Mosin Nagan and other cheap rifles

[Last Resort]

I recently joined the gun club, and have spent a little bit of time on the rifle range. I've found that I greatly enjoy shooting (50-100 yard) right now. I am pretty new to rifles, and am currently shooting 50 yard iron sight with a bolt action .22 savage. I had the opportunity to fire my brother in laws 308, and 223 (just a tad more recoil than my 22 ). I was thinking that I would love to step up to a bigger "plinker", but cost is DEFINITELY a factor. Then I discovered the mosin nagan. I simply cannot believe that I can go to the local sporting goods store and find one ready to use for $120.00. Based on what I've read, these are reliable, powerful rifles with cheap ammo. Are there any other "bargain" rifles out there for range plinking? Anything else that is even close to this price range? What about less expensive mausers? I never ever considered buying an old WWII rifle before, but money definitely talks. I would love to put a scope on for 100-300 yard plinking in the future.

[TimtheDestroy]

if your into the old war rifles and want to shoot cheaply but are not as concerned with the actual rifle i would suggest looking up military surplus ammo, find an amount and price that fits your budget and then find the rifles that fire that ammo. or if you narrowed down your rifle search then just figure out which is cheaper to shoot BUT will give you the performance you desire.
No use in having tons of ammo when the rifle or ammo won't be accurate enough for you ... unless you just fancy moving lead in a general direction at a very fast speed.

[Hawk]

Nothing else out there (other than a 22) can come close to the cost of both owning and shooting the Nagant.

[kunsunoke]

Yes, there are others.

1) CZ VZ-24 Brno Czech Mauser 8 mm.
http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=F3MausVZ24

2) Enfield SMLE .303
http://www.surplusrifle.com/smle/index.asp

3) Kragujevac (Yugo) M48 Mauser
http://www.surplusrifle.com/yugom48/index.asp

4) Winchester/Remington (Enfield) M1917; sporterized
http://www.surplusrifle.com/m1917/index.asp
Example of one on Gunbroker

5) Mosin-Nagant M38; M44 and 91/59 carbines
http://www.surplusrifle.com/mosincarbine/index.asp

Traditional (e.g. non-scout) scope mounting options are still somewhat limited for the Mosin, but becoming better as time goes on. Best option for the Mosin right now is either the PE (top)/PU (side) original Russian designs or the more current Rock Solid mount. The Weaver #1 side mount is another, lower-cost option. The Rock Solid is probably what most people would want. You may need a low-profile bolt and inletting of the stock for any traditional scope setup, BTW.

[Hawk]

Remember that the rifle is only part of the equation when it comes to "cost" of ownership, if you plan on shooting it, rather than hanging it on the wall.

Here is a quick run down on ammo costs: (based on a quick search for ammo "in stock")

Mauser - 8MM .60 a round
Enfield - 303 .90 a round
M1917 - 30-06 .90 a round
Nagant - 7.62x54R .35 a round

Some surplus ammo can be tricky to find and once the surplus ammo dries up, you'll have to buy new mfg or reload (if you still want to shoot it).

[DeadHead]

As a side note, I saw on their website that Southern Ohio Guns (SOG) has free standard shipping right now (until the end of January) on their rifles and long guns. ( I posted this in the lounge also) This obviously applies to the C&R guns mentioned in the previous post. They have some of them instock.
SOG had round receiver mosins for $69.95 and hex receiver for $79.95. $10 for hand select. These are the standard grade very good to excellent condition. (You need to be registered to see the prices and gun listings.)

The one I bought last year from them (round receiver) was all numbers matching with a excellent bore and crown - not counter bored. At 100 yrds, benched, I shoot about 3" groups on a GOOD day with Bulgarian surplus. At 200 yrds, I'm just happy to hit paper. I thought about scoping it with a long eye relief scope, but I've heard mixed reviews.

I saw an advertisement for "mojo sights"which looks like a "peep" sight system that replaces the original rear sights. http://www.mojosights.com
The cost is almost as much as the guns, but I wonder it they are any good. Has anyone tried or used these sights on their mosin?

[Rural Ruger]

Here is a quick run down on ammo costs: (based on a quick search for ammo "in stock")

Mauser - 8MM .60 a round
Enfield - 303 .90 a round
M1917 - 30-06 .90 a round
Nagant - 7.62x54R .35 a round

Some surplus ammo can be tricky to find and once the surplus ammo dries up, you'll have to buy new mfg or reload (if you still want to shoot it).

I sure hope no one pays those prices for 8mm and x54R surplus! Granted it is bulk and therefore costs a little more up front, but Classic Arms has Romy 8mm 340/$110 and Bulgy 7.62x54R 440/$100 right now. That's a lot of bang for the money, given current price trends. Even the 7.5 Swiss can be had for $.50 a round in bulk.

[Hawk]

I sure hope no one pays those prices for 8mm and x54R surplus! Granted it is bulk and therefore costs a little more up front, but Classic Arms has Romy 8mm 340/$110 and Bulgy 7.62x54R 440/$100 right now. That's a lot of bang for the money, given current price trends. Even the 7.5 Swiss can be had for $.50 a round in bulk.

Grab it while you can! Then hope and pray that there will still be deals like that a year, two years, five years from now.

I personally don't care for the steel cased lacquered stuff.

[snakeman21]

Grab it while you can! Then hope and pray that there will still be deals like that a year, two years, five years from now.

When I first learned of Mosin Nagants, I was appalled. My "cheap gun" alarm was screaming, "Bad quality!" until I learned the history of it and why they are cheap. Then, about a week ago, I was given an opportunity to shoot one of these relics. I absolutely LOVED it. I immediately put up a want ad in the classifieds here, and am happy to say that I have a guy coming on Thursday with a 91/30 for me to look at and possibly buy. It doesn't have a bayonet, but $20 will get me one on the interwebs... what a deal!

I have really turned a better attitude toward "cheap guns." I used to disregard all cheap guns as being poor quality. While this is often true, there are a few exceptions. My first "cheap gun" was a mid-60's Savage model 94, which is a single shot 20 gauge with a 3 inch chamber. I got it for $60, and I still have and shoot it today. NEVER an issue.

My second one was a Firestorm .380, which I bought brand new for $260. I've put about 1,000 rounds through it so far, and the only issues I've had were 2 jams on my first range trip with it. (still in its "break-in" period) Since then, no jams.

The last of my cheap guns is a Ruger 10/22, which cost me $180 used in a private sale. It is about 30 years old, and looks like it just rolled of the assembly line. Included with that purchase was a nice Simmons scope, which was already very well sighted in. So far, this gun has performed beautifully, without a single quirk. I've outfitted it with an extended mag release, and used a dremmel to grind the bolt release so I can just pull and release to close an open bolt. My next upgrades will be a higher capacity mag and a sling.

And, of course, I will have a Mosin on Thursday!

So don't always judge by price. Do your research and you may find that that "cheap" milsurp weapon is actually a very rugged, reliable gun that will give you many years of enjoyment.

[Nic]

I've been considering a Nagant for a while now. I may have to grab one up just... because.