Mosin Type 53

[cruzans]

Don't think anyone has posted this - but have been looking at cheap Mosin Chinese model 53. J&G has them in Good condition for $99.95 and you can pick up a tin of 440 rounds for $89.98 with it. Hmmmm, $189.93 for both and shipped to house C&R. How are these Chinese model 53's - any good?

[Lee-online]

Type 53's have been hit and miss on the quality and condition. Expect to see heavy rust pitting, missing cleaning rod and a stock that looks like it was dragged behind a pickup.

Trinity has good+ condition ones for $120

www.trinityarms.com

[borekfk]

Ok here's a bit on the T53 that someone on a FB group I belong to posted:

"The T53's are Mosin Nagants carbines. Post WWII the Soviets gave the machinery to build M44's to the Chinese and provided them with technicians to train them how to build them. Their are only two physical differences between them that I am aware of. The Chinese stocks are made of Chu Wood (we call it Catalpa in the USA) and the pattern on the heads of the cleaning rods is slightly different. Those currently being imported to the States did not come directly from China. Best guess is that came out of Vietnam or N. Korea. These have not been arsenally refurbed. The stocks on almost all of them are rough and many have some loss of bluing. Most seem to be in good working order, but since they were not refurbed it would be imperative to have the head space checked on them before firing."

And on the condition of the rifles:

"Classic Firearms had some info on this when they got their first shipment in from Century. They were so heavily covered in cosmolene that even Century was ashamed to sell them that way. They hosed piles of them down with a degreaser and then sprayed them with water and left them sit to dry. The strong degreaser stripped the finish and without the cosmolene in place many of them developed rust under the woodline."

Hope it helps. FWIW those in the group who have T53s are quite happy with them, even if they did have to refinish the wood.

[internet troll]

I bought one a few months ago. The metal was good but the stock was beat to hell. I had read that the quality was all over the place and pretty much got what I expected. It would have been a cheap shooter but I spent a week working on the rifle and refinished it which you can see in the thread below. I love this rifle. I had it out last weekend and it is cheap and fun to shoot.




http://forum.pafoa.org/rifles-42/207...oll-stick.html

[telopyros]

When i was at sarco last they had 5 or so and the stocks are ROUGH. I still want one in my collection though, the price makes it stupid not to buy it.

[father-of-five]

I haven't picked one up (yet!) for myself due to a lack of funds. They seem like more of a shooter gun than a collector gun, which is what I'm loking for when the time comes.

[Clark Kent]

I picked one up a few months ago from Buds, which was $120 shipped. The metal was in good/fair shape. No major rust/pitting. Some surface rust under the top handguard. The stock was in horrible shape with mold cover most of the buttstock. Bore is dark, but rifling looks good, no counter boring either.

I stripped it down with citrustrip, stained, and coated with truoil. Overall, for $120 I'm very pleased. Shoots well too.



Surface rust I described:

[esh21167]

Type 53's have been hit and miss on the quality and condition. Expect to see heavy rust pitting, missing cleaning rod and a stock that looks like it was dragged behind a pickup.

Probably dragged behind a horse or mule

[Gunplummer]

The word "Chinese" should say it all. We are in the 2000's and the Chinese still have problems producing steel. Me, I would spend a little more and get a Russian or Soviet produced rifle.

[TB215]

The word "Chinese" should say it all. We are in the 2000's and the Chinese still have problems producing steel. Me, I would spend a little more and get a Russian or Soviet produced rifle.

Chinese AKs are the best quality on the American market.