Bought my Mosin

[Gliden07]

Well I threw caution to the wind and bought a Mosin Negant. After Internet research and asking on here I think I got a decent one? My local Gun Shop bought it from a collection and was 90% clean of Cosmoline the former owner tried to refinish stock and sanded against grain and scratched the $&*# out of it! Dosent matter the stock had been fixed prior to this anyway and I plan on getting a differant stock. Bolts tight on lock down and all seems to look in good order? Next thing to buy is ammo and shooting it! Now the fun begins!!

[plmitch]

Looks like a keeper. Alot of fun to shoot, just need to cast and reload for it now.

[I'll Make Mine]

Given the rifle's been worked on by Bubba, it's probably a good idea to check the headspace before you fire it. It's rare for a rifle direct from the arsenal (as most bought from importers are) to have bad headspace, but if Bubba swapped the bolt with another piece, it might be way tight or way loose. Headspace gages aren't too expensive, and you really only *have* to have a "Field" gage (if it closes on the field gage, it's unsafe to fire due to excess headspace); a factory or surplus cartridge with a single layer of cellophane tape on the base (cover the whole flat surface around the primer) makes an acceptable "go" gage (if it doesn't close on the go or is very tight -- compressing the tape -- it's too tight and you'll have trouble getting it to close on a live round; this isn't unsafe, just not usable).

You should also use the multi-tool that comes in the accessory kit (assuming you got one) to check the firing pin protrusion -- you *can* measure it with the depth gage on a dial or digital caliper (should be between .075" and .090"), but it's harder than using the multi-tool. Protrusion is important because too little makes for "light strikes" leading to slow fires (= bad accuracy, even potentially dangerous hang fire) or misfires, while too much can cause pierced primers (= powder gas escaping through the bolt, into your eye and face).

[skimmerhead]

i bought a 91/30 and waiting for delivery, would anyone know where to find some brass for loading cast boolits? so far i haven't had much luck finding any.

skimmerhead

[texassako]

A lot of places are sold out of Privi brass, but I have seen Norma and Lapua available at some of the big sites like Midway, Grafs, Natchez, and Midsouth. You can buy a box of loaded Privi for less than that brass, but the Lapua sure is good stuff. For sale posts on here sure seem to get snapped up fast, or at least faster than me.

[Boyscout]

I would shoot the Privi rounds and start saving brass. Most people I see shooting at the range are using Brown Bear and Silver Bear steel cases. I got a bag of 100 Privi from Graffs a ways back. I just visited the web-site daily until it was available. Sellior Beloit shoots well but the brass does not seem to be as good. I also shot 2 boxes of Winchester Metric but it was a lot more that the Privi and didn't shoot any better.

[Wis. Tom]

I pick up at the range a few miles from where we live, almost daily, and 7.62x54R is about the only round I don't find brass for. Copper wash and steel is the only thing I see. Sad, because I own a Mosin Nagant too.

[doctorggg]

I pick up at the range a few miles from where we live, almost daily, and 7.62x54R is about the only round I don't find brass for. Copper wash and steel is the only thing I see. Sad, because I own a Mosin Nagant too.

For what I paid for Norman and Lapua brass you should know I would never leave any on the ground. It's possible someone might shoot reloadable Pri ammunition and not reload. However, surplus is so much cheaper I wouldn't see that happening often. But I agree with you, I wish I could pick up some reloadable brass from the range.

[I'll Make Mine]

Yep, surplus ammunition for the Mosin runs as low as $0.18/round shipped, if you buy by the crate -- you can't reload, even with cast bullets, for much if any less than that (certainly not if you have to buy your lead), so most folks who bought a Mosin just as a plinking gun buy a can or two at a time of surplus and leave it at that. I take home even my steel/Berdan cases, because I keep thinking I can reuse them some way (corrosive primed, though; I really should drop them into a bucket of ammonia water at the range, or at least clean them as soon as I finish cleaning the rifle).

Seriously, though, you can buy loaded Prvi Partizan ammunition for less than the cost of Norma, Lapua, or Winchester primed brass. Even if (as stated on another thread) the PP only lasts three loadings or so (and I'm sure it'll do better if annealed and neck sized), it's still pretty cost effective by comparison.

[Gliden07]

Given the rifle's been worked on by Bubba, it's probably a good idea to check the headspace before you fire it. It's rare for a rifle direct from the arsenal (as most bought from importers are) to have bad headspace, but if Bubba swapped the bolt with another piece, it might be way tight or way loose. Headspace gages aren't too expensive, and you really only *have* to have a "Field" gage (if it closes on the field gage, it's unsafe to fire due to excess headspace); a factory or surplus cartridge with a single layer of cellophane tape on the base (cover the whole flat surface around the primer) makes an acceptable "go" gage (if it doesn't close on the go or is very tight -- compressing the tape -- it's too tight and you'll have trouble getting it to close on a live round; this isn't unsafe, just not usable).

