TexasCHLforum.com

MadMonkey wrote:

WarHawk-AVG wrote:

MadMonkey wrote:also remind him that Mosin ammo is corrosive and it is IMPERATIVE to wipe the bore and bolt face down within 15-30 min of shooting or the moisture of TX and the corrosive salts will rapidly turn the barrel into a fuzzy tube (I found out the hard way!!! I cleaned it but good grief it took 5x the effort to clean it up after it rusted than it would have just running 3x patches of water/windex/ammonia/Hoppes 9, 3x dry, 3x then oiled)

All of it?? I thought there were sources for cheap non-corrosive 7.62X54R... am I mistaken?

There is non-corrosive ammo out there, but it is considerably more expensive than the mil-surp corrosive stuff. It is imperative to neutralize the salts deposited in the barrel from the primer after shooting, however, using good ole hoppes no.9 is formulated for such purposes plus its a trusted cleaning agent. Brown Bear I know makes some NC ammo if corrosive ammo doesn't sit well with you.

kalipsocs wrote:

MadMonkey wrote:

WarHawk-AVG wrote:

MadMonkey wrote:also remind him that Mosin ammo is corrosive and it is IMPERATIVE to wipe the bore and bolt face down within 15-30 min of shooting or the moisture of TX and the corrosive salts will rapidly turn the barrel into a fuzzy tube (I found out the hard way!!! I cleaned it but good grief it took 5x the effort to clean it up after it rusted than it would have just running 3x patches of water/windex/ammonia/Hoppes 9, 3x dry, 3x then oiled)

All of it?? I thought there were sources for cheap non-corrosive 7.62X54R... am I mistaken?

There is non-corrosive ammo out there, but it is considerably more expensive than the mil-surp corrosive stuff. It is imperative to neutralize the salts deposited in the barrel from the primer after shooting, however, using good ole hoppes no.9 is formulated for such purposes plus its a trusted cleaning agent. Brown Bear I know makes some NC ammo if corrosive ammo doesn't sit well with you.

Gotcha, I located some non-corrosive. He said he doesn't mind cleaning a lot more if he has cheaper ammo prices, LOL

Personally though I'll probably get non-corrosive for my own rifle since it won't be my main gun.

Thanks for the info!

The old method of field cleaning for corrosive after a battle involved... well, ummm, the Brits actually made a special funnel for it. Just drink a full canteen before shooting.

Any modern commercial ammo is non-corrosive. Any Eastern Bloc milsurp should be treated as corrosive. Spray it down with window cleaner with ammonia at the range (including a wet brush), then follow a regular cleaning schedule when you get back home. Make sure the last step is a good coat of oil.

Don't trust those sites that say its non-corrosive

I got 2 tins full, they said it was non-corrosive...my eye!

Just bring a little bottle of 1/2 and 1/2 Windex/water and swab the bore and the bolt face when done and you should be ok

Keep an eye on it for the next few days...the corrosive salts from the primers make rust pop up FAST!

I also recommend he get the recoil pad...I can shoot about 10 rounds before "I'm feeling it!"

P.S. Have him field strip it...I guarantee there will be cosmoline caked up on it somewhere under the wood...and if he gets the "sticky bolt" syndrome have him take a .410 bore brush and some hot soapy water and the reciever sans wood in a pail, then have him twirl the brass bore brush in the chamber area for a about 10-15 min and get the goop that is in the chamber out (kinda like polishing it up)...also feel for burrs in the chamber/throat area, if there are burrs they need to be GENTLY polished out with some ultra fine (400+) sandpaper.

http://www.surplusrifle.com/shooting200 ... /index.asp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Some other really good sites for the mosin
http://7.62x54r.net/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.the-armory.com/shopsite_sc/s ... agant.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu27.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu63.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/edu75.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



There are TONS of things you can do with a Mosin

http://www.jgsales.com/product_info.php ... ts_id/1789" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You guys are really giving some great info here!

He's pretty much set on the Mosin so thank you very much for the recommendations.

Also, I'd like your "rebuttals" to this. His dad has a coworker who is the stereotypical self professed "Nam Sniper" who shot a Vietnamese general right between the eyes at 1700 yards (aiming for his nose and missed). You know the type. Anyway, I'm assuming he's one of those guys who refuses to believe anything not built by Americans is any good. He told my friend's father that the Mosin was very unreliable and cheaply built. I know this is inaccurate from my own experience but I'd like another person's take to show him.

He also said all Russian guns are unreliable so that should tell you something, LOL.

MadMonkey wrote:You guys are really giving some great info here!

He's pretty much set on the Mosin so thank you very much for the recommendations.

