Mosin Nagant

[ANG201]

How does a Mosin Nagant compare to an SKS? My 14 year old is wanting something fun to shoot like his dad's SKS. Know where I can find one less than $100?

[Jumping Frog]

How does a Mosin Nagant compare to an SKS? My 14 year old is wanting something fun to shoot like his dad's SKS. Know where I can find one less than $100?

Bolt action vs semi-auto.

Aimsurplus

http://www.aimsurplus.com/catalog.aspx? ... +Long+Guns" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Medic218]

How big is your boy?
The mosin is a long, heavy weapon with a pretty good kick(but not unmanageable).
While the mosin is cheaper, up front, than an sks I think that the sks may be the better option for your boy if he wants something he can shoot all day.
The mosin ammo is a little more expensive than your bargain 7.62x39 stuff.
The mosins bolt can also be a pain to cycle without the help of a 2x4 plank.
I don't have an sks and have never shot one but it is on my short list.

I know it looks like I've been doggin on the mosin a bit but I'll tell ya....I love mine!
Its a blast to shoot and is probably capable of taking out any north american game. Just get a recoil pad to add to the stock to take out some of the "thump"....they normally can be had for about 15.00.

Mine was also accurate out of the box. I hit a beer bottle with iron sights, unsupported on my 3rd shot at about 40 yards.
Oh yeah, its also kinda loud.

If you can find one for 100.00 there is NO REASON you SHOULDN'T take it home with you!
If there is a gun show coming up in your area I would look there. There are always plenty to go around at most gun shows and they will normally run you about the 100.00.

[nakedbike]

The Mosin does indeed have a kick to it but I imagine a recoil pad will help. They are easy to hit with, I took a friend who is barely 100 pounds wet and she hit a steel target from 200 yards on her 4th shot. If she can work the bolt anyone can.

[sookandy]

I had an SKS and still have a bunch of Mosins. You can usually find the round receivers for about $90. A 440 round tin of ammo is $85-95. Slip on recoil pad is a good investment. The carbines are a lot of fun too. They usually run about $200 for an M44.

[NcongruNt]

I had an SKS and still have a bunch of Mosins. You can usually find the round receivers for about $90. A 440 round tin of ammo is $85-95. Slip on recoil pad is a good investment. The carbines are a lot of fun too. They usually run about $200 for an M44.

Are the M44s that expensive now? yeesh. I paid $60 for mine a few years ago. I actually prefer shooting my 91/30 over the M44. Sight raidius is much better, balance is much better, and they just seem to shoot better.

Regarding the OP's question...

I'd probably go with the SKS. I don't know that many 14-year-olds who would find shooting a Mosin- Nagant enjoyable after the first couple of magazines. 7.62x54R packs a pretty good kick. 7.62x39 will be considerably tamer, especially considering the SKS is a semi-auto rifle.

The other issue is ammo. While there's still a good amount of surplus around, he would need to be vigilant about cleaning a Mosin-Nagant immediately after every time he shot the thing. If you leave it uncleaned after shooting the surplus ammo through it, the bore is going to rust. You're also not going to find 7.62x54R just anyplace. You'll either have to order it online or find a place local that carries it (usually at an inflated price). If you happen to be near one of the online sellers (Ammunition To Go in Brenham, for example), you can just go and get it at decent prices. 7.62x39 is going to be just about anywhere, though and won't have the corrosion issues. You'll find it at Wal-Mart, Academy, Cabela's, Bass Pro, or pretty much anywhere that sells ammo.

I don't think you'll find an SKS these days for much under $200, though. As mentioned earlier, Aim Surplus has the 91/30 for $79. Add on shipping costs of around $15 and then whatever your FFL charges for transfer (I'll assume around $25), and you're looking at $120 or so. If you can find an SKS locally or at a show for a decent price, then it would probably be a better buy - you don't have to worry about another caliber of ammo or availability, and it's a more accessible gun for your son.

Finding stock SKS rifles these days is a little more difficult than it used to be. It seems that most people wanting to sell are trying to get rid of guns that they spent money "customizing" with Tapco stocks and tacticooling them out. Those rifles seem to run at least $400. Checking completed auctions on Gunbroker, it looks like you can get a stock SKS there for around $200 ( http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewIt ... =247616343" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ) which will run up to more like $250 after shipping and transfer. I'd hit up your local stores or a gun show to see what they have available that's comparable.

[rthillusa]

My 12 year old grand-son and I each just got Mosin Nagants at Cabella's for $99 each for Christmas presents. We've already had about $1,000 worth of fun cleaning them, reading about them, talking about them & their history, learning how to disassemble and reassemble them and he has become quite knowledgeable on them from what he has read on the internet. In fact he was showing me how to reassemble the bolt.

We plan to go shoot them next Saturday, but not sure exactly where. Garland gun range won't allow FMJ and that's all I have been able to find. Maybe Jacob's Plain.

Dang it, its going to near kill me when he goes back home to Oklahoma in a couple of weeks.

[olafpfj]

My 12 year old grand-son and I each just got Mosin Nagants at Cabella's for $99 each for Christmas presents. We've already had about $1,000 worth of fun cleaning them, reading about them, talking about them & their history, learning how to disassemble and reassemble them and he has become quite knowledgeable on them from what he has read on the internet. In fact he was showing me how to reassemble the bolt.

We plan to go shoot them next Saturday, but not sure exactly where. Garland gun range won't allow FMJ and that's all I have been able to find. Maybe Jacob's Plain.

Dang it, its going to near kill me when he goes back home to Oklahoma in a couple of weeks.

Elm Fork allows FMJ on their 50 yard range. Shot through the last of my FMJ reloads a few weeks ago. Put up about a fist sized pattern which was sadly better than some of the guys there with their super duper tricked out tacticool AR's...

All the gadgets on the rail won't make up for a lack of shooting skills...

My old range in Kalifornia had steel out to 700 yards and I would sit and ring my favorite one at 400 yards with my Mosin. Off a rest of course but I could hit that plate at will. It was about the size of a dishwasher. These old Russian battle axes are pretty accurate and can really reach out and hit hard.

Oh yeah...I use a wearable recoil pad from PAST. Love it. When I first got my Mosin I manned up and put 20 rounds through with only a tshirt on. By the 8th round I was starting to get nauseous from repeatedly bruising my shoulder. I feel no shame in wearing my recoil pad...

[rthillusa]

Thanks for the info on Elm Fork. I used to shoot there a lot but it was many years ago.

Also will take your advice on the recoil pad under serious consideration.

Regards,

Robert

[goofygrin]

Cheaper than Dirt in McKinney had the Mosins for $80 this weekend.

Cabelas in Allen has soft point (so you can shoot at Garland) for $17/20 otherwise, order the brown bear online for $10/20. Not as cheap as the FMJ surplus, but you can shoot one here in the metromess and you can't shoot the other :)

[RECIT]

I recommend Silver Bear soft points. They hit hard, expand well, and you can shoot them on any range. Also they are not corrosive like all the old surplus stuff so cleaning is a little easier.