The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

As I stated in my first post I just recently bought my first Mosin Nagant which is a 1939 model. I havent been able to fire it seeing that it has only been two days. My friends are planning to go shooting this weekend so I have broken it down, cleaned it the best I can with out a kit, and inspected it. This has lead to couple of questsions.

1st: When doing a function check I noticed that after I pull the trigger the bolt would slide less than 1/2 inch up from the receiver. Personally I dont think it is an issue but a friend of mine does and this is possibly preventing us from shooting this weekend so I want to know if it is? Not saying the bolt moves forward... Just up like it would when you are getting ready to eject the brass and chamber the next round but it would only move about less than 1/2 inch. I just want to be sure.

2nd: What would be a proper cleaning kit/bore size for a brush if you are unable to find one for the Mosin Nagant?

Thanks for the help ahead time. On a side note. I plan on posting pictures of my first one later. I want to be 100% it is an Antique. Not saying I dont trust the dealer that I bought it from... Just like to be sure lol.

1) That is normal, the main thing in shooting these is the headspace, see OKIE HEADSPACE GAUGES at the head of this page.
2) A good brass or carbon cleaning rod, brushes etc. for a 30 cal. will be just fine. DO NOT USE the cleaning rod that came with the rifle, it can damage the crown.
3) Being a 1939 it can't be described as an antique, an antique in a firearms is a firearm that was built in or prior to 1998. What you have is a very fine rifle, read "HISTORY" on the main page.
Please feel free to ask any questions you may have and remember that these can be very addicting.

I think that Longcolt meant to say "prior to 1899" would qualify as an antique.

If it is a Model 39, do you mean it is a Finnish M39 rifle? Some of them were built on receivers that were dated 1898 or earlier, and could qualify as an antique.

Photos! Photos! Photos!

We love photos and have got to have photos!

If it is a M39 then it is from Finland. It should have a [SA] on the left side of the barrel shank (maybe on the top, but probably not). It would be made on or after 1941(all but the receiver and some parts) . The receiver will have come from an older rifle. The Finns recycled the receivers and part into the next generation of rifle. Technically, if the receiver was made on or before 1898 then it is an "antique". If it was made after 1898 then it is not a "antique". No real difference other than when you get ready to sell it if you ever do. Antiques have different rules and are easier to sell and ship without FFL licenses.

If you started with a M39, you got started into Mosin collecting very well. If you got it for shooting, you bought one of the most accurate WWII rifle made. There are a few WWII rifles as good (and maybe better) , but not many.

If it is a 1939r (on the barrel shank on top) then it is not a M39, but is a 1939 M91/30 Russian. Still a very nice rifle!

Congratulations! ;)

Dolk

Tipton, or Dewey one piece carbon fiber cleaning rod , Tipton cleaning jag set, I use copper.bronze brushes made for .38 special revolvers when I can't find ones for .30 caliber, and Hoppes 9 nitro powder solvent. A NO/GO coin style ( so you don't have to disturb the extractor) headspace gauge from Okie , see the banner at the top of the page so you can check your rifles headspace. If your rifle came with no tools you will need the screwdriver tool that comes with the Soviet cleaning kits so you can set your firing pin protrusion properly
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =251851697

The above auction shows the kit, the tool is the one with the screwdriver tip and all the little knotches along one side, the rest of the kit you use for show, clean only with modern tools and jags. If you are planning to shoot with military surplus ammo be aware that it uses a corrosive mercury salt in it's primers that will coat your rifles bore after firing and require a shot of boiling water poured down the chamber and through the barrel to remove before regular cleaning, a very quick, and simple procedure. The heat from the boiling water will help loosen fouling for regular cleaning as well as flush the salts. With corrosive ammo cleaning must be within hours of shooting,
The tool auction is shown for example only, you can probably find the tool cheaper someplace.

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/pro ... uctId/2969

http://www.grafs.com/retail/catalog/pro ... uctId/1229

http://www.ebay.com/itm/EMSS1011T-1000- ... 5adae76c0a

http://www.ebay.com/itm/91-30-M44-M39-M ... 35b54b0471

I just read your first post, didn't realize you were new at this, the bore guide I listed above is nice to have, but you can clean without it, just remember to clean from the breech ( were the bolt goes) not the muzzle or you will cause wear, you can cause wear cleaning from the breech end also, but with a coated rod it is much less, and the bore guide reduces it even more. If you want to shoot right away you can get a basic cheap cleaning kit from Wallmart, or your nearest gun store for about $25 or less, they are crap, but should get you going for your first few cleanings. Get the headspace gauge from OKIE, but for now you can do it like we did it years ago, find a big car tire with no wheel ( your local scrap yard has them, or look on the side of the road) tie the rifle to the tire tightly, point it in a safe direction, attach a string to the trigger and chamber a round, hide behind a tree, or something solid and pull the trigger with the string. If the rifle is fine, and 99.9 % of the time it will be, you are good to go, check the fired cartridge for holes, or strange bulges, if any, do not shoot.
Your rifle looks like the one below?


or more like this one?

