

I hear so many stories about 91/30's, the worst being having to beat the bolt open with a section of 2x4 after every shot, most likely because they are using cheap, steel cased and heavily coated shells that melt and stick. If I was only allowed to keep one Mosin Nagant, it would be my Finn 38. I also have a Finn 91/30 that probably had little done except a replaced front sight and a bit of trigger work. Previous owner claimed sticky bolt which was most likely shellacked shell casings because I haven't had an issue with it.

[Eaglelord17]

I hear so many stories about 91/30's, the worst being having to beat the bolt open with a section of 2x4 after every shot, most likely because they are using cheap, steel cased and heavily coated shells that melt and stick.

Don't forget failed to clean the cosmoline out of the chamber and locking lugs properly. If you fail to do that, you will cause all sorts of lovely issues to your rifles, such as the bolt being stuck shut.

[Ridolpho]

They peaked when the Finns captured them and were finished with them. Otherwise, yes, they peaked at the factory.

I hear so many stories about 91/30's, the worst being having to beat the bolt open with a section of 2x4 after every shot, most likely because they are using cheap, steel cased and heavily coated shells that melt and stick. .

I watched a movie titled "The Winter War" recently and it was truly noteworthy how the actors/re-enactors were struggling to cycle their rifles- often setting them down on the ground and pounding on the bolt handle. This is a characteristic of the standard M91 or 91/30, etc. My bent bolt sniper rifles are very smooth and easily worked due simply to the leverage gained from the longer bolt handle. As far as accuracy goes, I think it's always necessary to remember that the Soviet refurbs may or may not have had much attention payed to the bedding. Some are pretty good, others not so. With regard to bedding, original Soviet documents indicate that solid bedding is necessary under the barrel reinforce with shimming under the front receiver flat being strictly to avoid bending the receiver when tightening the main screw. Finn shimming often seems to not follow this rule, with shims at the front receiver flat and tang intended to simply lift the barrel up out of the channel (float it) without contact under the reinforce. Many of my Finn rifles give the impression of wartime expediency with brass shims tacked in as a quick and dirty method of getting a barreled action into a stock without lots of nitpicky woodworking.

Ridolpho

[cherokee]

That's not quite true...but I agree for sure about Nagant rifles. They're probably at peak from the factory.

To make sure I understand correctly.

You think an 80 year old rifle that is realistically going to cost you in stock condition $200, then you are going to put minimum $200 more, before glass into it is going to shoot better then say a Savage Axis II with glass that has a MSRP at a tick over $400?

If I understand that correctly I think you iz crazy.

I will take that challenge any day.

[browningautorifle]

To make sure I understand correctly.

You think an 80 year old rifle that is realistically going to cost you in stock condition $200, then you are going to put minimum $200 more, before glass into it is going to shoot better then say a Savage Axis II with glass that has a MSRP at a tick over $400?

If I understand that correctly I think you iz crazy.

I will take that challenge any day.

I can't imagine what you drank before not understanding what I said. No you don't understand.

Nagant rifles are at their peak from the factory. Civilian rifles have potential for improvement, bedding, sights, trigger packages...I would never put money into a cheap rifle to make it a target rifle. It's not worth it.

[cherokee]

I can't imagine what you drank before not understanding what I said. No you don't understand.

Nagant rifles are at their peak from the factory. Civilian rifles have potential for improvement, bedding, sights, trigger packages...I would never put money into a cheap rifle to make it a target rifle. It's not worth it.

Ok, we are on the same page....it is flat stupid to pour good money into a 91/30 you are not going to make it any better. And that plastic Savage is going to get you a much better gun then you bubba-ing the thing to death.

[Aragorn243]

However, a cheap rifle might make a good candidate for can we blow this thing up? You Tube out there with a couple of guys trying just that with a Nagant. I don't think they ever fully broke it but they made it so it wouldn't work. Took something like 10 attempts and some very special powders packed fully into the case.

[browningautorifle]

a cheap rifle might make a good candidate for can we blow this thing up?

Agreed. Shows many things are over engineered...