Thread: Offer of a mosin Nagat M-44

Originally Posted by Maxor

I have recently been offered the opertunity to buy a M-44 from an associate/aquintence for right at $100 looking at prices on the internet this seems to be about the typical price from a used on is decent condition. This one does have a fairly nice solid wood stock, the finish looks ok but haven't broken it down internally or really looked at the rifling.

I have also from others heard that is can be a bear of a carbine to shoot from a recoil standpoint, and is not inexpensive with its 7.62 x 54. Does anyone have any opinions or experiance with this gun and if so what are the feelings on it. I've pretty much got till tuesday to make up my mind before he puts it onto the internet/and consigns it to our local gunshop.

Maxor:

The price sounds a little on the high side for down here, although maybe supplies are dwindling. I bought an M44 in 2005 for $49, although it was pretty ratty looking. Much worse than yours, sounds like.

The folding bayonet has its pros & cons. Seemed an excessive & very permanent addition at first, but the extra weight forward helped to control recoil & muzzle lift some, which is stout in those little carbines. Naturally it didn't do anything about muzzle blast, which is, uh, impressive. The guy I subsequently gave it to calls it his "camping rifle" because he can use the bayo to toast weenies & marshmallows. I don't know if he actually does that, but it started seeming like a kinda cool undocumented enhancement after he said that.

I bought an M-38 (same-same without the bayonet) the next year. That one's a keeper; newly arsenal refurbished with a laminated stock & lots of accessory goodies. It only cost $59. The first I picked up out of a miscellaneous stuff barrel in a local gun store & had to whine & carry on to get them to replace the missing cleaning rod. The second I ordered through an ad in Shotgun News.

Apart from being noisy flinch-inducers they're good, sturdy little rifles.

Prof

Maxor:

Oh. Price. You can get slightly corrosive :( surplus 7.62x54R FMJs for practice in bulk from Sportman's Guide & Cheaper'nDirt catalogues for much less than retail, especially than retail softnose hunting rounds. On the other hand, all the MNs are super easy to clean . Cabela's also has some good prices, & a flat huge selection of everything you're liable to be shooting. In addition, the first two offer chamber inserts for the MN allowing the use of .32acp (which is actually ~31 caliber, like the 7.62) as a single shot, .32s are less expensive than other centerfire cartridges, & the hardballs make good squirrel food.

Prof

It's a loud, LOUD weapon to fire thanks to the full-powered rifle round and the shorter barrel. Recoil is strong but not unmanageable. What it lacks in accuracy it makes up in handiness compared to the M91/30. Unless you plan on using it, the folding spike bayonet is useless and tends to slightly unbalance the weapon.

As for the other traits, they're the same as the M91/30. Cheap, even cheaper ammo, but at the cost of unnecessarily complicated design when it comes to the bolt and magazine, while the front post sight is kinda pathetic. Overall, a good rifle for $100, but I wouldn't pay more than that for one.

Basically, there is a high rate of lemons with this rifle, so inspect it before you buy. Be sure to check the rifle for headspacing and the rifling, as a lot of these weapons come with mismatched bolts (some will still work, others won't) and who knows what the condition of the rifling is with all of the corrosive ammo that's been shot through it for 70 years. Also check the magazine, as a lot of Mosin-Nagants I've handled and owned do not even have functioning magazines.

Originally Posted by leib10

Basically, there is a high rate of lemons with this rifle, so inspect it before you buy. Be sure to check the rifle for headspacing and the rifling, as a lot of these weapons come with mismatched bolts (some will still work, others won't) and who knows what the condition of the rifling is with all of the corrosive ammo that's been shot through it for 70 years. Also check the magazine, as a lot of Mosin-Nagants I've handled and owned do not even have functioning magazines.

Ditto on that, my 91/30 came with a nice barrel, but the magazine stopped functioning after 15 rounds. I still like this gun though, it does what its supposed to, but I wouldn't pay more $80 to be quite honest. For $100, it better be in some real decent shape.

Will take another look at it and try to talk them down a bit. Will also see if I can't get it broken down and looked at before purchase. I'm not good enough as a shooter or gunsmith to tell on my own a gun that has had 250 rounds through it from one that has had 10,000. (minor exageration) If the wood and metal finish are nice and the gun has been cleaned. I also am by no means familiar enough with the weapon to know inital land and groove depth or spring tension or even trigger pull. The second problem is that with the gun in question I have pretty much had the opertunity to take it off the shelf hold it for about a minute open the bolt and glance down the barrel in moderately decent lighting. pretty much my overall knowledge of the gun in question is hum nice stock compared with the other two or 3 I've seen in passing at gunshows, and the finish of the metal doesn't look beaten up.

I've never had a bit of trouble with either of mine. Well, except that my M44 looked like hammered dogshit. I've also never run across the sort of chronic complaints mentioned above. Not to say that they aren't out there but that I've just never run across them in the periodicals, at shops or at shows.

I have heard that the bore diameter varies in local manufacture from .308-.311, resulting in variation in accuracy. Another thing I've heard, which might speak some to reliability. The thing (91, 38 & 44, inclusive) has been described as the most "soldier-proof" military rifle ever made.

I like my very noisy, hard-kicking little M38. I just wish that the aperture sight available didn't mount so far forward. An "express" peep sight sort of defeats its own purpose. With the scope that's on it now I would hesitate to take it canoing with me, which was the original reason I bought the thing. Maybe a red dot. But they look lousy, too. Oh. And that safety. Weird idea. Exercise equipment. Designed to build upper body strength. Don't fiddle with it if you have wet or greasy hands unless you've got the "Judo" down.

Prof