Mosin Nagant "Obrez" Pistol

I suppose now that I have drolled on about the virtues of the Mosin Nagant Rifle, I should mention the oft unheard of pistol version. Called the "Obrez", the Mosin Nagant pistol is merely a cut down rifle. There is some question as to what exactly obrez means; I believe it roughly translates to "cut", as in "I'm going to cut this giant rifle down into a bolt action handgun/ flamethrower." The Obrez rose in popularity as Russia fought its way through a brutal civil war. The Czar supporting White Russians made war with the Bolshevik supporting Red Russians. Let's not forget about the Ukrainian Black Army led by Nestor Makhno (my personal favorite).

With revolutionaries, counter-revolutionaries, anarchists, and brigands running rampant throughout the massive Russian empire; it made sense to carry a little firepower with you that wouldn't necessarily draw too much attention. Hence the Obrez. Now bubby can pull her wagon down to the well to get water without worrying about being ganked by separatists.

The Mosin Nagant Rifle

The Mosin Nagant was adopted by the Russian Military under Czar Alexander III (The Peacemaker) in 1891. WWI & WWII saw the production of a bazillion of them. Since then they have spread prolifically throughout the world. There are at least 32 variations found and they were produced in at least 8 countries. The Mosin Nagant rifle has proven itself to be rugged (some would say to a fault) and reliable. Time tested, proven in battle, rugged, reliable and perhaps most importantly: affordable. And not just a little affordable; post economic collapse affordable. The Mosin Nagant can still be found for under $100.00.

The Mosin Nagant is chambered for the 7.62x54r round. 7.62x54r is readily comparable to the 30-06. The 7.62x54r shoots a 180gr. bullet at about 2,600 fps compared to the 30-06 at around 2,700 fps. 180gr. at 2,600 fps is more than capable of putting dinner on the table or zombies on their back (but hopefully not both at the same time).

I am most familiar with the M38 version of the Mosin Nagant. Most easily identified by its shorter barrel (20") and lack of bayonet. Firing the 7.62x54r our of a 20" barrel is a...shall we say: stout experience? Your shoulder will definitely take notice...as will everyone shooting within 40ft. of you. The M38 (mine anyway) is disturbingly accurate. The first 5 rounds I put down range (only about 20 yards) standing, off hand; hit home within an inch of one another and dead center. I was extremely surprised by this given the fact that I am not really that great of a shot, but happy to know that I now had a rifle that was capable of such accuracy.

Perhaps not leaving well enough alone I went ahead and got a set of Mojo Click sights for my M38. I was able to get them on without much trouble at all. Their quality is superb and I really like the overall site picture they present. Luckily the rifle still shoots the same groups, though I feel more confident with the Mojo sights.

In my mind one of the main draw backs of the Mosin Nagant is its strange bolt disengaging safety. You have to pull back on the bolt knob, using what feels like herculean strength, twist the bolt off to the side so that it rests upon a groove cut into the receiver. I am very much not comfortable twisting around the bolt with a live round in the chamber. Nor am I overly comfortable just leaving a round in the chamber and hoping for the best. I think a great compromise can be found with the Boltman's safety ring attachment. The ring affords a better purchase on the bolt, making it much easier to turn to the safe position. I definitely plan on picking one of these up...at least when I move back to the U.S.

There's also talk of a 10 round magazine being developed. I really hope that this comes to fruition. Reloading every 5 rounds can be bothersome. That raises a good point: reloading the Mosin Nagant takes a touch of finesse. When loading the rimmed cartridges you want to make sure that the rim of the cartridge you're loading is going in front of the one that has been loaded. Also use brass stripper clips, those definitely work the best.

Overall I think the Mosin Nagant is a utilitarian rifle, that readily suits many needs at a value that is really hard to beat. It is easily adapted to hunting, plinking, zombie defense or baseball...if you are in need of a bat. I feel the M38 was one of my best purchases and look forward to using it for years to come.

The Compassionate Rifle

A gun is an inanimate object; a wonderful Rorschach test into the psyche of those perceiving it. As a profound admirer of Buddhism I find it interesting to hear the anger in the words of many Buddhists decrying the presence of guns. There are many instances in Buddhist texts that allow for self defense, they even go so far as to create a formula for killing unjust kings.

