What to look for when Purchasing a Mosin Nagant Rifle 

I wish I had a dollar for every time someone has answered the "R" question!

Oh, boy. $80 Mosins. Those were the days.

The R in fact does stand for Rimmed. As a Russian who had family actually use these in the defense of our tsar, Nicholas Romanov II. Plenty of westerners think the R means Russian but it doesnt, no harm in it though.

You make my heart cry for the good old days when we could freely pick and choose what we wanted to buy with little interference from the government.

You should also consider two other factors- 1st matching numbers on reciever bolt and floorplate. Second muzzlecrown check it from the muzzle end many mosin have worn out riffling on the end of the barrell dut to shooting the cooper plated steel bulletts. It is common the see a recessed target crown about two inches down into the barrell . This was done during refurbishing, and improves accuracy of a worn out barrell . But always try to get a perfect crown and riffling .

Dad gave me one of his Mosin Nagants and my first thought was how much I can get for this old thing or what can I trade it for. But the more I learn about it and educate myself on it's history the more appreciate it. I'll be keeping it!! Thank you for the mentioning of the corrosive residue from the rounds.

Very informative video. I bought mine 2 months ago. 1938 Izveshek round receiver with a clean, well rifled bore. Great shooter and a bargain at $130.

Another vote for R=rimmed. Helpful video bro. Thanks.

I paid to much for mine but I had to have it. $500 but it's a Finn built in 1896 rebarreled in 1943!! Beautiful stock ( Finn) the finish is good. Action smooth. Barrel bright and sharp !!!

This is one of the best youtube channels for help and answers. Thank you!

ask the shop before you remove the bolt. Some shops will not allow you to remove it and freak out if you just do it all willy nilly. Also ask before you dry fire, that again can tick off some shops..

I have seen a buyer using a dark bore as a bargaining point. I asked him about it. He said, after a thorough cleaning and a few rounds he has still found most of the time the rifles tested from a rest are still surprisingly accurate. The dark bores are storage neglect.

R stands for rimmed.

The 'r' in 7.62x54R does stand for rimmed.

The Wife & I just purchased our first Hex Mosin and I remembered this video from ya. We have recently become older rifle collecting enthusiasts and I remembered from this Video about what you said about the Hex Receivers. So with that thought in mind we purchased one for our collection. They are just gorgeous firearms once you get them cleaned up. But I just wanted to say thanks for all the information in this video. Excellent on the finer details on purchasing this beautiful rifle.

I bought mine Mosin along with a en-field 303 from Roses department store for $40 each about 20 years ago.

Thanks for the heads up. I'm looking for my second Mosin...bought My first one blind. I did get a good one. My son now owns it... I really miss it.

Thanks ebomey. You helped me purchase my first '35 Tula Hex Mosin.

The varnish is "shellack". You should also look for matching serial numbers, make sure it doesn't have a countersunk bore, and also really check the chamber and the entire bore for any pitting or frostyness. A good barrel will have shiny groovs and crisp lands.

I'm getting ready to purchase my first rifle and have fired one before and just fell in love with it. I live in AZ. I just wanted to drop a line and tell you how much I appreciate your advice on this video and it is a huge help.

Yes. The "R" means rimmed. This designation is employed with many cartridges, not just the 7.62 X 54mm. For instance, the British had versions of the H & H magnum cartridges intended for use in double rifles which were rimmed: eg, .300 R, .375 R, etc.

I wish I had a dollar for every damn "R" comment .. lol

great vid eHomey. Totally helped me with a couple questions I had as i am shopping for a mosin at the moment.

You bought yours at the right time. People are paying $200 plus now for these in 2015. This is very informative.

Nice .. it's nice to see that they're still shops out there that are not price gouging.

Here's what u need to know. Can u open the bolt without using a hammer, is the front sight straight and that's it lol

The Hex receiver is actually a more finished machine... Many can be re-built from any Dragoon, etc, from 1891 to 1930... Of all mine, the round and hex receiver models all shoot the same! BUT, I go through all, and clean the firing spring of cosmoline, de-gunk the chamber and bolt, and tune the trigger sear with a small washer I make from aluminum, shorten the firing spring by three turns, and head space...

Bore is more important than the hex reciever. Hex is just a little more rare, not really a big deal. I would not buy a hex just because its a hex

well, the older ones are pre war but that does not insure that the gun has been taking care of all this time. being able to actually look at them and find 1 that appears to be in the best shape regardless of the age is what I recommend. my shop allowed me to look over 6 different rifles.