You should also use the multi-tool that comes in the accessory kit (assuming you got one) to check the firing pin protrusion -- you *can* measure it with the depth gage on a dial or digital caliper (should be between .075" and .090"), but it's harder than using the multi-tool. Protrusion is important because too little makes for "light strikes" leading to slow fires (= bad accuracy, even potentially dangerous hang fire) or misfires, while too much can cause pierced primers (= powder gas escaping through the bolt, into your eye and face).

I did'nt get the kit with it. I do have a question if the rifle doesnt headspace correctly. How do you fix it? Say I load the "go" gauge and I find the bolt tight what do I do? Do I need to get a new bolt is it something I can fix or does it need a Gun Smith or is the gun junk??

[Ironnewt]

It's a shame that the guy sanded it. As long as you don't mention any plans to alter it the "Russian Mosin Nagant Forums" is a great source of info. As is 7.62x54.net

[wrench]

Gliden, congratulations on your (first) Mosin!
A comment on your headspace quandary. I own and regularly shoot lots of Mosin rifles. I'm not normally a 'throw caution to the wind' type of person, but I've never checked headspace on any of them.
The rimmed Mosin cartridge headspaces on the rim of the case, not the shoulder like rimless cases.

If you must check, get a field gauge, the bolt should not close with it in place. You can change headspace with different bolt heads.
If it were me, I'd go ahead and shoot it.

Here is where a lot of Mosin nuts hang out...
http://forums.gunboards.com/forum.php

[WILCO]

Gliden, congratulations on your (first) Mosin!

Ditto for me!

[kenyerian]

I'm sure you will enjoy it. out of all of the guns that me and my brother have available for the kids and grandkids to shoot the Mosin is definetly one of the most popular. very fun to plink with.

[KCSO]

I have a full military stock un touched if you want it back up to snuff. But don't be too quick to blame bubba as some of the factory re furbs are pretty rough.

[Gliden07]

Houston we have a problem!! I have a couple empty shell cases and the bolt won't close on the emptys easily I got the bolt to lock but it jammed up and I could'nt get it to open back up. I took the cleaning rod and dropped it down the barrel and finally got it open but there is something wrong with rifle?? What do I do now??

[Junior1942]

That simply means you picked up brass fired in a rifle with loose headspace and tried to chamber it in your rifle with tight headspace. Full length re-size it.

[junkbug]

Whose rifle were the empty cases fired out of? Mosin Nagants are famous for having widely variable chambers and tolerences. The headspace on the rifle that your test empty was fired out of could be fine, and your headspace can be fine also. However, the other rifle may have a fatter chamber, for any number of reasons. That would mean the fired case would not fit in your rifle. But otherwise, nothing may be wrong with either rifle, other than their empties won't easily interchange. That is a fundamental reality for handloading for most metallic cartridges.

I would just wear really good shooting (safety) glasses, and fire a few shots. Then look at your empties. Evaluate from there.

I have owned many Mosin Nagants, and have yot to have a headspace checked, or noticed a problem. Both with matched and mis-matched bolts.

But if your sense of safety won't allow it, find a gunsmith who will measure your headspace for you. This will be the safest route, and assuming you don't intend to buy dozens more, probably the most cost effective

[I'll Make Mine]

Say I load the "go" gauge and I find the bolt tight what do I do? Do I need to get a new bolt is it something I can fix or does it need a Gun Smith or is the gun junk??

You're far more likely to find the rifle closes on a "field" gage than to discover it won't close on a "go". As noted, the tight bolt you got with a fired case was probably because the case came from a rifle with, not looser headspace (headspace is on the rim with 7.62x54R) but either a larger diameter or longer chamber than yours. For whatever it's worth, my own 91/30 is pretty tight rechambering its own fired cases (steel surplus cases), but not as tight as what you report. I'd try the same test with a live round with a layer of cellophane tape, as I described above. (remove the firing pin and spring, if you're very concerned about the possibility of an accidental discharge, but with most Mosin triggers you aren't likely to fire it with a gentle touch -- just watch for negligent full-power pulls).

If you *do* find your headspace is wrong, as noted, you'll need to change the bolt head. Unfortunately, since we're none of us at a Soviet arsenal with a bin full of bolt heads by our left elbow, it's a bit of a coin toss getting one that's tighter or looser than what you have. Alternate to buying, potentially, multiple bolt heads, if it's way loose, a gunsmith can shim the bolt face; if it's way tight, a little lapping of the rear surfaces of the bolt head lugs will loosen it -- but that's also best done by someone with experience and insurance, since a few thousandths too much and you've now got a "too loose" headspace.

For whatever it's worth, though, the only reason I mentioned it is because a Bubba worked on your rifle -- if they showed ignorance on the stock, heaven only knows what else they might have done.

[OBIII]

Midway is selling Privi ammo in reloadable brass for 15.99. Not cheap, but cheaper than a lot of others. Better than nothing.