• Mossberg Owners is in the process of upgrading the software. Please bear with us while we transition to the new look and new upgraded software.

Milsurp Wannabe

#1Buck4me

.410
Supporter
These milsurp threads are great and have enjoyed reading them very much. The only problem is now I think I want to buy a milsurp of my own.

A little history, my Dad, actually my Granddad (grandparents raised me), started my affection for firearms at the age of 5 with his Marlin 22 single shot which I still have and plan to pass on to my grandson. In his later years, he used it for dispatching ferrel cats with rat shot out the back door. Because of his failing eyesight, it was a game, he would fire at them, they would run and be back the next day. He was convinced that the rat shot had ruined the rifling and that the rifle was good for nothing else. I know have the rifle cleaned up and it looks and shoots just fine.

Sometime around 1960 he and I bought an Italian 6.5 from the J. M. Fields in Anderson, SC on sale for around $8.00. We had a lot of fun with that rifle as this was the first center fire I ever fired. At school, all my buddies knew I had an Eyetalin 6.5 high powred rifle LOL At some point after I left home, he sold them to purchase other firearms that he wanted more. He left me all of his firearms and in particular a couple of nice Smith revolvers from the 70's.

So after reading the recent milsurp forum, I am interested in pursuing the purchase of a milsurp rifle. After some reading and watching two Hickok 45 videos, have convinced myself that I want a Mosin Nagant M39. I would appreciate comments yay and nay about this particular rifle, even convince me of another model if you can. Certainly a M1 Garrand would be nice, but more than I wish to invest. The purpose for owning a milsurp is to clean it up, fire it on the range, enjoy it and hold on to it for my grandson. Would like to think that the firearm would certainly gain value faster than money sitting in a savings account somewhere.

Would appreciate any advise on how/where to buy this particular rifle. Plan to look around at some pawn shops and maybe local gun shows hoping to get lucky. Not knowing much at all about milsurp rifles, I would not really know a good or bad deal if I even found one. Have purchased firearms on line, so am not opposed to that approach, but again I just read the advertisements and don't have the experience to see through the hype. Let me know if there is value in hand picked, should I get a brand xx barrel or xx arsenal? Am sure you guys will have differing opinions, however any input will temper my thinking and my enthusiasm which should lead me to making a better decision. A man doesn't know what he doesn't know.
 
I'm not very familiar with the Mosin Nagants but if you are looking for the best prices online www.wikiarms.com will give you a lot of choices.

Another thing that I considered with Milsurp rifles is the ammo availability. Not sure on how much ammo is out there for the Mosin and how long the supply will last or if a modern company is making the ammo. Something to consider if you wish to pass it off to the other generations.

I ended up purchasing the M1 Garand due to the ammo availability (30-06) which wont dry up for quite a long time. You can shoot commercial 30-06 with a special gas plug at a nominal price. Or there's 3 companies that make the M2 ball ammo commercially.

I'm sure some other more knowledgeable members will chime in on how to choose the right mosin and ammo availability.

good luck on your purchase!
 
Did some quick research and it seems ammo availability is very good and some commercial ammo makers are producing 7.62x54r.

People say they kick a good amount. I believe I shot my friend's Mosin a while ago but dont remember any huge kick out of it.
 
I don't know much about the Mosins. Ammo is plentiful. You can still find spam cans at nearly every gun show any given weekend.

There are definitely some that are more desirable than others but I'm not familiar enough to tell the difference. It used to be though that you could find them still sealed and in packing grease in unused condition out the door for less than $200. I don't know that's possible now.

Also, if you get the full length rifle, make sure it has the bayonet or purchase one to go with it. The bayonet affects how it shoots and the one I fired shot way left and I was told they'll all do the same thing without a bayonet. I can't confirm that though with my limited experience. But I'm told it affects the harmonics of the barrel. I think the sights are set for a 300 meter zero.

That's all I got.
 
Have a Mosin, got it on a whim and are not disappointed. It will never be my number 1 rifle but I still use it from time to time. Mine seems to have had little service use, if any, looks like a Russian tractor sway bar linkage on the outside but fine where it counts on the inside. Slugged the bore, not only was it nice and "tight", so good it handles .308 cal projectiles fine( actual cal is .311) but it was uniform the whole length. Tip, look at the ones that have NOT been re-crowned, it might well be that they have had so little use that it was not required, that is assuming you are looking at a new shipment. Mass production, especially when it seemed that the rest of the world had it in for the "mother land" mean that some of the post 1940 production can be a little less than perfect in no way stops them been a very effective rifle/round combination.

Sorry to burst a bubble but there is a very good reason that the round is still in production well over a 100 years after it first came out, it, like other military rounds of the day, .303 Brit and the late comer the 30-06, it is a very effective round that kills animals just as well as it kills humans.

I decided that the numbers out there suggest that it was no point it keeping it as an investment but it was worth playing around with to see what it could be turned into and I am happy with the way it has turned out. Having said that I suggest that you might do some research and keep an eye out, you might just stumble on something worth hanging on to. As an investment, not sure, as something your grandson will treasure for all his shooting life and hopefully be in a position to pass on to his grandson with pride, well how can you put a price on that.
 
The purpose for owning a milsurp is to clean it up, fire it on the range, enjoy it and hold on to it for my grandson.
the Mosin will fit that bill
Would like to think that the firearm would certainly gain value faster than money sitting in a savings account somewhere.
Thats a toss up but the savings account might edge out that particular rifle.

