The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

meles meles wrote:Better for what ?

Yes, we could spend a zillion pennies on a high end rifle, but in our paws a 7.62x54R rifle may be good enough, and far cheaper. Also, becuase we can: the 7.62x54R seems to be a pretty accurate round and so it would be nice to build a rifle that can shoot to minute of Farmer Giles' waistcoat button without spending a fortune...

Sounds like you're setting the bar pretty low!

There's a phrase on ARSSE forum "You can't polish a turd - but you can roll it in glitter!"

Or . . . . . . if you want something truly small enough to use "in-set" just buy a Handi Rifle

Huge choice of calibres from Mouse to Elephant or even Farmer stopping

Dougan wrote:There's some nice looking rifles there, especially the first one on the opening post...

...but if you're going to go to the trouble of making a nice looking custom rifle; why not use a decent action?

Well it is a decent action so why not? It is perfectly solid and has had a long service career with many countries, it is as good or better then many of its contemporaries and whilst I love my Lee Enfield it has a few flaws in the design that are not apparent to the Mosin Nagant. As I said earlier Lapua regard the 7.62x54r as an inherently accurate round so a good factory (like Lapua) or some reloads have plenty of potential for accuracy even from a stock rifle let alone a rebuild with new heavy barrel. Considering that the rifle is plentiful even here in the UK and examples with a good bore can be picked up for less then £300. Rifles that have a shot out barrel would be even cheaper and make a good starting point for a project. Drop down bolt handles and various different stocks can be purchased from the states for minimal pennies even with shipping. A Mosin Nagant build has the potential to be an affordable to build and run project, I would want to do some research about what barrel length and twist is best for that calibre.

Frankly I don't entirely buy into the "this calibre is better then that calibre" slap talk that you get in various shooting circles, at 600 yards I have put the odd braggart to shame who turns up with a custom Remington 700 in 6.5x284, Accuracy International stocked, Schmidt & Bender PM II scoped pimp rifle with an old No.4 conversion in 7.62 NATO, bashed up stock, cheap Chinese scope and MEN surplus ammunition. Just because a calibre is old doesn't mean it hasn't got good potential for accuracy and the person behind the trigger plays its part as well!

DL. wrote:
There's a phrase on ARSSE forum "You can't polish a turd - but you can roll it in glitter!"

We isn't surprised at anything 'em knuckle dragging pongoes gets up to in their spare time...

Can't help but think of the uproar on other forums whenever an embuggerated Lee Enfield comes to light - in 10 years' time who's to say the Nagants will still be worth the relative pennies they are today?

Sorry. Post war refurb 91/30, 44 and 38 Mosin Nagants go for pennies. These are the rifles that everyone thinks of when discussing them however there are some truly choice (by that I mean accurate, pretty and vastly more interesting) ones out there. They are not all turds.

Also a Nagant is a revolver!

Give that ooman a carrot !

Fedaykin wrote:

Dougan wrote:There's some nice looking rifles there, especially the first one on the opening post...

...but if you're going to go to the trouble of making a nice looking custom rifle; why not use a decent action?

Well it is a decent action so why not? It is perfectly solid and has had a long service career with many countries, it is as good or better then many of its contemporaries and whilst I love my Lee Enfield it has a few flaws in the design that are not apparent to the Mosin Nagant. As I said earlier Lapua regard the 7.62x54r as an inherently accurate round so a good factory (like Lapua) or some reloads have plenty of potential for accuracy even from a stock rifle let alone a rebuild with new heavy barrel. Considering that the rifle is plentiful even here in the UK and examples with a good bore can be picked up for less then £300. Rifles that have a shot out barrel would be even cheaper and make a good starting point for a project. Drop down bolt handles and various different stocks can be purchased from the states for minimal pennies even with shipping. A Mosin Nagant build has the potential to be an affordable to build and run project, I would want to do some research about what barrel length and twist is best for that calibre.

Frankly I don't entirely buy into the "this calibre is better then that calibre" slap talk that you get in various shooting circles, at 600 yards I have put the odd braggart to shame who turns up with a custom Remington 700 in 6.5x284, Accuracy International stocked, Schmidt & Bender PM II scoped pimp rifle with an old No.4 conversion in 7.62 NATO, bashed up stock, cheap Chinese scope and MEN surplus ammunition. Just because a calibre is old doesn't mean it hasn't got good potential for accuracy and the person behind the trigger plays its part as well!

Apologies if I've upset Nagant fans...I was teasing my furry friend a tad.

I would happily add one to my classic collection (that would make 3!) - but It's horses for courses, as personally I'm happy with shooting short range (100 - 300) with classics as they are; and if I were to go for a 'project' it would be for 600 - 1200, so wouldn't go for any pre 50s military action.

That's not to say that projects for project's sake aren't worthwhile - I was talking to a gentleman today on short sibieria (complete stranger, as you do) who had a No.4 converted to .223...it had a scope, suppressor and a cheek-piece, and looked like a small T4...not for me (as it wouldn't suit my needs), but very interesting (especially the way the bolt face had been re-worked, and converted to cocking on the lift) and very cool tongueout

kennyc wrote:

Dougan wrote:

meles meles wrote:Did we mention low cost fodder too ?

I made 40 .303 and 30 6.5 x 55 today - they work out at about 23p each (not including cases, but the second hand press and dies have already payed for themselves)...so my ammo for tomorrow is just over £16...

...how much will you be paying for 70 rounds of 7.62 x 54?

are those cast boolit rounds ? my 7.5x55 and .308 cost that for powder alone!

I shouldn't admit to this ( ) but it looks like I've got the decimal place wrong in my powder calculation ( ) - that makes it 16p, not 1.6p!

So that makes them 35p each...but they shoot 1MOA at 200 yards (well the Mauser ones for sure)...