Firearms Stack Exchange Archive

What to look for in a surplus Mosin-Nagant rifle?

• posted by: Mason on 2011-11-01
• tagged: military-surplus, purchasing, used, mosin-nagant
• score: 5

I am interested in purchasing a Mosin-Nagant rifle as a cheap plinker. Since they are all surplus and in various states of repair, what are some things I should check for to make sure that it will be safe to fire and reasonably accurate?

Answer 427

• posted by: JRP on 2011-11-09
• score: 6

As a basic rifle for plinking, the Mosin-Nagant is probably unmatched for reliability at it's low price point. Being such a simple rifle, what you need to look for is rather easy to do. After you ensure that the rifle is unloaded and pointed in a safe direction:

• Check the serial numbers on the bolt handle, bolt, receiver, and/or barrel to make sure they match. A Mosin might not have all of these serial numbers on these parts, but any numbers it does have on these specific parts should match to ensure proper head-spacing.
• Rotate the bolt handle up and pull it fully rearward, pull the trigger and remove the bolt. Check the barrel for a good shine and note that the reflected light is straight. By this I mean if you look directly down the barrel the reflected light should form an equilateral triangle. As you rotate the barrel, the sides of the the "triangle" should be straight, any curving indicates the barrel is bent (the more pronounced the curve, the more severe the bend).
• If you are buying a "new" Mosin, directly from a dealer, then it may have cosmoline in the barrel and possibly some soaked into the stock. So don't reject a rifle if the barrel looks a little dirty, but note that the cosmoline may be hiding rust or bulges. However, if buying a used Mosin, it should have been cleaned and no cosmoline should remain.
• On the whole this next point is not a big issue, but to some it matters. Repair of the crown, or counter-boring, is done to a rifle that has received some sort of damage on the muzzle end of the rifle's barrel and is detectable by running your finger around for about an inch inside the muzzle and not feeling any rifling. You may lose a small amount of velocity and accuracy, but it is rather inconsequential. If you prefer a rifle which has not been damaged enough to require repair, then keep looking, there are plenty out there.

For tons more info check out 7.62x54r.net (general info), and these forum threads: this one from calguns.net, www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-482070.html , and www.thehighroad.org/archive/index.php/t-385289.html (what to look for when buying).

Answer 93

• posted by: Tango on 2011-11-01
• score: 2

Careful. Don’t use the word ‘Accurate’ in the same sentence as ‘Mosin Nagant’ too much. ;) Mosins are great guns, but accuracy is not their forte. That being said, if you can find one cheap get a Finnish remade Mosin. They got a LOT of guns from Russia and turned them around and improved on them considerably.

Check the wood, ensure there are no cracks that you can see into. Check the conditions of the dog collars. Pull the bolt and look at the sky (or a light or something) by looking through the BOLT end of the rifle. Try to see if the interior of the barrel is dirty or marred. Dirt can be cleaned. Divits and pits cannot. The price to repair would cost more than the Mosin.

Answer 448

• posted by: borek on 2011-11-09
• score: 1

No matter who you get that rifle from, or how clean they say it is, clean the hell out of it. And when you think it’s clean, clean it some more, because that low grade Soviet cosmoline can hide any where on that rifle. Also make sure the bolt and serial numbers match and are not forced matched, parts that are forced match will have one serial number lined out with a electropencil and a new serial number written.

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