OpticsTalk by SWFA, Inc. Homepage SWFA     SampleList.com
Forum Home Forum Home > Firearms, Bows, and Ammunition > Firearms
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Choosing a Military Surp Mauser
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

Visit the SWFA.com site to check out our current specials.

Choosing a Military Surp Mauser

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
KY Hick View Drop Down
Optics Apprentice
Optics Apprentice
Avatar

Joined: August/18/2008
Location: Louisville, KY.
Status: Offline
Points: 93
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KY Hick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Choosing a Military Surp Mauser
    Posted: February/21/2011 at 16:54
Sometimes when you go to gun shops you will see boxes of old WWII Mausers. I was kinda thinking about getting one. I'm not looking for a COLLECTORS GRADE firearm. I was just thinking about getting one to plink with, and if I scratch it I would not care. What are some things to look for? I dont care about matching serial #'s and all that jazz. Just want one that is not a piece of crap! Also is surplus ammo easy to find? I wont be putting a scope on this rifle, so surplus ammo would be nice and cheap if available. Just looking for a rifle to shoot at tree stumps and other silly target's.
Back to Top
KY Hick View Drop Down
Optics Apprentice
Optics Apprentice
Avatar

Joined: August/18/2008
Location: Louisville, KY.
Status: Offline
Points: 93
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KY Hick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/21/2011 at 17:10
maybe a Mosin not sure, just something cheap to shoot, and throw in the back of truck.
Back to Top
EchoWhiskeyOne View Drop Down
Optics Apprentice
Optics Apprentice
Avatar

Joined: March/13/2010
Location: Manassas, VA
Status: Offline
Points: 175
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote EchoWhiskeyOne Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/21/2011 at 17:31
Originally posted by KY Hick KY Hick wrote:

maybe a Mosin not sure, just something cheap to shoot, and throw in the back of truck.

A Mosin/Nagant would be a GREAT rifle for a beater.  They are cheap, the surplus ammo is cheap, and the rifles are exceptionally accurate and dependable.

For the money, they can't really be beat, in my opinion.
If you find it arbitrarily pleasing to burn our Nation's Flag, do all the rest of us a favor and wrap yourself in it first.
Back to Top
BeltFed View Drop Down
Optics Retard
Optics Retard
Avatar

Joined: February/12/2008
Location: Ky
Status: Offline
Points: 22287
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote BeltFed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/21/2011 at 17:31
Go with the Mosin. You can find them in unissued condition and the bolts will match the action (something few K 98s do), they are still cheap, and the ammo is cheap and plentiful. K 98s are getting expensive, and the ammo is drying up.
Just my .02
Life's concerns should be about the 120lb pack your trying to get to the top of the mountain, and not the rock in your boot.
Back to Top
KY Hick View Drop Down
Optics Apprentice
Optics Apprentice
Avatar

Joined: August/18/2008
Location: Louisville, KY.
Status: Offline
Points: 93
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KY Hick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/21/2011 at 17:41
Just got done browsing the net. From what I've seen the Mosin would be what I would leaning to now. Alot cheaper!!!!!
 
 
Hey BeltFed do you know if Knob Creek has any (Mosin) ?
Back to Top
Ed Connelly View Drop Down
Optics Retard
Optics Retard
Avatar
God of no Chihuahua

Joined: December/16/2007
Location: USA
Status: Offline
Points: 24225
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ed Connelly Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/21/2011 at 18:29
Look what I found on gunsamerica.com     Big Grin       !!!
 
FN Belgian 98 Mauser sporter in 30-06 with a scope for $349 plus $25 postage!! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Be sure to visit,

THE ED SHOW

Ju Cucarachas!!!
Back to Top
300S&W View Drop Down
Optics God
Optics God
Avatar

Joined: January/27/2008
Location: Burlington,WV
Status: Offline
Points: 10592
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 300S&W Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/21/2011 at 19:24
 
      Excellent     All the rifle a guy would ever need after a scope up grade.
"I ain't got time to bleed!"
Back to Top
KY Hick View Drop Down
Optics Apprentice
Optics Apprentice
Avatar

Joined: August/18/2008
Location: Louisville, KY.
Status: Offline
Points: 93
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KY Hick Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/21/2011 at 20:47
Thats a little nicer than what I'm looking for. Looking for a beater! Think of buying a car for a demo derby.
Back to Top
powderburn View Drop Down
Optics Journeyman
Optics Journeyman


Joined: April/09/2010
Status: Offline
Points: 345
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote powderburn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/22/2011 at 05:46
+1 on the Mosin recommendation. Mausers are getting too high as are most others SMLE, 03-A3 etc. When it comes to mil surplus it comes down to bore condition and headspace. I had a couple of buddies buy mosins still in the cosmoline for $90 at the Lexington Ky gun show about a month ago. You won't beat that for what you describe.
Back to Top
koshkin View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar
Dark Lord of Optics

Joined: June/15/2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 13182
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/22/2011 at 10:41
If you just want to plink with iron sights, Mosin is likely your best choice (I've got about a dozen of them).
Mauser sights are very mediocre (I have Turkishm Czech and Yugo version and they all have the same triangular sights).
The best Mosins out there are Finnish ones with M39 being the most common.  However, they are getting a bit expensive.  Russian Mosins are more hit and miss, but are still fun.  Russian M91/30 is easier to shoot accurately, owing to a longer sight radius. However, if you want to drag it around, a short barrel M38 or M91/59 is a better way to go.  I put a rear ghost ring sight (made by Mojo) onto my M38 and is a great plinker: reasonably light weight, good balance and accurate enough for my needs.

In terms of ammo availability, there is more decent inexpensive 7.62x54R ammo out there than 8mm Mauser.

