M39 - The Best Mosin - Pics Included

[Hefights]

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Here is my M39 Finnish Mosin Nagant, the best of the breed as far as I am concerned. Very accurate and well made with that excellent Finn barrel. Mine is a Sako made in 1944, purchased for the $300s in unissued condition from Dennis Kroh at Empire Arms, one of the best places to acquire really nice surplus firearms. This has all matching numbers incl the bolt, as most M39s do. Finns took good care of their rifles as of course their survival has depended upon that at various times in history.

http://www.empirearms.com/

Shown with it is the really nice and clean Bulgarian heavy ball 182 grain ammo made in Bulgaria in 1955, approx 2,600 fps. The headstamp has "10" for the nation code and date "55". When I opened the tin, the inspector's certification was inside initialed in 1955. This is nice clean brass cased ammo, feeds and functions really well. Of course corrosive, so I first patch it with water with a little ammonia diluted in, then regular cleaning. (I use Hoppes #9 for the regular cleaning, and the factory says #9 will also remove the corrosive salts - all it really takes is water to remove the salts.)

This ammo was for sale at Wideners and JG Sales at one time, now you can find a bunch of the light ball 147gr ammo from Russia and other contries at the various places on the net. I have only fired the Bulgarian heavy ball in mine, and it is quite accurate. The light ball will probably work fine too based upon reports I have seen, will prob order some of the Russian in near future.

In case you are interested in the Mosin Nagant and 7.62x54R cartridge and have not seen this site, it is great and has all things Mosin and 7.62x54R:

http://7.62x54r.net/

[Hefights]

Almost forgot, most of these Finns were designed to shoot high at 100-200yd. With the heavy ball, mine was shooting very high at 200yd. I had to get an M39 "Tallsight" at Tennessee Gun Parts, he also sells them for Swiss K31s.

http://www.tngunparts.com/

The Finns apparently designed them to shoot high at those distances, and in fact at the top of the barrel up behind the front sight you will see a number stamped, which they say is the rifle's front sight height, in millimeters I think. I read that this was intended to keep the Finnish snuffys from messing with the front sights in the field.

[MJ1]

You can't learn your hold off's?

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We were taught the three B's after zeroing at 200 yards it always worked to 400.

[Hefights]

I guess I am just unusual in that if given a choice, I prefer to sight on the target at 200 rather than off the target, YMMV

[MJ1]

With todays surplus 200 they are right on and at 100 4" low. With Finn ammo it's a 300 yard zero. Your not wierd you just don't understand that some day you might have to make a snap 300 yard shot and your pellet will land in the dirt way past there. There is a reason for the battle sight zero.

YMMV=Chines 4X4?

Cheers
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[Hefights]

Well, I sure admit that there's a lot I dont understand. Right now I understand that with the current front blade installed, and with the M39 rear sight set at 200, my heavy ball ammo hits dead center at 200, which I like just fine. Then, when I go over the gong at 200, I can hit it most of the time standing unsupported. I also know what sight mark to set to hit 300, or where to hold to hit 300, which either way is still on the paper and with little adjustment goes in the black. Chow

[MJ1]

Changing the fron sight will work I have seen it done. I know a man with six Finn rifles and he has changed them all. M2, M28, Finn 91 and a M39 and he sure can shoot them at 100 yards. Do you hand load? He taylors the ammo for each rifle.

Cheers
..MJ..
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[Hefights]

Minimal hand loading experience with this one except with Varget and the 174gr Sierra / Hornady bullets. IMR 4350 is a good powder but not much of an option me as I dont have it in any quantity.

I have a smaller .30 cal expander die to change out in the 7.62.54 die, and am thinking that some of the .308 bullets may work fine this rifle.

[MJ1]

I have good luck with IMR 4064. Pass on the results with .308 bullets as some M39's have barrels marked for the .309" bullets.

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Cheers

[RED]

... I discovered Moisins and bought and sold them by the dozen. I was buying them from a female owned distributor in NC for the princely sum of $400 a dozen, shipped... $33.33 each, and they were in excellent to as new condition. I Bubba'd several by cutting them down to a 20" barrel and everybody was amazed at how accurate they were. My first experience with reloading was to pull the FMJ's from the cheap surplus ammo and replace them with a soft point of an equal weight. I had a lot of fun doing that and even made a $ or two. That would have been about 1985 - 86 time frame.

Just my $.03:)

[MJ1]

Well, I sure admit that there's a lot I dont understand. Right now I understand that with the current front blade installed, and with the M39 rear sight set at 200, my heavy ball ammo hits dead center at 200, which I like just fine. Then, when I go over the gong at 200, I can hit it most of the time standing unsupported. I also know what sight mark to set to hit 300, or where to hold to hit 300, which either way is still on the paper and with little adjustment goes in the black. Chow


Ah I see now your a civilian target shooter and have never been properly traind about the battle sight or the three B's. Once you have reconfigured your sights for 100 yards with a center target hold the sight graduations on the rifle will be worthless. Then you will still have to learn the new hold offs without referance points un less you mark new ones with your nail polish on the sight scale. Your not the only person that does this so the parts are out there.

Cheers

[Liam]

"7.62x53R" is what's stamped on my Lapua brass, not "7.62x54R." Concerned/confused me at first. Eventually, I settled on trying to match the original Finn load for my M39. Tried 4 slightly different amounts of VV N560 (I think - need to check my notes) along with 200 gr Lapua bullets (the oldy-timey ones!) Weird looking ogive that allows them to be fired in the Maxim machine gun as I understand it. Found the result to be punishing from the M39 on a rest. Took all the joy out of firing the rifle. Had to shoot a Swede Mauser the rest of the day merely to calm back down. Any mild load suggestions I could pursue would be appreciated. http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u23/Liam_068/D166-1.jpg

[Hefights]

"Ah I see now your a civilian target shooter and have never been properly traind about the battle sight or the three B's."

Dear Mr. MJ1, one observation, you should be cautious about assuming things about people you dont know. I never shoot a rifle at 100yd except .22LR. With the new front blade on the M39, and rear sight set on the 200yd mark, ammo hits dead center at 200 yd with good groups. A slightly high hold or a minor rear sight adjustment has the shots hitting center black at 300yd. (That is as far as I go until or unless somebody lets me on their property with a 600m range.) Now after more practice and familiarity with that rifle, I'm to the point where it hits the black or rings the gong 80% of the time when standing unsupported. For me thats really good and more importantly, a lot of fun.

You seem like a nice guy and very much into milsurp rifles, you make a lot of neat posts with great pics and I would like to be friends. You're making it difficult by being presumptive, at least that is how I am reading you.

[MJ1]

Apologies then.

Cheers

..MJ..

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[Donb in Fl]

Thanks for the tenn gun parts. I took my Mod 91 to the range today and she shoots well but about 5 inches high at 50 yards. Ill bet that tall sight will take care of it. donb in fl dcbishop60@aol.com

[Donb in Fl]

I ordered a front sight from Tenn, gun parts today. don b in fl

[MJ1]

Now what will you do at 100 yards or 200 yards?

[Donb in Fl]

I will raise the back sight.

[MJ1]

Good luck.

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