I plan on purchasing a 91/30 Mosin-Nagant from Big 5 for $139. My question is regarding what to look for, Because they normally have a display nagant for people to hold and look at and I'm at an end as to whether the purchase model i will be receiving is going to be corroded, rusted etc... What should i ask of them once they hand me the purchase model? Also, what should i check for on the rifle before purchasing to make sure i got a "Good One" for lack of a better word? How i do to see if the rifling is good? or the bore?....
For a start remove the bolt. Pull and hold the trigger as you slide the bolt back. Point gun at light and look down the bore. There are plenty of pics around as to what you are looking at/for.
For rarity of model.. not that it matters if the gun will be used as a shooter. Rarity of Mosin Nagant Rifle Variations
Most are likely to be refurbs i'm guessing meaning that they went back to the armoury at some stage and may not have the numbers on the receiver, butt plate, magazine or bolt matching. But have a look.
Check that the bolt cycles smoothly. Not that it will be a true judge of how it will act with a cartridge in there but will give you an idea of how it cycles. Dry fire is ok, but if you can get some dummy rounds or snap caps.
Enjoy.
For a start remove the bolt. Pull and hold the trigger as you slide the bolt back. Point gun at light and look down the bore. There are plenty of pics around as to what you are looking at/for.
For rarity of model.. not that it matters if the gun will be used as a shooter. Rarity of Mosin Nagant Rifle Variations
Most are likely to be refurbs i'm guessing meaning that they went back to the armoury at some stage and may not have the numbers on the receiver, butt plate, magazine or bolt matching. But have a look.
Check that the bolt cycles smoothly. Not that it will be a true judge of how it will act with a cartridge in there but will give you an idea of how it cycles. Dry fire is ok, but if you can get some dummy rounds or snap caps.
Enjoy.
What if i decided to do an online purchase? They have several functioning ways of going about ordering. A.) Choose the excellent condition Nagant or B.) Pay the 20$ fee and hand select. What would be best out of the two, and if i did choose to pay the fee and hand-pick it, how would i go about checking? what would be the better of these two? (Open question).
I usually by mine at Gander Mountain. When They have them I look at the display rifle and then I ask to see if they have more in stock. I would pay the $20 extra to hand-select just to make sure I know what I am buying.
This is what I look for:
1) Overall stock condition. If it's a shooter I want a great stock. If it's a collector I look for "history marks" (thinks like notches, numbers, dings, dents etc)
2) Over all metal condition. Rust/corrosion etc.
3) Bolt condition - wear, chips etc
4) Barrel condition - rust, pitting, wear
When cycling the bolt it "should" cycle smoothly, unless there is too much cosmo on it.
Also if you are looking for a collector, look at the website that Wyld_Cat suggested. I am only buying shooters right now so I look for excellent condition more than rarity.
Being in Australia and only new to shooting myself i'll leave further answers for someone who knows how the system in the US works.
I only know the basics of what to look for. When it comes to a shooter non matching is fine, but if you're looking at potential resale value then look at that rarity scale. the whole 7.62x54r.net is a great reference online. I am sure that there are other websites but that is the one i use.
What if i decided to do an online purchase? They have several functioning ways of going about ordering. A.) Choose the excellent condition Nagant or B.) Pay the 20$ fee and hand select. What would be best out of the two, and if i did choose to pay the fee and hand-pick it, how would i go about checking? what would be the better of these two? (Open question).
High end sellers will give better descriptions and pics, but will be higher priced of course.
http://www.gunsnammo.com/ is one source, but some buyers have been disapointed with Pat. (I have bought 3 or 4 and been happy) http://www.allans-armory.com/aa.php Allan Schisel has a great reputation as does Dennis Kroh at The EMPIRE ARMS web-site Todd at Family Firearms is a hoot to work with. http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewforum.php?f=88 He is a super Gun Show scrounger that specializes in the cream of the crop milsurps. He is high of course, but fair and honest and fun to talk to. My buddy and I have bought many guns through him.
