The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

hey guys, i just got my first mosin and its awesome. The only problem is I'm kind of nervous about it blowing up in my face, i know they are very reliable but its still sketchy. I checked the firing pin but not the headspace, I've heard this can be a big problem. If it does blow up on me would it would powerful enough to seriously injure or me, or blow my hand off or anything like that. I just ordered new ammo for it not military surp. The serial numbers match on it and I've heard that means the headspace is usually fine. Anyway i just want to go shoot it and not have to worry about losing my hand or face.

You have now entered the wonderful world of Mosin Nagants. They are kinda like chips you can't just have one. They only way to be sure about the head space is to get the gages from OKIE. Don't worry you will use them for all the other Mosins you're going to buy. I've only come across one with a bad head space (It was an old one).

I am sure you cleaned the barrel and chamber. You are going to get a few different answers on headspace. Personally I headspace all the rifles I have. A catastrophic failure, blowing up a receiver, is not a pretty thing. Gauges can be ordered from OKIE, in the banner at the top. Shooting surplus ammunition won't cause any more problems than the new cartridges will.

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Why would Russia refurbish these rifles if they though for a second that they would "blow up in their hands"?

I under stand if it is your first military surplus rifle, but frankly, it just doesn't happen.

Clean it.
Make sure the barrel is clear,
I'd head space it. But it is very hard to blow up a Mosin even if the head space is wrong. Some even argue it is a waste of time. But I do it any way.
Put the rifle in a tire with the butt in the inner part of the tire, and tie a heavy string to the trigger. Load it and pull the sting.

Now, I do all of the above except the tire part. It doesn't scare me at all (any more) because it just doesn't "explode".

I would recommend you take it to a gun smith and let them check it if you just can't bring yourself to do it. A good idea I guess anyway, but to me more money spent.


But I understand anxiety.....I used to be like that until about the 175th rifle I fired like this! Now, I pull the trigger on rifles like a snider that is from the 1870's without a flinch.


Dolk

Go ahead and pick up a set of headspace guages. They will give you some peace of mind. They also help you rationalize the purchase of more Mosins to use them on!

Send it to me I' ll clean it and even shoot a few for you. But the head space gauges they sell here are the best. The videos are really easy to watch and helped me alot. Post some pictures for us now. Welcome to the best Mosin information source you can find. Judi and her Mosin's

If the firing pin checks out or will adjust out. Headspace it with a no go gauge and if it passes, fire off a few rounds.. If in doubt, just have a gunsmith check it over if it makes you feel better.

Well im not gonna lie I knew nothing when I got my first. I just went out and shot it. Ive got all my appendages and 20/16 vision ;)

kamakazi339 wrote:Well im not gonna lie I knew nothing when I got my first. I just went out and shot it. Ive got all my appendages and 20/16 vision ;)

These are extremely strong rifles. I just haven't heard of too many coming apart. Every refurb I purchased had correct headspace and checked out safe to shoot. However, you just don't know unless you check it. So many people had their hands on this rifles.

Welcome to the board, since the dawn of the firearms era be it a hand cannon, flintlock, or the most modern of infantry rifles, the first time it's fired always generates the same thoughts in the shooter. Oh please God don't let this thing blow up on me Once you fire it you will become part of that long tradition . Check the headspace, eyeball the rifle once you have it apart and make sure all looks well, and you will be fine. I have fired Mosins in much more "used" condition than the Soviet refurb you likely have, and never had any problems in 30,000 + rounds .

get the gauges ,play it safe..and have fun with it..

as an edit to my previous post I wasn't advocating what I did. I now own an okie gauge an check all my rifles for headspacing....

kamakazi339 wrote:as an edit to my previous post I wasn't advocating what I did. I now own an okie gauge an check all my rifles for headspacing....

We've all done it at one time or another. I have a couple of milsurps that I don't have headspace gauges for. One is an 7.7 Jap Arisaka and the other is .303 British Enfield (No. 4 Mk 2). I knew I was taking some risk (minimal because of the nice condition of these rifles) when I first fired them. However, because I have accumulated a decent size collection of Mosin Nagants, I decided to buy a set of Okie gauges just to feel safe about it. The problem with the Mosin Nagant, as I see it, is that it does not have the safety features of other rifles like the Arisaka, Mauser and others. If a cartridge bursts, there is no way for the gas and fragments to go but rearward towards the shooter. That fact alone makes the headspace gauges and good investment.

OK: You have great advice here . One thing I do EVERY TIME I go to shoot ANY rifle is check, check and then re-check that EVERYTHING is where it should be. I remove the bolts and visually look to see that NOTHING is in the chamber or barrel .

These rifles are VERY strong. The very reason the Finns used 40 year old Russian receivers on their NEW main battle rifles (like the M39) is a testament to the Mosin Nagant receiver. My opinion is I would much rather shoot one of these than many other WW I and WW II battle rifles.

Welcome to the forum!

I wouldn't worry too much... Lots of great advice stated in this thread. Get out & enjoy it.

Wrong ammo in a gun, faulty ammo, such as handloads with the wrong powder or wrong amount of powder. These are what typically causes a gun to "blow up". When it happens it could be as violent as shrapnel flying in different directions, or as subtle as a hairline crack that goes undetected waiting to expose itself during some future shooting event. Excessive headspace is easy to check. There are 2 kinds of tools to use to check it. There is the cartridge type that looks similar to a dummy round with no bullet. The Mosin uses a rimmed cartridge so the headspace is measured at the cartridge rim. Too much and the cartridge isn't held properly in place, or is loose. The specification for this measurement is very small, maybe not even detectable by the eye. If this space is too big, the cartridge is driven backwards against the bolt and that is where the problem comes in. Or maybe the cartridge sticks to the chamber from expanding but the cartridge rim still moves rearward, stretching the cartridge case length. I have seen cartridges that stretched enough to crack and still the gun did not blow up. The bigger hazard is escaping hot gases and powder fragments. They can come back in your face or worse, eyes. ALWAYS WEAR SHOOTING GLASSES!
The 2nd and easiest tool is the coin type like the one made by Okie Headspace Guages. Simply hold the rifle pointing upwards, open the bolt, place the precision disc on the bolt face and gently close the bolt. It should not close more than part way. Then it passes and you know it's good. If it closes on a no-go guage, or a field guage then it has excess headspace and can be easily fixed. Remember these are tools for a specific job. Like a pair of needle nose pliers or phillips screwdriver. Having the guage in your shooting box is smart. Knowing your gun is in top shape for such an old weapon gives you confidence that it will give you good service. You just have to decide if you want a no-go guage, or a more forgiving field guage. (Like me).
Some folks get both guages, or even the go guage. I never saw the need for a go-guage which checks for headspace which is too small. Your ammo will tell you that.

welcome

Here is a article that says it much better than I ever could. http://www.cruffler.com/trivia-October99.html

Click the link at the top of the page, buy the $25 "No-Go" gauge, it ships fast, it's simple to use, and comes complete with instructions.
I promise you, your face is worth $25, if nothing else, you have peace of mind, and you can help your friends check their head space, after you take them shooting, and they want a Mosin as well.
Be safe.

http://www.cruffler.com/trivia-October99.html


JUST added this to my Desktop & Fav's...........THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS.