first time buyer

eraser · 12-22-2005, 10:22 PM

I just bought an M44. You know the black Friday special. I figured I can't go wrong for $74. This is the first rifle I have bought out side of a 22 and a 12 guage. Do I need to get it inspected by a gun smith prior to use? I did buy it from a local sporting good store. What is the best amo is to use? Where to get it on-oline? How to maintain the gun if I shoot the corosive stuff? As you can tell I'm pretty new to this, so any help would be great.

Dennis · 12-23-2005, 12:53 AM

Hello Eraser! Welcome to the Mosin Nagant club!
Be careful! collecting soviet military firearms can become addicting.
Ok
First you need to clean your M44
take the stock off and remove all the thick brown grease that is on the rifle
this grease is called Cosomoline.
It is a anti rust protectant
it does NOT have lubrication propertys.
cosmoline or "cosmo" is heat activated
carb cleaner will melt it, I would spray it out spray the barrel and action get it Clean.
The reason for this is that when you begin to shoot it it will warm up and all the missed cosmoline will flow out of it's hideing place and on to your arm and drip from your elbow.
it makes a big mess and will soil your clothes..
So, clean clean clean.
Try not to expose the shellacked wood to heavy doses of solvents if you can help it.
take the bolt apart, clean clean clean.
clean the chamber and barrel.
This is most important
in some cases fired cartrige cases can stick in dirty chambers and make cycleing the bolt a little more "cranky"
ok
So, you have cleaned your M44, cleaned the H ee double ell out of all its parts.
ok
now get some ammunition,
the Czeck silver tip light ball ammo has been good
most All surplus east block ammo is a little or a lot corrosive
Dont worry about that ya just have to clean your gun after shooting it.
a little soapy water on a patch helps
MP pro 7 is also a good product there are many good solvents out there that cut the corrosive salts that are a residue from older military ammo.
an important note eraser
Most ALL military surplus "milsurp" ammo is steel cased and also has a steel core to the bullet.
so make shure of your backstop....
another thing to know is that the steel cased ammo has a thin coating of laquer on the cases. this is to keep them from rusting.
there have been instances where guys had "laquer buildup" in the chamber of their Mosin Nagants, causing cases to stick in the chamber so, clean clean clean.
there are lots of tricks that can help Mosin Nagant rifles.
eraser read up in the older posts here about your rifle.
theres lots and lots of cool history made with Mosin Nagants.
the Soviets turned the tide of WWII at Stalin Grad
with Mosin Nagant Rifles.
The chinese attacked our boys at the frozen Chozin in Korea with mosin Nagants.
many Viet Cong where armed with Mosin Nagants Rifles.
Now, we can buy them for pennies on the dollar
You own our former enemys military rifle bought for a pittence....
At least we get SOMETHING for winning the cold war

Good luck and Have fun with your M44 mosin Nagant!
if you have any specific questions feel free to send me a PM or just post it here.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Mosin Nagant

Troy · 12-23-2005, 01:48 AM

he he, dennis you crack me up. that about sums it up pretty well eraser. i am kicking around the idea of picking up a mosin myself. there are a couple of choises available i think. i just dont know enough about which are the ones to look for yet. any suggestions fellas?

eraser · 12-23-2005, 03:19 AM

I am very excited to start using this gun. I really appreciate all the info. I agree that it needs a good cleaning. The thing is very grease. I have already been reading a lot of the old post. They are why I signed up. You guys seem to know what you’re talking about.

Do I need to have it inspected for safety reasons before blowing the crap out of some tin cans?

troylaplante · 12-23-2005, 08:16 AM

http://www.surplusrifle.com/mosincarbine/index.asp
http://www.ammoman.com/webstore_762x54R.htm
http://www.7.62x54r.net/

JAMES · 12-23-2005, 09:12 PM

Super post, Dennis! Now come on, tell him about the notorious fire hazard that you patented....

Listen to Dennis, Mr. Eraser; he knows his M-44's!

Troy · 12-23-2005, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAMES

Super post, Dennis! Now come on, tell him about the notorious fire hazard that you patented....