Face to face is the best way of course. Sales at Big 5 in the West and Dunhams Sports or Mills Fleet Farm in the Midwest are very popular methods of finding gems at bargain prices.
What model of Mosin are you looking for?
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Last edited by Ken in Iowa; 11-22-2009 at 08:37 AM.
Being in Australia and only new to shooting myself i'll leave further answers for someone who knows how the system in the US works.
I only know the basics of what to look for. When it comes to a shooter non matching is fine, but if you're looking at potential resale value then look at that rarity scale. the whole 7.62x54r.net is a great reference online. I am sure that there are other websites but that is the one i use.
I thought you gave some very good info for being fairly new to shooting. It sounds as if you've done your research into the wonderful world of Mosins and I respect that. I tip my hat to you m'lady.
As to the OP you've been given some good sites to peruse that contain a wealth of info, read, memorize, and implement it. I work part time in a small local shop that has a scattering of milsurps in the rack, most guys will look at the outward condition of the rifle and not much else. I may be wrong but I get the feeling they're buying the old rifles because they're inexpensive and have no clue about it's history or what makes it special.
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or, if you have the patience;
you could build one, theirs enough places online that you can buy barrels and barreled actions and put one together from there. Plus if you build one, you know the condition the parts are in even before you fire it.
If you lived in minnesota you could get 1 for less then $115 with tax, sling, disassembly tools, bayonet and matched or force matched numbers on everything.
I usually by mine at Gander Mountain. When They have them I look at the display rifle and then I ask to see if they have more in stock. I would pay the $20 extra to hand-select just to make sure I know what I am buying.
This is what I look for:
1) Overall stock condition. If it's a shooter I want a great stock. If it's a collector I look for "history marks" (thinks like notches, numbers, dings, dents etc)
2) Over all metal condition. Rust/corrosion etc.
3) Bolt condition - wear, chips etc
4) Barrel condition - rust, pitting, wear
When cycling the bolt it "should" cycle smoothly, unless there is too much cosmo on it. Also if you are looking for a collector, look at the website that Wyld_Cat suggested. I am only buying shooters right now so I look for excellent condition more than rarity.
I'm looking in particular for a standard issued 91/30 (Year is not really a factor nor are matching numbers, but those are still a plus..) that i can get drilled and tapped so i can add a scope (not the PU, but a newer after-market scope) for long distance shooting. These Nagants do have a reputation for 700+meter shots and the way i figured it is if i can purchase a standard infantry rifle and build up on that, it will be exactly the same as the standard issued sniper rifles if not greatly better... PS:Most supposed "legit" sniper rifles are actually drilled and tapped and are re-sold.... Thanks everybody for your input.
High end sellers will give better descriptions and pics, but will be higher priced of course.
http://www.gunsnammo.com/ is one source, but some buyers have been disapointed with Pat. (I have bought 3 or 4 and been happy) http://www.allans-armory.com/aa.php Allan Schisel has a great reputation as does Dennis Kroh at The EMPIRE ARMS web-site Todd at Family Firearms is a hoot to work with. http://www.surplusrifleforum.com/viewforum.php?f=88 He is a super Gun Show scrounger that specializes in the cream of the crop milsurps. He is high of course, but fair and honest and fun to talk to. My buddy and I have bought many guns through him.
Face to face is the best way of course. Sales at Big 5 in the West and Dunhams Sports or Mills Fleet Farm in the Midwest are very popular methods of finding gems at bargain prices.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Classic Arms yet. They are offering hex receiver hand-picked Model 91/30s for $100, round receivers for $90, and 91/30 Tula Cossack rifle reworks for $150. Those prices are hard to beat!
I vote for Ken's post to be made a sticky as to places people can find MNs and other milsurps with so many links there for C&R eligible places to buy from. It wouldn't necessarily have to be a sticky in this forum, but the C&R forum could use a sticky like that
Where abouts in WA are you? Near the Olympia/Lacey area here, and I have frequented the Oly/Lacey Big5s often scrounging for MN deals.
