whats the best best mosin?

Question

I'm a bit new to the rifle set and was thinking about getting a mosin. I hear their a great gun, with cheap ammo. There seems to be more than one, so which is the best?

Answer 1

By far the best Mosins are the Finnish Model 39, followed by the Finn modified model 91s.

The Finns were an unwilling territory of Russia and the USSR and staged several armed uprisings for freedom, notably during WWI and in 1940's Winter War.

The Finns had thousands of Russian Model 91s and a supply of 7.62x54r ammo, so it made sense to try and standardize on that rifle for their soldiers.

However, the Mosin Nagant has some shortcomings that the Finn engineers and armorers decided to correct. All Finn M39s are Mosin Nagant 91s that have been rebuilt with shorter, heavier, more accurate barrels, better triggers, better sights and completely redesigned stocks. As their own supply of 91 actions were limited, they also were able to source some captured ones from Austria and other continental countries.

The result M39 is a much improved rifle and perhaps one of the finest bolt action rifles used during the WWII era. Yes, that incliudes the k98, 1903 and Enfields.

The Finns also did some 91 rifles that were not as highly modified due to urgent need. These are known as Finnish Model 91s. There is also a rarer M28.

The Finns were incredible marksmen and warriors and with these rifles the USSRs casualities were incredibly high and one sided despite being outnumbered extremely.

Finnish Sniper Simo Häyhä was credited with over 500 Soviet soldier kills during the Winter War, which was only about four months long.

The original Russian rifles are next and that would be the Model 1891 (model 91) which at this point are very hard to find, then the 1930 modified and most common Model 91/30.

The best 91/30s are early ones with "hex" receivers. This is a very cheap purchase today, they wholesale for $65 and less sometimes, are good not great accurate rifles that are just a lot of fun to collect and shoot.

Next comes the Model 38, which is a carbine based on the 91/30 made from 1938 to 1943 or so. You can count that nearly every example is battle tested, as the Russians had many more soldiers than rifles at some points of the German invasion and these went from assembly line to into battle, sometimes on the very same day. Wartime examples show much less 'finishing' on the metal as the factory did not have time to do cosmetic metal work. Look for "Counterbored" muzzles on M38, not exactly what you want in an accurate shooter.

In 1943, they redesigned the M38 to add a fold out bayonet that could not be removed or lost and it was the Model 1944, M44. You can find these in good to excellent condition, however be warned: the bayonet is heavy and cumbersome and when you take it off you mess up the barrel harmonics and balance and therefore the aim.


After WWII the Russians sold/gave these MN factories to Hungary, Poland, Romania and China and in the early 1950s these countries produced M44s, although by this time the bolt action carbine was obsolete as a Main Battle Rifle it could be used for guards, less trained troops and especially to send to Third World countries in support of evil Communist takeovers. Our soldiers in Vietnam encountered Mosins of all types, as the rifle was common with Viet Cong troops early in that war.

Even though there are many models all MNs used the same bolt.

Desirability, in descending order:

Finn M39
Finn M91
Russian Model 91 (plus several variants that are rare)
Russian Model 91/30 Hex
Russian Model 91/30
Russian Model 59 (rare post war carbine on a 91/30 action)
Russian Model 38
Russian Model 44
Chinese Type 53
All other M44s

Answer 2

DJ said it best,also if you love recoil as much as I do the Mosin Nagant is for you.I have an M38 carbine,it packs quite a punch and boom,my M95 may be a touch more ,but the ammo is no where as cheap or plentiful for that thing.my advice is to buy the mosin and enjoy it.

Answer 3

Finnish M38, mine outshoots any other Mosin nagant I have, or have fired. No scope, no special sights, just a damn good, accurate rifle.

Answer 4

The Finish Sako M39 is the only way to go. Listen to DJ.

Answer 5

The one the Finns reenginered.

Answer 6

Listen to DJ he's a very wise man........
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