Moisin Nagant 91/30, M38 or a Mauser 8mm

Have not shot a Moisin Nagant rifle/ carbine, or a mauser 8mm. trying to decide which one to get for target shooting only. anyone had experience with both of the Rifles?

I've shot both the Mosin Nagant 91/30 and an 8mm Yugo Mauser. Both are very accurate. The Nagant is cheaper (usually at least half the price of a Mauser) and the ammo for the Nagant is cheaper as well.

For target shooting, I would NOT buy the M44 Nagant (carbine).

I really like my Yugo Mauser............

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Knuckle up and buy a Finnish Moisin Nagant Model 39. It is usually the most accurate 7.62x53r rifle made.

Doug

rdj94a wrote:I concur with Doug just got a sky in the grease!!

They only made 10,000+- SKy rifles. A rare military rifle.

I am bias towards the Mosin Nagant. I personally love the 1891/30. Reliable. Accurate. I love the 7.62x54r rounds. I have no problems with these rifles. I really like the 29'' barrels. Have no issues with the stocks. Do not mind the action and have no problems with the trigger pull. I wish everyone could shoot one for themselves and own at least one. Of course, the Russian M1944 Carbines are fun too. Most Mosin shooters think these are better than the 1891/30's; others do not feel this way.

This said...I shall admit when my bias is probably blinding.

The Mauser is an excellent WW2 era rifle. All Pre-WW2 bolt actions led up to the Mauser, which basically changed the game for bolt actions. Most Mausers are made with superior engineering (German, Czech, Argentine, and Yugo). The Mauser is to this day used as a platform for many modern firearm manufacturers on their bolt actions. The Mauser bolt design is considered by many shooters as better (both in smoothness and in design). Mausers are stamped EVERYWHERE and typically come with matching serial numbers (unlike a fair share of Mosins). The wooden stocks on Mausers are also known to come in better quality. In addition, the trigger is preferable to most shooters.

The debate on whether the 1891/30 or K98 could last forever and have an equal amount of shooters on each end of the debate. I guess its all a matter of personal preference.

The member Gitschlag on this forum may have a handful of both he is trying to get rid of (DEFINITELY has Mosins he is trying to get rid of now) and is a great guy. He also has ammo for them as well.

There are also many places you can buy Mosins and Mausers online. For instance: SOG International (who will sell you one if you get your C&R) is selling Mosins starting at $79.95 (or $74.95 if you buy 2) and WW2 K98's for $239.00 --> NOT including delivery. J&G Sales also sells Mosins at this cost without having to obtain a C&R (must get a FFL in line to do the transfer for you). Classic Arms frequently gets more rare Mosins like the red-stamped ones.(even though there aren't many types of rare Mosins) from time to time as well as K98's. As Doug mentioned, the SKY rifles are rare and a great find.

If you have $300 to spend on an old-school surplus rifle, you can buy 3 Mosins lol or 1 K98.

Lastly: If you go with a Mosin then you have more questions --> Tula or Izmash. Hand pick or random selection. What year? What model (if not the 1891/30 you've mentioned?

If you go with K98, most were produced in Germany; but there are also a good amount that were captured/seized during the wars. There are other Mausers in other calibers that are of good manufacture quality as mentioned above.

Sorry for the long post, but really enjoy this particular topic. I especially enjoy seeing the many inputs/opinions of other shooters on this forum.

Thank you all for your input. Shot my buddies Mosin Nagant 91/30 today. Nice rifle, and the kick wasn't to bad. I think I will be getting one of these in the near furture.

Doggy1953 wrote:Thank you all for your input. Shot my buddies Mosin Nagant 91/30 today. Nice rifle, and the kick wasn't to bad. I think I will be getting one of these in the near furture.

also thought I'd add this: if you have any, any questions about Mosins I would ask Doug Bowser. His posts on these rifles are very informative, as Doug's knowledge on these is quite vast.