If you want to buy one to drill and tap, then Big5 isn't a bad option because at least you can go and look at these and see what you'll be getting. The only problem is they won't let you take the cheap little trigger lock (well at the Big5s I have been at) off to try out the trigger. If you have any doubts, ask them about a return policy for them. Hard to say sometimes on bore condition, because they could be so clogged with cosmo, or dirt and dust, etc. you can't really see in there. I bet if you took a cleaning rod with a few patches or a bore snake, they would let you look to see what you're getting if you wanted to go through the hassle.
MNs are usually pretty good shooters off the shelf. You will most likely have to remove cosmolene from the underside of the barreled action and bolt. The cosmo gets sticky as it gets old too so don't let that necessarily deter a purchase. A counterbore isn't all that bad either. It could be possible you find an ex-sniper rifle. There is always the option of redrilling and tapping the original holes as well. You will find them welded over and ground "smooth". Izhevsk snipers have a serial # of the scope on the left side of barrel shank and Tula snipers will usually have a Cyrillic "C" and "H" somewhere on the top of the barrel shank around the Tula star somewhere. No guarantees you'll find one, but you won't if you don't look.
Ex-Dragoon rifles are pretty good shooters. Many of the ones I have looked at had pretty good bores. Of course, that doesn't mean all of them will, but being able to look at what you're getting is a great option. Typically they are dated before 1930, and you can see a small square at the base of the rear sight. Imperial writing on the barrel shank is a good giveaway too. It is my personal opinion that these rifles shouldn't be drilled and tapped for modern scopes, but it is the rifle of the owner, and they are always welcome to do to their guns as they wish.
If you want one to drill and tap, war era Izhevsk rifles are plentiful. If you drill and tap, you'd need a bent bolt with a typical over the action scope set up. There is also always the option of removing the rear sight, and using the existing rear dovetail grooves to mount a long eye relief scope on as well. The Big5 sale prices aren't a bad deal and it sounds like you're already well on your way to finding yourself a good rifle. You find one with a good bore, then you ought to be able to achieve what you're looking to do with one. Would you keep the rifle in its original stock? Sporterize the existing stock, or buy a replacement?
As far as speaking for J&G, they will ship directly to you if you have your C&R on eligible items. Otherwise, you'd have to go through a dealer FFL I'm sure. Then there is a transfer fee, and shipping and paperwork. But, they have been good to me, I bought my CZ82 (first ever C&R purchase), Yugo 24/47, and Nagant Revolver from them, and wouldn't hesitate to do business with them again either. Shipping is pretty good, from AZ to WA isn't more than 3 days in my experiences. Depending on your location, you can always try the Washington Arms Collectors or the Centralia Gun & Knife shows (or whatever may be local to you). December has both shows coming up too, so you don't necessarily have to buy immediately, unless instant gratification is non-negotiable. Never know if you'll find a good deal there if you don't look too. PM me if you want more details about the shows, or have any other questions too
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What if i decided to do an online purchase? They have several functioning ways of going about ordering. A.) Choose the excellent condition Nagant or B.) Pay the 20$ fee and hand select. What would be best out of the two, and if i did choose to pay the fee and hand-pick it, how would i go about checking? what would be the better of these two? (Open question).
Keep in mind that once you know what to look for,if you are at a store or gunshow with 4-6 Mosins to pic through, thats a hand select in my book.
Add shipping to hand select and its sometimes the same to buy one at
Gander Mountain,Big 5, ect, as it is to buy one on line. Don't kid youself about hand select, if a seller has two to threehundred Mosins he doesn't
look at them all to get you the best one,probably only the currently open crate. Good luck on your purchase and post some pics for us when you
get your Mosin.
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Good luck on your purchase and post some pics for us when you 