There are more than a few versions, some are more rare and thus more desirable, especially to complete a collection.
The majority are run of the mill Mosins, dime a dozen.
Research the armory proof marks, manufactures, process(Hex vs. round reciever) date of manufacture and numbers manufactured in the period. You should find lots of info.

I have not owned one but shot plenty because when they were selling cheaper people would buy a crate .

while what you are thinking is not wrong, it should not lose value, It will likely not grow in value at a rate you can detect.....inflation at best.

It is not often in the firearm world to get a good investment type firearm without first spending a pretty penny......look at American Johnson Rifles of WW2, now that is an investment Military Surplus weapon

If you are looking for a piece of history, check
Cheap hunting rifle , check
Make noise at the range, bond with family, check
Collect Mosin variants, Eastern Block weapon collection WW1, WW2, check.....not many rifles have the track record of the Mosin, I think they were a late 1800 or early 1900's rifle.....so that's how many conflicts that a Mosin showed its face at ?.....a lot

there were likely millions upon millions upon millions produced , cuts into the monetary value.

Also, in the investing in firearms world, condition is A #1....so again to get the ones in the best condition you will pay more, most of the time its luck of the draw when getting them online, sometimes the seller will pick the best out of 10 for a small fee and send that one

The round hits hard and is effective for most thing you would use a rifle for. I have shot 30-06 for hunting rifle all my hunting life and the Mosin feels similar in recoil....but it is an uncomfortable recoil to me...it is hard to explain....the stock shape or something, not as smoot as an 06, harsher recoil in the ones I shot.

They are accurate enough for center mass at 100,200 yards for sure. After that I think the sights kinda suck.
Not great for impressing people with tight groups.

now the personal opinion part, I will never own one. There are a decent amount of mil rifles out there that are better in most ways, for not too much more.
There are American ,German and British bolt action rifles that might be a couple or so hundred more bucks, but heads and shoulders above any Mosin created, in accuracy, manual of arms, more collectible and better investment gains......lastly I am bottom line function over form guy but to my eye, butt ugly, crude,crap material, unfinished rifles made by slave labor that hated who they were working for

that opinion is mine and worth exactly what you paid for it.......dont want no one butt hurt
 
Guys, thanks to each one of you for responding to my request. My enthusiasm for the M39 has definitely been tempered and I will continue looking and learning, maybe I will buy and maybe not, time will tell.

Thank You oli700 for the most thought provoking response!
 
Iam a fan of the. British Enfield #4 mk1, cal 303 ammo not a big problem to get.
Also I enjoy the 8mm mauser's
Again ammo not hard to come by.
There are a lot of different mausers. I lean to the yugo or
Yugoslavian mod 24-47. The two mod numbers are the years first made 1924 Then after the ww-2 They refurbished a lot of them in 1947 many had new barrels installed. A big plus if you want it for a shooter.
After you get one, and get all raped up in all the markings and stamps. And learn the history about it. And were it came from.
You won't be able to stop.
 
Thank You oli700 for the most thought provoking response!
its all good, I just hate these subjects sometimes because someone usually has thin skin.
I guarantee there are many folks who would never own or buy or shoot any or all the firearms I own.....no big deal, its all personal preference.....I say use what works for you

Now if someone tells you you are an idiot for doing it then that's another story lol

I hope you are searching wide for opinions though , I'm not saying it isn't worth owning , just saying I wouldnt and why

Personally I have been wanting a K98.......
 
Last edited:
Okay, have started to look around some and have discovered the Yugo SKS. Seems to be an interesting auto loader that might be fun at the range. I even like the granade launcher; some say there is a golf ball adapter available. Not sure that I want to try that, but that would be a hoot launching golf balls.

While not a M1, it is an auto loader and seems to be much cheaper for my first Milsurp. Please chime in and let me know what you think.
 
My father had a Chinese sks. He loved it and it was reliable.

Then he traded it with a buddy for a ruger mini-30. Bad trade. Damn thing sucks.

Ammo for the sks is the same as the AK 7.62x39.

I say go for it. Built in bayonet for the win.
 
I too like the 1903, primarily for no other reason than my grandfather had one after the war that remained in the attic until my uncle took it to a swap meet.

I looked at some Enfields a number I years ago. Two in very good condition, one with matching numbers, the other had a magazine with different number and I remember thinking, man I'd do it but I think the guy is high at $175. I regret passing that up, I haven't seen one since.
 
I too like the 1903, primarily for no other reason than my grandfather had one after the war that remained in the attic until my uncle took it to a swap meet.

I looked at some Enfields a number I years ago. Two in very good condition, one with matching numbers, the other had a magazine with different number and I remember thinking, man I'd do it but I think the guy is high at $175. I regret passing that up, I haven't seen one since.
 
The first Enfield I got ,I. Picked up out of a crate at a gun show
Still packed in cosmoling. 72.95
Out the door.
I was thinking of a sks. But the price on them has gone nuts.
I'll stick with my bolt guns.
P.s. I also like the 30-40 krag.
 
I was thinking of a sks. But the price on them has gone nuts.
yeah, my thoughts too, I will never buy another. I remember the first SKS I bought was in a sporting goods store here. As many as they could stuff in 55 gallon drums , a few drums full. They were 90 bucks each ......I came out with a spam can and an SKS in good shape for $170. Its seemed like a good deal, first experience with cosmoline .......was also when I figured out Russian guns were just OK
 
Back
Top