First surplus bolt rifle?

[HB]

Time to buy a milsurp...!

I have a shotgun I'm going to trade in for either a Mosin Nagant or a Yugo Mauser. I like the looks and quality of the Yugo much more and it would go with my SKS nicely however they also have a Mosin 91/30.

I prefer the Mauser to the Mosin because overall, it is a much nicer rifle is obviously much more refined. However, I like the sights on the Mosin more and the availability of ammo is much appreciated. If I buy the Mauser, it will likely be shot much less but I have a feeling it will be more accurate and pleasant to shoot. With the Mosin I will have roughly 100 dollars to work with in terms of ammo, and as I understand it, that will give me plenty of surplus.

Any advice on which rifle to purchase?

Thanks,
HB

 

[mgregg85]

I don't have a Mauser of any flavor yet but I can say that the Mosin rifles are very fun and pretty accurate. I have an M44 and a 91/30 and I love being able to just plink with them almost like a .22 because the ammo is so cheap.

 

[jericho941]

I like both, but it sounds like you decided already. Get the Mauser. I like my Finn M39 as much as any Mauser, but I like my Yugo and Turk at the range more than the other Mosins I have: 4x M44's, 91/30, for the reasons you listed. The bolt is smoother, fit and finish is nicer. Between my M39 and my 30" barreled Mauser I think open site accuracy is a toss up, but they both beat my M44's.

 

[Texasgunlover]

Mosin/Mauser

I have 4 mosins.I just yesterday picked up a ex sniper,holes in the reciever are plugged,but with the 182 heavy I was able to keep 5 shots inside 4'' at 100 yds. with the open sights.don't quit trying to find one of those as they are worth the search.I can recomend that you buy both,as it seems to be the only logical answer.

 

[Trebor]

I prefer the Mauser action to the Mosin.

Up to you though.

 

[kimber98]

I now have 2 VZ-24 and 1 Yugo mausers, and 2 Finn Mosin designs. I have made customs of all 3 of the mausers, restocking, rebarreling, adding Timney triggers, scoping, and much more. 2 are in .338 for large heavy bone critters, and the yugo is my sheep rifle in 7x57 and weighs a little under 6# loaded with scope. All 3 are terribly accurate shooters, and I hunt with all three of them here in Alaska nearly year-round.
The Finns are crudely engineered, being heavy and lacking a sophisticated safety, trigger, etc. They are also arguably the most reliable bolt rifle ever built. No matter what conditions, pull the trigger and the bullet goes out of the barrel. One Finn is an original Winter War piece, and was used by my father at that time. It is not used much now, but is cleaned often. The other is just a generic Finn built mosin design, and goes everywhere with me on my snow machine and in the truck. I have used it to take wolves, coyotes, winter bear, moose, caribou, and more pot rabbits than I can count....all with the original open sights. I don't baby the gun. It is filled with bumps and dings, and I clean it with a can of WD-40 and a patch rod, yet I still feel comfortable taking the 100 yard shot.
Which rifle for you ??? both... If not now, then soon. BOth will be gone before long, and are both desireable for different reasons. I have memories from all of mine..... the memories are all different, but equally good. Enjoy

 

[JWF III]

Have you looked at a K31? Last time I looked at one, they were still in the $200 range. And in terms of accuracy, they are the cream of the crop.

I have one, and I'm looking for more...

Wyman

 

[HB]

Thanks for the replies. I've thought about the K31 before but I think its a little too odd of a caliber for me. They are sweet tho. I'm starting to lean more and more to the Mauser but the Mosin has the ammo advantage by far.

Thanks,
HB

 

[GunsBeerFreedom]

Get the K31 now or regret not doing so forever.

Trust me on this

I had the chance to pick 1 up for almost 3 years, when they were only $100 for an excellent quality one.