Those looking to condemn guns based on Buddhist principle are wise to begin their salvo by citing the very first Buddhist precept:

1. Refrain from killing living things.

It is most good to refrain from killing all living things, but in and of itself a gun will kill nothing. The person behind the gun must use it to do so. This is a hard concept to accept for many. I myself have said in the past "Guns are for killing people, period." That statement is simply not true as I came to discover. If you are a devout Buddhist and you have a gun are you going to kill someone? As a devout Buddhist in ownership of a gun you are tasked with not using it out of fear or anger. So when you hear something in your house that goes bump in the night and you have a shotgun in the gunsafe, I would remind you to refrain from killing living things. I would give the same advice to someone investigating that bump in the night wielding a baseball bat. Because someone owns a gun does not mean they have killed something or will kill something. That is a perception that reveals a significant insight into the person making it.

There is a strong history of force used in defense of self and others in Buddhism. Thupten Gyatso was the Dalai Lama during the war between Tibet and Chinese Nationalists. He is quoted as saying:


"In the future, this system (Communism) will certainly be forced either
from within or without on this land...if, in such an event, we fail to defend
out land, the holy lamas...will be eliminated without a trace of their names
remaining...our political system will be reduced to an empty name; my officials
will be subjugated like slaves to the enemy and my people, subjected to fear and
miseries, will be unable to endure the day or night. We should make every effort
to safeguard ourselves against this impending disaster. Use peaceful means where
they are appropriate; but where they are not appropriate, do not hesitate to
resort to more forceful means." (emphasis added)

As the current Dalai Lama explains, Gyatso knew that independent Tibet could never overcome a huge nation like China. So he turned to Nepal and Bhutan and proposed, "A sort of common defense: raise an army, train it as best as possible. Just between us, this isn't strictly practicing non-violence." (Dalai Lama with Jean Claude Carriere, Violence and Compassion: Dialogues on Life Today, as taken from the Dalai Lamas Army, D. Kopel.)

The Dalai Lama himself owns a gun (...sort of):
New York Times, 11/1993, C. Dreifus

A: ...I also had an air rifle in Lhasa. And I have one in India. I often feed small birds, but when they come together, hawks spot them and catch them. A very bad thing. So in order to protect these small birds, I keep the air rifle.

Q: So it is a Buddhist Rifle?

A: (Laughs) A compassionate rifle!

All of this would seemingly fly in the face of the very first precept: Refrain From Killing Living Things. Raising an army hardly seems pacifist. The renowned Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh gave a training to the police department in Madison Wisconsin (unfortunately I don't have the exact transcript). During the training he was asked about a police officer that is in a situation that has to kill someone. the simple argument is of course; "no one has to kill someone." This of course is true, but unrealistic in many circumstances. To save the innocent, at times extreme measures must be taken. Being the amazing Buddhist that Thich Nhat Hanh is, he focused on the intent behind the killing. The police officer should have compassion in their heart while they are using lethal force. They are ending the suffering of a perpetrator in this world. The officer should not have anger or fear in their heart, but compassion for the corrupted soul before them. The first precept says to refrain from killing; it does not say never kill.

Thich Nhat Hanh so wonderfully highlights what is so important about Buddhism; what is in your heart? What is in your heart when your finger is on the trigger? Is it peace, is it rage, is it anger, is it laughter? My own casual plinking habits are heavily influenced by the condition of my heart. If I am angry or upset in any way, I feel I should not be shooting a gun. If I'm feeling happy and positive I enjoy taking the time with friends to go shooting. Be at peace in your heart and you will forever know the ways of the compassionate rifle.

The 8 round path

9th century Buddhist master Lin Chi is credited with saying "If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him." A thought provoking koan about religious fetishism...or a literal suggestion? Were it the latter of the two I would opt to kill Buddha with a Smith and Wesson Performance Center 627 with a 2 5/8 inch barrel.

Performance Center guns have incredible triggers. I should know...I've fired (dry) many (at the store). The first time I dry fired a 627pc I couldn't stop pulling the trigger; I couldn't believe how smooth it was, and almost non existent in single action. The PC also comes with recessed chambers to allow the use of moon clips. A handy alternative to manually reloading each individual bullet. The 2 5/8" barrel is the minimum length needed to have a full size extractor to ensure those long .357's get fully ejected in one stroke. Were this my ideal gun it would have a 3" barrel, but as master Buddha says: "It is our very search for perfection outside of ourselves that causes our suffering." Which I think is his way of saying 3/8" shy of perfection can still be perfect.

I'm a sucker for revolvers though, especially revolvers with unfluted cylinders...that hold 8 rounds. Compact Ahrend's grips (pictured) seal the deal. The 627 is a reliable, potent sidearm; worthy of dispatching the illusion of enlightenment.