My Mosin Journey

Ok, I've started the common work on my M44 to make it more accurate. I bought this gun from Bertfish. Dude, I promise not to bubba-fy this thing.

At 100 yards, with the bayonet extended or retracted, it shot quite high and to the left. The bayonet just doesn't seem to affect its accuracy much. Months ago, I purchased three things- a FAT screwdriver, a Victory-Arms accurizing kit and a Smith Sights Mosin adjustable front sight.

I spent a weekend cleaning out the cosmoline. Brake cleaner, wipe immediately, followed immediately by CLP and a wipe, makes very short work of old cosmoline. I did this only on the metal parts, not the wood. I took the bolt apart and deep cleaned it and made some minor adjustments and checked the headspace. The bolt is now quite smooth for a Mosin. It wasn't terrible to begin with.

With a clean rifle, I installed the first set of shims and wrapped the barrel in oil soaked cloth. I can now ride a dollar bill between the wood and the barrel, for the entire length of the barrel.

The front sight was absolutely brutal. That thing was pinned in place far worse than normal according to every source of information that I could find. I had bought a front sight adjusting tool but it couldn't budge it. Applying heat didn't help. I finally knocked it out with a drift but it took forever. The new sight went in easily once the dove tail had finally been loosened up.

Now that I've royally screwed up the rifle with all of these adjustments, I couldn't even find the paper with the first 5 shots. Once I saw where the dirt was flying, I made some adjustments... and more adjustments, and more adjustments.

Eventually, I made a nice group in the black, just below the bulls-eye at 100 yards. I should have stopped there, for the day. Nope, I couldn't help myself. I disturbed the front sight post way too much and screwed it up so I need another session.

I'm close. After seeing that group in the black, I'm confident that I'll get it. I'm not sure if I'll have to add more shims to the action yet. The cloth on the barrel seems right. I was shooting Red Army Standard, seated position, supported with a sand bag.

I learned that bringing an M44 to a range invites a lot of good-natured ribbing.

I have had some luck on some of my Mosin by switching to Smiths Sights products. He sells a few types of front sight posts that helped me. The original is sooo hard to see with my aging eyes. Here is a link. http://smith-sights.com
Good luck!

For all my milsurps, I have a small piece of electrical tape with a hole punched in it using this or similar:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07J5Q8BX9

Cheap version of an "eyepal". It allows older eyes to focus on the sights when shooting irons and there is enough light out. It reduces the light and helps focus so it is only good when there is enough light out.
I use electrical tape cause its cheap and you can relocate it on your shooting glasses.

I have the Smith Sights adjustable red optic front sight. It is a definite improvement, yet it's unobtrusive and doesn't disturb the original look of the rifle.
With my glasses or contacts, my distance vision is pretty good.

I've said it before, I've never understood the love affair people have with Mosins. I get that they are cheap and fairly easy to come by, but based on things I've read here, it seems that for every diamond in the rough that shoots well, there are about a dozen that have issues of one kind or another.

As Colonel Townsend Whelen said, "only accurate rifles are interesting."

I like underdogs. I have 2 Garands. They're so accurate that I have to level up to shoot to their potential. The Mosin is the other way 'round.

My M-44 required a different approach. After attempting to find the sweet spot with a wrap around the barrel near the end of the stock, I went with strips of self-adhesive cork to line the entire barrel channels in the stock and upper fore grip. Tightened the groups up to where my hand loads touch @ 50 yards if I do my part. The POI moves to the left of POA by around 12" @ 100 yards if the bayonet is not deployed. Surplus and factory do not do quite as well, but are still grouping nicely.

To get the elevation set, I used some sheet brass to fabricate a roll pin that slides over the front sight post. It is tight enough that it stays in place once adjusted.

The POI moves to the left of POA by around 12" @ 100 yards if the bayonet is not deployed.

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Holy smokes, that's quite a deviance. I haven't been sighting in at 50 yds, I've been going straight for the throat and sighting in at 100 yards, mainly because that's supposedly how they were sighted in by the Russians but also because if I use the rifle in my local matches, that's what I need it sighted in at.

Yeah, I've heard that you need to hand load to get the kind of accuracy that you're getting. Once I get the thing on target as close as I can, I'll try hand loads.

trickg said:

I've said it before, I've never understood the love affair people have with Mosins. I get that they are cheap and fairly easy to come by, but based on things I've read here, it seems that for every diamond in the rough that shoots well, there are about a dozen that have issues of one kind or another.

As Colonel Townsend Whelen said, "only accurate rifles are interesting."

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We need to get you some trigger time with a Finn M28/30 or a M39. I keep a 28/30 near the front of the safe as it's a favorite of mine. This from a guy with access to damned near anything C&R.

mawkie said:

We need to get you some trigger time with a Finn M28/30 or a M39. I keep a 28/30 near the front of the safe as it's a favorite of mine. This from a guy with access to damned near anything C&R.

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I'll second that, my 28/30 I got from another member here is the most accurate milsurp I own. I have an ex PU that is a close second but the trigger on the 28/30 is much better

How is the trigger pull? I put a M39 trigger in my carbine, and now the trigger pull is fantastic.

Sirex said:

How is the trigger pull? I put a M39 trigger in my carbine, and now the trigger pull is fantastic.

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Typical Mosin. I haven't worked with that yet.

I'm not a fine connoisseur of triggers yet but I'm getting there. Basically, my M44 trigger is smooth, not gritty but it is heavy and a long travel. If I dawdle too long during a shot, I find myself running out of breath as I exhale.

Smith Sights offers a 2-stage trigger that doesn't require butchering the rifle to install. That might be a later project. Or, I can play all the other little games such as filing, polishing, installing springs and screws. One way or the other, I'll get it.

Upon some other advice I've received, I ordered a couple of boxes of brass PPU ammunition. Supposed to be better quality and will help me determine what's going on.

My opinion is flitz polish, washer and spring kit.
make sure empty, cock, then slam gun on its butt onto ground or carpet to make sure it does not go off on it own.
I've had used mosins where people put spacer and maybe filed to the point it would go off.
There is a lot of slop in that bolt and slamming it can make the gun go off if the washer made it move too much or someone bent or filed the sear spring.

Ponder_MD said:

Typical Mosin. I haven't worked with that yet.

I'm not a fine connoisseur of triggers yet but I'm getting there. Basically, my M44 trigger is smooth, not gritty but it is heavy and a long travel. If I dawdle too long during a shot, I find myself running out of breath as I exhale.

Smith Sights offers a 2-stage trigger that doesn't require butchering the rifle to install. That might be a later project. Or, I can play all the other little games such as filing, polishing, installing springs and screws. One way or the other, I'll get it.

Upon some other advice I've received, I ordered a couple of boxes of brass PPU ammunition. Supposed to be better quality and will help me determine what's going on.

Click to expand...

If I recall, the Smith Sights trigger is a copy of the M39 trigger. I just got a nice two stage M39 trigger off ebay years ago. It doesn't require as much pressure or torque to pull, and minimizes movement. Super easy to install. No Bubba work needed.

Smith Sights;
http://smith-sights.com/two-stage-triggers.php

Another type
https://www.ebay.com/itm/254700664518?hash=item3b4d57b6c6:g:prEAAOSwPLhfRqb8

Finn sear
https://www.ebay.com/itm/174021392268?hash=item28847bb78c:g:mhsAAOSwvHRa7MqL

WOw, I can't find any M39 two stage triggers on ebay at all. Wow

One rifle put a piece of shrink tube. After shrinking cut ti to height. On another, small bead of JB weld , file to shape.