I've never thought of it like that either. "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again" doesn't necessarily imply that you're approaching your objective the same way every time. If your current strategy fails, nothing is stopping you from adjusting your strategy to fit the needs of the situation.

i want to say this was a great video. you say you are not an expert but deep down inside you know you are . thank you for sharing this info i am in the market for 1 Russian and 1 Chinese types

the R is for rimmed it is a common mistake for people to think it is for Russian but there are other non Russian ammunition that is still R

Very interesting video, though I expected more information. I received a Mosin M44 as a gift in 2010. Mine has Izhevsk proof mark, is dated 1944 and has matching serial numbers on the bolt, action, magazine floor plate and butt plate. It also has a swirl design wood stock and is in very good to excellent condition with no rust anywhere. The safety is a bitch as it takes some strength to set. I do like the attached cruciform-spike bayonet. But getting it as a gift I have no idea of it's value. It is a good shooter and I will never sell it. For an old post you have many recent comments, not bad dude. Well done.

This was very helpful. The warning about cleaning it because of corrosives was the most useful.

Shot my 1934 Mosin for the first time last week. Wow it has a significant kick! Loved it.

There's a Hex in absolutely beautiful condition with flawless wood in my local gun shop and I want it really bad. But not for $465.

4:42 "You'll shoot your eye out kid."-A Christmas Story

thank God I just ordered one with a Hex receiver

Great video, I would add that guys shopping for a Mosin with the best bore possible steer clear of ones that have been counterbored at the muzzle, you can tell this by looking at the first inch or so at the muzzle, It will be missing the rifling completely(A tool has been used to machine out some of the bore)! It wouldn't be a deal breaker, but would indicate alot of use. I also look for an example that has the brass inserts in the stock for the sling!

Lots of good information. For clarity use hot soapy water to clean corrosive primed ammunition. European ammunition nomenclature R is a rimmed cartridge.

The Mauser 98 service rifle is beautiful and has a strong front locking action that can be readily rechambered for a wide range of rimless hunting rounds like the 9.3x62mm big game round, but was a second-rate service rifle. The simpler and more robust Mosin-Nagant (pronounced ‘Mo-seen Na-gon’) - which was affectionately called the “Mosinka” by Russian soldiers - is a much better service rifle thanks in large part to its quick release magazine floorplate that allows quick and easy cleaning if dust, sand, dirt or mud gets into the action without the use of tools. Even better is the Lee-Enfield service rifle which had a rear locking action that was far easier to clean if dust, sand, dirt or mud got into the locking lug recesses, and uses easily cleaned quick detachable 10 round magazine (double the capacity of the 98 and Mosinka which use non-detachable magazines). You can also single load a round directly into the chamber of the Mosinka and Lee-Enfield if something went wrong with the magazine without a problem, but try doing so with the 98 and you will likely break the extractor. The best Mauser type rifle is the contemporary CRF Winchester Model 70 which has a quick release magazine floorplate, a coned breech, an easy to use 3-positon side-swing safety that facilitates the use of a low mounted telescopic sight, and a bevelled extractor that allows you to single load a round directly into the chamber without breaking the extractor. That said, if I had to grab one of these rifles for use in any conditions I would grab a Lee-Enfield (No. 5 “Jungle Carbine”), but would favor a Mosinka (M38 Carbine) if I wanted the most rugged rifle; though the M70 is arguably better for use against dangerous game thanks to its CRF action (better feed reliability) and a safety that is much easier to use than those used by the 98 and the Mosinka (if not the Lee-Enfield which has an excellent safety). If debris gets into the front locking lugs recesses of the 98, Mosinka or M70 you will want a toothbrush and a water canteen to clean it out. Lee-Enfield rifles in good condition are no longer readily available but Mosinkas are. The Molot KO-91/30 M hunting rifle is essentially a refurbished Mosin-Nagant M91/30 service rifle with a shorter barrel, a turned down bolt handle to facilitate the use of telescopic sights, and a quick detach side mount like that those fitted to AK-47 assault rifles.

Hello ebomey, I wanted to buy my first firearm and I thought of my favorite movie, Enemy at The Gates. So naturally I wanted a Mosin Nagant Sniper variant. I have been unsuccessful in even finding a sniper variant so I'm now settling for a regular one. I was at Cabela's a few days ago and the Mosin's there were in 10x worse condition than your rifles and listed at $400. I could use some advice on where to find high quality rifles for a reasonable price! Help me anyone!

how does the 7.62x54r compare to the 30-06

So i'm a classic gun buff, i have several of these in my collection. I came across yet another in a certain "big box" sporting goods store. First thing i did of course, was pull the bolt and check the bore. Everyone was SHOCKED!!! Literally laughing at me for pointing the muzzle at myself. Treating me like i didn't know what i was doing. When i explained the rules of buying vintage military firearms, they scoffed saying "do you think they'd really try to sell a damaged gun? You never point the gun at yourself!".... I have since stopped going there with those people.

