Should I spring the extra cash for a Mosin Nagant Laminated Stock

[Beansie_Time]

So I've decided my next C&R purchase will be a Mosin Nagant rifle or carbine of some kind. The ones with the laminated stocks seem to be about 25 to 30 dollars more. I have found them without the laminated stock for about 70 dollars and with for 100 dollars. Any reasons why I should get one or the other? I could buy more ammo if I get the cheapo one.

 

[SKS Ray]

Laminated stocks were done mostly during rearsenal process. If anything get a hardwood stock with hex receiver, those are going to be worth more money.

Of get a Finn captured [SA] stamped Mosin. They're rifles that were captured by the Finish army during the Soviet/Finland war and are generally more accurate than your standard Mosin Nagant because the Finns often shimmed them and reworked the actiosn to squeeze out better accuracy.

If its a carbine you're after, try for a 1944 Tula marked M44 or a 1943 Izhevsk marked M44. They fetch a high price but are the rarer of the M44s.

Sometimes your best bet is buying off a site like Gunboards from a seller with good post count and feedback rating. Often you'll see very nice Mosins going for decent prices because people are thinning their collections.

And plus you take a better chance of getting a rifle without a huge dot stamped import mark on the receiver.

 

[Beansie_Time]

Milsurps,
You are a beast of surplus firearms knowledge. Whenand if I ever get enough money saved up to buy some really nice collectible pieces I'm driving down to Sippican, kidnapping you, and bringing you gun shopping with me.

I'm going to do a little more looking and buy something tomorrow.

 

[USMA-82]

+1 - Milsurps is definitely a beast.

And, I will definitely second his comment on the Finnish varieties of Mosins. There are about 27 of them, and they are really a whole collecting area by themselves. If you're looking for a rifle that has a rich history AND the potential to shoot very well, look at the Finns.

As far a the laminated vs. non-laminated issue: I think the laminated versions are really beautiful. I love holding mine up during a firearms safety class and having the students guess how much I paid for it. They're always shocked at how inexpensive they are!

 

[m44]

I totally agree with everything M4M said, except you should get a hex 91/30 and a laminate 91/30 to .

I hope to pick up my first 91/30 before the year is out to .

 

[vellnueve]

This is what you should get.

Laminated 91/30
Hex 91/30
Round 91/30
Laminated M44
Hex M44
Laminated M38
Hex M38
M91
M91/38
M91/59
Type 53
M39
M24

 

[USMA-82]

And here are the Finn variations:

Mosin M1891 Finland OEWG
Mosin M1891 Finland P-26
Mosin M1891 Finland B-barrel (Belgian)
Mosin M1891 Finland Tikka (SA)
Mosin M1891 Finland VKT (SA)
Mosin M1891/24 43" carbine, Sig barrel
Mosin M1891/24 Finland Sig/Boehler Stahl barrel
Mosin M1891/30 Finland Poulustoslaitos
Mosin M1891/30 Finland Tikka barrel
Mosin M1927 Finland carbine
Mosin M1927 Finland rifle Tikka
Mosin M1928 Finland Ski/Bicycle troop rifle
Mosin M1928 Finland SY rifle
Mosin M1928/30 Finland rifle
Mosin M1939 Finland B-barrel (Belgian) 1942
Mosin M1939 Finland Poulustoslaitos Sako 1941
Mosin M1939 Finland Poulustoslaitos Tikka 1941
Mosin M1939 Finland Sako 1967-73 (sneak)
Mosin M1939 Finland Sako
Mosin M1939 Finland SkY
Mosin M1939 Finland straight stock Sako 1940-41
Mosin M1939 Finland Tikka
Mosin M1939 Finland VKT 47 rifle

 

[Raoul Duke]

This is exactly why $19 per year is a pittance.

 

[SKS Ray]

Milsurps,
You are a beast of surplus firearms knowledge. Whenand if I ever get enough money saved up to buy some really nice collectible pieces I'm driving down to Sippican, kidnapping you, and bringing you gun shopping with me.

I'm going to do a little more looking and buy something tomorrow.

You being in NH, I have one distributor name for you... SAMCO Global Arms.

I hate them because they won't ship C&R stuff here but they have some of the best rifles anywhere.
Now get your paper work sent in for your 03FFL.

 

[Pilgrim]

Plywood vs solid wood?

Would you prefer plywood furniture in your living room or solid oak/maple/birch, etc?

I can't understand why the younger generation goes gaga over plywood!

A piece of nicely turned solid maple is surely prettier than a block of wood and glue strips.

I've got 4 Mosins, 3 made of wood (39,44,91/30) and 1 (mod 38) made of glue sticks. The reason I keep the 38 is because it's not very common, not because of it's beauty or lack thereof. The Fin 39 wood is a beautiful thing, the finger joining is perfect. It's much better made than the 44 or 91/30,

I don't have a good pic of the 91/30.

Remember that the only reason mfgrs make stuff like that is because it's cheaper to make !

Come on you young whipper snappers ! Get with the flow and start appreciating real workmanship and quality stuff.

I can only imagine what junk the yoots of 50 years from now will slobber over if people continue to love the newer crap as it comes down the road.

BTW, since when are plywood stocks more expensive?

 

[USMA-82]

Come on you young whipper snappers ! Get with the flow and start appreciating real workmanship and quality stuff.

I can only imagine what junk the yoots of 50 years from now will slobber over if people continue to love the newer crap as it comes down the road.

Absolutely! This whole plastic and composite stocks things will blow over soon.....

I'm sure the makers of modern battle rifles will be going back to good old wood any day now.

Freakin' Eugene Stoner and his wild ideas.....

 

[jdubois]

Remember that the only reason mfgrs make stuff like that is because it's cheaper to make !

Well, to be fair to the original manufacturers, without synthetic materials available, the laminated stocks were not a bad choice. Not only were they cheaper than the solid wood, they were also stronger and more resistant to temperature and humidity changes. None of this makes a bit of difference for them as collector rifles, but it was a decent choice for a military weapon.

 

[SKS Ray]

BTW, since when are plywood stocks more expensive?

Most Russian rifles were rearsenaled with laminate stocks because they were stronger. I think its something they took from the German K98s that were captured.
My guess is there were too many Mosins with cracks at the tang area of the stock and too many split handguards.

As for them being more expensive, I say its because they're new to the US market and there are more hardwood stock models out there that survived in original configuration.

There are some laminate stock models that scream purdy like this one I have.

 

[Pilgrim]

There are some laminate stock models that scream purdy like this one I have.

I guess it must be a matter of taste. No offense meant but it doesn't scream purdy to me. Real wood does though.

 

[m44]

Most Russian rifles were rearsenaled with laminate stocks because they were stronger. I think its something they took from the German K98s that were captured.
My guess is there were too many Mosins with cracks at the tang area of the stock and too many split handguards.

As for them being more expensive, I say its because they're new to the US market and there are more hardwood stock models out there that survived in original configuration.

There are some laminate stock models that scream purdy like this one I have.

I almost bought a m38 with a laminated stock just like that one, but it was more expensive than the finn 91/30 I got so I passed. And it was in a m38 stock not a m44 stock.

Personally I like laminated they look great, but I also like mine battle worn to.

And as for what mosin to get, get a finn my finn 91/30 is much better than the russian 91/30s.

 

[Nickle]

Get a Finn, preferably an M39 or M24, M28 or M28/30.

Just so everybody knows, the M28 is the deadliest rifle known to man (sort of).

Simo Hayha used an M28 with iron sights, and he's the top scoring sniper of all time, 545 kills.