My $100 1933 M9130

[SKS50]

Long story short I got this rifle from my brother a couple of years ago who had bought several M91/30 of various years of production from a local shop. I had wanted a 91/30 but life got in the way and it seemed ever time I had some spare cash something always came up so I missed out on getting one when they were cheap.

I had already own a really nice M44 which he didn't have so he sold me one of his 91/30s to finance the M44 purchase. It's a 1933 Tula HEX receiver all parts matching and the bore is basically between a grade 1 & 2 not perfect but close.

The only thing I didn't like about the rifle was the stock finish which was starting to show its age so I refinished it to make it a blonde stock which I had always liked, plus you can see all the stock marking much better with the lighter finish. While I was at it, I free floated the barrel bedded the action and corked the front barrel rest.

I think she turned out nice.


I haven't put any jacketed rds. through the rifle since I've owned it, I've been casting my own handgun and rifle bullet for more years than I can remember so I just want to make this a cast bullet shooter only rifle and find a couple cast bullets it really liked and stick with them.

The Lee .312" 185 gr. RN bullet is a good bullet in this rifle, the mold actually cast pretty close to .314" and thats what I size it to after powder coating, My favorite bullet is the Accurate .314" 215 gr. FN mold I picked up a couple of years ago. It's not really designed to be a long range bullet but more of a hunting type bullet that will hit hard an crush bone without breaking up if you use the proper alloy.

Accurate .314" 215 gr. FN mold & bullet coated with clear PC.




First 5 shot test target.


Lee .312" 185 gr. RN Clear PC.

[browningautorifle]

Pretty good deal over all, and the casting and loading is the only way to go. Looks like that's all working out pretty well for you too...good info for some of these others that are wondering where to start. I too cast and don't see any other way to do things generally.

[SKS50]

Thanks Jim, I enjoy shooting these old War Horses and getting them to preform well with a bullet I made myself. If anyone has any question about anything in the post feel free to ask, sometimes I'm not the most informative about what I do and leave out some detail that might be of importance or interest to others.