About to take receipt of two hexes I bought from Aim. Was on the fence about buying them, because there was a gun show coming up the next weekend and I wanted one in hand soon. But, I remembered your advice from this video "If you find a hex, buy it!". So I did. They sold out less than an hour later, and none were to be found (Sub $250) at the gun show. So, just dropped by to say: Thanks for your advice!

The "r" in 7.62x54r DOES IN FACT stand for RIMMED, NOT RUSSIAN. Gosh...

The R does stand for rimed

"What to look for when purchasing a Mosin" A Mauser.

Not often do I get the chance to say great video man, stay humble.

I just bought one and I got Very lucky because mine came with a new barrel, a turned down bolt, and it had some trigger work done to it. The best part it has a Boyd’s stock and a scope mount. She’s a beauty.

R does stand for rimmed

The "R" in 7.62X54R stands for Rimmed, not Russian.

nope r stands for rim

Good vid. Not being overly critical, but, a little longer than needed. Also, these are good tips for picking out just about any gun, other than the unique features of the Nagant.

Went to my local gun shop, they have 4 of them for $175 out the door, taxes and background included, good thing I didn't take one home, now after watching your video, I know what to look for.... Thanks!

I have my great grandfathers Mosin. His was the real deal. He killed 7 germans with it. He came to the US and fell in love with my great grandmother. He somehow managed to keep all his red army stuff. He hated this forsaken country, but his wife refused to leave.

Thank you ... the battle between Rimed and Russian continues .. I vote Russian!

please Dont dry fire

I am new to owning a Mosin Nagant I checked it out very carefully. Got a decent deal on it. I have been watching all the videos on them I can. I hold all my guns in high regard and purchase good quality ammo. I really don't care how cheap I can buy it, I always buy non corrosive. ammo

You done a great job on this video. Thank you for posting. I purchased my Mosin Nagant which is my first rifle just a few days ago.

A word about corrosive ammo...it's the primer by-products, after being ignited, that are corrosive...not the powder. The old standby, Hoppes No 9, does an excellent job of neutralizing the salts that corrode the barrel. It's always been advertised as such and I've used it on all my guns I've shot military surplus, corrosive ammo through and have never had one rust on me...ever!!!! Water can be used also..just swab out the barrel..run a clean patch 'til dry, clean properly when you get home.

My M44 was made in well, 1944, its an Izhvesk, I got lucky, it was in excellant condition. One of the best Mosin Bores I've seen in awhile.

Well you can get a shit ton of ammo at a pretty good price .. it is a very powerful round and by putting a scope on it you can really reach out and touch someone!

I read that some soldiers inscribed their name on the inside of the butt plate as well. From what I understand you have to unscrew the butt plate off and look on the underside. Thanks for the awesome video ebomey!

Thank you because I wouldnt have known what to look for in buying one. I see them at gun shows and would like to get one. Now I have a good idea what to look for. Have a good day and take care

First and Formost thing I look for is the matching number on the Bolt Head (Stamped on one Locking Lug ) and Reciever. The Bolt Head's were made in sequince from 1 to 9 to match the head spacing. If there is a 3 stamped on the bolt head,here better be a 3 stamped on the left (some were on the top) of the Reciever. If NOT the Head Spacing is out.

Nice Mosin! Great advice for first time Mosin buyers,looks like you got one with a nice smooth action,for the first time Mosin owners out there, you can clean you Mosin with warm soapy water, works great! Great Info!

I bought a Moisin Nagant 91/30 today at the gun show & the one I got is in prime condition. They actually had on that was $99 but it had a tag that said there was hidden rust on the underside of the barrel below the wood & it said "No refunds & no returns on this gun". I decided to pay $155 for a nicer 1943 prime condition gun with a beautiful stock & bayonet. The same seller was selling 20-rounds of surplus 7.62x54R for $4.65 for 20 rounds, I said WOW! & bought 100 rounds, that's cheap!

i would like to thank you for providing a high quality,easy to follow video.it helped quite a bit.

great video i got my M91/30 three days ago i live in IL. so all the gun stores have lock on them so one can not check the trigger pull let a lone remove the bolt not that it would do much good the thing was covered in cosmoline even in side the barrel spent all day cleaning it next day fired 20 box's ammo throw it at 200 yards it shoots as good as my Winchester model 94 at the same range

Just purchased my Mosin Nagant with the hex receiver. This video helped me make the decision. Keep up the good work.

