$200 for a 1945 Mosin-Nagant M44?

[PA Rifleman]

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Most of these guns have been counterbored, if it has, the crown will be silver in color instead of blued like the rest of the gun. ...

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This has not been my experience.

Counterbored means the barrel was bored oversize at the muzzle, reducing the wall thickness at the muzzle. This allowed the armorers to retain the original barrel length, which would have been important for bayonet attachment.

This can be detected by inserting a bullet in the muzzle, and if the bullet won't drop all the way in, it isn't counterbored.

Further, a counterbored muzzle will have a pronounced "step" an inch or more down in the bore where the original rifling stops.

The problem was worn out rifling at the muzzle, which was caused by abusive cleaning techniques. More to the point, not using a false muzzle or starting from the breech end with the cleaning rod. Shooting-related wear will cause throat erosion, which if allowed to continue, destroys accuracy from excess leade or freebore. This is why they were muzzlebored and not chamber-bored.

A silver barrel crown usually is associated with arsenal refinished arms.

[theSaj]

I just picked up one for $89 back in October. However, I got one of the least two a vendor had. And most of the others I saw were around the $150 mark.

So I am going to agree, she probably paid a bit more than she should have...but not that much more. And most were saying the supplies were drying up.

Furthermore, this was "pre-Obama". And prices have pretty much taken a bump all around. So another $50 might not be off the current price if this was a very recent purchase. I had purchased a Mini-14 Target for $700 and the same vendor's restocked is $875. And Gander Mountain wants $1,000+

[Bug44]

Just picked up an 1946 M44 in Fair/Good condition today for a whopping $100... Russian made.
Hungarian model went for $80 I think... at the auction... Happy with the buy given today's market value...

Sick part is, 2 days ago i came across a tin (440rnds) of 7.62x54r for $119... thought to myself "i should buy that!" But i passed because i didn't have a gun in that caliber! Who knew a few days later i would! F.M.L.

[Metz]

Oh, boy. If you have money then you never pass ammo deal nowadays.

[stainless]

Oh, boy. If you have money then you never pass ammo deal nowadays.

Yeah, then we could have started a thread about him being one of those evil ammo hoarders. Perhaps gotten it up to 17 pages...

[JoshIronshaft]

Not sure where you're at but dunhams in Latrobe had a bunch of those tins at that price last Friday, who knows if they're still there but they get them in regularly.

Also last week a friend of mine found 2 tins online shipped for about 175 from some place in New Hampshire.

[wanneroo]

As far as the price, I think you'll look back a year from now and $200. won't seem like a bad deal. The Mosin supply has really dried up over the last six months. Remember the cheap Swiss K31's? Three years ago you could buy them anywhere for $99. Now they change hands for $200. or $250.

More like $300-$450 on the K31's now.

Reports are that Russian arsenals are almost cleaned out of Mosin's and I have heard over 1.5 million have been sold in the USA, which is pretty impressive considering many of these rifles were junked or destroyed being run through the mill of 2 world wars and a civil war. So I'd say the days of moldy old boxes being opened with cosmoline caked Mosins and on sale for $100 are probably drawing to a close.

[wanneroo]

Just picked up an 1946 M44 in Fair/Good condition today for a whopping $100... Russian made.
Hungarian model went for $80 I think... at the auction... Happy with the buy given today's market value...

Sick part is, 2 days ago i came across a tin (440rnds) of 7.62x54r for $119... thought to myself "i should buy that!" But i passed because i didn't have a gun in that caliber! Who knew a few days later i would! F.M.L.

Apparently one large ammo seller here in the USA has sold a couple of hundred million rounds of that tinned 7.62x54R ammo in the past year or so. Not to mention what others have sold.

I think most of it is coming out of Bulgaria and Romania and is around 1971 manufacturer.

When it runs out, it will be interesting to see what can be found elsewhere to supply the market in the USA.

[PA Rifleman]

... I'd say the days of moldy old boxes being opened with cosmoline caked Mosins and on sale for $100 are probably drawing to a close.

And you would be right. The Russians are growing tired of selling Mosins for more or less the cost of shipping them to the US (details). It's almost more lucrative to destroy them in Russia, apparently as a jo creating measure.

So even if the present gun & ammo shortage subsides, I doubt we'll see $80—$90 Mosins again.

And when all that surplus 7.62x54R dries up, we'll be pining for the days when it was 20—25¢ a round. And those days are today.

...
Reports are that Russian arsenals are almost cleaned out of Mosin's and I have heard over 1.5 million have been sold in the USA,

Probably much higher than that figure. Conservative estimates place the production numbers of Mosins in the 13-14 million range. Russia's had decades to crank them out, and they took full advantage of this. After W.W.II, they unloaded the Mosins on satellite/Warsaw Pact nations, and other nations receiving foreign aid. That's why Russian Mosins are turning up in Poland, Ukraine and even Africa. Even with the VRA (details — ATF letter), it's still possible to find and export Russian Mosins to the US.

Also consider they've been unloading them literally by the hundreds of 40' sea containers into the US.

...which is pretty impressive considering many of these rifles were junked or destroyed being run through the mill of 2 world wars and a civil war.

Good point. And pray that's the last civil war most will see.

[Bug44]

7.62x54r is still out there. surprised i am finding it yet..