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Random Quote: If you can taste the salt in the air.....it's time for a bigger boat!
I'm looking to buy my first rifle, something simple, fun, and cheap. The Mosin Nagants really intrigue me. Are there any other inexpensive rifles that I should I should look at? Its just going to be for shooting at the range, no hunting or revolutions or anything.
No hunting or Revolutions...............Then Why would you want to own a Rifle....No Hunting (I can see that)....but I draw the line with NO REVOLUTIONS.....
VIVA FOR THE PEOPLE.......................
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TB Hawks
Ocean Hookers Fishing Team
Key West 1720/90 Yamaha
What do you want to do with it and how much do you want to spend. Those are the primary factors as guns really pick the owners based on those criteria, not the other way around.
The Mosin Nagant is a Russian army rifle, so it would seem like the classic 7.62's, 8mm and .30 Cal's are suiting your fancy??? If you want a classic, look at the M1's and definitely don't forget to look at the SKS. SKS are great rifles that have loads of aftermarket goods, very reliable and fun to shoot..
If you want a plinker and don't need the larger caliber, a Ruger 10/22 is by far the best fun for the buck.
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- Chris
Guess What?? I got a Fever.. And the only prescription is.. MORE COWBELL!
2003 Sea Fox 195 Bayfisher - Mercury 125 Saltwater Classic
It would just be for shooting at the range and plinking. I like the Mosin because I can go buy one for 150 bucks at Gander Mountain and not be out all that much. I would love a Garand but I don't want to drop 1000 bucks on something I might not use that much. Maybe in the future. I like the military guns as they are sort of art to me. At least they have a little history and character. I love the K98s but they are a little more, around 300 starting. I don't mind spending that much but it would have to be less of an impulse buy.
I don't really want a 22, I want something a little bigger. A louder bang means more stress relief right? The price of 7.62 or similar isn't that bad.
M-N is the Russian equivalent to the 1903 Springfield. Simple and hardy. I've never shot one but you'll probably be happy with it on the range since the ammo is readily available. Dont worry about the "corrosive" primers as long as you clean and oil your gun after use.
I have a Chinese Type-56 (SKS/Simonov) carbine and MAK-90 (AK47 deriviative - Chinese Type 56 rifle ). You've probably heard of these but they are both semi-automatic. Once the sights are correctly adjusted they are quite accurate. The Simonov has a 10 round fixed mag but you can get 5 round mags if needed for political or sporting reasons... The 7.62X39mm ammo is slightly cheaper the the 7.62X54R used by the M-N.
The 7.62X39 cartridge is widely considerred to be have the same performance as our .30/.30 carbine cartridge.The 7.62X54R approximates the .30/06 and .308 successor rounds.
The supply of Chinese guns was cut-off by Bush the Father, because the factories that made them and their fodder are all owned by the People's Liberation Army. Not completely a bad thing since the quality of what they exported to us varied widely (sound familiar?) My pieces are good but I have seen componets where the molds were not completely filled with metal, giving those areas a spongie look. I guess I got lucky.
SKS trigger mechanisms may not be adjusted correctly resulting in a dangerous condition known as "slam-fire." It resembles automatic firing and people have been convicted under the machine-gun laws for using guns with this defect. The danger is that the trigger group releases the hammer somewhere before the round is in battery and could result in gas spillage or cartrige sidewall rupture. The cases I have heard of (and one personal observation) were Chinese merchandise.
Chinese ammunition is also inconsistent. I have not heard of dangerous failures, more poor quality control resulting in incorrect powder load. They may skimp the weight to make it last through a batch. So far, mine has all gone bang, though! The common complaint is that accuracy may be inconsistent.
Like the M-N, there are now SKS and AK variants available from Russia and East Europe which are described in the gun press as being of much higher quality. Just like your M-N. European ammo is also descibed as beng better than Chinese.
Both are fairly simple guns. The AK variants are simpler than the sligtly older SKS design. It probaly has fewer parts than the M-N! I briefly had a sporting version of the AK. It came with a 5 round box but would take any AK mag. There are variants on the sporting rifle that only take a 5 round single-stack mag that were made during the "large-capacity-magaxine-ban."
Both cartridges are available from US sources if you are anxious about foreign sources. They are priced higher though.