You know what .... I'm a new Nagant owner. I really love your modest review, and great to find your video. Thanks.

Picking one up Saturday. I'm glad I ran across this video tonight. Thanks.

The R stands for rimmed. KIDDING! Good video, man.

If they are lite scratches you could use a fine sandpaper to ruff it up and then put another coat of polyethylene over the stock. if it is bad you might of to start over and sand it completely down and then put at least 3 coats on it.

I have a hex receiver M91/30 with the PU scope that I found at a gun show last weekend. There is almost no cosmoline damage and rifling looks intact. The serials match, except for the scope. It was probably added on after. I took a few pictures, if you are curious.

I really like my 1943 Izhevsk 91/30. A very fun rifle to shoot! 100+ years and still kickin'!!

Just want to thank you for the points to look for. I was at my first gun show and found a hex and bought it just like you said. I paid 150 for it. He had cleaned it and test shot it. It even has matching serial numbers.

I took the red varnish off of my 1926 hex receiver.I bought it on gun broker for $339.00 in 2017. Got it down to bare wood, then coated it with linseed oil. Its so ugly its beautiful! In hindsight, I wish I just cleaned it up and left it the way it was originally. But.... live and learn. Its a keeper. I don't plan on selling it.

Great video, subscribed. We bought four of these for our boys, cleaning the cosmoline was "fun", LOL. Think we might pick up a couple more.

Nice Vid I just bought a M44 carbine. One thing I will tell you, if your in a store. And you do not have a flash light. I put a piece of white paper in the receiver. I use it to funnel light into the barrel. To me it works better than a flash light. Because I have two hands free to hold the gun. And can take more time looking into the barrel.

thank you for making this video is very informational I've been wanting to buy one for quite some time now and I was wondering what exactly to look for in buying one got my questions answered thank you once again

The only thing I would recommend looking for is matching numbers on the gun. Especially on the bolt and the receiver. A matching clip is nice too though.

Thanks to your guidance, I took your advice and jumped on the lone hex receiver m91/30 at my local gun store. Turns out it's also an ex sniper and is in beautiful condition. Thank you, Ebomey!!

I got really lucky on mine. I found one made in 1928 with a hex receiver, Doesn't look like it was ever fired and had all matching serial numbers. Found mine at Big 5 Sporting goods for $100. Came with the cleaning rod, cleaning kit and tools and cleaning kit.

ebomey... Great video...especially for one unscripted! I go one step further when shopping for a MN...I take a handful of .350" lead round balls, dial caliper, 1/4" dowel and plastic head hammer to slug the barrel. If it mic's out over .312" I don't buy it unless it's an excellent Tula model! I have 2 MN's..an Izzy 91/30 and a Chinese Type 53...both excellent shooters. The 53 is being sporterized and has a Timney trigger with integral safety. By the way...the "R" does indeed stand for "rimmed".

i havent read all of the comments. but i had one thing i wanted to add. a lot of the time the stocks on those are made out of 2 pieces of wood. they are split at the butt end. reason being is the trees they were using later in production were small and they ended up glueing the stocks out of 2 pieces. some people think the single piece stocks are more collectable. i think they just look a little cleaner. nice vid though,

I own several very nice examples of various Mosin Nagants but oddly I only own one standard 91/30 infantry rifle, which are really the easiest to find. I bought it very cheap off a friend who didn't care for it much and who probably never cleaned it once while he owned it. It is the dirtiest firearm I have ever seen and cleaned... it literally took me over a week to get it properly cleaned and in somewhat decent shape. It had a slightly cracked, dry stock and absolutely no oil or gloss in any part of it, so I had to sand it, refinish it and repair it. The metal rifle parts were also largely lacking any blueing, but I only cleaned and oiled those parts, didn't refinish them. Once it was all cleaned and looking somewhat presentable I was able to finally inspect it and it was easy to tell this rifle had seen combat at some point. The rifling inside the barrel was very worn and somewhat pitted throughout, probably from corrosive ammo and lack of care but fortunately it had no rust anywhere. The trigger action on this rifle was amazingly smooth and crisp, probably from years constant usage because my friend told me it was already that way when he bought it from a crate of Mosin Nagants. Incredibly enough, when I took it out to my range it was shooting with decent accuracy, it is not great for tight groupings, but it does reliably hit a man sized silhouette at 200 yards, which is the farthest distance on my range right now, I'm working on making an 800 yard lane, I don't know how well it will shoot any farther than 200 yards yet. I think part of the reason this rifle still manages to have decent accuracy is its ridiculously smooth trigger, which is not common in Mosin Nagants. All my other Nagants, except for one, which is still not as smooth in my opinion, do not have the benefit of such nice triggers, but I suppose the point of my whole comment is that this just goes to demonstrate the durability of Mosin Nagants, even when they've had a harsh existence and poor care, they seem to still manage to work with an acceptable degree of efficacy. Mosin Nagants are so austere and outdated, yet they are built better than old Russian tanks and they perform what they were intended to do, seemingly without failure, ever more than 100 years after they were given out to Russian soldiers. What they lack in practicality and modernization, they make up for in quality and character.

