rustvyper Posted January 8, 2008 Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Thought I'd share a couple photos of my mosin nagant sporter project. I finished this girl in 06 & she just finished her 2nd deer season with me. I mostly bow hunt, but she's dropped 3 deer & one hog since I finished her. I know Mosins tend to be the sow's ear of the milsurp world, but they can shoot straight, & can knock down a moose with the x54R's, & they actually clean up pretty well once you get all the russian sanded off! This rifle started life as a '39 Tula aresenal 91/30. With no stock & no trigger... - cut the barrel down to 22" - crowned the new barrel end - ground off the rear sight base - sanded off all the old bluing & applied a new finish - installed a Hubner concepts trigger - put it in a boyd's sporter stock (still needs a checkering job) - got an ATI-style turn-down bolt handle & a swiss-style ringed rear-cocker. This actually makes the mosin safety usable (although not convinent). - drilled & tapped for a ATI scope base Total cost ended up at around $350 including the weaver grand-slam 3-10x40 & the orginal cost of the rifle. I know you can get a nice savage or remington for that, but where's the fun in that? Plus, there will just be something satisfying about downing a nice buck or bull with one of Stalin's red army rifles. I'm sure he never envisioned in a million years that a air force 1Lt would be using his rifle for a capatalist past-time! ha, take that Stalin! Hope you guys, enjoy. Comments welcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustvyper Posted January 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 8, 2008 Oh yeah...I glass-bedded the stock...Performance checks in at sub 1" up to 100yds & sub 2.5 @ 280 yards, which is as long as a range as I have access too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenden Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 well done sir. That is a fine example of a very nice gun. Love that stock. I've found that my little m44 that is orginal loves brown bear 203 grain er's. It amazes me just how accurate that it is at 200 yrds w/open sights. Brenden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Hess Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Nice work. Have you been following the SGN articles on sporterizing the Mosin-Nagant? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustvyper Posted January 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Nice work. Have you been following the SGN articles on sporterizing the Mosin-Nagant? Actually no. SGN is one of the few publications I don't get. Do you have a link to the article? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
38scarabkv Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 very nice............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted January 9, 2008 Report Share Posted January 9, 2008 Very nice indeed!! I'm having a tremendous paradigm shift after seeing your pics of the safety. I'm actually now thinking of doing Nagant sporter project. Something I never thought I would never consider because of the beyond obnoxious Nagant safety. Boris must have had somebody in the Rusky Army steal his vodka and take advantage of his sister and he was seeking revenge when he designed it. Please let me know as much as you can about the safety, where did you get it, how much and how difficult is it to unlock. I only have normal human strength in my hands, can it be easily removed without being accompanied by a string of profanities?? Is it a simple in and out installation for the amateur gunsmith with enough knowledge like myself to be dangerous or will it require a pro to put it in?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustvyper Posted January 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Very nice indeed!! I'm having a tremendous paradigm shift after seeing your pics of the safety. I'm actually now thinking of doing Nagant sporter project. Something I never thought I would never consider because of the beyond obnoxious Nagant safety. Boris must have had somebody in the Rusky Army steal his vodka and take advantage of his sister and he was seeking revenge when he designed it. Please let me know as much as you can about the safety, where did you get it, how much and how difficult is it to unlock. I only have normal human strength in my hands, can it be easily removed without being accompanied by a string of profanities?? Is it a simple in and out installation for the amateur gunsmith with enough knowledge like myself to be dangerous or will it require a pro to put it in?? The guy who made it for me is named Michael Battersby <mjbatter@tc3net.com>. He also did the bolt as well. The safety is definately usable, but not convienent. My wife can (& has while hunting) operated it, so it doesn't take an elephant to do it like it used to. The russian action itself is rather sloppy & takes someone who knows what they're doing. I've had the bolt hang up before while using the safety & also if you don't watch what you're doing, you can unseat the cocker from the guide if you open the bolt while the safety is engaged. The action is definately the weak point of the nagant, no doubt. However, that being said, she looks beautiful & shoots like a dream. As long as you know your gun cold, it's a perfect little hunting rifle. I've thought about doing another one & putting it in one of the black ati stocks & finishing the metal in silver dura-coat...However that'll be down the road after my current mauser project! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustvyper Posted January 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 One other trick if you attempt. When you remove the rear sight base (I suggest simply cutting it with a dremel & then heating ti with a torch - I gouged my barrel by knocking it off & had extra sanding), make sure you keep the 2 pins that held it on. Those are perfect for filling the holes they formally occupied. Heat them with a torch, seat them with a hammer , then file/sand them flush. You actually need a magnifying glass & to know where to look to see where the rear sight holes were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AzRednek Posted January 10, 2008 Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Thx rustvyper, do you recall what he charged you to do the safety and turned down bolt?? I need another project like I need another hole in my head (or pockets) but I always thought the Nagant carbines would make into a nifty sporter if it just wasn't for the beyond aggravating safety. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustvyper Posted January 10, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2008 Thx rustvyper, do you recall what he charged you to do the safety and turned down bolt?? I need another project like I need another hole in my head (or pockets) but I always thought the Nagant carbines would make into a nifty sporter if it just wasn't for the beyond aggravating safety. You'll probably have to ask him for a price quote. Last time I used him it was last year. I did find his website: http://www.mosinparts.com/ It says $45 for the bolt handle & I paid $15 for the safety, but that was sending in my whole bolt for modification. Hope that helps... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGRWJB Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Very nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Hess Posted January 11, 2008 Report Share Posted January 11, 2008 Actually no. SGN is one of the few publications I don't get. Do you have a link to the article? Sorry, no link to the article. It's been a multi-part series. If you're into sporterizing MN's, I'd highly recommend you look at the article series. I think it would be worth buying back issues for that. He shows all kinds of stuff to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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