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.