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Old July 11, 2010, 08:04 PM   #1
headbangerJD
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Mosin Nagant alternatives?

I am looking for an 'old-school' rifle, similar in style and price to a Mosin Nagant. Are there any affordable alternatives to the Mosin? All similar rifles that I've come across (springfields, m1 garand) seem to cost 10x what a Mosin can be had for.
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Old July 11, 2010, 08:08 PM   #2
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Actually a decent Garand can be had for about 3.5x what the Mosin costs.

You may want to look at a Mauser for roughly $250. That's the best I can come up with.
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Old July 11, 2010, 08:26 PM   #3
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sks is another.
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Old July 11, 2010, 08:43 PM   #4
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The Mannlicher Carcano bears a fairly strong resemblance to the Mosin Nagant, and is arguably more pleasant to shoot. Dunno about ammo availability and price of the 6.5mm Carcano round, however.
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Old July 11, 2010, 08:49 PM   #5
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How about a British Enfield of some sort? No4 Mk1's can be had on the cheap, often under $200. They can be had even cheaper if you find one with a cut down stock. They are quite accurate, strong actions, decent sights, etc. Much better than a Mosin, whatever the flavor. Next step up would be some sort of Mauser. I would go for a 96 in 6.5x55 if you strictly want a shooter.
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Old July 11, 2010, 09:00 PM   #6
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Turkish and Spanish mausers, Enfields, Arisakas, Carcanos, and other can all be usually be found for less than $250 unless they are a rare variation or in exceptional condition.
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Old July 11, 2010, 09:18 PM   #7
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The yugo copy of the Mauser 98 usually goes for under $200, and some are in excellent shape.
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Old July 11, 2010, 09:42 PM   #8
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Actually a decent Garand can be had for about 3.5x what the Mosin costs.
69.95X3.5=244.83.
Where the heck are you finding a functional, let alone decent, Garand for under $250. To my knowledge a decent Garand will run you at least $500, and that is being liberal with the word decent.
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Old July 11, 2010, 10:19 PM   #9
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When you consider both the low cost of the gun and the cheap, plentiful ammo, I don't know of a cheaper alternative. I would think a Yugo Mauser would be the closest. I like the Enfields, but ammo can be harder to find nowadays.
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Old July 11, 2010, 10:32 PM   #10
chris in va
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Quote:
69.95X3.5=244.83.
Ok, where on earth are you finding Mosins for $69.95 including shipping, tax and transfer fees?

Mine was $130 four years ago. I was a little off stating 3.5x, should have said 3.95 or so. Sorry for the miscalculation.
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Old July 11, 2010, 10:56 PM   #11
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J&G has them for $69.95 in quantity. Otherwise, AIM has them for as little as $79.95.
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Old July 11, 2010, 10:57 PM   #12
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the last one i bought about a year ago was 110 dollars including shipping and transfer. i woul;d have to say either a yugo mauser or a jap arisaka would be about as cheap, maybe a british 303.
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Old July 11, 2010, 11:08 PM   #13
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there is always the steyr M95, that can be had for about $100. but the ammo is a whole different animal. so i would say the closest would be some sort of mauser.
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Old July 12, 2010, 12:32 AM   #14
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For around $200-350 you can get a Swiss K31. They have a straight pull bolt that's sort of a work of art. And 6rd detatchable mags. The 7.5 ammo is nowhere near as cheap or available as Mosin ammo, but the 7.5 stuff is all pretty high quality and is still common enough. I have 2 mosins, love them. But I have to get a K31 sometime. They're supposed to be very accurate rifles.
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Old July 12, 2010, 12:47 AM   #15
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Why not just get a Mosin? While it's not hard to find a rifle of the same class and of equal or superior quality to a Mosin, finding one that's equally affordable (especially when taking into account ammo prices) is pretty much impossible. The closest you'll probably get is a Yugo Mauser, and pay twice as much for the rifle, and the ammo, though relatively affordable, still pricier than 7.62x54R.
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Old July 12, 2010, 06:52 AM   #16
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I don't know that from a price point, you'll find any thing out there but a Mosin. There are of course more expensive mil surplus rifles, but the Mosin is a great buy. Mine was in excellent condition and is a great shooting rifle.
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Old July 12, 2010, 06:57 AM   #17
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Quote:
J&G has them for $69.95 in quantity. Otherwise, AIM has them for as little as $79.95.
With shipping and transfer fees you would still be into the rifles for a little over $100 each no matter which way you go. Unless you hold a C&R license.
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Old July 12, 2010, 09:02 AM   #18
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I would go for a 96 in 6.5x55 if you strictly want a shooter.
With all due respect comparing a Swedish Mauser to a Mosin-Nagant is a bit of a stretch I have both. There is a bit of a recoil difference and I won't even discuss the visual difference. Both are accurate but if you want a Mosin just go for it. Beware of Mosinitis however, you usually just can't have one.
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Old July 12, 2010, 09:08 AM   #19
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+1 on the Mosinitis!
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Old July 12, 2010, 10:58 AM   #20
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One rifle you can often actually get for the same price as a Mosin (we're talking in the $90-$150 range) is the Steyr M95. But ammo is very hard to find and very expensive.
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Old July 12, 2010, 02:28 PM   #21
johnwilliamson062
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Ok, where on earth are you finding Mosins for $69.95 including shipping, tax and transfer fees?
Gun shows, not ordered online. May be a little more than that, but not much.

For
$30 you can get a 03 FFL and save money on that single purchase.
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Old July 12, 2010, 02:39 PM   #22
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.308 Enfield

I got a Lee Enfield made in India in .308 caliber for much less than $200.00 very sturdy shooter, a bit heavy but a well made and functional shooter, plus the ammo supply is huge if a little pricy at times.
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Old July 12, 2010, 03:09 PM   #23
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Another Yugo Mauser vote! I got one in excellent cond. about 6 months ago for $175 out the door. Same guy keeps surplus ammo at $4.50/box on stripper clips. His Mosins are marked at $129 for M44 and $110 for M91/30's, ammo is HIGHER than the 8mm at $5.75 box, no clips.
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Old July 12, 2010, 03:17 PM   #24
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+1 gunshows

If you start hitting gunshows, sooner or later you'll find a decent milsurp/sporterized bolt goin in your price range. The other option is pawnshops/gunshop consignment racks. I just sold a really nice (gunshow $127) Russian MN91/30 + all accessories, because I picked up a beautiful Polish MN M44 for $90 (made an offer to a consignment owner). I'm sure the same deals are out there for the other bolts mentioned....homework & patience helps. It's not that I didn't like the MN91/30. I have limited room and I love the MN44...both are very accurate....for what they are.
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Old July 12, 2010, 08:07 PM   #25
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With all due respect comparing a Swedish Mauser to a Mosin-Nagant is a bit of a stretch I have both.
Indeed it is. But he was asking for low priced alternatives. As a somewhat lower priced milsurp, I think the M96 would be the best bet if you want a good accurate, nice looking shooter in a milsurp rifle. Or some form of SMLE, or a K31, etc.
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