mosin sporters

[matt760]

i've been wanting to get a few new guns and a mosin is definitely at the top of the list. but ive also been wanting a gun to sporterize. does the mosin make a decent sporter? and is it easy to do? and fairly cheap? or would a mauser be abetter way to go? or should i buy a mosin and just keep it the way it is and enjoy it that way?

[SwedeSteve]

Read the sticky's at the top of the Forum. You can read what some are doing with them. They are a great rifle, and at their current price, you just can't go wrong!

[KGunner]

Many will oppose sporterizing a Mosin because of its historical aesthetics. I on the other hand, see no problem with it. It is your rifle and you should be able to customize it to you for your enjoyment. My brother and I both had Mausers growing up, and he sporterized his because he hunts with it, it was a fun rifle to shoot, I gave mine to my dad when I graduated high school and went to college where I couldn't yet take a gun, and he hunts with it now so he scoped it but left the stock, both are very fun to shoot. IMO, the Mauser has one of the best bolt actions around. It is so smooth and fluid in its operation, the feeling of operating a bolt on a Mauser is one that is hard to describe, but it really is neat. And they are still some of the most accurate rifles out there, its almost scary. A Mauser, on the other hand, is more expensive than a Mosin unless you get a rare one, and 8mm ammo is more expensive than 7.62x54r.

[lefty o]

cheaper and easier to buy a savage!

[SwedeSteve]

lefty- I assume you mean rather than the mauser, so I agree.

[matt760]

well im sure it is easier to buy a new gun. i dont really want to do that though. i dont NEED another hunting rifle. if i did then i would just go buy one. my remington still shoots good. i want the project part of it. i was looking at midway's website and i think i can build a mauser pretty cheap. under 400 or so. Can i buy a new savage for 400 Lefty?

[SwedeSteve]

You could build a great Mosin for under 400.

[lefty o]

i mean , cheaper and easier to buy a factory rifle than to modify either a mosin or a mauser.

[SwedeSteve]

I think you could build a good hunting rig from a Mosin for less than the cost of a new Savage for sure!

[matt760]

yeah. i kinda though so. i dont want to do anything super fancy. i mostly just want to build a rifle and be able to say i built that rifle...so it has to be at least nice enough to be worth takin credit for.

maybe ill just start by redoing the stock on one. we'll see

[lefty o]

refinishing a stock is a good starting point.

[Capt'n Mil Coll]

You can actually get drop in composite stocks for Mosins. I know Sportsmans Guide used to sell them. It would be a lot less money than using a Mauser.
I dont mind anyone cutting up or refinishing their rifle. Its your rifle and the more that are cut apart or the stock or metal refinished the more mine are worth.
Have fun building it.

[Geo M44]

Originally Posted by matt760

i've been wanting to get a few new guns and a mosin is definitely at the top of the list. but ive also been wanting a gun to sporterize. does the mosin make a decent sporter? and is it easy to do? and fairly cheap? or would a mauser be abetter way to go? or should i buy a mosin and just keep it the way it is and enjoy it that way?

I hate to keep posting Camo Natalia (not really), but she is a good example. About $220 with the scope. Not a real difficult project. Started with a post war 1947 M44, ATI Camo Stock, and NC-Star LER scope and rear sight mounting rail. I need to take a new picture without the rings.

[Cyrano]

Originally Posted by Capt'n Mil Coll

You can actually get drop in composite stocks for Mosins. I know Sportsmans Guide used to sell them. It would be a lot less money than using a Mauser.
I dont mind anyone cutting up or refinishing their rifle. Its your rifle and the more that are cut apart or the stock or metal refinished the more mine are worth.
Have fun building it.

Capt'n, why build what you can buy? Sure you can get the AIM composite stocks for about $60 from Cheaper Than Dirt, Sportsman's Guide and all over the Internet, but Southern Ohio Gun is selling sporterized round-receiver Mosin 91/30s already dropped in the composite stock for $129. Sure, you have to pay shipping (and the transfer fee if you don't have a C&R - and if you don't, why don't you?), but it still costs less than buying a M-N, getting it out of the issue wood stock, buying a composite stock (and paying the shipping on it because I've yet to see one in a gun shop), and dropping it in. You can spend the difference on getting a bent handle on your bolt body, or buying a scout scope setup on eBay if you want. Here, check it out. It's at the bottom of the "Surplus Rifles" page, and you can call them for a price quote:

Mosin Nagants

[gandog56]

No bubbification of my Mosins, but I don't take offense if other people want to. It's just that a synthetic stock costs about the same as the rifle!

[Capt'n Mil Coll]

Originally Posted by Cyrano

Capt'n, why build what you can buy? Sure you can get the AIM composite stocks for about $60 from Cheaper Than Dirt, Sportsman's Guide and all over the Internet, but Southern Ohio Gun is selling sporterized round-receiver Mosin 91/30s already dropped in the composite stock for $129. Sure, you have to pay shipping (and the transfer fee if you don't have a C&R - and if you don't, why don't you?), but it still costs less than buying a M-N, getting it out of the issue wood stock, buying a composite stock (and paying the shipping on it because I've yet to see one in a gun shop), and dropping it in. You can spend the difference on getting a bent handle on your bolt body, or buying a scout scope setup on eBay if you want. Here, check it out. It's at the bottom of the "Surplus Rifles" page, and you can call them for a price quote:

Mosin Nagants

Cyrano I dont want to do anything on this thread. The man asked what would make a good gun to build. He didnt say he wanted to buy one. He said he wanted to build one from a Mauser or a Mosin. So thats what I told him. I wouldnt bother doing it. I like shooting them not building them.

Matt I actually saw a super nice build from a swedish Mauser. The guy had a burl thumb hole stock, the metal was all polished and silvercoated which is a type of parkerizing more or less and a nice scope. Just beautiful. He spent 2 years building it. He put a lot more into it then it was worth. But at the gun range everyone was looking at it.
Good luck on whatever one you do.

[SwedeSteve]

I def understand the desire to build your own. I love the work itself just as much as the end project!

[sc928porsche]

The moisin is a good project rifle for the beginer or for someone who has done so with a lot of rifles. It has a strong reciever and can be built from there depending on whatever you wan to build in a medium sized cartridge. I have one that has been through 3 daughters and now it holds an honored place in my special guncase. Currently I am building one for my grandson. It will be a bit more fancy than the other. The rifle, sope and trigger are already here and waiting for the stock.

M44 moisin
4-12 AO bushnell scope
Huber trigger
Richards Microfit gunstock (Wildcat Thumbhole in blue laminate)

Biggest thing to keep in mind is take your time to make it right. Nothing worse than a butchered rifle. Good luck and enjoy your project.

[marion57]

I would think a m38 or a 91x30 would be a better rifle to customise ..no bayo lug !

[SwedeSteve]

I agree! But then, you can always lose the lug as well!