Mosin-Nagant project

[Clipper]

Bought a hex Tula a month or so ago from J&G, and started disassembly today. It's all #s matching, but while the receiver is a '31 and in great cosmetic shape, the barrel is a '52...Great, but was kinda surprised to see it had been backbored & recrowned. No big deal, as I'm chopping it anyway, but I was kinda surprised. No trigger pin, but I probably lost it in disassembly, 'cause I never had a loose one and didn't think to watch for it.

So I turned a mandrel I can chuck into my lathe that fits nice and snug through the action and locates in the chamber. a little duct tape around the tang to set between the chuck jaws and act as a drive dog and with the live center, I can work on turning the sight dovetail off and polishing the barrel after recrowning.

I had origionally planned to rebore to .348, but the cost of the rebore and custom reamer, dies, cases and bullets will probably start at around $500.00, and being retired, I ain't made of money, so I'm gonna stick with the original chambering for now. I can always change barrels later, and the full stock won't need refitting as I'll be using a Mosin barrel if I do.

I'll post pics later after I get a bit further into it, but right now I have the trigger and ejector screws (which are a bit buggered up from somewhere) soaking in penetrating oil...

 

[Cosmoline]

It's quite a bit cheaper and easier to swap barrels on a Mauser 98 pattern than a Mosin 91. If you can imagine a chambering within the broad parameters of a 98 action, you can get it in a 98 barrel. Not so with the Mosin. I think that's why your projected costs are so high. You might consider searching for a 98 stripped action and building from there.

 

[Clipper]

I just have a thing for Mosins...I have nothing against Mausers, and have had a couple, but I think a properly done sporterized Mosin is much more aestetically pleasing (to me anyway). I know the semi-rimmed .348 will work, but I also have the hots for another boat, and going .348 will cost what a decent jon boat will cost...Gotta have priorities.