Most of the time I enjoy the American Rifleman TV show. I especially look forward to the "I Have This Old Gun" segment - but tonight's was a dud.
The subject was the variant of the Mighty Mosin known to one and all as the M44... unless you happen to be an Authority from the NRA Museum. In that case, it's a Model 1891/1944. The segment got it about half right, no more than that. Furthermore, they left out the whole reason that the M44 has a bayonet to begin with - the massacre of the second-line troops with M38s without bayonets who could not defend themselves in close quarters battle against Germans with Mauser 98Ks that did have bayonets.
"IHTOG" correctly commented that the POA and POI are very different with the bayonet folded or fixed but did not discuss why at all. I got a chuckle when the Authority compared the muzzle blast of the M44 to "a welder's flame." What was clear to me is that the Authority had never fired an M44 at night and seen the massive tongue of flame that looks like a jet fighter just lit off its afterburner. He probably also never heard the joke about not firing the M44 from lower than a kneeling position in high grass lest you start a brush fire.
The Authority mentioned the M44 did not receive as wide distribution as one might have expected in the Red Army because it took so long to get it into full production. However, he also did not mention that it was a very commonly encountered weapon on the wrong side in Korea, though he did mention it was supplied to all sorts of insurgencies around the world.
Part of "IHTOG" is putting a valuation on the gun under discussion. The Authority said that you could find M44s in the shops "for under $100." Gee, but wouldn't I just LOVE to know what shops he is talking about, and where they are! The only M44s in the Southern Ohio Gun catalog are from the 50,000 proof-of-concept production run; and those wholesale for $179! At the gun shop, there were half a dozen of them, Soviet, ChiCom and Romanian; and prices varied from $139 to $200 depending on country of origin and condition. This means that either the gun shop is gouging me (and I know the owner; he does not gouge the customers), or the Authority has his head stuck up his nether orifice. Or maybe he's on drugs.
Altogether, this segment of "I Have This Old Gun..." was more than a little disappointing. Perhaps the producers had better stick to more exotic guns that aren't as easy to check up on as the military surplus firearms are.
Sorry to hear about the disappointing segment on TV.
As far as that price they go on sale here every so often for $139.00. Maybe he was confusing them with 91/30's. I see those go for $99.00.
Mosins still are ignored by many in the gun business and treated like the mildly amusing, and slightly retarded stepchildren of the gun world. Mosins just don't get no respect LOL.
__________________ In Soviet Russia, bayonet mount you!
KF7GEH
Last edited by sv_libertarian; 03-18-2010 at 01:30 AM.
Location: Currently in Lewisburg,Tennessee.......Or am I.......
Posts: 167
Rofl! I met a dealer with several Mosins(a 91/30,2 M44's,and an M39).Unlike most dealers,he actually knew about Mosins!We got into talking about Finnish triggers.Anyways,Its nice to know some dealers actually respect Mosins.Unfortunately,the majority don't know that much about them.So sad.
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Watch The Trees!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Or maybe it was just an older episode?? It wasn't that long ago you could find all the M44's you wanted for less than $100.. As the supply dries up, the price climbs..
While many of the guys that have been here a while are tired of hearing about it, about 3 years ago Centerfire Systems had M44's that weren't re-arsenall'd priced at $50 each, or 5 rifles for $200.. I bought a batch of 5 and all were in beautiful condition and four of them were made in 1947 and one was a 1948. They're sloppy with cosmoline and there's a couple dings here and there, but overall they're fantastic..
I'm sad that those opportunities aren't available today for you guys new to the MN, and I'm sad I only bought one batch of 5 for myself..
But, it wasn't that long ago that $100 for a M44 wasn't really that much of a good deal..
Grungy M44's were $80 when I bought mine, but I opted for the clean unissued model, at $100. Then they climbed a bit - was seeing $120 to $150 for a nice one before The Immaculate Deception - now, who knows...?
I had business in a city about 70 miles away and saw a gun store. You know how it goes. They didn't have what I was looking for but I did see a M44 on the wall for $139. Since I haven't been infected yet I resisted.
I paid $60 for mine caked in cosmo but that was about three years ago. Kick my self daily for selling the other two that I also purchased. Things we do to pay bills.
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All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent
Mosins still are ignored by many in the gun business and treated like the mildly amusing, and slightly retarded stepchildren of the gun world. Mosins just don't get no respect LOL.
The large gun store in area don't even sell 7.62x54. But you can get all the 7.62x39, 7.62x25, .223, 8mm Mauser, 9mm Makarov, and 50 BMG you want. They even have a few boxes of 7.62 Nagant. They'll almost laugh at you when ask if they have 7.62x54, then give you directions to another store about 20 minutes away.
__________________
All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent
While many of the guys that have been here a while are tired of hearing about it, about 3 years ago Centerfire Systems had M44's that weren't re-arsenall'd priced at $50 each, or 5 rifles for $200.. I bought a batch of 5 and all were in beautiful condition and four of them were made in 1947 and one was a 1948. They're sloppy with cosmoline and there's a couple dings here and there, but overall they're fantastic..
I'm sad that those opportunities aren't available today for you guys new to the MN, and I'm sad I only bought one batch of 5 for myself.
I remember that deal! My C&R license hadn't come through then. By the time I finally received mine, the offer was over. Dammit.
The only M44 I have is a Romanian I got more than a year ago for $99 by a fluke. The gun shop had just raised its prices on unissued Romanian M44s from $99 to $129. When the clerks were changing the tags, they missed one. I found it in the rack, realized what I had and took it to the counter. The owner wasn't very happy with his clerks, but he honored the tag and I had an M44 for my collection at a price I was willing to pay.
The large gun store in area don't even sell 7.62x54. But you can get all the 7.62x39, 7.62x25, .223, 8mm Mauser, 9mm Makarov, and 50 BMG you want. They even have a few boxes of 7.62 Nagant. They'll almost laugh at you when ask if they have 7.62x54, then give you directions to another store about 20 minutes away.
The only store within a half hour of me that had 7.62x25 had 2 boxes of Winchester white box FMJs and they were $25/ea.
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The great object is that every man be armed. Everyone who is able may have a gun.
—Patrick Henry
Almost no shops in my area stock 7.62x54r.I had to get it ordered for me.
Sometimes you have to take things in your own hands. There's several places you can purchase perfectly good military surplus 54R ammo for $90 for 440 rounds, plus shipping.
While I don't have a problem supporting local gun shops, I not going to pay the profit margin for all the middle men.. The internet is a good things (sometimes)
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