Review of the Mosin Nagant

The 3-line rifle, Model 1891, better known around the world as the Mosin Nagant, has a very detailed and interesting history. It is also one of the most popular and well-known rifles in the world. The Mosin Nagant was created by Captain Sergai Mosin and Léon Nagant. The rifle was originally designed during the Russo-Ottoman War of 1877-1878 due to the heavy losses the Russians were taking in battle because of their inferior weaponry. The weapon was not officially manufactured until 1891 and was produced until 1965 with more than thirty-seven million made.

There are many different variations of the Mosin Nagant; the first one being the M91, or model 91. This is the original that was produced in 1891. Another one that you will hear a lot is the M91/30. This is a variant that the Russians made in 1930 that served as a “modernized update” of the platform. Another famous one actually does not come from Russia but from Finland, the M39. When they started fighting one another the Finns had captured so many Mosins that they started to make their own and further improved on the design and mechanics of the rifle.

The Mosin Nagant is a five-round, bolt-action rifle that uses an internal magazine. The rifle is chambered in 7.62x54R, which is also special because this is the longest-serving cartridge in military history. Period. You may also notice when looking at different Mosins that there are two receivers, a circular one and a hexagonal one. The hexagonal receivers are considered the better of the two because there is more metal. However, the circular receivers usually indicate a war piece because manufactures would begin making the circular pattern because they were quicker to make in times of conflict.

Overall these are nice guns and fun to shoot. They are a great gateway into military surplus and antique/collector firearms. They are some of the cheapest things you can buy, but it is defiantly not due to the quality but rather there are just so many of them that were made. The original iron sights can be a bit bulky but they do pick up a target well. You have to remember that these rifles were not designed for real close range nor were they made for paper targets. I am also not crazy about the safety operation on the bolt. When shooting the Mosin the 7.62x54R is a lot like shooting a British .303. The recoil is really not bad at all for the caliber.