I decided to pull the trigger, so to speak...

[stringplucker]

I picked up two Mosin 91/30's today. I knew a guy that had a few, and a trade for some tools, they're now mine.

I've been cleaning one of them up today, and learned that it's a stamped numbers matching 1942 Izhevsk (don't ask me to pronounce it...but it has the hammer and sickle inside a laurel wreath). I haven't touched the second one yet, as that one is going to my son for Christmas, and I don't want him knowing about it yet...I'll let him deal with the majority of the cosmoline. LOL

Neither are the laminated stocks.

If my son's isn't a full stamped numbers matching like mine is, I plan on refinishing the whole thing, as a father/son project.

I'll get pictures of it up later...the wife had me out shopping with her at midnight, and I'm beat.

[DrillNFill]

They're a lot of fun for the money. I bought one last year, really it was the first military rifle I bought that I was brave enough to completely disassemble , clean and refinish, and reassemble. It's nice and simple, yet effective and tough. IMO it would be a great father-son project. Get him a good recoil pad though

[stringplucker]

I plan on it, but not until he shoots it a few times without one.

When I was six, I was shooting my dad's M1 carbine. He made me learn how powerful a firearm could be before he showed me what can be done to tame the kick. Boy, did I have some good bruises on my shoulder as a kid...LOL

He spent the afternoon researching trying to research all the marks he could find on it...and trying to work the safety ;0)

[GrumpyBear]

I plan on it, but not until he shoots it a few times without one.

When I was six, I was shooting my dad's M1 carbine. He made me learn how powerful a firearm could be before he showed me what can be done to tame the kick. Boy, did I have some good bruises on my shoulder as a kid...LOL

He spent the afternoon researching trying to research all the marks he could find on it...and trying to work the safety ;0)

Lot of good information on Mosins in this thread.

http://forum.pafoa.org/rifles-42/191...0-bayonet.html

[bortle]

Try putting the butt plate in the crook of your elbow and using your first 2 fingers on the safety. I seem to get more control that way. They still are a tough SOB. No worries about bumping it off by accident.

[stringplucker]

Yeah, that safety's a bit of a pain.

When I was 8, my dad gave me a Sears/Savage .22lr single shot that had a safety similar in design to this. I had a hell of a time with it when I was 8...this reminds me of that.

My son, who has no idea that there's a second one hidden in my wife's closet for him, has shown great interest in my Mosin. He's been taking a tooth brush to the crevices and cleaning the crud out of all the areas. He keeps wiping the rifle down, then coming over to the computer and comparing marks with the known marks and writing everything down. He told my wife that he wishes he could have one too, because he likes mine so much...I can't wait for him to open his Christmas present! I know he's going to love it!!

The memories my son and I make are going to last him his lifetime...this is going to be fun.

[mmoxe]

great....









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[stringplucker]

It didn't take me long to decide that the cosmoline and shellac finish had to go. After cleaning it up, the shellac didn't feel "right" to me...especially since some of it was flaking off in spots.

I used Citrustrip to remove the shellac, and hit it with steel wool to smooth it up some. I applied two coats of Minwax Sedona Red and wiped it down after an hour each coat, then let it dry for 24 hours. I then started applying Minwax Tung Oil Finish, rubbing the first two coats with 0000 steel wool, then 5 more coats rubbed down with 2000 grit automotive sanding sponge. The last two coats were rubbed down with a old, clean cotton t-shirt. I think the colors look close to what it looked like prior to stripping.

I scrubbed the sling with Woolite and a nylon brush, and rubbed the leather dog collars with saddle soap and leather conditioner.

While everything was apart, I thoroughly cleaned each and every piece, making sure there was NO cosmoline left anywhere. I then re-assembled the rifle, and set the firing pin height, and checked the headspace.

[borekfk]

Should've just let the shellac flake off, it would've given it a much more historical appearance, like when it probably charged across East Germany and into Berlin. That aside it looks pretty nice, and now that you have a 91/30, you'll start looking at people who have the carbines or the Finn Mosins, and you'll decide you want one of those. My friend, with that first Mosin, you have opened a cosmoline scented can of worms.

[stringplucker]

Should've just let the shellac flake off, it would've given it a much more historical appearance, like when it probably charged across East Germany and into Berlin. That aside it looks pretty nice, and now that you have a 91/30, you'll start looking at people who have the carbines or the Finn Mosins, and you'll decide you want one of those. My friend, with that first Mosin, you have opened a cosmoline scented can of worms.

I know, I know...I've already got a Nagant 1895 revolver coming, and have been looking at an M44.

With this being the most common one from 1942, I decided that refinishing it wouldn't harm the value, even with all numbers matching. As a matter of fact, my neighbor saw it and offered me $200 for it...that's more than double what I've got in it. With this being my first one, and the fact that my son and I did this one together, I turned him down.