My 91/30 ex-sniper rebuild

[Aragorn243]

As promised, photos of the finished project. This rifle is an ex-sniper bought at Dunham's for $79.99 plus tax and fees, roughly another $10.00. Scope is a Firefield brand reproduction with cast steel mount for $137.97 + $16.48 shipping. Drill, tap and cutting oil were approximately $11.00. Bolt conversion service was through ebay $30 + $5.50 postage.

The stock has been stripped, cleaned and refinished with linseed oil, many coats. I spent about half an hour this evening doing some finish polishing of the bolt handle. I did the stock work and tapping and mounting of the scope myself. Final cost about $291.00. Haven't sighted the scope in yet, waiting for a nice warm day.

Information

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[Carbine85]

That's a very nice rifle and nice job. Did you re-tap the original threads?

[Aragorn243]

The original threads were not set up for a PU scope mount. From the photos I've seen they weren't quite right for a PE mount either but that is probably what was on it originally. It's a 1942 and that is the transition year from the PE to PU. I've never seen a photo of the lower PE mount so I don't know where the holes and pins are on those mounts. I have a couple photos on the other sniper build thread showing the interior of the action and you can see the location of the two rear holes. The two front holes are beyond the bolt opening, one may even be so far as where the barrel screws into the receive, can't see very well up in there.

[mrtank]

That rifle used to be a PEM sidemount. Both PEM and PU rifles were made in 1942. Pictures of a re-scoped one. http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=33725.45

How do you like the scope? Yours seems to have a different rear lens arrangement than the pictures on sportsmans guide and on Firefield's online store.

[jmoore]

Phooey! Found one last week whilst milling through a crate full of 91/30s and plumb forgot to see if it was set up for the PU or the PEM. As I've had a PEM scope for near on 25 years, one would think finding a rifle might be a good idea...

Local LE bought it on the spot, maybe if it's not an ex-PU we can work out some sort of deal.

[Aragorn243]

That rifle used to be a PEM sidemount. Both PEM and PU rifles were made in 1942. Pictures of a re-scoped one. http://www.sksboards.com/smf/index.php?topic=33725.45

How do you like the scope? Yours seems to have a different rear lens arrangement than the pictures on sportsmans guide and on Firefield's online store.

I still haven't had a chance to shoot it. 70 degree weather the past couple of days so I should make an effort to get out. A lot of other things going on right now. I bought it through the Sportsman's Guide, never noticed any difference with it and the photos but probably didn't look that close. I was never able to find one on Firefields website, couldn't find one anywhere but Sportsman's Guide and I did a lot of checking at the time before I purchased it.

My only regret is now that I went ahead with this project, I'm finding original rifles and what appear to be original mounts and scopes for $400 instead of the $800 I had been looking at. For that extra $110, I'd have made the deal. Oh well, it happens.

[mrtank]

I still haven't had a chance to shoot it. 70 degree weather the past couple of days so I should make an effort to get out. A lot of other things going on right now. I bought it through the Sportsman's Guide, never noticed any difference with it and the photos but probably didn't look that close. I was never able to find one on Firefields website, couldn't find one anywhere but Sportsman's Guide and I did a lot of checking at the time before I purchased it.

My only regret is now that I went ahead with this project, I'm finding original rifles and what appear to be original mounts and scopes for $400 instead of the $800 I had been looking at. For that extra $110, I'd have made the deal. Oh well, it happens.

$400 for a legitimate PU Mosin is a steal. Heck original scopes with the mount and no base are a round $400 now.
I have been noticing a decent number of the reproduction PU Mosin Nagant in South Central PA. Though all of them were using the Ukraine reproduction scopes with flat screws on the turrets, and NY marked serial numbers that never existed.

[Patrick Chadwick]

My only regret is now that I went ahead with this project, I'm finding original rifles and what appear to be original mounts and scopes for $400 instead of the $800 I had been looking at. For that extra $110, I'd have made the deal.

Don't regret it. You made a splendid job and are now more experienced in handling your Mosin than if you had simply spent more money.

[HOOKED ON HISTORY]

Wonderful work. Nice pictures as well.
Thanks for posting

[Aragorn243]

$400 for a legitimate PU Mosin is a steal. Heck original scopes with the mount and no base are a round $400 now.
I have been noticing a decent number of the reproduction PU Mosin Nagant in South Central PA. Though all of them were using the Ukraine reproduction scopes with flat screws on the turrets, and NY marked serial numbers that never existed.

Very good possibility that is what I'm seeing. I didn't look them over that closely I saw them at Lebanon, York and Allentown. I'll have to check out the screws the next time I run into them, maybe Harrisburg this weekend.