The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

If I bought a mosin and found out that it used to be a sniper model, would it be wrong to source the correct parts and the correct stock to turn it back into a sniper?


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As long as you are NOT permenantly modifying the rifle in any sort of way. I dont see anything wrong with it. But IMO. If its an ex sniper.... Its an ex for a reason. But hey its your rifle. Have fun with it!!!


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Yes it is wrong. Plus it will cost as much as buying one out right. The history of a rifle is all of its history and it now being an ex sniper is its next position in life, along with you carrying it on to keep its glory alive. Your rifle

If you found a real PU sniper that someone had lost or stolen the scope off of then replacing it is not a big deal, just an expensive one. If you find a rifle that was once a PU sniper but has had it's mount holes welded over and all the sniper parts are gone then it is a permanent alteration to undo anything on the rifle as it's now just another 91/30, not a PU sniper.

Enough out there already that are not historically correct, If you want a sniper rifle, buy one. don't make one out of an ex sniper.

I wouldn't do it but that's just me.

I buy Milsurps for the history they represent and were a part of, a fake would mean nothing to me, might as well buy a commercial sporter and have something I know will shoot straight or I can send it to the factory for repair.

There are no proper parts for an Ex-sniper to return it to a sniper. It becomes a fake sniper and they are more than available on the market today. Why even think of making another one? Too many people just starting out are fooled by them and make the mistake of grossly overpaying for them now. With any principles at all why would one consider making another one when down the line another owner will present it as the real thing and maybe bilk someone else out of hard earned cash? I worked in a pawn shop and I saw at least one or two cases of this a year in just that limited venue where I had to tell the present owner it was not a real sniper but a fake or "restored" sniper and he paid way too much for it. The normal reactions were you don't know what you are talking about this is real and I'll have to sell it elsewhere and you know what they usually do! That just passes the buck to another unsuspecting owner. Bill

This is why I say again and again that you must do your homework carefully before buying . $100-$150 bucks, OK, take a chance, more than that and you risk a serious disappointment made worse by it's being an expensive one.

Face it JYD people just don't do that as they are looking for stuff quick and dirty and they make mistakes. You know as well as I do we did when we first started and we didn't have the internet then so maybe we have an excuse or two but these kids today take a trip to a gunstore or gunshow and come out with instant gratification or they try to anyway. They just don't get the research thing I guess I don't know but I see the same scenerio over and over! Kind of gets frustrating! For everyone we try and educate a dozen miss the boat! AAARRGGGHH! Bill

Those of you who have ex-snipers, do they seem any more accurate the the others?

Simo wrote:Those of you who have ex-snipers, do they seem any more accurate the the others?

I hear that they are... would like to know the answer to this question too

Alrighty guys. The same factors are at work here for an ex or a "regular" 91/30. Bore condition, crown condition trigger condition etc. etc. There are great shooters and there are good shooters and there are keyholers. You can get a good one...or you can get a bad one. I would say that if you have one that retains the trigger fix then that would aid in the shooting, but if you master the rifle you have then i bet you can compete. I have an excellant shooting 91/30. Tip top. I have a craptastic shooter also and it is a fun challenge.. I have one i am going to use as a test rifle for reloads too.

Simo wrote:Those of you who have ex-snipers, do they seem any more accurate the the others?

No , less so in the case of both of them, 4 MOA at best.

Damn my post makes me look like an idiot...... I was trying to make a point thats " its your rifle do what you want". I myself wouldnt indulge in such blasphemy....;)


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Too many "ex-snipers" around. I would bet that most of them were tried and rejected for sniper use, rather then retired sniper rifles. They had to put a scope on them to tell how they group.

Seems like a wasteful way to go about it, would have made more sense to simply produce a higher quality barrel specifically for sniper use. The PU sniper requires modifications to both receiver and wood, time consuming and requiring skilled labor, then there is the bolt handle, lot of effort just to discover that the rifle is a 3MOA shooter and have to put it all back to 91/30 normal again. They could have an expert marksman test the rifle with open sights first, if results are 1-2 MOA consistently then turn it into a sniper.

Starshina wrote:Too many "ex-snipers" around. I would bet that most of them were tried and rejected for sniper use, rather then retired sniper rifles. They had to put a scope on them to tell how they group.

the official sniper rifles went through testing and if they passed then they were accurized and scoped

From what I read the requirment was under 0.75 MOA group. Very few people can hold that hard with iron sights. Most likely there was initial selection, but the only way to tell how the barrel will group is to test fire. Even the best barrel makers of today will make an occasional lemon and that's made with modern technology.

Junk Yard Dog wrote:Seems like a wasteful way to go about it, would have made more sense to simply produce a higher quality barrel specifically for sniper use. The PU sniper requires modifications to both receiver and wood, time consuming and requiring skilled labor, then there is the bolt handle, lot of effort just to discover that the rifle is a 3MOA shooter and have to put it all back to 91/30 normal again. They could have an expert marksman test the rifle with open sights first, if results are 1-2 MOA consistently then turn it into a sniper.

I am sure they had a bent bolt handle and wood to swap for testing purposes. Pluging a few holes is no big deal.