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intro and my new finnish mosin nagant (pic heavy)

1K views 20 replies 11 participants last post by  anthony585 
#1 ·
hello everyone. i am totally new to rifles and have caught the mosin fever! i recently acquired this rifle and would like to know more about it if you all would be kind enough to take some time and look it over.

-why does it look like there was a medallion or something in the butt stock?
-the hand guard straps are loose and don't seem to want to tighten any further and the barrel has up and down play, i thought these bands were an "improvement" ???
-what is the stamp on top of the receiver?
-why is there a small hammer stamped into the magazine bottom?
-what else can you tell me about it? do i have something special?
-how much cleaning of the stock is " acceptable " ?

thank you in advance for any help and info, im new.
 

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#2 · (Edited)
B barrel M91

Sestroryetsk receiver (I think, pic is kinda fuzzy)

-why does it look like there was a medallion or something in the butt stock? Unit disk

-why is there a small hammer stamped into the magazine bottom? Tula hammer

-how much cleaning of the stock is " acceptable " ? Just wipe it down with paper towels or an old rag
 
#5 ·
-why does it look like there was a medallion or something in the butt stock?

That was a unit disc; these were removed in an effort to increase Operational Security early in the Winter War. Your stock (at least the back 1/2, if you look on bottom just forward of the magazine you'll see the dovetail where the 2-piece stock was joined together) was recycled from an earlier rifle.

-the hand guard straps are loose and don't seem to want to tighten any further and the barrel has up and down play, i thought these bands were an "improvement" ???

The barrel is free floated to improve accuracy. As long as the barrel has a degree of 'spring' and will return to a natural position when released, that's what you want.

-what is the stamp on top of the receiver?

You have what is called a "B" Barrel Finnish M/91 Mosin-Nagant. Belgian made barrel, other parts from mostly Russia, some from the US, a very few from France, and a couple Finn-made parts.

-why is there a small hammer stamped into the magazine bottom?

Imperial Russian part made by the Tula arsenal.

-what else can you tell me about it? do i have something special?

It's a Finnish Mosin-Nagant, and one of the less common ones at that. Should be remarkably accurate, especially with new made ammunition or handloads. Under no circumstances whatsoever would I shoot surplus ammunition through this rifle. The ammo won't shoot as well as the rifle is capable of and is in 99.99% of cases highly corrosive. Most Finn rifles you see in These States with rough bores are so due to this worthless ammunition. The Finns, to their eternal credit, went early to the RWS "Sinoxid" priming mixture. Noncorrosive and explains why Finn rifle bores are in so much better condition on average than almost any other nation's Mosins that saw service.

-how much cleaning of the stock is " acceptable " ?

I wouldn't do any. The dark coloration is due in all likliehood (sp?) due to a Finnish pine tar treatment. Lightly wipe down, light coat of oil on the metal and enjoy. I would, however, get some Ballistol on that active rust just aft of the rear sight. Heavily coat the active rust, let soak 24 hours, and the rust will wipe off to reveal clean pitting.
 
#7 ·
wow, thanks everyone. the bore is quite sooty and as far as the stock i have inspected it very closely and there is no sign of a dove tail. from what ive read i was expecting it to be two pieces but it seems to be one piece. will clean the bore and shoot it soon i hope. what ammo should i get?
 
#9 ·
what ammo should i get?
Winchester
Norma
Sellier And Bellot
Prvi Partizan
Hot Shot
Hansen (if you can still find any).

Military ammo was discarded for a reason; prolonged exposure to temperature extremes makes gunpowder deteriorate and burn inconsistently. Never mind deteriorates priming mixtures. NAVSEA states without exception that ammunition exposed to 100 degree plus temperatures over its lifespan is to be considered unsafe and destroyed. Never mind the corrosive priming IF the round actually goes off.

Get you a decent set of reloading dies and 4-5 boxes of decent quality new ammunition and handload. No reason to shoot junk military surplus ammo if you don't HAVE to.
 
#8 · (Edited)
First off welcome to the boards! Great rifle! It seems your questions have already been answered. I will have to disagree with the poster saying to stay away from surplus ammo. I have NEVER had a problem shooting corrosive surplus ammo in any firearm I own. All you need to do is properly clean after shooting, which you should be doing anyway. I use patches soaked in hot soapy water followed by some Hoppes on a scrubber brush. Lightly oil when done. No big deal. Google cleaning up after corrosive ammo. There are a ton of methods. Good luck and enjoy your new rifle!

Edit: I should also say a cleaning of the bolt face after shooting corrosive is advised. Also I would recommend trying a variety of "flavors" of surplus ammo. Its amazing how some Mosin's prefer different years, bullet weight and countries of manufacture. Finding your rifles favorite is part of the fun.
 
