Mosin Nagants

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
Only ever one M/N derivative at my house, but I like the little contraption--a Romanian M-44 carbine that found its way into the gun safe some years ago due to some poor guy's Divorce Fire Sale. (Seem that film my own self. Lousy production, and the theater really stunk).

Ahem.

I haven't tried to grenade the carbine, the little monster has kinda grown on me. It isn't Camp Perry-capable, but it will stay up with most 30/30 leverguns of my acquaintance when it comes to grouping potential. I just landed some Sierra Matchkings for the blasty little critter from "462", and those will get a test-drive later this year. It is significantly more powerful than any 30/30 when loaded to its full potential, and it has done good things with castings to 200 yards. It dotes upon the Lee #C312-185 at 1600-1800 FPS, sized @ .311".

It is a GREAT little truck rifle, and goes along behind the seat of the pickup or Jeep with some frequency. I carry it in Condition 4, mag full/chamber empty. Somebody in Russia c. 1891 had their head screwed on right--the cartridge rim design basically defeats "rim lock" with its angled profile. I have set up rim lock scenarios with empty brass in this rifle, and a sharp forward push on the bolt handle overcomes the condition very reliably. The SMLE.......um, not so much.
 

Maven

Well-Known Member
Those carbines are supposed to be more accurate with the [folding] bayonet extended (better barrel harmonics maybe?).
 

CZ93X62

Official forum enigma
The rangemaster where we used to do the Burrito Shoot told me that too, Maven. Naturally, I had to test that out, and got some Rooskikh corrosive Berdan-primed milsurp ammo to test that theory out with. Bayonet folded--bayonet extended--bayonet removed.......pretty hard to tell apart at 50 and 100 yards. Disperal changed a little, but grouping did not. I took the bayonet off and left it that way. It might be in a box somewhere in the garage, but dunno.

I remember the first time I saw one of these M/N carbines, long before The Wall Came Down and M/Ns started flowing into the USA. 1980 or thereabouts, in Desert Hot Springs. A Viet Nam vet (Dennis) with a bit of a drinking problem, and his wife was a shrew that called us on him constantly. She was a total PITA. He never raised a hand to her, but her tales of drunkenness & cruelty were legion--and fact-free.

I get called to their place one day, and he meets me in the front yard. "This is it, Deputy. I'm DONE! Can you stand by while I get some stuff to leave with?"

"Sure, of course." This was new--usually the She-Monster did the storming off, followed by complaints to our sergeants about deputies "Not doing their jobs!!" IOW--arresting him and dragging him the 26 miles to Indio Jail. "PLEASE--don't take my rifle, though. It came back with me from the war."

Ah, h--l. Don't tell me this guy (the deputies liked him a lot) has a CAR-15 or M-16 in the house. Neither one of this couple had said anything about about a gun in the house previously. "Why don't you take me to the rifle, and we'll see what needs doing--if anything?" He was cool with that.

He and I enter the house and I see that She-Monster wasn't around. Nice. He takes me into the master bedroom, and points to a something long wrapped in a played-out bedsheet. I pick it up, and it is one of the M/N carbines. "That is COOL, Dennis!" He gathers up some clothes and toiletries, re-wraps the rifle, and I drive him across town to a motel. Dennis stayed gone, too.

Every time I take the carbine out of the safe, it reminds me of Dennis. A really good guy in a bad situation.
 
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Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
There were a lot of those "good guys in bad situations" in our line of work Al. Story sounds pretty familiar.
 

Bret4207

At the casting bench in the sky. RIP Bret.
Ooooooooh yeah! Never could figure out why the nice looking girl with the college degree that came from a great family would always choose a reform school dropout alcoholic biker type for her Prince Charming. After the first 3 beatings you'd think she'd figure out....