[BobVZ]

A customer left the above at the shop last week. He wanted it drilled and tapped for a scope mount - aaarg! As far as I can tell, it is all matching and original/un-bubba'd. Bluing is 99%. Very good+ condition with an excellent bore. C.A.I dot matrix import crap on the left receiver. I intend to call him and persuade him not to do this. The store owner agrees. It would be a travesty. So, I have two questions. The first is: What is this rifle worth in today's market, and how would altering it affect the value? My searches indicate is a $500-$600 gun. I want to tell him you would be turning an Xdollar gun into a Ydollar gun. The second is: Is there a good LER mount that would not deter from the rifle? It has the dovetail rear sight mount with two pins. I really don't want to remove the rear sight base and would rather convince him to spend his money on a factory scoped rifle.

Thanks in advance,

Bob

 

[racerguy00]

Unless it's been shortened to a 91/59 carbine (it would be marked as such) it is probably a 91/30 ex-dragoon. Although Tula made the longer M91 infantry rifles in '25, I've never seen one with the later dot matrix import stamp. It would have been a dragoon (91/30 length with the earlier m91 style sights) that had been refurbed, updated with new style sights and renumbered matching probably post WW2. Exdragoons and Tula's especially tend to bring a premium over later wartime 91/30s. I see $500 asking prices fairly often, whether it would sell for that is rather hit or miss. Drilled and tapped cut that basically to the value of the parts There are quite a few different long eye relief scope mounts out there that don't require mods like D&T and a bent bolt handle. Many don't require the removal of the rear sight base either. S&K makes a nice one I've used before and is easily reversed if you want to.

 

[SSG_Lord]

Is he wanting a PU scope setup to be mounted or just some sort of commercial scope and mount? I ask because a 1925 Tula would have a low wall hex receiver and the PU mount is designed to fit a high wall round receiver. If he's after a PU setup you can explain that the mount will not fit that rifle easily. It's a bit sad to see this still happening given the increase in Mosin values we've seen recently, they aren't 99$ rifles anymore. In the end its the owner's rifle to do with as he wishes. Good for you OP for trying to get him to see the light though.

 

[Pointyears]

A customer left the above at the shop last week. He wanted it drilled and tapped for a scope mount - aaarg! As far as I can tell, it is all matching and original/un-bubba'd. Bluing is 99%. Very good+ condition with an excellent bore. C.A.I dot matrix import crap on the left receiver. I intend to call him and persuade him not to do this. The store owner agrees. It would be a travesty. So, I have two questions. The first is: What is this rifle worth in today's market, and how would altering it affect the value? My searches indicate is a $500-$600 gun. I want to tell him you would be turning an Xdollar gun into a Ydollar gun. The second is: Is there a good LER mount that would not deter from the rifle? It has the dovetail rear sight mount with two pins. I really don't want to remove the rear sight base and would rather convince him to spend his money on a factory scoped rifle.

Thanks in advance,

Bob

Have him buy a mount that replaces the rear sight ladder and a scout scope. Very nondestructive way for him to get what he wants and to not destroy the rifle. eBay has a bunch of them.

 

[curly1]

If it were me and my shop I would refuse to participate in being a Bubba on principle but that would just be me.

 

[Dallased]

Don't do it. Sell him this. Tell him you will even mount it for him.

Mosin Nagant Scope Mount Ultra-low Profile M9130 Hex Receiver – BadAce Tactical

 

[BobVZ]

Update: The customer was determined to scope it. We ended up buying one of the barrel dovetail scout mounts off Ebay. It has the three clamp screws and the set screw on top with Picatinny rail. I carefully removed the rear sight base without damaging it. Had to use a starter punch to get the pins moving. They were driven in from the left to the right rather than the traditional right to left. It took some hard hammering with a brass drift to get things moving as the original install had moved metal from the dovetail into the sight base. That interference finally sheared, and the base moved off. After cleaning things up, I easily slipped on the mount and positioned it, so it contacted the rear of the handguard as the original base did. To ensure the base did not slip in recoil, I spotted and milled a groove, on the bottom of the scope base over one of the original holes through the dovetail. Then, used one of the pins to secure it. It is rock solid and should never move. Thanks for all of the advice!

Bob