# Salty's Gun Review: Mosin Hagant Omnibus Thread



## Salt-N-Pepper (Aug 18, 2014)

I am posting short gun reviews for "survival guns" that I own and use, from my own personal perspective. The views expressed are my own, and I will pull no punches... these are guns I own and shoot, and I will address them from a "prepping/survival perspective".

Welcome to my take on "the most famous prepper gun", the Mosin-Nagant.

Not long ago, the Mosin-Nagant (in it's various forms) was considered to be the "classic" prepper gun, a high powered rifle that sold for under $100 and a gun where you could buy 880 round cases for $150. When I first contemplated doing this article several years ago, this was the case. At that time, it was a no-brainer, go buy one (or a dozen) and a couple of cases of ammo, and you have a high-powered rifle that you can both use and pass out.

Unfortunately, those days have gone. You can still get Mosin's, but long gone are the days when I started buying them when you could spend $69 for a Mosin Nagant 91/30 full-length battle rifle, sling, bayonet cleaning kit with firing pin gauge, oil bottle and cartridge case.

Today, depending on where they are and what condition they are, the guns are now running anywhere from $200-300, and ammo cases have completely dried up.

I gotta be honest, as much as I love Mosins, I wouldn't consider buying one today as a prepping gun. Instead, I would spend the same $300 and buy something like a Savage Axis in .308. If you want to bang away shooting mil-surp ammo, you can with that gun, as well as use it for hunting. It is much easier to mount a scope on, it's also got a much better trigger. Just being strait up here, it's a better deal.

This is going to be different than any other review I have done, this is going to be a rambling (and probably year long) look at the Mosin Nagant in it's various forms (I personally own an original 1891 model dragoon, a dozen or so various 91/30's from Izzy & Tula, both hex & rounded head, pre-war and wartime production, a Finnish M39, a Tula M39, a couple of M44's, and a whole bunch of Chinese type 53's both wearing the original (beat to hell) stock and converted over to my 'hand around' rifle standard wearing polymer stocks. I've also got a "real" sniper rifle (not a cobbled together reproduction) and some "bubba" guns.

So, what I am going to do is just post a bunch of mini-artciles on this same thread about the various different guns, their strengths and weaknesses, etc.

I'm going to start with my "daily shooter", my plinker... as well as my "wow, this is just so cool looking" bubba gun.

My daily shooter is a "reasonably" stock 1940 Izzy (Izhevsk arsenal). I picked this one off a rack at a local gun store for $129 a couple of years ago, because it had an exceptionally clean bore and somebody had spent the time to polish up the bolt. Whoever owned it had also polished up the trigger and it has about a 7 pound pull (for a stock Mosin trigger, that's actually pretty good) and a spring to keep the trigger from rattling. They also had put rubber butt pad on it (the original metal butt plate was included) plus it had all the gubbins with it (cleaning kit with gauge, bayonet, etc).

My only modification to the gun (a non-permanent one) was to install an Anacortes Prototyples (Anacortes Prototypes) peep site, like I do with all of my non-scoped shooter mosins. I can shoot the gun at about 4 MOA off a rest at 100 yards with surplus corrosive ammo. The limiting factor is my eyes, not the gun.










Peep Sight (on another gun but it's the same sight)










The bolt (after a day of firing, before cleaning)










OK, this is enough to get me started, I will be updating this thread as time goes by with more pictures, information, opinions and probably a bunch of nonsense as well.

----------------------------------

Here are links of my other reviews:

Hi-Point 9mm Carbine

Henry AR-7 .22LR Semi-Auto Survival Rifle

Marlin X7 Bolt Action Rifle

The Ole Smoke Pole: Review & Discussion Of Single-Shot Shottys

Henry Golden Boy .22

Phoenix Arms HP22A

Chiappa 1911-22

Windham Weaponry M4 AR-15 SRC

Rock Island Armscor M200 .38 Special

Kel-tec PF9

Ruger American Rifle .22LR Bolt Action

ISSC .22LR Semi-Auto (Glock clone)

North American Arms .22 Magnum/22LR/L/S convertible w/holster grip

Nagant Revolver (just for fun)

Glock 26 as a CCW/BOB/GHB option

Crickett Kids Rifle For Training Younglings & As A BOB/GHB Option

Mossberg 702 Plinkster

Ye Ole .22 Single Shot

Ruger SR-22 Semi-Auto Pistol

Hi-Point C9 Semi Auto Pistol

Heritage Arms .22 Convertible Revolvers

Ruger LCR .357 and .22LR revolvers

Mossberg Maverick 88 Security 12 Gauge Shotgun


----------



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Excellent review as always Salty. Nice to see you back.

I love my Mosin-Nagant and so glad that I have one. Since it was a gift from Son2, it didn't cost me one penny. (I guess that's the best way to get a gun or anything else!) I've contemplated switching out the stock and adding an after market Archangel Stock but haven't talked myself into it yet.

https://www.archangelmanufacturing.com/archangelaa9130mosinnagant


----------



## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

You do a great job with your reviews. Love the idea of the peep sight. Guess That is going on my list of necessities to buy.


