Mosin Nagant Review - It seems a little silly to test the hunting ability of a rifle that's been around since 1891, but the harsh truth about hunting is that even a rifle that old can shoot most people. This is the third Mosin Nagant I own that I bought just for this review. Most hunts are between 50 and 150 yards away and as long as your sight is okay this is the cheapest rifle to hunt with. That means something because not all of us can afford to hunt sako deer. Even a super-budget Remington 770 is around $250-$300, and the Nagant is half that. This review focuses on the Mosin Nagant's capabilities as an ultra-cheap short- and medium-range shotgun. I purchased a Mosin Nagant model 1891 from Wanstalls for this review. If you are looking for history or more than just a hunting tool check out Wikipedia or 7.62x54r.
In short: terrible. Based on other examples of screws from the late 1800's to early 1900's I think it's fine. Better than Carcano, but absolutely terrible by today's standards. Some rifles are very difficult to lock/unlock, security is ridiculously poor and inconvenient for hunting, and the hinged baseplate isn't exactly a paragon of usability. Stripper clips, especially compared to those that work great like the SKS/AK47 stripper clips suck. The length of the 1891 is unacceptable for blind hunting and quite uncomfortable when hunting in thick brush, while the muzzle blast and recoil of the M44 and M38 are ridiculous in their own way. You could get a Pro-Mag chassis to fix most stock/magazines, but that adds to the cost of our otherwise very economical stock/short-range shotgun. Even if you cost this rifle around $100, it competes with much better rigs. If you want to be frugal, be frugal, but don't discover false frugality by adding expensive aftermarket parts to an otherwise frugal rifle.
Mosin Nagant Review
The trigger for some Mosins can be complete garbage. It's long, spooky, heavy and rough. If you're a little crafty you can replicate it yourself (I watched this video) or for ~$100 you can buy an amazing Timney trigger that's way better but only makes sense if you like the Mosin platform . Otherwise, you can get Savage Axis and be done with it. Also, these "cheap" $100 add-ons are quickly closing the price gap between a Mosin and a brand new budget shotgun.
Classic Arms Review: Mosin Nagant M91/30 |
There are 1 or 2 cheap addons that might be reasonable and don't throw the price out the window. Amazon's rubber pad replaces the steel butt, and if your eyes are no longer up to the task, a low-profile red-dot sight mount or long-eye relief sight may be the ticket. If you want to get rid of the sting and much of the recoil, read my review of the Mosin Nagant Howling Raven muzzle brake.
Mosins vary greatly in quality. Wartime machining was usually very crude and rapid, and the camp jobs can appear as if they were done by Cousin Cletus right after the moonshine was made (and tested). The only positive thing about these guns is that they are definitely built to last. You don't shed a tear when you fall in the mud and you don't care much. And while you might have concerns about putting your Sako through rough brushing where it'll be scarred and scratched, you wouldn't mind bringing along a sturdy $150 Mosin-Nagant.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with the 7.62x54R. Sure, it's an outdated design (released with the Nagant in 1891), but accuracy is good enough for hunting, as is our takedown power at 100-200 yards. Soft points are good for North American game hunting.
If you're Canadian, your cheap shotgun should be a sporting SMLE in .303. The bolt is faster, fairly accurate, and at least the 303 can be found at Canadian Tire. 7.62x54R caliber hunting ammunition is still quite rare in most areas. The stripper clips on the SMLE work better, have a removable sticker, and the triggers aren't usually that terrible.
Review Of Mosin Nagant Book
Unless you're Canadian or want to use cheap ammo in the off-season, the Mosin is starting to look attractive. Excess 7.62x54R is cheap ammo, although there are better rifles to develop marksmanship. Sorry for bashing the Mosin Nagant in this review: it's great for the dollar, but for another $150 you can get such a better rifle for hunting. I try not to be a price snob and be sensitive to people who don't have $300 for a Rem 770, Mossberg ATR or Savage Axis, but are much better shotguns than a refurbished Mosin Nagant. 1891. Trigger, safety, load, weight, length, accuracy, consistency, lack of butt pad - that's all bad news for a Mosin, where it's far better in a modern shotgun, even the cheapest. . Even other Milsurps like SKS, M14 etc. can be good choices with some caveats. I don't mean to say any of this to discourage the new shooter who can't afford anything else, just to let you know: there are better shotguns out there. If you must start with a Mosin, start with it and love it.
Adriel has hunted all his life, likes to shoot 3 guns, is a trainer for Project Mapleseed and tries to give his reviews a practical perspective. Find Hunting Gear Man on YouTube. The Ukrainian company Raven (KPYK) has released aluminum chassis stocks for the Mosin Nagant, Remington 700, Howa 1500 and SIG Sauer 202 rifles. Mike R. from TFB works on Raven's Remington 700 chassis and they sent me their Mosin-Nagant chassis. Perhaps there are people who consider Mosin-Nagant rifles to be "junk guns" and therefore do not want to use them for anything other than historical evaluation. However, some Mosins have been well cared for and are still triggers that can be pushed beyond the accuracy of cheap rifles. So if you are a Chassis All Things shooter I hope this review is helpful.
To be clear, the barrel of my Mosin wasn't bright and shiny as it was one of the more affordable trashcan rifles, but I can prove the concept in a number of ways. First, Raven knew what they were doing when they designed the chassis and there was no problem with that. Second, I didn't want to permanently modify my rifle as I still want to restore it to its original configuration for historical comparisons. To fully install the Raven chassis I would need to remove the front and rear visors, which I was fine with as they are only held in place by the dovetail and pins and can all be swapped out later. I also want to clarify that Raven offered them the chassis for free with no return, but I have no problem with being honest and objective.
My first impression of the Raven Mosin-Nagant chassis was mixed. I was impressed with the chassis' solid construction and the ease with which it fitted together. On the other hand, the Raven's chassis felt so light that I expected massive recoil, which I'll address later in the review.
Mosin Nagant M91/30 Review
From the pictures where you can see I have the optics installed I realized my setup wasn't the most ideal but it provides a proof of concept while still being able to place my rifle in its restore original configuration. Another possible sight mounting configuration would be to cut out a small section of the handguard rail to allow the rear sight mount to be used for a stronger contact point with more input from the barrel itself. Of the replacement visor mounts I've seen, they're generally not well-regarded, but I haven't had any experience with them myself. Raven recommends drilling and tapping the Mosin-Nagant receiver.
The handguard rail is full of M-LOK slots at the 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions, while the stock with the frame has slots for rail mounting as well as a monopod.
Raven also makes their own Picatinny rails in a variety of sizes and colors and can really expand the versatility of the Mosin Nagant chassis. The red and gold splints are actually made as a keychain, but they are also fully functional.
The handguard rail is also compatible with M-LOK sling adapters, of course, but with a pinch the numerous relief cuts can provide a quick attachment point for HK-style sling hooks or even Mosin Nagant's original "dog collar" sling mounts.
Romeo Tango Bravo's Glorious Engraved Mosin Nagant (set) :: Guns.com
Raven's Mosin-Nagant chassis is designed to accept a range of fixed stock independently, but they have also made their own
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