While browsing Buds the other week I happened to come across the mil surplus Mosin's for sale. I was instantly attracted by the price. I had been looking for a while for a good bolt-action rifle and hadn't found many promising ones in my price range. Reading the reviews on the Mosin got me even more interested. Then I found 762x54.net and this site. Well that was that, I had to purchase one. Buds seemed a bit of a crap shoot on what quality you may recieve and I didnt want to pay the transfer fees so I started calling around town.
The only local shop that had em had a lot of em, 126 I was told on the phone. $179 each with all accessories. I promptly went there on my lunch break. I left with a 1940 Izhevsk, happy as could be. I spent a fun-filled evening in the garage that night and broke it down for a thorough cleaning. This was the funest project I have done in a long long time. I enjoyed every bit minus the greasy hands... The stock was not that bad to clean either because having left it in my car for 5 hours, the southern humidity had made the cosmoline pour right out of the wood. Here is the finished product:
Here is a good one of the finish on the stock. I assume this has been refinished? The wood looks too good to be original.
One of the most entertaining aspects of this gun for me has been researching the history of them. I enjoy military history and this is owning a piece of it. Who knows, perhaps some Soviet used this to shoot at my relatives in Germany during the war. Anyways, can anyone tell me what the square stamp is on this. I read that a square with a line in the middle is a refurb mark. What is a plain square?
I was able to get to the range this weekend and put a few rounds through. I was limited to 25 yards and managed 9/10 on this target. The miss came from my first shot due to holding my head way the hell away, just in case... probably not the best shooting in the word but I certainly plan on practicing and improving. I had to smile when I overhead a guy several lanes down explaining to someone what I was shooting and why it was so loud.
And because it seems one cannot own enough Mosins I was able to get the salesman to let me pick from several. I now have a 39 Tula sitting boxed in the garage waiting on another rainy day project. I just wanted to share my experience with this beautiful rifle and say thanks to this community for the informative and entertaining reads.
Love the stock on that one! Congrats on a great pick up & welcome to the Forum! 
