In the 38-55, I'd much rather have a new model, how it shoots is more important to me, older models had tight chamber necks, too tight to load bullets that shoot good in them. That said, the BC and Target stocks are sub-contracted machine checkering, so they should be good, the TDC stocks are laser cut.
Get some #9 soft lead egg sinkers, make sure they're not the non-lead kind, they're too hard. Follow the basic directions in the link below. I like to pancake the sinker between dowels, you get a much nicer slug than one that you just push thru the bore, do one near the muzzle and another near the throat, push it out the near end, that way you'll know how much bigger it is at the muzzle than at the other end, it will likely be about .0005" tighter at the chamber end.
Tim
http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinSlug.htm