----------



## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Great review. Thanks.


----------



## Salt-N-Pepper (Aug 18, 2014)

Slippy said:


> Excellent review as always Salty. Nice to see you back.
> 
> I love my Mosin-Nagant and so glad that I have one. Since it was a gift from Son2, it didn't cost me one penny. (I guess that's the best way to get a gun or anything else!) I've contemplated switching out the stock and adding an after market Archangel Stock but haven't talked myself into it yet.
> 
> https://www.archangelmanufacturing.com/archangelaa9130mosinnagant


The peep site pictured is on a gun with the Archangel stock on it. I'll do that one next to give you my thoughts on it. I've also got a muzzle break on it.


----------



## SDF880 (Mar 28, 2013)

Nice review! I have 6 Mosins, 5 functioning and a 1933 hex 91/30 covered in cosmoline saving for that rainy day project!
My favorite is a 1952 Polish M44 shoots great and luv the fireball! I got all of these cheap man those days are gone!


----------



## AnotherSOFSurvivor (Sep 7, 2016)

Great reviews

Wasnt a fan of the MNs myself, had a Finnish VKT M91 and traded it for a Ruger P345D .45 lol, still have a decent amount of x54R stashed away from a PKM build. 

I do agree a cheaper 308 bolt is better now but if they were taken care of, Mosins are great weapons and decently accurate

sent from a paper cup and string via quantum wierdness


----------



## Oddcaliber (Feb 17, 2014)

Good review,I'm quite certain the same can be said about almost any milsurp rifles as far as the price goes. Back when I was young I remember surplus '03 Springfield's,Enfields,Mauser's being almost given away with such low prices. Of course back than even $20.00 was a lot of money.


----------



## Salt-N-Pepper (Aug 18, 2014)

Yeah, I still shoot my mint-condition '53 Tula SKS I paid $59 back in the early 90's


----------



## RedLion (Sep 23, 2015)

Nice review and you make a lot of sense.


----------



## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

Dude....tell me more about that peep sight, Im all ears!!!

Nice review! 

The Mosin is a great fire arm, rugged, robust although a little rough around the edges. I got mine for 119.99 on sale down from the 179.99 they were typically retailing for at the time. I wished I would have warmed up to them earlier in life and saw their true value back when they were as cheap as 59.99 at Big Five back in early 2000's. Knowing what I know now I probably would have bought a gang of them and a pallet of ammo.

But your spot on in your review, these days there are other much better options available for just a few fun dollars more. Im hoping with a new administration at the helm of this country, that will change and once again the importation of the guns and the ammo for them will relax a bit and the flow return to what it was back 10 years ago, but thats a long shot!


----------



## Salt-N-Pepper (Aug 18, 2014)

LunaticFringeInc said:


> Dude....tell me more about that peep sight, Im all ears!!!


I like the ones I use, all of mine are from those guys. You can check them out with the link. The one you see there is on the gun that I have set up zeroed to 300 yards to ring a gong ( I was goofing with that, in reality I can't see a bloody thing on open sights at 300).

It comes with a large and a small peep on the back, I generally just use the large even at distance. The good thing is you can adjust both windage and elevation with ease.

Here's the setup of that gun:










One of these days I will do a youtube video on the easiest way I have found to install them, it's a bit of a pain but not too bad.

I have spent a stupid amount of money playing with the gun above. Archangel stock, quality US made muzzle brake, Timney trigger, peep sight.

Soots good though.


----------



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Slippy pulls out his notebook entitled "Things to Get Self for Christmas, Birthday or Tuesdays!"

Salty, that is a sweet setup.:glasses:



Salt-N-Pepper said:


> I like the ones I use, all of mine are from those guys. You can check them out with the link. The one you see there is on the gun that I have set up zeroed to 300 yards to ring a gong ( I was goofing with that, in reality I can't see a bloody thing on open sights at 300).
> 
> It comes with a large and a small peep on the back, I generally just use the large even at distance. The good thing is you can adjust both windage and elevation with ease.
> 
> ...


----------



## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

It's good to see you posting again, Salty. I enjoy your reviews. :vs_cool:

I have a 1943 Izhevsk 91/30, and a 1948 Izhevsk M44. 
I got the 91/30 for $118 at my local Ace Hardware store, with all the accessories. The M44 is pristine (didn't go thru WWII:tango_face_smile and I had to pay $139 for it. At the time that was a high price.

My "collection" is rather eclectic, and the Mosins are a part of my military section, rather than being expressly for "prepper guns".


----------



## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

I have one of the last Sako M39s from the old Burns collection, a post war M-44 and a type 53. I also have two full 880 round crates of surplus ammo. I love all of my Mosins and I doubt I'll ever part ways. The type 53 I paid $90.00 is going for $229-350.00 on Gunbroker and the other two have gone up as well. The ammo has doubled. I paid $150.00 per crate. $330.00 now. Crazy!

I can't recommend them now either just because they have priced up to a point where there are just better options. An SKS and a case of X39 has gotten ridiculous too.


