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View Full Version : M44 first shoot report, and enfield questions


Atc1man
January 10, 2002, 12:43 PM
A) Took the "new" M44 to the range yesterday. What a hoot! Shot it on the 50 yard range, and when it went off, all the other shooters stopped shooting and just stared, slack jawed. This pig makes the entire bench shake, and puts out a concussion that drew "oohhs" and "aahhhs"....
Not very accurate, although that could be the shooter.... :D but still damn fun to put ammo through. I'd like to maybe put a scope on it, where to find scope mounts, preferably original style?

B) can anyone tell me about the enfield 303? A LGS has one in great shape for $110, and I'm thinking about putting it on layaway. Is the ammo plentiful, cheap, and will this gun take big game?
Thanks thanks thanks :D

fadingbreed
January 10, 2002, 01:07 PM
Don't know anything about the Enfield.

Did you shoot your M44 with the bayo extended? These Mosins were sighted in at the arsenal with the bayo extended. I feel strange when doing so at the range, but I can tell you that it does affect the POI.

M44's are great fun. :D

Erich
January 10, 2002, 01:36 PM
Be sure to clean for corrosive primers! Take that bolt down and get those nasty primer salts with ammonia!

There are no "original style" scope mounts for the 44, as it was never issued with a scope (that was the 91/30). I thought B-Square made a mount for pistol scopes that replaced the rear sight. I suppose you could get a Russki 91/30 scope mount (look in Shotgun News: lots of importers had them - try AIM or SOG or Allegheny Arsenal) and install it, but I don't think that would be cost-effective and a Mosin fiend such as myself would look on it as butchery.

fadingbreed is correct about the bayos. I usually adjust the front sight of my 44s so that they're sighted-in w/o extending the bayo. No permanent harm done to the rifle.

If the carbine is in arsenal-refinished condition, I'd be shocked if it wouldn't do at least 4 MOA. They do take a little getting used to, what with the watermelon-sized ball of fire coming out the front and the horrible concussion everytime you pull the trigger. There is certainly a wide range of accuracy to be had with available ammo (I've found the Russian '80s production FMJ to be really quite good; better even than the S&B), so that could have been part of the accuracy problem, but it could just be that you need to get used to this carbine.

I know what you mean about a crowd gathering around! People always gather behind the bench of someone shooting a MN carbine. Maybe because it's so tough to be on the benches next to the Mosin! Glad you're having fun with it!

Navy joe
January 10, 2002, 02:08 PM
If you really want to bother the slack jawed you should work on running that bolt really fast, I'm at about semi-auto speed now with my left hand, the two things that really help are bringing the gun back down on target while cycling the bolt and not really sweating the front sight post. I never see it, guess I do but don't notice, a lot goes off the front hood. what a hoot. :D

Destructo6
January 10, 2002, 06:57 PM
There are a lot of different Enfields out there. If you had a No and Mk, it would help quite a bit. I really like the looks and feel of my Enfield No4 Mk2.

.303 Brit is getting more difficult to find as surplus. It's not dirt cheap like 8mm Mauser or 7.62x54R.

k77/22rp
January 10, 2002, 07:16 PM
Atc1man,
What kind of ammo where you using?

James K
January 10, 2002, 09:58 PM
Hi, Navy Joe,

The Lee-Enfields have a well-deserved reputation for lending themselves to rapid fire. But anyone who can get semi-auto speed (I assume you mean aimed semi-auto) from an M-44 M-N deserves a lot of praise for hard work. I won't offer to shake your hand, though; I hate screams.

Jim

vhfr1289
January 11, 2002, 03:05 AM
If you like the Nagant check out this site http://pub42.ezboard.com/fparallaxscurioandrelicfirearmsforumsfrm25
you will find a bunch of very informative guys there.

As for the scope mount check out this scout mount their is no drilling necisary it just bolts on. http://home.earthlink.net/~paralax1/darrellsintropage.htm

I just picked one up and I am impresed with the workmanship in it now all i need is a good pistol scope to go on it .

Oh by the way try shooting that m44 at dusk thats when you realy can see the baskettball size fireball erupting from the end of the barrel :D

Chris

fadingbreed
January 11, 2002, 07:02 AM
The muzzle blast is glorious, isn't it? :D

Hand_Rifle_Guy
January 11, 2002, 07:42 AM
Don't get a wire-wrapped one. I read an NRA article that said the grenade-launcher-special Enfields were made from guns with shot-out barrels that would not need to be field stripped, just scrapped.