#10 ·
"No reason to shoot junk military surplus ammo if you don't HAVE to".

Hey!!! I have won 200 Yard NRA VMBAR matches with that junk military surplus ammo. :thumbsup::laugh:

of course reloading the 7,62x54R will soon be the standard for me shortly. Yeah, D-166 projectiles are on the list.
 
#13 · (Edited)
B barrel M91s are a cool addition to any collection - I don't fire much of my collection, but the ammo I most always use when I do shoot my guns is military surplus - Firing that ammo is ok just as long as you clean the bore after shooting the piece. The stock appears just fine, all you have to do is wipe it down with a clean cloth(I use an old tee shirt) and you are good to go, resist any other types of refinishing or additives and preservatives.

I will post a link to the parent site and you can read up on these unique beasts. I currently just have two B Barrel M91s. One is a rescued bubba'd B/VKT stamped M91 and the other is a round receiver B Barrel M91(Both kinda hard to come by...)

http://www.mosinnagant.net/finland/M91inFinland.asp

Pahtu.

My B barrel VKT.

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?188969-M91-B-Barrel-save&highlight=Barrel
 
#14 ·
Anthony I like these. Don't see a splice on your stock, looks like a one piece stock to me. Probably a New England Westinghouse walnut stock if one piece. Only a clean rag for cleaning. Since these were not used in the war, rifling can be new or very fine if the rifle was well taken care of. Bands don't have to be too tight, just enough to stay in place. Make sure the action screws are snugged up tight for shootin'. The one on top of the receiver and one in front on the triggerguard/magazine.

If you take the rifle down and you should if possible, gunsmithing screwdrivers are best. A great set of American made, guaranteed for life Grace USA drivers, can be had from all of the major gunstuff companies for forty bucks.

Careful with the bands, expensive and can be hard to find if ya' break a screw. Another thing, your rifle might have shims in it. Small pieces of brass or steel used by the Finns to accurize a rifle. Could be under the rear tang, near the crossbolt, and sometimes over the triggerguard. Usually tacked on, sometimes loose. Make sure you put any loose ones back where they came from. Found a paper one once, piece of a Finnish ammo box.

I have a rifle like yours, new bore and Remington walnut stock. One and only time me and the nextdoor neighbor shot it...offhand (Standin' up) at a hundred yards with surplus ammo. Dinner plate sized groups at first, then smaller. Scarce and fine rifles, learn more at Mosinnagant.net. Surplus ammo is cheap but corrosive. Clean the bore with hot water same day as a shoot, then with bore solvent followed by oil. Good luck with your prize and welcome.

LB
 
#15 ·
I see all the advise given on this thread re: corrosive priming. I have tried the methods, and bores still rust.

Ordinance Corps went to noncorrosive priming in the 1950s.
The Swiss *never* used corrosive priming.
The Finns used the old RWS 'Sinoxid' priming and that's why Finn bores are usually so nice.

I have been shooting Finn rifles since the late 80s and have NEVER fired a single round of surplus ammo through any of them. I respect them too much to subject them to that. If you want to keep that B barrel nice, you'll stay with good new-made ammo for it. Even besides the corrosive priming, it took me over a week to scrub all the soot out of the last Finn Nagant I bought. I assume the last owner used surplus ammo; even Green Dot in a .45 Colt doesn't burn THAT dirty. Only way to shoot the rifle and be sure it won't rust is to shoot new made Boxer primed brass case ammo through it.

PLEASE *never* shoot surplus ammo through this historic artifact. Please.
 
#18 ·
...incidentally, if nobody else noticed this...


...the marks on the top are on the BARREL SHANK...the receiver is located to the rear of the BARREL SHANK...so...those markings are on the BARREL SHANK and NOT the receiver...just some clarification...


Nice find for your first Mosin, by the way!!


...the jury seems to be out on ammo though...some folks never use milsurp ammo, others swear by it...


...I clean my rifles when I buy them, and then diligently clean after shooting (brief hot-clean at the range, then more thorough cleaning at home that night)...ALL of my bores except TWO now shine like mirrors...but, that's just me...maybe other folks haven't had luck purchasing Mosins with decent bores...who knows?...


Enjoy your new addiction!!
 
#19 ·
thanks for all the info everyone. ill let you know how it shoots as soon as i am able to get to an outdoor range. to clarify my question about the receiver mark.... i understand most of the marks are on the barrel shank but there is a stamp on the hex receiver ( pictured above ) that i was asking about. belgian made?
 
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