ILya
Back to Top
powderburn View Drop Down
Optics Journeyman
Optics Journeyman


Joined: April/09/2010
Status: Offline
Points: 345
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote powderburn Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/22/2011 at 16:56
You know your getting old when you start thing about the smle you bought at the army surplus store for $11 when you were a kid or the japanese 7.7 my brother bought for $3. I still sort of feel like he got ripped on that deal as it was a pretty poor rifle. I remember he gave it to me finally and I let a cousin have it if he promised to never shoot it as the bolt would about fly open when you fired it. I about choked when I saw one in a gun shop for $250. Seriously for about everything except a mosin you are much better off to watch for a sale on the stevens 200 or the like from Academy etc where for $199 or so you get a rifle drilled and tapped and ready to go. A mitchell mauser is probably $300+ and like koskin said the sights are poor and most are in pretty bad shape. just my .02
Back to Top
EchoWhiskeyOne View Drop Down
Optics Apprentice
Optics Apprentice
Avatar

Joined: March/13/2010
Location: Manassas, VA
Status: Offline
Points: 175
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote EchoWhiskeyOne Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/22/2011 at 18:24
Originally posted by powderburn powderburn wrote:

I remember he gave it to me finally and I let a cousin have it if he promised to never shoot it as the bolt would about fly open when you fired it.

Sorry to get off topic here, but this statement just warranted an old piece of crap gun story that I was involved in as a kid and am lucky to have gotten through with all my digits, hand, arm and mid-section in tact...hell, just plain lucky to be alive really!

My dad brought home a bolt action 12 gauge once; a Westernfield.  I was 13 years old at the time and had become pretty attuned to shotguns and rifles at that point in my life due to just being raised right by my father to respect them and what they can do.

Anyway, he and I sat down and pulled the shotgun apart, looked it over and cleaned it up really well and took it outside for a test drive.  I loaded up a standard #8 bird-shot 2 3/4" shell to try it out on a jug of water at about 15 yards.  

Squeezed the trigger...**CLICK** and nothing.

Still holding the barrel downrange, I proceeded to open the bolt to eject the "faulty" round, got it about a third of the way open...**BOOOOM!**

The only part of the shell that I remember seeing was the brass and a HINT of red and luckily for me, I blew a big hole in the ground about 6 feet in front of me instead of what happened happening in my chest cavity or my face, etc.  

Took that piece of crap, threw it in the swamp and went in to tell dad what had happened and he noticed that my right hand was bleeding pretty bad.  The meat between my pointer finder and thumb had been "ran over" when the bolt slammed back and I hadn't realized it.

24 years of shooting under my belt and never seen anything like that before...EVER.  We left that old POS out in that swamp and I'm sure that's where it's still at.


Edited by EchoWhiskeyOne - February/22/2011 at 18:25
If you find it arbitrarily pleasing to burn our Nation's Flag, do all the rest of us a favor and wrap yourself in it first.
Back to Top
Tip69 View Drop Down
Optics Master Extraordinaire
Optics Master Extraordinaire
Avatar
Tip Stick

Joined: September/27/2005
Location: Nebraska
Status: Offline
Points: 4155
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Tip69 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/22/2011 at 22:41
I bought a Mosin Nagant for like $45 about 5 years ago... fired it once and sold it.  No thanks!  Kicked like 2 mules!!
take em!
Back to Top
koshkin View Drop Down
MODERATOR
MODERATOR
Avatar
Dark Lord of Optics

Joined: June/15/2004
Location: United States
Status: Offline
Points: 13182
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote koshkin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/22/2011 at 23:01
Originally posted by Tip69 Tip69 wrote:

I bought a Mosin Nagant for like $45 about 5 years ago... fired it once and sold it.  No thanks!  Kicked like 2 mules!!

????

It is about the same power as a 308Win, so it doe snot kick any more than any similar weight 308 rifle.

Let me guess, you did not pay much attention to the steel buttplate, did you?

ILya
Back to Top
EchoWhiskeyOne View Drop Down
Optics Apprentice
Optics Apprentice
Avatar

Joined: March/13/2010
Location: Manassas, VA
Status: Offline
Points: 175
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote EchoWhiskeyOne Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: February/23/2011 at 05:21
Originally posted by koshkin koshkin wrote:

Originally posted by Tip69 Tip69 wrote:

I bought a Mosin Nagant for like $45 about 5 years ago... fired it once and sold it.  No thanks!  Kicked like 2 mules!!

????

It is about the same power as a 308Win, so it doe snot kick any more than any similar weight 308 rifle.

Let me guess, you did not pay much attention to the steel buttplate, did you?

ILya

Though I was also getting ready to say that Mosins don't really kick all that much, in my opinion, I started thinking back to one of my buddies at the range.

I guess that felt recoil is really subjective to some people and that some are just seriously sensitive to it.  This fella was approximately 285lbs and was going on and on about how he was going to sell his .243 because he bought it under the assumption that it didn't kick...but it was kicking him.

I said "Hell, even a .22 Magnum KICKS...they just don't kick HARD!  Were you expecting a BB gun out of that high powered rifle?!"  After that, he seemed to have calmed his banter a little (perhaps because the big guy was making a mockery of himself at the range).

Biggest and baddest I have shot so far is my .300WSM.  I think THAT rifle kicks like a mule; but then again recoil doesn't really bother me.  I don't have a flinch, won't develop one and still enjoy shooting that bucking broad.

A Mosin to me, like you, is next to nothing.  But to some...


Edited by EchoWhiskeyOne - February/23/2011 at 05:23
If you find it arbitrarily pleasing to burn our Nation's Flag, do all the rest of us a favor and wrap yourself in it first.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.01
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.

This page was generated in 1.164 seconds.