$110 is a pretty good price for a regular Enfield in any sort of decent condition. And .303 will certainly take game. It's almost a .308. Heck, Ishapores ARE .308, albeit in the older-style configuration of the #1 Mk III.

I like the sights on the #4 Mk 1, or Mk1*. It's a ladder-style folding peepsight. Mk 2's had a two position flipping battle sight, with different size apertures. The big size is more like a ghost ring sight, while the small size is the same as the original ladder sight: smaller, but potentialy more accurate.

Hunting rounds in .303 are readily available, in a variety of bullet weights.

Hornady Light Magnums make it about a .30-06, with comparable bullets, but the neccessity of such rounds is debatable. "Factory stock" loads are utterly adequate for anything on this continent. typically they are loaded with a 174-180 grn bullet at some 2500-2600 fps.

I would say buy it, but I almost always do. Mine was my second gun ever, and cost $100 8 years ago. it's a Lend-Lease weapon built by Savage in 1942, and is stamped "U.S. PROPERTY", and is a blast to shoot. Cheap FMJ ammo runs about $7-$8/box, with WWII-era surplus cheaper than that.

Watch that bandolier ammo. I got some with nickel-plated bullets (silver-colored) with 1907 headstamps! It still shot though, with no duds.

OkieCruffler
January 11, 2002, 10:12 AM
Not long ago at the range a man approached me and inquired about my severly modified SKS. He was telling me how he had expected it to sound like a cannon, and how surprised he was at how quiet and mild recoiled it was. About that time my son touched off a round from his M44. The guy just about jumped out of his boots. When he came up, he only had two words to say, "Holy...." well you can guess the other. I just smiled as I pulled mine from the trunk and said, "these are our cannons":D

jsosko
April 3, 2002, 01:47 PM
i have never heard of an innacurate nagant. most people do like the show that they put on. they rattle your guts. i will have to crack a few off at dusk to see what they meant earlier about the fireworks. me and my partner bought 2 a piece and he has already modified one of his with the new advanced technologies stock and scope mount and rings. we modified the bolt handle and mounted up in less than 2 hours. i still want to shave the bayonet lugs just to make it more sightly. it totally improves the gun feel and balance, also the recoil. you can actually shoot more than 20 rds without a shoulder ache. the best part was the price.

nagant $46.00
stock $55.00
mount $40.00
& rings

you can't buy a $150.00 quality rifle like that anywhere! more bang for the buck!

StuporDave
April 3, 2002, 08:18 PM
Just picked up an M44 (Russian) last weekend. Got it cleaned up and ready. Going to fire it for the first time on Saturday. This oughta be fun!

On to the .303. I've got a No4Mk1 that's been my deer rifle for the last five seasons or so. I didn't get a chance to go out this past season, but my son bagged two with it. It works!:D

Dave

jsosko
April 4, 2002, 08:02 AM
ITS ANOTHER TESTAMENT THAT MILITARY SURPLUS DOES HAVE A USEFUL PLACE IN SOCIETY. I WENT AND BOUGHT A SKS IN A RATHER LARGE GUN STORE. ONCE I PICKED IT OUT THE SALESMAN SAID TO ME " I THINK THEY SOULD MELT IT ALL DOWN AND MAKE SOMETHING USEFUL" HE MUST HAVE HAD A BAD HIT OF CRACK THAT MORNING. IF ANY ONE OF MY MILITARY RIFLES CAN PUT FOOD ON THE TABLE, THATS PRETTY DAMN USEFUL TO ME!

THEY SHOULD PUT TOGETHER ONE OF THOSE HUNTS WHERE THE MEAT GOES TO THE NEEDY AND ONLY USE MILITARY SURLUS RIFLES. I AM SURE THAT WOULD PRODUCE ALOT OF MEAT! NAAH! THEN WE WOULD HAVE THE BUNNY HUGGERS ON OUR BACKS SAYING IT WAS EXCESSIVE BRUTALITY!:D

Tropical Z
April 4, 2002, 01:44 PM
Is there an online primer for breaking down the M-44's bolt? Bolts scare the hell out of me!