The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

Last week was my 1st range trip with my 1st Mosin. As posted I wasn't real impressed with the accuracy but this is a 90 year old firearm. The ammo I used was factory so I decided to crack open my 1st crate of 7.62X54r. I'm going to try and get back to the range today or tomorrow but my Daughter may be coming up from Columbus. If she does I'm using a few vacation days this coming week so I'll definitely make it in the next 3 or 4 days.

In the meantime the ammo in the crate looks awesome BUT I JUST HOPE THAT THERE WAS NEVER AN EMERGENCY AND THEY NEEDED TO GET INTO THEM QUICKLY !!! LOL

Anyone speak Russian ?










Very nice looking ammo and I assume that it is corrosive.

Yes it's corrosive so clean your Mosin accordingly.

You didn't get a can opener with yours? With the correct opener it's not that hard to open them. We used spam cans also, but ours had a simple pull tab to open them just like the real Spam does.

If you have an opener, it's easier to make cuts going away from you than coming towards you. Live and learn.

I love the aroma that rises from a freshly opened spam can.

I did get a can opener and it wasn't that difficult to open the tin just time consuming but well worth it. The crate was what took the most time but once I figured out that you just needed to remove the screws it wasn't bad.

Rongo wrote:I love the aroma that rises from a freshly opened spam can.

That aroma is the trapped air from a 1950's Soviet factory, don't breath it in, it will probably give you cancer faster than asbestos.

Junk Yard Dog wrote:

Rongo wrote:I love the aroma that rises from a freshly opened spam can.

That aroma is the trapped air from a 1950's Soviet factory, don't breath it in, it will probably give you cancer faster than asbestos.

Now you tell him. Better late than never.

Rongo wrote:I love the aroma that rises from a freshly opened spam can.

The aroma from an ammo can ain't bad either.

I'm curious as to what is written on the piece of paper that was packed inside of the tin I opened. Obviously it is 1973 but anyone know what it says ?

BTW When I cleaned the barrel it was NASTY!! I cleaned it when I first got it before I went to the range and I also cleaned it after my first trip and not much at all. This trip I ran 20 RNDs through it. When I first got the SKS pictured above I received 100 RNDs on stripper clips that I thought were corrosive and it was nothing like this. That was in 1984 and it was NIB, for $75. Wish I purchased more !!!

Help, I am a political prisoner forced laborer in a Soviet ammunition factory, save me.

Junk Yard Dog wrote:

Rongo wrote:I love the aroma that rises from a freshly opened spam can.

That aroma is the trapped air from a 1950's Soviet factory, don't breath it in, it will probably give you cancer faster than asbestos.

JYD that is the smell of stale communism in there

First you get the spam can out on the concrete away from everything and then you plug the disc grinder into the long extension cord. Then you grind the edges off and carefully thrown the top that is left into the trash can. You then take all the ammo out and load it into a nice new latching US ammo can and mark a date of opening on the top and what you believe it to be. You then take the can leftovers to the same trash can and load it in there and put the top on it and wait for trash day. Everytime I see all these yoyo's coming up with ideas of how to use them old cans I see nothing but eventual blood and Band-Aids. Like stripper clips for Mosins they were not made for reuse just one time use and then the scrap yard. Save yourself a finger as you will eventually find a sharp edge and regret keeping the thing! Bill

That's rediculous Bill. You can't just toss a old cool lid like that in the trash! They look cool tacked up in the garage, and the empty can is a great place to dump the dross and slag when smeltering lead to cast into nice clean lead ingots. Haven't I taught you anything around here? [emoji14]

Chas100, I hope you achieve the accuracy you are looking for, but if not don't let that discourage you. The fact that these are fully functioning old relic firearms is really cool even if you have to settle for less accuracy. What I have found though is that accuracy becomes better with more experience. The learning curve on shooting techniques is a little larger than modern rifles, or even many more precision milsurps like the Finns, Swiss, Swedes, etc....

I use the spent spam cans for all sorts of things. got a few down the barn holding tools, another is my drain pan for the lawn mower, a few more are holding lead ingots. 20 years at least they been here and I haven't cut myself yet.

bunkysdad wrote:Chas100, I hope you achieve the accuracy you are looking for, but if not don't let that discourage you. The fact that these are fully functioning old relic firearms is really cool even if you have to settle for less accuracy. What I have found though is that accuracy becomes better with more experience. The learning curve on shooting techniques is a little larger than modern rifles, or even many more precision milsurps like the Finns, Swiss, Swedes, etc....

When I first got it I really wasn't expecting great accuracy out of it. It is a little more accurate than the Garand ( IHC RG)I took to the range. Some of the Rounds that I've put through it fire kind of odd. It's like a delayed fire from when I pull the trigger and the round firing.

Sometimes the same type grease that these rifles were covered in during storage will get into the tightest spaces including the bolt and firing pin. Have you disassembled the bolt and cleaned out the firing pin and spring area? Also behind the extractor I have found gummy greasy buildups but removing the extractor from the bolt head can be tricky because the extractor will get bent easily. I bent one but it actually bent back without breaking. My firing pin and spring were so greasy that it caused the firing pin to drop slowly.
When I shoot my refurb 91-30's I have the opposite results you are getting. Mine shoot high at 100 yards so I pick a spot at the bottom of my target and shoot for groups. The best way I have found for shooting closest to point of aim is through hand loading my ammo. But I still love shooting surplus too. I like the feel of shooting old ammo in a old rifle. I am amazed at how well the ammo has been preserved all these years.

spongemonkey wrote:

zeebill wrote:First you get the spam can out on the concrete away from everything and then you plug the disc grinder into the long extension cord. Then you grind the edges off and carefully thrown the top that is left into the trash can. You then take all the ammo out and load it into a nice new latching US ammo can and mark a date of opening on the top and what you believe it to be. You then take the can leftovers to the same trash can and load it in there and put the top on it and wait for trash day. Everytime I see all these yoyo's coming up with ideas of how to use them old cans I see nothing but eventual blood and Band-Aids. Like stripper clips for Mosins they were not made for reuse just one time use and then the scrap yard. Save yourself a finger as you will eventually find a sharp edge and regret keeping the thing! Bill

Wrong answer. Distroying history I say. Shame on you. 30 lashes with a wet noodle!

Hey you are asking a guy who used to heat the shop with old cases broken up after the dealers put them on the trash pile at their shops. Some idiot decided he would pay the dealer for them and look what happened there? They serve no history purpose to me so in the trash they go. The only thing I know they do is cut people when they least expect and least want a cut messing with gun powder or lubricants. Even the old useless Turk stock that were broken beyond fixing and donor use went in that potbelly stove at night when people couldn't figure where the smoke was coming from! Hey they kept me and my projects from freezing to death in the Winter cold.
Nope sorry no second thoughts or guilt feeling here they are nothing but hazards looking for some body to bite. Bill

Chas100 wrote:
When I first got it I really wasn't expecting great accuracy out of it. It is a little more accurate than the Garand ( IHC RG)I took to the range. Some of the Rounds that I've put through it fire kind of odd. It's like a delayed fire from when I pull the trigger and the round firing.

If you are getting delayed fire like that your ammo is beyond a useable and reliable state and any accuracy you are getting at all is just a lot of luck. Go buy some decent ammo and see what it does. Use the stuff you have for components if reloading or just fun plinking that means nothing to you. Be real careful with your current ammo that you don't have any swelled primers as they can be dangerous to fire. They are swelled and it will lead to pierced primers or worse. Bill