[Tom2]

I would go with the full length Mosin unless you have some real purpose to get a shorter one, as in collecting or in addition to the long rifle. The long rifle will be more pleasant to shoot. They can be as accurate as a 98 Mauser, in general. With ammo it likes and after you tweek the front sight for windage, if needed. With all surplus guns with basic sights like that, you are rolling the dice. Some will shoot way high at 100 yards, they were often designed to engage an enemy at much longer distances. Some will do fine. A Mosin I have is right on target at 100 yards with the sight set lowest if I am using the light ball ammo. Ditto for a SMLE rifle and a Japanese 99, they all shoot on target with a 6 o clock hold at 100 yards and the ammo I have for them. The Mosins are regulated with the bayonet on the barrel, so you will have to probably adjust the windage if you shoot without that! The MN is obviously a more primitive design than the Mauser, it is sort of an evolution of some earlier designs as well as late 19th century stuff as it was adopted in 1891. The 98 Mauser has the advantage of rapid state of the art changes before it was designed. But even the earlier Mauser models were superior in design to the Russian. Still the Russian is fully refined as far as the design can be and unless the workmanship is lacking it will certainly perform as designed even under adverse conditions. And since they cannot be nicely sporterised like the Mausers, they are cheaper on price and ammo. Just to use it to sling lead at the range, it is not a problem if the safety is whack or the mag protrudes down or the bolt handle sticks out straight.