I feel like this would be pretty unfair to call a rifle review since I JUST got the rifle and JUST got a chance to shoot and disassemble for the first time. These aren’t new and a lot of you guys out there know MUCH more about these rifles than I do, but when my FFL wielding father asked a month ago if I’d be interested in a M91/30 (for a Christmas present) when he found a screaming deal on them I knew my answer before he even asked.
So last week when several of us were together for the holidays, we cracked open a spam can of 7.62x54r (the “R” stands for RIMMED) and burned through 100 rounds or so. After wasting a 1 LB Star Target, we thought it would be fun to get in line and call out shots. It was specifically for effect and the fun of doing it. Which is exactly what it was. We had a blast, and one of my first personal rules of shooting is that it should be fun. Sometimes it’s easy to get lost in tactics, reviews (for me) and the obsession over guns, but when it stays fun, it stays awesome.
Once we mastered the single stack internal magazine and the manipulation of the bolt (without a simple button safety, this was a surprise), we saw why the Russians are so famous for their AK-47 rifle design. Well, why Mr. Kalashnikov is famous for his design. The Russian Mosin Nagant design is as simple a bolt action as the AK is a semi-auto/automatic action. In all honesty though, my original familiarity with the Mosin came in 2001 when I watched Vasily Zaitsev become an expert sniper for the Russian Army at Stalingrad in “Enemy at the Gates.”
Hope you enjoy the quick video. And as I study up and learn more about MY specific rifle, I’ll be sure to post subsequent reviews hopefully with a more “expert” take on the design.
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10 Responses to Mosin Nagant M91/30 Shooting Review
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Great vid Ebbs! Lol @ the bayonet charge in the end. I’ll tell you man I have a couple friends who own this gun and it’s just super cool. Its owning a piece of history and a sweet gun at the same time – for ~$100, how could you lose? I’d love to buy one myself at some point and probably will after I graduate. At any rate, I look forward to your full review in the coming days.
Thanks my friend. I really am excited about this rifle. Incredible value and super cheap to shoot along with the historic value means it’s worth more to be than it ever would be for sale. That means it’s guaranteed to be a go-to gun and safe in the safe for years to come
[...] Shooting should be fun. In fact, I grew up learning to shoot in a safe and fun environment. Lately it’s all too easy to get hung up on what needs to be reviewed, photographed, video taken, new angles to shoot from and working on grips and tactics to give a more accurate representation of the gun. Safety always plays a first priority type part, but unfortunately sometimes fun gets left out. It doesn't just look this good in pics. It ACTUALLY looks better in person. [...]
I have a Russian Nagant in Hex from 1932, picked up a box of surplus ammo from 1977. No scope, 100 yards, 4 inch group consistent. 200 yards I can hit the paper
Love the rifle. I’ve thought about a conversion kit to put on an updated stock and what not, but can’t see destroying such a beautiful rifle. I love it just the way it is. And 440 round surplus cans can be found for $100 or less. I have a feeling those ammo prices are going to go up in the next few years.
Phil, aimsurplus.com has spam cans of 440 rounds for $75 a pop. Unreal deal for great shooting ammo that can be stored.
Thanks for the info. Unfortunately after the shipping it’s the same cost as what I have paid at gun shows, but I did see some other bargains that I’ll be contemplating
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