Listen to Dennis, Mr. Eraser; he knows his M-44's!

careful though, dennis might put a hole in the floor and linolium isn't cheap ya know. LOL.

NRAJOE · 12-24-2005, 07:30 AM

What to expect:

http://groups.msn.com/NorthAmericanG...o&PhotoID=1358

KABOOM!

toolman · 12-24-2005, 02:07 PM

And if you want to really wake up your fellow shooters at the range, pick up a few boxes of the hollow-core Czech training ammo. This stuff has no recoil but sounds like a .50 BMG when you light it off!

:right:

FutureMarine · 12-25-2005, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dennis

Hello Eraser! Welcome to the Mosin Nagant club!
Be careful! collecting soviet military firearms can become addicting.

i have become hooked, i got my second(m91/30) from santa clause

Dennis · 12-27-2005, 07:24 AM

Hey Uh well, uh Eraser there is an Important "safety" tip
Do NOT fire (thats FIRE wink wink nudge nudge) Your M44 Mosin Nagant from the prone position while in a dry grassy area.................
It is,..............just ......something I heard about.........

Dennis · 12-27-2005, 07:25 AM

let us know your progress

Troy · 12-27-2005, 07:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dennis

Hey Uh well, uh Eraser there is an Important "safety" tip
Do NOT fire (thats FIRE wink wink nudge nudge) Your M44 Mosin Nagant from the prone position while in a dry grassy area.................
It is,..............just ......something I heard about.........

see, i tried tellin ya earlier, he shoots holes in the floors and sets things on fire when he goes out playing. i love this guy.:cheer:

Apollyon67 · 12-27-2005, 08:34 PM

Eraser, in regaurds to your question about the safety of a milsurp rifle bought in a sporting goods store. You are pretty safe with it as long as it is used in a manner in which it was meant. The stores just don't like the potential negative publicity of killin one or possible more of it's patrons. They want you to be happy and come back and buy one of each of their things, then start over. If you feel like spending a few bucks to have a gunsmith, (not just some guy that has shot a rifle once) go for it. Its good insurance anyway. Good luck, Welcome to the forum and I hope you enjoy your purchase.

FutureMarine · 12-27-2005, 10:26 PM

CLEAN IT A LOT..You will avoid a lot of frustration by cleaning it a lot

Dennis · 12-31-2005, 04:06 PM

clean Clean Clean
get a Bright Light look at the chamber and Clean it some more.

as far as uh well,.... safety,.....things..........uh, well,............
a long time ago,..............far far away,............
uh well,.........
Just be concious of the 3 to 4 foot fireball that is at the muzzel when fireing,
especially the old chinese copper washed milsurp ammo...............

FutureMarine · 12-31-2005, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Troy

he he, dennis you crack me up. that about sums it up pretty well eraser. i am kicking around the idea of picking up a mosin myself. there are a couple of choises available i think. i just dont know enough about which are the ones to look for yet. any suggestions fellas?

I would say an M91/30 would serve you well(PLEASE dont sporterize this beautiful peice of history). But actually, any of the Mosins would serve you well. If you are looking for a long range target rifle, M91/30, or M91 would be a good one. Or a Finnish Mosin(known for their extremely good accuracy). But also the K31 is a good weapon for good accuracy. Both weapons would also be good for hunting, and just plain fun to shoot.:uzi:

troy2000 · 12-31-2005, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FutureMarine

I would say an M91/30 would serve you well(PLEASE dont sporterize this beautiful peice of history). But actually, any of the Mosins would serve you well. If you are looking for a long range target rifle, M91/30, or M91 would be a good one. Or a Finnish Mosin(known for their extremely good accuracy). But also the K31 is a good weapon for good accuracy. Both weapons would also be good for hunting, and just plain fun to shoot.:uzi:

...or personally knew anyone who did. But I remember reading a post from someone in Arizona once, who said he didn't take his out to the desert because it was so susceptible to jamming if conditions were the least bit dusty.

If true, I definitely wouldn't have one riding in my jeep along with my Mosins.

Ammo is also cheaper and more readily available for the Mosins.

