Topic: Well the time has come.

[Alphabet Soup]

I remember when I was learning with my wheel gun we used to mix .38s with the .357s and occasionally a spent round. One of my brothers would load my piece so that I wouldn't know the firing order. It worked well to illustrate how much I was anticipating and pulling.

Kinda hard to do with a semi .40 

[IronDioPriest]

If the trigger requires too much pressure, you can have that eased.  Maybe you're anticipating the bang/recoil.

 I think I was anticipating just about everything today remember it was all new.

Those are both good suggestions. Recoil anticipation is something people who haven't fired handguns don't even think about without being told.

If the trigger pull doesn't seem too stiff, shooting left might also mean that you're using too little trigger finger, which can have the effect of pushing the gun to the left as you squeeze the trigger. I had that problem until my instructor pointed it out to me, and correcting it made a big difference. I just adjusted my finger-pad placement on the trigger ever so slightly, and the problem was solved. You want the trigger to be roughly in the center of your finger-pad, and you want to position your grip so that you feel that finger-pad as a perpendicular plane to the front face of the trigger all the way through the squeeze.

[Libertas]

Good advice IDP, proper grip and finger placement on the trigger is important.  And opposed to 1911 models you can generally get a higher grip on the gun without risking flesh removal.  It's gonna be a comfort/practice thing JF, the trigger mechanism might wear in a bit and get better, but grip & placement will always need to be optimal.  And I know from shooting my brothers .40 cal Taurus (740 slim I think it is) the round has a little kick to it and since it doesn't have the heft of an all-steel S/A it will naturally have a barrel-lift bias to it.  I know some makers like Glock have models with compensators but I don't how much better that allows an average shooter to get back on target.  Sounds like you like the new toy so I am thinking practice won't be too much of a chore!  Pretty soon you'll master double-tap's!
 

[John Florida]

Good advice IDP, proper grip and finger placement on the trigger is important.  And opposed to 1911 models you can generally get a higher grip on the gun without risking flesh removal.  It's gonna be a comfort/practice thing JF, the trigger mechanism might wear in a bit and get better, but grip & placement will always need to be optimal.  And I know from shooting my brothers .40 cal Taurus (740 slim I think it is) the round has a little kick to it and since it doesn't have the heft of an all-steel S/A it will naturally have a barrel-lift bias to it.  I know some makers like Glock have models with compensators but I don't how much better that allows an average shooter to get back on target.  Sounds like you like the new toy so I am thinking practice won't be too much of a chore!  Pretty soon you'll master double-tap's!
 

 With me it's baby steps when I have this one solved i'll move on to the next one. The Range I go to has a tactical rang also and tha's my last stop when I'm ready not to make a fool of myself.

[Libertas]

Reviving the Mosin-Nagant discussion...where did you guys that have them get them?

I saw this as I was goofing off online today -

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=710007

Surplus from Ukraine so I am thinking luck of the draw finish-wise, but from the comments it appears they all go "bang".

And there is some Hornady & Prvi Patizan bulk cases in 7.62x54 to be had.

[charlesoakwood]

"These bolt-action firearms are in remarkably good condition."

Refinishing the stock sounds like a fun project.

[Glock32]

Reviving the Mosin-Nagant discussion...where did you guys that have them get them?

I saw this as I was goofing off online today -

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=710007

Surplus from Ukraine so I am thinking luck of the draw finish-wise, but from the comments it appears they all go "bang".

And there is some Hornady & Prvi Patizan bulk cases in 7.62x54 to be had.

I got mine several years ago, a M44 carbine from Classic Arms and a Finnish M39 from some dealer on Gunbroker. I would absolutely get one if you have the chance, they're good solid rifles.

Get yourself a spam can of ammo too. If you've never shot corrosive ammo before, just be sure to thoroughly clean the bore with a water based solvent before your normal cleaning. That's all there is to it.


ETA - I saw a few reviews at that link where people were complaining about the "toxic gel", i.e. cosmoline. It's like, what did they expect?    If you get one, disregard most of the crap you'll read about cleaning the cosmoline with solvents. The most effective way to remove it is with moderate heat. Completely disassemble the rifle, and wrap the wood parts tightly in paper towels. Set your oven to its lowest temperature (usually 150 or 175) and put the parts in there. You will probably have to prop the oven door open, and can use a towel to cover the gap and keep heat in. After about 20-30 minutes most of the cosmoline will have seeped out of the wood and been soaked up by the paper towels. You might need to repeat this a time or two with fresh paper towels before it stops seeping out. Cosmoline melts at 130 degrees, so it's pretty easy to get it out with moderate heat. This is much gentler on the wood than using solvents.