Also, I'd like your "rebuttals" to this. His dad has a coworker who is the stereotypical self professed "Nam Sniper" who shot a Vietnamese general right between the eyes at 1700 yards (aiming for his nose and missed). You know the type. Anyway, I'm assuming he's one of those guys who refuses to believe anything not built by Americans is any good. He told my friend's father that the Mosin was very unreliable and cheaply built. I know this is inaccurate from my own experience but I'd like another person's take to show him.

He also said all Russian guns are unreliable so that should tell you something, LOL.

Well if it weren't a good design, there wouldn't be some many variants! Seriously though, the Russian Mosins were getting cranked out like no body's business so don't expect match grade accuracy out of these. The Finnish models seem to be the best overall out of the factory, with the free-floating barrel most likely having a lot to do with that. The Russian sniper Mosins were, as I understand, payed closer attention to detail as well but those are far from the $80 regular 91/30. With a little TLC however I am sure you can get some better than average groups out of a regular 91/30.

As far as convincing the veteran, I think you would have better luck trying to milk a cat....

I don't have a 91/30, but I do have an M44. I don't have a problem with the recoil from it, even though it's shorter and lighter (but has the bonus of a side-folding bayonet to add mass).

The rifle I refuse to shoot from a benchrest is a Steyr M95/34. I have several hundred rounds dated 1939 with Nazi headstamps, loaded in clips. Over 2,300 fps with a bullet weighing over 200 grains in a short barrel will definitely get your attention!

Some one should remind the young man that most if not all centerfire ammo is a lot more expensive than 22lr, 22mag is averaging about 10 bucks a box of 50. If the youngster is looking to hunt deer then a cheap centerfire would be what he needs, now days most centerfire soft point ammo will cost nearly a dollar a round, or more depending on the caliber. If he just wants to shoot a 22 is the way to go. Like the posters above said there are military surplus rifles that are pretty cheap, but ammo is getting more expensive.

The 91/30 is a good gun. There are several advantages to getting one over the M44. The M44s started production during very desperate times towards the end of WWII, and so the workmanship suffered. They're not as consistent, and the bore size can vary considerably, affecting consistency from gun to gun. The M44 replaced the 91/30 as the standard rifle during the war due to the need for a carbine for urban combat conditions. Because the 91/30 was produced earlier on, the workmanship tends to be better. The 91/30 also balances out better, in my opinion. It has a superior sight radius, and because of a proportionally heavier front, is easier to keep steady on target during aim.

Matter of fact, I bought both the 91/30 and the M44 simultaneously as my first guns. The M44 gets little trigger time these days, while the 91/30 gets regular exercise at the range. This is not to say that the M44 isn't a good gun, but the 91/30 is my "favorite child". In fact, it remains my favorite shooter to this day. I've found that every friend I've taken to the range prefers the 91/30 as well.

While I'm quite the proponent of keeping old guns like this in original condition, there is one upgrade that will greatly enhance the Mosin-Nagant shooting experience without permanently modifying the gun: Mojo Sights. These are aperture sights to replace the stock blade-and-notch sights that come with the guns. They are drop-in replacements, and IMO are a very worthwhile investment. I bought 2 sets of Snapsights (dual aperture sights) and found that my consistency and accuracy improved considerably. They run $74/set, and I'd recommend getting the aperture pack, installing the .090 in the rear and the .120 in the front for greater precision.

http://www.mojosights.com/SnapSights.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

As for ammo, the surplus stuff is still relatively cheap. Back when I bought my guns, it ran 11 cents/round when purchased by the case. I wish I would have bought more back then, my supply is dwindling. Ammunition To Go has been a good source for me. For cleaning, I simply keep a bottle of windex and give it a few sprays in the bore to get the entirety of it, swab it out and clean as normal. If you want to do some more precise shooting or hunting, I'd highly recommend S&B 180grn SP, which I have found to be very consistent and accurate. It generally runs around $1/round in boxes of 20 and can usually be found at Cabelas. It comes in boxer-primed brass, so is reloadable.

For sources of the 91/30, I have been quite satisfied with the quality of guns from AIM Surplus. They currently have 2 different variants available:

http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/Russ ... Rifle.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/Russ ... Rifle.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

chabouk wrote:The old method of field cleaning for corrosive after a battle involved... well, ummm, the Brits actually made a special funnel for it. Just drink a full canteen before shooting.

Heh! The armourer's manual says to use boiling water, though. ;)

Looks like the OP has settled on a 91/30. I was going to suggest a Lee Enfield No1 MkIII - sporterized ones can be had in the same price range and new production NC .303 Brit can be had as cheap as $16 a box.