FutureMarine · 12-31-2005, 10:20 PM

I would choose a mosin over a K31 any day

eraser · 01-02-2006, 08:54 AM

I started cleaning this last week. I used the easy off oven cleaner method to get the grime out off the stock. Lucky me it took out most of the finish also. Good thing I had plans to refinish it. I was really impressed the good job that it did. I have never used it before. I also used carb cleaner on the metal portions followed by gun scrubber, both did a great job. While working on getting some of the nicks and dings out of the stock I used a heat gun to steam a specific spot. I found that the heat also lifted some of the grease. I think I am going to try the heat gun on the chamber to get the grime heated and then wipe it out. Has anybody tried it yet?
I think I will try a gel stain to help in the uneven coloring when finishing. I’ll post some pictures after it is all done.

12-22-2005, 10:22 PM	#1
eraser Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Boise, Idaho Posts: 4	first time buyer with questions I just bought an M44. You know the black Friday special. I figured I can't go wrong for $74. This is the first rifle I have bought out side of a 22 and a 12 guage. Do I need to get it inspected by a gun smith prior to use? I did buy it from a local sporting good store. What is the best amo is to use? Where to get it on-oline? How to maintain the gun if I shoot the corosive stuff? As you can tell I'm pretty new to this, so any help would be great. Last edited by eraser; 12-22-2005 at 10:41 PM.

12-23-2005, 12:53 AM	#2
Dennis Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 1,877	Hello Eraser! Welcome to the Mosin Nagant club! Be careful! collecting soviet military firearms can become addicting. Ok First you need to clean your M44 take the stock off and remove all the thick brown grease that is on the rifle this grease is called Cosomoline. It is a anti rust protectant it does NOT have lubrication propertys. cosmoline or "cosmo" is heat activated carb cleaner will melt it, I would spray it out spray the barrel and action get it Clean. The reason for this is that when you begin to shoot it it will warm up and all the missed cosmoline will flow out of it's hideing place and on to your arm and drip from your elbow. it makes a big mess and will soil your clothes.. So, clean clean clean. Try not to expose the shellacked wood to heavy doses of solvents if you can help it. take the bolt apart, clean clean clean. clean the chamber and barrel. This is most important in some cases fired cartrige cases can stick in dirty chambers and make cycleing the bolt a little more "cranky" ok So, you have cleaned your M44, cleaned the H ee double ell out of all its parts. ok now get some ammunition, the Czeck silver tip light ball ammo has been good most All surplus east block ammo is a little or a lot corrosive Dont worry about that ya just have to clean your gun after shooting it. a little soapy water on a patch helps MP pro 7 is also a good product there are many good solvents out there that cut the corrosive salts that are a residue from older military ammo. an important note eraser Most ALL military surplus "milsurp" ammo is steel cased and also has a steel core to the bullet. so make shure of your backstop.... another thing to know is that the steel cased ammo has a thin coating of laquer on the cases. this is to keep them from rusting. there have been instances where guys had "laquer buildup" in the chamber of their Mosin Nagants, causing cases to stick in the chamber so, clean clean clean. there are lots of tricks that can help Mosin Nagant rifles. eraser read up in the older posts here about your rifle. theres lots and lots of cool history made with Mosin Nagants. the Soviets turned the tide of WWII at Stalin Grad with Mosin Nagant Rifles. The chinese attacked our boys at the frozen Chozin in Korea with mosin Nagants. many Viet Cong where armed with Mosin Nagants Rifles. Now, we can buy them for pennies on the dollar You own our former enemys military rifle bought for a pittence.... At least we get SOMETHING for winning the cold war Good luck and Have fun with your M44 mosin Nagant! if you have any specific questions feel free to send me a PM or just post it here. Merry Christmas and Happy New Mosin Nagant __________________ Submitted with respect to all

12-24-2005, 02:07 PM	#9
toolman Mr. Fixit Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: abilene,tx Posts: 5,566 Blog Entries: 22	And if you want to really wake up your fellow shooters at the range, pick up a few boxes of the hollow-core Czech training ammo. This stuff has no recoil but sounds like a .50 BMG when you light it off! :right: __________________ Don't be messin' with my gun!

