Mosin-Nagant M91/59 Range Report (with pics)....

[Rubber_Duck]

Hey everybody, guess what followed me home?

A 1942 Izhvesk M91/59.

I spent about two hours removing the cosmoline. The bore looks dark with some very mild pitting. The crown looks good, as this rifle is NOT counter-bored. I was hoping for a shiny bore and sharp rifling, but if she shoots good then who cares, right? I bought it as a shooter, not a safe queen.

Serial numbers all match, except for the stock. But the receiver/barrel, bolt, magazine floorplate,and buttplate all match. For some odd reason, the cleaning rod is copper colored. Maybe the bluing wore off?

I forget to take pics while out at the range, so I took them at home (a crappy cell phone camera is all I have so no detailed shots).

I took it to the range with some Bulgarian surplus light ball. I set up targets at 25, 50, 100, and 150 yards.

I only have a pic of the 150 yard target, as the closer targets were riddled with holes from 22LR.

About 4 1/2" inches for a 5-shot group at 150 yards with surplus ammo. I'm sure better ammo would yeild tighter groups, but I'm happy with this level of accuracy. Time to stock up on spam cans!

Overall, I'm very happy with this MN. The bolt cycles smoothly (no sticky bolt here!), unlike my old M91/30. One thing really stood out for me, the trigger. This Mosin has a really nice trigger, best I've ever felt on a Mosin-Nagant. A big plus. Also, this one seems to like being shot with the rear sight set at 200m.

I'm thinking of getting one of those L-shaped recoil pads that replaces the Mosin buttplate (anybody have one?). The recoil isn't bad (felt about the same as shooting the longer-barreled M91/30), but increasing the length of pull would be a bigger benefit for me than recoil-reduction.

My only complaint is that this rifle gets very hot very fast, and the upper handguard and barrel bands shift forwards a bit from the force of the recoil.

Looking forwars to comments. Thanks.

 

[Big Bill]

Nice!! Thanks for the report. I'm sure you can get a tighter group at 50 yards. Were you using a rest? Are you going to try different ammo? I thought one could get a tighter group at 150 yards than that. I hope my two 91/30s shoot tighter groups than that at 150 yards.

 

[Starship1st]

Nice pictures. Where did you buy it locally or thru internet?

 

[lionking]

Nice!I think that group at 150yds should be considered good.My experience with carbine Mosin's are around the same at 100yds,though the M38 I have shoots even wider......way wider,more like minute of beachball.

I recently got a Hungarian M44 that shoots decent,it needs heavier bullets to shoot point of aim at 100,the lighter bullets shoot high.With Prvi Partizan ammo I was able to get a decent group,Brown Bear ammo widened up.Just got a box of S&B heavy grain ammo,I think that will provide a good group when I test it.

The more expensive ammo might not be the best to use on plinking,but it can give you a idea of just what the rifle can do,then again sometimes the cheaper ammo might even shoot better.

I also have a Polish M44 that I haven't tried yet.

 

[35 Whelen]

That's excellent shooting at 150 yds.! Especially with that damned suplus ammo. Give yourself a pat on the back!
35W

 

[Rubber_Duck]

Thanks for the comments.

I'm sure you can get a tighter group at 50 yards.

^^^The groups should be about 1/3 the size, so I believe you are correct in moving closer to the target for tighter groups.


Starship1st,
I bought it locally. I was going to buy over the internet, but Classic Arms ran out of these before I could buy.



I took it to the range again today, and here is my 100-yd paper plate, a 3-inch group of 5-shots, with one heck of a lucky shot. One of my best days shooting (maybe because the weather is getting nicer out here).

 

[Almond27]

Very nice congrats from a fellow 91/59 owner and I heard a rumor that the 91/59's are known to have better triggers.

 

[stubbicatt]

The rifle is a shooter. The vertical stringing on the first target is due to you, not the rifle nor the ammo. If it were bad ammo or a bad rifle the shot dispersion would have been random.

I suspect it is just getting used to the sight alignment, as it is difficult to gage consistently the post in the rear notch, elevation wise.

Second target it representative of what can be done.

Good on you.

 

[Rubber_Duck]

Thanks stubbicatt. I find the Mosin irons sights to be unforgiving to use (the shorter radius doesn't help).

