Shooting the Mosin M38 Carbine

[KHornet]

Discovered I had no empty 7.62x54RBrass for my little
M38 Carbine, so went to the indoor range (50 yd) and
shot about 100 rds last week. Some of the loads I shot
I had loaded about 10 yrs ago, with 314299, over 16 gr.
of 2400 (also one of my favorite 30-30 loadings) Shot
a couple of 20 rd groups with this load, and stayed
right at 3'"with one group, and just a tat over 2 1/2
with the second. Was quite pleased with the results.
Bought the M38 a bit over10 yrs age. and have only
shot it maybe 5-600 rds. The rifling is deep, and a
bit dark, but for an as issue military weapon., made
probably in 1942 or 43, it is acceptably accurate, even
If it is sort of an ugly sort. I paid $82.00 for it, and there
were 4 others on the rack. Could kick myself for not
getting a couple more. Have only seen one since at
Cabeala's used rack a year or two ago, with an asking
price of a bit over 300. 00. Ah so, too soon old, and
to late smart.

Paul

 

[JWFilips]

Hi Paul,
Some good shooting there! The more I shoot the old Mil Guns the more I enjoy them!
Wish I had a few more! I would easily trade one of my modern rifles for an old beast any day.
Seems I rather have one of those on the bench then a modern scoped rifle & when you shoot a good group it gives you a better satisfaction ( At least for me)
Jim

 

[462]

An M38 was the first rifle I ever sold. Handloaded neither jacketed nor cast, for it, but shot most of a spam-can of Bulgarian or Romanian 174-grain ex-military stuff, though. The muzzle blast was daytime visible and extremely loud, and the recoil (benched) soon became uncomfortable.

It handles and carries equal to a Winchester carbine, and I suspect that with an accurate handload it would make for a spiffy woods gun.

 

[KHornet]

462, With full power mil ammo it is no fun to shoot, as most of that
is designed for rifle and machine gun.

Paul

 

[Tomme boy]

Almost all 54R is machine gun ammo. Mosins were a last ditch rifle. After WW2 the mosins were put out to pasture. They did not need them anymore. Thye now had several beltfed guns and they had the AK as their primary gun. SKS was a secondary gun and the Mosin a 3rd tier last ditch give to all the peasants gun. They did not care if the gun would cycle in a Mosin. That Czech silvertip was the worst ammo ever for a Mosin. The belt feds had HUGE extractors to rip out the cases. Not a rifle with no Primary extraction.

 

[Pistolero]

I tore down my Czeck silvertips and reloaded the bullets and powder in .303 Brit, and it works far better than
in the Mosin.

Bill

 

[Tomme boy]

The Bulgarian lps I had from the 70's to 80's production was the most accurate of all the Comm Block ammo I have shot out of over 20 different Mosins.

 

[KHornet]

Have found that most any 30 cal bullet sized 312-314, weiging from 150 to 190 gr over from 16 to 20 gr of 2400 shoots well in the little carbine with acceptable accuracy and issue sights. I suspect that It would be a dandy woods deer rifle with a FNose RD bullet of about 180 gr. over 19-20 gr. of 2400.

Paul

 

[MW65]

The Bulgarian lps I had from the 70's to 80's production was the most accurate of all the Comm Block ammo I have shot out of over 20 different Mosins.

The Polish lps from 80/90's worked wonders out of my mosins. Bulgarian also worked great.

 

[KHornet]

Have no desire to shoot anything but cast loads out of mine at
vols between 1600 and 2200. Recoil is no longer my friend.

Paul