12-27-2005, 07:24 AM	#11
Dennis Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 1,877	Hey Uh well, uh Eraser there is an Important "safety" tip Do NOT fire (thats FIRE wink wink nudge nudge) Your M44 Mosin Nagant from the prone position while in a dry grassy area................. It is,..............just ......something I heard about......... __________________ Submitted with respect to all

12-27-2005, 07:25 AM	#12
Dennis Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 1,877	let us know your progress __________________ Submitted with respect to all

12-23-2005, 01:48 AM	#3
Troy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Manitoba Canada Posts: 2,501 Images: 3	he he, dennis you crack me up. that about sums it up pretty well eraser. i am kicking around the idea of picking up a mosin myself. there are a couple of choises available i think. i just dont know enough about which are the ones to look for yet. any suggestions fellas?

12-23-2005, 03:19 AM	#4
eraser Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Boise, Idaho Posts: 4	I am very excited to start using this gun. I really appreciate all the info. I agree that it needs a good cleaning. The thing is very grease. I have already been reading a lot of the old post. They are why I signed up. You guys seem to know what you’re talking about. Do I need to have it inspected for safety reasons before blowing the crap out of some tin cans?

12-23-2005, 08:16 AM	#5
troylaplante Moderator Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Selma, NC Posts: 2,223	http://www.surplusrifle.com/mosincarbine/index.asp http://www.ammoman.com/webstore_762x54R.htm http://www.7.62x54r.net/

12-23-2005, 09:12 PM	#6
JAMES Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: OKLAHOMA Posts: 575	Super post, Dennis! Now come on, tell him about the notorious fire hazard that you patented.... Listen to Dennis, Mr. Eraser; he knows his M-44's!

12-24-2005, 07:30 AM	#8
NRAJOE Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Toledo,OH Posts: 19,043 Images: 3	What to expect: http://groups.msn.com/NorthAmericanG...o&PhotoID=1358 KABOOM!

12-27-2005, 08:34 PM	#14
Apollyon67 Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Southern Maryland Posts: 2,235 Images: 17	Eraser, in regaurds to your question about the safety of a milsurp rifle bought in a sporting goods store. You are pretty safe with it as long as it is used in a manner in which it was meant. The stores just don't like the potential negative publicity of killin one or possible more of it's patrons. They want you to be happy and come back and buy one of each of their things, then start over. If you feel like spending a few bucks to have a gunsmith, (not just some guy that has shot a rifle once) go for it. Its good insurance anyway. Good luck, Welcome to the forum and I hope you enjoy your purchase. __________________ "To err is human, to repent divine; to persist devilish." Ben Franklin

12-27-2005, 10:26 PM	#15
FutureMarine Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: PRK Posts: 1,946	CLEAN IT A LOT..You will avoid a lot of frustration by cleaning it a lot

12-31-2005, 04:06 PM	#16
Dennis Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 1,877	clean Clean Clean get a Bright Light look at the chamber and Clean it some more. as far as uh well,.... safety,.....things..........uh, well,............ a long time ago,..............far far away,............ uh well,......... Just be concious of the 3 to 4 foot fireball that is at the muzzel when fireing, especially the old chinese copper washed milsurp ammo............... __________________ Submitted with respect to all

12-31-2005, 10:20 PM	#19
FutureMarine Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: PRK Posts: 1,946	I would choose a mosin over a K31 any day

01-02-2006, 08:54 AM	#20
eraser Registered User Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Boise, Idaho Posts: 4	I started cleaning this last week. I used the easy off oven cleaner method to get the grime out off the stock. Lucky me it took out most of the finish also. Good thing I had plans to refinish it. I was really impressed the good job that it did. I have never used it before. I also used carb cleaner on the metal portions followed by gun scrubber, both did a great job. While working on getting some of the nicks and dings out of the stock I used a heat gun to steam a specific spot. I found that the heat also lifted some of the grease. I think I am going to try the heat gun on the chamber to get the grime heated and then wipe it out. Has anybody tried it yet? I think I will try a gel stain to help in the uneven coloring when finishing. I’ll post some pictures after it is all done.