The metal parts are much easier. The small ones can be put in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes, and the larger parts like the barrel/receiver can be hosed down with degreaser. Once you're down to clean metal and wood, just clean it like you would any rifle. I do recommend oiling the stock with something once all the cosmoline is out. I use Howard Feed-N-Wax. It's a beeswax and orange oil product that you wipe on, let soak in for 20-30 minutes, then buff off with clean towels. Great for wood.

[Libertas]

Yeah I already discarded the cosmoline comments as ignorance and hysteria. 

Thanks for the tips, sounds like good common sense to me.   

I've been swinging by Cabelas regularly so next time I'm in I'll talk to somebody.

[charlesoakwood]

Old timers would use a mixture of boiled linseed oil,
turpentine, and the oxide from iron filings to make
a hand rub finish.

[IronDioPriest]

I wonder how "limited" the supply is, and consequently how likely it is that a purchase would actually come to fruition with delivery of the product.

Seems to me with the demand as it is, and the price of these rifles as it is, they are going to oversell the inventory - unless they have like 500,000 rifles or something.

I ran this past my wife, and she said "order two." Think I'll run over there tomorrow and see what's up.

[AlanS]

One thing I've learned about mail order Nagants. You don't know what kind of shape the bore is in until you get it. Mine was crappy about 6" from the muzzle back. I cut the barrel to 22" and reamed a new crown. There's still a couple inches of crap, but my groups have been cut in half just by that mod. Naturally I had to put a scope on it since cutting the barrel took the front sight.

[Glock32]

And as far as my recommendation about oiling the wood, that would only apply to stocks with an oil finish (like the Finn M39). It just occurred to me that most regular Mosins are shellaced or lacquered, so you wouldn't need to bother oiling them in that case.

As Alan points out, the bore condition can be a bit of a crap shoot. The good news is that lots of the rifles coming in were re-arsenaled at some point in their storage history, so a lot of times you will see the ones with bad crowns were counterbored. Should still make a fine shooter.

I really do like these rifles. They're not exactly ergonomic, and the first time you work the bolt it will seem like it was designed for gorillas (and not guerrillas!) but they quickly grow on you. The ones from Finland are a bit different. I would put them up against any rifle of similar vintage. The Finns were/are rifle purists.

[trapeze]

Hmm...the price is very tempting. Since I'm in Texas at the moment I might have to find a store nearby and see if I can get one. I already have a .30-06 so this would sort of be a backup, I suppose...just another hunting/sniper rifle. The only thing I don't care for is adding yet another caliber to my ammunition inventory.

And, yeah, just checked and there is a store within an hour's drive south of Austin. I guess I will call them in the morning and see if they have any of these rifles left in stock.

[AlanS]

The ones from Finland are a bit different. I would put them up against any rifle of similar vintage. The Finns were/are rifle purists.

And the Finns bring a better price tag. I was cheap and went the Russian route. I don't regret it, but would like to add a Finn some day.

[Septugenarian]

Old timers would use a mixture of boiled linseed oil,
turpentine, and the oxide from iron filings to make
a hand rub finish.

There is also a linseed oil and shellac finish.  I've done it on handrails and one gun stock.  It is a hard, durable finish which is very easy to touch up / redo.  When done properly it is one beautiful finish. Basic approach is to wet the rag with linseed oil, dip in shellac, apply to the wood, repeat until done.

[charlesoakwood]

Be interesting to do a side by side comparison of the three
finishes, of course, it would be necessary for one to...

[Libertas]

I have my father lining up at an Academy outlet in Houston this AM, supposed to have an ammo shipment, told him to buy as much .22LR he can get, he also wants another small game rifle so I am having him get a Marlin Model 60 too, on my dime.  I have my brother interested in a Mosin-Nagant, if he gets the latter I might get one I can stash at the lake.

 

You find out anything more on the M-N's at Cabelas IDP?

[trapeze]

I have called the Cabelas south of Austin and they told me that they are totally sold out. That sounded like a bad sign so I called the store in Fort Worth and got the same result. In fact, the guy at the Fort Worth store told me that they had gotten in something like 500 rifles and they were all gone in about four hours. So...no cheap rifle for me. Too bad but there will be others sooner or later and in the meantime I can get started with my purchase of a reloading rig.

Oh yeah, and today I got a call from my local gun store. They received my AK47 receivers. I am pretty sure that my Egyptian parts kit came in on Monday so when I get back to CO I am ready to start building me a commie assault rifle. Plus, as mentioned elsewhere, I'm buying cheap ammo at Walmart.

Good times, good times.

[Glock32]

On the subject of Mosin-Nagant rifles, here's evidence of what tough bastards they are (though it does pain me to see any vintage firearm deliberately abused):



Mosin Nagant Torture Test: Part 1

[Glock32]

And now for the exciting conclusion of the Mosin-Nagant torture test:



Mosin Nagant Torture Test: Part 2