Great video, very descriptive and helpful. I plan on buying my first Mosin this weekend (fingers crossed that there's some left) and I now have a great starting point for choosing between several mosin nagants.

I ´ve seen everything I wanted to comment has allready been commented! :-) OK we all now have learned that "R" stands for "Rim". I want to add that the "R" you will find in most European calibre names who stand for a rimmed cartridge e.g 8x57 IR, 8x57 IRS, 7x65R and so on. Also the British .303 is a rimmed cartridge but as it has an inch measure as name. To watch for counter-bore while shopping was also mentioned below. But if the counter bore was done well, it is not the end of the world. As I bought my M91/30 in 1986 as a young man I unfortunately had not the knowledge I have now and so my M 91/30 has a counter-bore but obviously it was done by an experienced gunsmith and the accuracy of the rifle is OK for me. Other than that "ebomey" has shown us 2 excellent preserved M91/30 who nearly looked like they had left the factory not long ago and would really be the adornment of every collection - so congratulation for that!

They can both be great .. The hex was built pre-war and under less rushed conditions.

They can both be great .. The hex was built pre-war and under less rushed conditions.

Helpful info. Main issue is that most rifles will be covered in cosmoline and grease so disassembly and such can be tricky

Going to go check out a handful of Mosins at a shop later, looking to get my first toy that goes boom. Very helpful vid, subscribed.

The "R" does stand for rimmed . The Mosin Nagant was produced by countries other than Russia. Also, spend the money and replace the stock trigger with a Timney trigger. Also, check for matching numbers and manufacturer origin.

I belive (im no expert) that the sybols are:star=tula, triangle=Izhevsk (tula is generally considered to be of better quality) I believe the hammer and sicle just means it is a soviet made gun vs an american or chinese version of the mosin, this was a great video, thanks for making it, the only thing I wanted to say is be sure to test fit bayonets if you have a bulk pile and insure that all the numbers match, also I dont belive that round you held up was corrosive, it was pretty nice brass lol

Hex or Round receivers are both good. Hex is better because of the thickness of the metal that offsets the stress points in the corner. But for the most part, it's just a indicator of when the gun was made (pre- or peri-/post-war) and how good the action is. Pre-war is better but can still hold up well with the post-war. Action is also a good thing to look for. There will always be =some= play in the lock and open positions depending on how heavy they got used but generally you're right; the smoother the better. What you really need to look for is any corrosion, pitting or rust on and inside the barrel; so take the barrel out and inspect it. Another is the sights to see if they're off or not. If you can hold the gun straight and see just enough space on either side to say it's even, then it's pretty much going to shoot straight every time. One additional thing: if you want to scope it, look for or get a sniper bolt. It's merely a normal bolt handle that has been bent at 45 degrees. In general, hex receivers with sniper bolts are the best but if a gun store allows you to go full Tuco and get the best parts out of the rifles available, do it. There are also other types of 3 Line's out there. Russian/Soviet are the most common but Finnish, Polish, Hungarian, Romanian, Chinese and, oddly, American variations exist. All are basically the same but with other improvements or metallurgy. Chinese's aren't the greatest. The European copies are superior in the quality of steel while the Finns improved the twist rate to, I think, 1:12 from 1:8.

They are all 7.62 X 54R ... The ammo is very easy to come by. look for the surplus ammo. You can get the large count spam cans at a good price. I paid $90 for my last 440 count can.

Thanks for the great info. Im getting a Mosin Nagant for Christmas. With your information, I'll be more cautious on what I will be buying. Thanks brotha...

I think the prices will come down ... Thank you for your service to this country!