 

[zfk55]

A k31 for sure. Brass is readily available, it shoots a .308 projectile, virtually all of them are moa rifles and finding one that doesn't have a sharp, shiny bore is unusual. A clamp-on scope mount allows you to use any scope you like. This is one of mine, and I prefer a low profile scope. This one is a Leupold fixed 6 power.



Latigo

 

[Phaethon]

I've always personally found the Mosin-Nagant to be a beautiful rifle. If I had my choice between a Mauser and a Nagant, I would prefer the original Gewehr 98 configuration. But, I do think the Karabiner models with the hooded front sight are very solid and well engineered. They'd undoubtably be more fun to shoot than a Nagant if you don't like its rough bolt operation and heavy recoil.

 

[Afy]

K-31 definetely

 

[Dean1818]

The Yugo is an excellent choice

From my understanding, they were almost all rebarreled then immediately stored in cosmo for a later war that never came

I have two.

For hunting, the 8mm will kill anything on the planet.

 

[madcratebuilder]

"Yugo Mauser" covers rifles from the 1920's to the mid 1950's. Many like new M48's around, M24/47's that were rebuilt and stored. The M1924's and M47/52C's are less common. The Mod98/48 are re-arsenaled Yugo captured German rifles. Yugo 8mm surplus is dirt cheap.





K-31's are going to be the most accurate, are generally in very good or better condition, some may have chewed up furniture. GP11 ammo is match grade and about .45 a round.

 

[HB]

Thanks for the replies, I think that the Yugo is my best bet. Its whatever the most common model is, that retails around $230. Its a much nicer rifle than the Mosin and while ammo seems to be less available, its also a much better buy for me.


Thanks,
HB


I'll post pics if the trade goes through sometime next week, and of course a range report!

 

[Olympus]

I've had both, the Yugo Mauser and the Mosin carbine. My preference would easily be the Mauser. You can get a Yugo 24/47 for a lot cheaper than $230. The only difference is the 24/47 has a straight bolt handle.

 

[KodiakBeer]

Get the Yugo, then find $100 and buy a Mosin. At current prices, you can afford both.

 

[tatonka]

stock up on 8mm while you can!

 

[teninfro]

madcratebuilder, beautiful wood on those K31s.

OP, I just went through the same problem concerning my first surplus bolt rifle. My K31 should be here on Wednesday, but if you're between the Mosin and Mauser, I'd go with the Yugo for the same reasons I went with the K31 over a Mosin.

 

[Ignition Override]

Although the ammo is not as cheap, you might enjoy an original-config. Lee-Enfield #4. The Prvi .303 ammo reloads at least five-six times.

Enfields have nice aperture iron sights in contrast to those on my Yugo Mauser and (former) MNs. It was very hard to even hit the sticky black target from 100 yards with the Yugo's sights.

 

[rangerruck]

depends on what your primary use for the rifle is , to me. I like to hunt, i like to hunt big stuff, I like to target/paper punch, I like cheap ammo, and I like to stalk when I hunt. for me, the m38 mosin, was the best choice. I also like the tanker size mausers, if you can find one.

 

[mordechaianiliewicz]

I vote Mauser.

 

[Red Tornado]

It also depends on what kind of shotgun you're trading. If you're trading or selling to an individual, you'll get a lot more for it than trading it in at a gun store.
If you want to trade, there's likely someone in the StL area who has a milsurp and would like a shotgun instead. It never hurts to try the THR classifieds and see what's offered.
RT

 

[HB]

Thanks for the advice, that's what I kind of figured. I'm going to post it on the boards and depending on when the next large gunshow is, I may try to trade it off there. It's just a Stoeger Coachgun and I dont mind on taking a hit on the price a few bucks if I can do a straight across trade for it and a few boxes of ammo. We will see I suppose.

HB

 

[Red Tornado]

I'm not up on Mauser prices, but if you trade it for a Mosin, I'd expect a case of ammo to come back in the exchange. A Mauser, maybe only a few boxes, I'm sure the internet knows the exchange value.
Good luck,
RT