Bulgarian light ball is most common around here, but I'm interested in trying some of the Czech yellow-tip heavy ball. A local gun shop carries it and a friend has been bugging me to try it since he gets excellent results with it out of his Mosin.

 

[Rubber_Duck]

Does anyone know where to find some heavy ball online? I can only find spam cans of light ball at this moment.

Thanks.

 

[HOLY DIVER]

this looks like fun i might just have 2 get one of these rifles

 

[lionking]

I told you my M38 really shoots wide groups,I usually shoot centerfire at 100yds but maybe I should use the M38 on the 50 just to see.My Hungarian M44 shoots way better than the M38,like I said if your rifle does that consistantly at 100yds than you have a good rifle and you shoot good with it.

Actually I just looked at my 2 test targets for the Hungarian and avereaged about 4 1/2 at 100yds so it looks like your Mosin carbine is real accurate.

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

What is the story of the 59? I am aware of the 91 / 30, m38 & M44. What happened there? Were they working on a carbine in 1942? Were these remade later?

 

[Rubber_Duck]

The M91/59 was made from M91/30s by chopping the barrels down to carbine specs and the wooden stocks cut to match. The rear sight markings above 1000m were also ground off. These rifles were reconfigured like this around 1959, hence the 59 in the model number.

I was surprised by the accuracy of this one considering the short barrel. The trigger helps immensly, as it is probably the nicest trigger I've felt on any Mosin.

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

I see, Thanks.

Do you know why they were doing this. Weren't the russians using SKS and AK47 rifles by 1959? Or were there just not enough?

 

[Rubber_Duck]

I'm not sure, hopefully somone will be along shortly to explain why they did this. All I know is the Russians don't like to just throw things away when something new and improved comes along.

 

[Ohio Gun Guy]

I really like it, it looks more balanced (Not to long). Another varriation I didnt know about.

I have a 1942 izzy 91/30.

 

[GD]

I have two of the M91/59's and both are pretty accurate with very nice two stage triggers.
The story behind these is that they were made for border guards in a Soviet satellite country. I doubt they were made for much more than that when the AK-47 would have been widely distributed.

 

[Almond27]

GD that is a rumor no one really knows why these were made. There is also a rumor they were rearsenaled in Bulgaria.

 

[greensngravy]

Just picked up a Tula 1943 M91/59 from a local Dunham's store for $129. All stamped matching numbers, sweet bore and crown, and beechwood stock. Beautiful... Don't know where it was made with that beech stock. I hope it's a shooter Question: Should I strip it and bring out the grain? It's got the old shiny shellac on it now. I want it to look more like a polish M44 they have beautiful looking stocks. Scott

 

[Rubber_Duck]

Nice find, Tula Mosins are always more difficult to find than the Izzys.

My M91/59 has been a real blast to shoot. It's way loud and kicks harder than my friend's M91/30. You don't really notice the difference until you fire both side-by-side. But it's definately a keeper.

 

[greensngravy]

Couldn't Resist...refinishing my M91/59 (1943 Tula)

Less than 24 hours after buying and I stripped that beechwood stock down and did a fine sand (220 grit), then a few coats of linseed oil, then a light stain. When its dry I'll reassemble and post pictures!!

 

[esmith]

I have an 91/59 and an m44. My m44 has a perfect barrel, the rifling is solid and the bore is shiny. My 91/59 has a worse barrel than that and it outshoots the hell out of it. Well not the hell out of it, but i can usually get 3-4 more inches of a tighter group with my 91/59 than my m44.

Don't know why it does this, but im not too worried about it.

I refinished both of the stocks on my mosins. I used minwax for mine, turned out pretty good.

 

[wcwhitey]

I have a Ishy M44 counterbored and little dark. My groups at 50 look about the same as yours at 100. The Bulgarian Heavy ball shoots perfect POA/POI but 2-3" at 50 yards. I am happy with this level of accuracy you should be very pleased. Bottom line any Milsurp than can shoot 4" or less is reasonably accurate, new some didn't shoot as well as yours. Congrats, Bill

 

[1858rem]

darn nice shootin..... i dont think i could get much less than 3 inches with open sights, 30-30 though. very nice