Mosin Nagant purchasing tips?

[GIZMO8Z]

I am trying to pick up a M 1891/30 for myself as a Christmas gift.

I have the option of buying one unseen through Century Arms at dealer cost (~$65 after shipping), or picking one up at a local gunshop for about $140. Obviously at the gun shop I can handle and inspect the rifle, while the other option doesn't allow me that opportunity.

I am also leaning towards getting a 1891/30 outfitted with a PU sniper scope. I have 3 rifles at the moment, and none have sniper scopes... so I think it would be cool to have. I can get a sniper version at the gunshop for around $500... BUT I am not too sure how much it'll cost through Century Arms (I'm assuming much less...) OR, I could buy a "normal" 1891/30 and mount a scope kit that can be purchased on EBay for about $300.

Can anyone offer me advice? On my purchasing options but also on other aspects of buying a Mosin-Nagant rifle. Should I look for specific years or manufacturers? Are there certain aspects of the rifles that I should inspect that are easily overlooked by Mosin-Nagant rookies? Are there certain things I should avoid?

THANK YOU SO MUCH IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION!

[talltom]

being in the uk its a bit different but if you want a scoped mosin i would get one that already comes like it (not put on by yourself off ebay)
century arms?? i would assume goes to gun shows meaning that you could wait till the next one and get it there from century arms but maybe for $20 more
in terms of dates i always think its cool to have a gun with the year of a famous battle (i once had a tt33 dated 1941 (operation barbarossa))etc

[Adrian Stevenson]

Have a read here:

Rifles Of The Red Star

Cheers, Ade.

[MarkV]

The MN you'll get from Century for $65 is the same one you'll pay more for at the local shop. The condition will be the same - they are all coming into theUS having been refurbished and then crated. They are purchased y the crate and then sold either through dirstrbutors like Century or through local Big Box stores, gunshops, etc. The only difference in getting one locally is that, perhaps, you may have the chance to grab one from a specific year - assuming the shop has more than one.

The only caveat to that will be if - and I doubt this is the case - the gun shop has one that is a non-import marked 91/30. If that's the case, that would be worth the extra $$ depending on condition (of course, you'd not expect a non-import to be in as good a condition as one of the recent imports).

In terms of a MN sniper, I would go with one already constructed - I would not trust my own skills at drilling/tapping for the scope. Maybe you have those skills but, really, you're not saving any dollars. I've seen MN snipers through Souther Ohio Guns for $350.

I have bought a 91/30 through souther Ohio Gun and have seen hundreds of them for sales at gun shows. I've also bought a Nagant revolver out of a case at a gunshow. They are all in great shape - but I WAS able to select an earlier year on the pistol by pulling out revolvers and wiping tons of cosmoline from my hands.

Mark

[theotherhomer]

While MarkVis correct about 99% of what he's posted (no disrespect intended). The Mosin Snipers that sell for 350 to 400$ are Century put together. They take one of the Refurb'd rifles and take repro scopes and mounts then put them on the rifle. If you want a original MN Sniper go through Rguns, they're the only place known to have original Russian sniper rifles

[MarkV]

None taken - I guess I wasn't clear. I understand Joe to say he was not looking for an original MN sniper. The ones you can buy from most sellers now are refurb put-togethers. No way you'd find an original for $350 to $450.

[lithgow]

Generally the 1941-45 made weapons of all kinds are more poorly finished as the Soviets were more concerned with making them as quickly as possible in the required numbers-actual sniper rifles are rare-most sold are repros converted with the bolt handle cut off and brazed into place rather than being made that way (as the sniper required a turned down bolt handle to avoid fouling the scope). For a fairly cheap reference book try Terrence W Lapin's 'The Mosin Nagant Rifle'- North Cape Publications.

[ObKrieger]

I find the Tula rifles to be more attractive. Sestroryetsk rifles are harder to come by. Ishevsk rifles are the ones I find more often. Keep an eye out for rare variants like converted dragoons. Also keep an eye out for SA marks on rifles as this is an indication that it was captured by the Finns. I know you are a fan of pieces with history so I bet you'd love a Finnish capture.

Sestroryetsk only made rifles until 1918 or so I think, so those Imperial-era M91/30's are a bit more desirable in my opinion.

[MarkV]

I like to go for the hex receivers, if they are available. Seems like they are getting harder to find. The one that was used to uild my Finnish M39 was an 1895 French-contract receiver. I think my 91/30 is a 1925.

[lithgow]

You won't find a Sestroryetsk m91/30-the factory ceased production in 1918 and never made the Mosin Nagant rifle again-you do see 1920s made 'Hexagonal receiver' Dragoon rifles converted to 91/30 standard as refurbs but these are Tula or Izhevsk made.