----------



## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

csi-tech said:


> I have one of the last Sako M39s from the old Burns collection, a post war M-44 and a type 53. I also have two full 880 round crates of surplus ammo. I love all of my Mosins and I doubt I'll ever part ways. The type 53 I paid $90.00 is going for $229-350.00 on Gunbroker and the other two have gone up as well. The ammo has doubled. I paid $150.00 per crate. $330.00 now. Crazy!
> 
> I can't recommend them now either just because they have priced up to a point where there are just better options. An SKS and a case of X39 has gotten ridiculous too.


The same shop that had my M44 later on had a beautiful Finnish M39. He wanted almost $200 for it, and I procrastinated one week before going back with my hard earned cash. 
Alas, it was gone. At the time I didn't know how nice those rifles are, to me it was just another Mosin Nagant. I know better now, though!!


----------



## NotTooProudToHide (Nov 3, 2013)

Pretty good review, every point that Salty brought up is true. Back when I got mine the Mosin was a great value because you got a 100 dollar 30-06 that worked, even if you chose to buy new production ammo. Today its one saving grace is durability. Everybody talks about how rugged and reliable the AK-47 is, the AK-47 doesn't have anything on its granddaddy the Mosin Nagant. I'm glad I got mine back when I did, I just wish I bought a couple crates of ammo to go with it instead of one 440 round tin.


----------



## Salt-N-Pepper (Aug 18, 2014)

OK, I dug through one of the gun safes and dug out a couple of more of my mosins, including some experiments. I will share one of them now.

I've got to be completely honest, I had this one inside a opaque sleeve (I sleeve guns with wood stocks to keep them from getting scratches) and I thought I was dragging out my Mosin PU Sniper... turns out when I got it out is was a "Brass Stacker w/ Millet P1 red dot" that I put together a couple years ago and completely forgot about. When I opened it, I said to the wife "whoa, this is completely cool! I wonder where it came from!".

I took it out and shot 20 through it, and it was fine after 2 years in the bag. This is the only "Brass Stacker" mounted optic I have. I've had zero issues with it, but I have a friend who has one and the optic mount bolts keep breaking.










Here's a view of the mount/red dot










Top view of the mount/red dot










Philosophy of use behind this mod is simple... I was experimenting with a "pass out" weapon to supply neighbors in a Grid Down scenario for neighborhood defense that has at least a limited night-fight ability. Mosin sights are useless at night, however armed with a red dot it at least gives a sentry a point to aim at.

When Mosins were $89 a gun, this configuration actually made some sense, because for $200 you could have a rudimentary all-weather full-power combat rig. Now that Mosins are much more expensive, I will keep this as a "one off" test platform gun.


----------



## Salt-N-Pepper (Aug 18, 2014)

This odd looking Mosin is a modifcation of my basic "pass out" rifle.

I bought some "cracked stock" Chinese Type 53's a few years ago when Century was blowing them out for $79 bux a rifle. The metal is in very good shape, bores good, strong rifling no pitting. Triggers on these Type 53's are better than the Soviet ones for sure.

This particular rifle is a 1955 model.

I also waited until I found ATI Monte Carlo stocks on sale for $49 and bought some of those. Put on a cheap sling, move it over into the Poly stock, and you have a full power battle rifle all ready to go for under $150. Add a peep sight for another $30 if you want. These stocks reduce felt recoil dramatically, but these carbine length Mosins still give your shoulder some good old fashioned lovin and they shoot most outstanding fireballs.

What makes this rifle different is that 10 round magazine it's wearing. I bought this a while back from the manufacturer, Heartland, (Link: Home Page - Heartland ffa, at a gun show. Basically it's a 10 round magazine mod that requires no modification of the gun (generally) and is 100 percent reversible. Basically, you remove your old mag follower/base plate and pop this one in. Stick the new included follower and magazine spring in, and poof, your 5 round magazine is now 10.

Additionally, the front of the magazine is contoured to become a grip, giving the off hand a really good hold point.

The mag works in messing around with it, but I have not put enough rounds through it to recommend it.

If I have family members who are of appropriate age and physical well being show up unarmed during an emergency, they will be issued one of these and a sidearm. I have several S&W Model 10 .38 specials all ready to go, plus I have webbing & buckles to make appropriate sized belts, holsters for the .38's and ammo pouches for the Mosins.


----------



## Salt-N-Pepper (Aug 18, 2014)

The safety on the Mosin is so difficult to use it is more dangerous trying to engage it than just letting the gun sit on a chambered round.

I've found a solution that is inexpensive and 100 percent effective.

These little rubber things (this particular size) are what I use on my Ruger LCR's, and they fit the mosin stock triggers perfectly. You cannot pull the trigger hard enough to get it to fire with these things in there, and yet they take just a quick push to pop out and have the gun ready to go. I have a picture of one of my mosins with one of these on it, I will post it in the near future.

https://www.amazon.com/Special-Release-Concealed-Garrison-Grip/dp/B00C3MLQRE/ref=lp_8312301011_1_7?srs=8312301011&ie=UTF8&qid=1488213695&sr=8-7

Highly recommend this inexpensive solution to add safety to your mosin.


----------