Thanks for all the tips. Still trying to get spun up on the correct terminology for all the parts so I may not know exactly what you guys are talking aobut. I took a picture of every marking I could find on the Rifle. So far I do not see a M39 or 1939r on there unless I am missing something very simple. I knew about not putting the brush in from the muzzle. One of the first things they trained us on when I went through basic. Never put the cleaning rod in muzzle first.

Luckily I did get the original tool with it and have already gaged my firing pin so it is good to go. Probably will gage it one more time before actually shooting it.

If you guys need pictures of other parts let me know. I did the best I could. If I got too many, then I apologize.

Without further adue... my baby... my first Mosin Nagant.




http://www.imagecoast.com/images/Strike87/p1010118.jpg
http://www.imagecoast.com/images/Strike87/p1010117.jpg
http://www.imagecoast.com/images/Strike87/p1010114.jpg
http://www.imagecoast.com/images/Strike87/p1010110.jpg
http://www.imagecoast.com/images/Strike87/p1010123.jpg
http://www.imagecoast.com/images/Strike87/p1010122.jpg
http://www.imagecoast.com/images/Strike87/p1010121.jpg
http://www.imagecoast.com/images/Strike87/p1010120.jpg

It's a 1939 M91/30 Russian rifle. There are some very neat things on the barrel shank that are harder to find marks (little more collectable). MO marks and duel dated are some of them. You can read up on them, and I'm sure others will comment on them also. The big Star with the arrow in the center means it is a Tula arsenal made rifle. People like Tula because of the big star, it just looks Russian. ;)

We are in the process of "re-doing" the information pages we have so new members can use them better.

Dolk

Nice first.

Hey guys, do I see a C N as in ex-sniper stamped on the barrel?

Thanks again for the tips and all the info. Been really helpful. For the headgauges. I am not going to be able to get one in time fot shooting. I was planning to secure the rifle and shoot it by string but I have a question. I bought this from a local gun shop and the guy working at the time was a prior federal agent and he says he restores Mosins. Would that mean I should be good to go to shoot it without testing?

I am most likely going to test it anyway because it is a weapon and it can be dangerous if not treated properly. Just wanted to see how you guys would feel if bought one in the same situation.

One more question. I am not sure I am fond of the finish that is on it. It seems to be a little flaky and I was told it is not the original finish. Whould you guys refinish it? If so how would you go about doing it and what would you recommend? I would want to get it as close to the original as possible. I will not be sanding it cause, me personally, the damage to the wood as character and to me makes it more original. Plus I don't want to risk sanding off any markings.

The information you guys provided is really cool. I did not know all of that about this gun. If it turns out to be an ex-sniper, I will be even more excited.

I leave the original finishes on my Mosins. This is the sentiment of the majority of collectors.

Call the seller and ask if he headspaced it. The flakey shellac on your rifle is original to the refurbishing process that most of the Mosins you will find went through after WWII. Removing the flakey stuff would be as bad as sanding it. We prefer to use them as we find them. Just think about how many vodka hours Ivan went through to get you that rifle as it is.

Welcome AirConda & what a great first Mosin!! Clean, MO Pre-war 91/30... Can't complain about that.

The thing to always remember with these old Surplus rifles is to always leave the provenance alone. Refinishing, Drill & tap for scope and all those things are a bad idea.. Especially for the more rare & hard to find examples like yours. In the next year or so these should prove much harder to find & will surely go up in value; Much the same as the Carbines did over the past few years. 4 years back you could get M44's for around $50... Today they start around $200 & go up. Refinish your stock & watch the value plummet.

There are ways to touch-up your stock, or replace it with an Synthetic stock. (save the original of course).

Have fun shooting this weekend!

See I didn't know that. Thought the finish looked old. He made it sound like it was cheaply restored by some one who didn't know what they are doing.

I do plan to stop at the shop again tomorrow because I need more ammo and so far they are the only ones in the area that I know that sells then. I will ask them then. I really cannot wait to shoot lol.

It was refurbished at a factory someplace deep in the Ukraine by communist state workers from just after WW2 into the 1970's. The rifles were placed in storage down in the salt mines to be used to arm the Soviet people in the event the West invaded. WWIII never happened ( yet) and despite the fact that Western invasion of the USSR was highly unlikely after 1960 or so the refurbishment project went on. Good for us collectors as now we have all these rifles refurbished at the reds expense to play with. The flaking shellac is normal, and expected, after a few months of field use these rifles would have little to no shellac left on them at all as shown on the issued M91/30 below

Though the shine is gone. That is still a beautiful rifle.

Just cutrious. How much would this gun normally cost or what would you say it costs?

AirConda wrote:Though the shine is gone. That is still a beautiful rifle.

Just cutrious. How much would this gun normally cost or what would you say it costs?

For yours?

Right now they go for a bit North of $100. The 91/30's are probably going to dry up in the next year or so. Expect to pay $200 for an Ex-sniper like yours in a few years if distributor supplies run out.

Bout right. It was marked at $99.97. I paid $133 for everything I got.

AirConda wrote:Bout right. It was marked at $99.97. I paid $133 for everything I got.

Good deal. Hang onto it for 10 years & it should be over double that real easy.