I also have a Model 1917 Enfieid (.303 British). These are accurate and reliable weapons too. Since no military uses the cartridge as a current standard, new ammo is getting pricey. Military surplus is available as recently as the mid-60's and I actually own about 300 rounds dated 1944. My bet is that it will fire but with reduced velocity. I had a few extra bucks so I picked up a few bandoleers att a gun show. I may someday get a reloading set-up and pull the bullets and replace the proplellant.
I expect you'll be happy with the Moisin Nagent as a range gun but this info mighthelp you if you are still considerring.
Dont forget the humble .22 though. For the cost of a box of 20 rounds of 7.62X54R from a US factory, you can get a couple hundred rounds of these babies and do a lot of plinking.
Good luck!
Editted...
It took me a few minutes to write ths so I missed some of the above exchaneg. Ok, you can forget the .22!
__________________ I'm not a boat expert, I just read THT!
A .22 is great for plinking, but if you can find a nice .30 carbine I think you'll really enjoy it. A Garande is a great rifle also and you can find them pretty cheap at a gun show. I bought one for my dad a few years back for $400 if memory serves. It took a while to find one that fit my standards but they can be found. Not something I would really use for plinking though, way to much overkill, it's more of a long range weapon. 30 carbine packs more of a punch than the .22 but is lightweight, accurate, and fun to shoot. Just my opinion though. Good luck.
Marlin Model 917M2S
This rifle fires the .17 mach 2 ammo.
Wont beat you up and is ssssuper accurate.
Bought mine for $310 @ Dicks sporting goods.
Ammo can be had for cheap.
Just an all round good value.
Has a nice bang too
For stress release; buy two or three .22's, a cleaning kit and buy your ammo by the case (5000 rounds). On a weekend between the couple of rifles you should comfortably be able to enjoy rattling off 1400 - 1500 rounds. I know I've got 3 .22's and I've done it for years....it's a whole lot of fun, and cheap too! I enjoy it so much I've put up my own gun range in my yard..... .....now I won't even have to drive to the range.
I have a .22 pistol; it was fun but I want a big boom this time around I think I'm going to get a 70 dollar Mosin M44 carbine to shoot for a while and save up for an M1 or something similar. I'll be sure to save this thread as it is full of useful knowledge. Thanks a lot for the help guys.
RUGER MINI-30, takes same round as AK-47 and SKS.
The RUSSIAN made SKS, and either the HUNGARIAN or, BULGARIAN AK-47's.
The Ruger will also accept high capacity clips....I have some 20 and 30 round clips, plus, for hunting, a few 5 round standard clips.
The RUGER MINI-14 is also an excellent gun, but fires the .223 round, which is nice, because the AR-15 does as well....a most excellent weapon.
If you really want a delightful boom and some relatively cheap shooting, get a muzzle loader. You will not shoot it as many times in a shooting session but will get a healthy boom, plenty of smoke, and plenty of devastation at the target. A nice 50 cal inline or traditional side hammer Hawken style rifle would be fun.
The Mini 14 and Mini 30 are both fun. I have a M-N but have never even bought ammo for it. I have not noticed many 30 Carbines around lately. A good Carbine or a Garand will fetch a high price these days. Marlin had some 9mm and .40 Carbines available several years ago. They would be interesting for short range plinking. Ruger has a new model .44 Carbine that looks a lot like the Mini 14.
The fellow on www.boxotruth.com tested several M-N rifles and really liked them. I saw several last week at a local gun store for $130. I got one in a trade several years ago and just put it in the closet thinking it would just be a curiosity piece. It is nice to know that they are descent shooters.
How 'bout a M96 Mauser in 6.5x55mm. I bought one at a local gun shop for $100 bucks and it shoots fine. I was at a gun show recently and saw many M96s as well as M98s. If you can find a 7x57 get it. The 7x57 is nearly identical to the 7mm-08 in a ballistic sense. The Mosin Nagants that I've shot have mile long trigger pulls and can be frustrating if you're going for accuracy. If you just want to shoot to be shooting, then by all means get the MN. Any gun purchase is a good purchase.
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Thanks Semi for the Auto
2008 F150 King Ranch 4x4,
Mileage is mediocre
but the leather is awesome
Looking to buy my first rifle
I enjoy it so much I've put up my own gun range in my yard..... 
I think I'm going to get a 70 dollar Mosin M44 carbine to shoot for a while and save up for an M1 or something similar. I'll be sure to save this thread as it is full of useful knowledge. Thanks a lot for the help guys.
