I own 3 mosins. Hun M44, 1941 Finn-Captured Izhevsk M91/30 w/ Pot belly finn stock, and a 1933 Finn-captured Tula w/ a finn spliced stock where the back half used to be on an Austrian M91.
The M44 is reasonably accurate w/ surplus ammo. The bore on the 1933 looked like a sewer pipe, but has cleaned up quite nicely and can hit a milk jug at 100 yards every time. The 1941 has an awesome bore that slugged at 0.3125 and does groups just barely over 1" @ 100 yards. When someone with better eyes is shooting.
It does about 3" for me. I paid $80 each for the M44 and the 1933 at a pawn shop.
I love mosins, especially Finns because you never know what you're going to get. The 1933 has an early M91/30 stepped front sight, a remington bolt handle, old izhevsk connecting bar and a very early tula cocking piece. The 1941 has a Chatellerault cocking piece, and early tula bolt body, a late Ishy connecting bar, and a Finn M91/30 stock. I'm getting at least one M39 at the start of next year and as many odd-balls as I can find locally.
The Hun is especially fun to shoot, especially at dusk. HUGE fireballs. I have a slip-on recoil pad to make that bearable. Without it, I last about 10 rounds before I'm done shooting for the day. I can shoot one of my 1903's for hours before my shoulder starts waving the white flag.
I have 5 different mausers: VZ-24, 1909 Argy, M44 spanish air force, 1910 Mexican (bubba got to it unfortunately, but it's turned into a very nice sporter) and a Yugo K98/48 action (Full-length german receiver rebuilt by yugoslavia after the war). On my list to get there is a German K98, Yugo M48, Brazilian 1908, Spanish 1916 or 1893 in 7mm, 1891 Argy, and as many Swede's as I can find.
I also have 2 1903's. First is my grandfather's custom 30-06 built on a RIA receiver. That is the most valuable gun in my collection as I inherited it from him. Unfortunately one of my cousins got to it before I got it and replaced the Weaver K4 w/ a cheap BSA Deerhunter (should have been named DeerNeedsToBeStandingCloseEnoughtToGetPowderBurnsHunter; it sucked). We used to pick off jackrabbits at 200+ yards with that K4. It was awesome. I put a Bushnell Elite 3200 on it and it is happy once again. The other is a SA 1903 w/ a 1909-dated Springfield barrel that I rescued from a pawn shop. (I'd have lots more money if I quit going to pawn shops.) Bubba had gotten to it, but just to the stock. I replaced the stock w/ a C-Stock and handguard from Sarco, refinished them both w/ BLO and a couple of coats of Toms 1/3 mix and it's my favorite shooter. I'm hopefully going to be picking up at least one 1903A3 next year also.
But I digress.
I love mosins. Cheap. Goes boom. Most are reasonably accurate. Some are amazingly accurate. And no two are alike. I may be picking up a red-lettered Izhy M91/30 on friday .
Matt