I see that Gander Mountain has them curently for $99 with all accessories. I am looking for a good excuse to get one!
Isn't the fact that you get a working, powerful firearm for a hunred bucks excuse enough?
Another thought for the OP. Not all bayonets fit all the guns. the 91-30s had their bayos fitted to them. If you go to a gun show that is a point you may want to check. If you find a rifle that is in great shape, non counterbored barrel, all that stuff and the only thing wrong is the bayonet not locking on well, it's not too hard to fit it yourself. On the other hand, two rifles in otherwise equal shape but one locks up and the other doesn't..... Anyway, it's a point you may not check if it wasn't brought up so I'm throwing it out for all to know.
Another point. The 91-30s have two types of receivers. "hex" and "round". Looking at them from the top, you will see immediatley what I mean. There is no difference in shootability or reliability. They switched from hex to round sometime in the '20s. Hex receiver guns are a little more desirable and worth a few bucks more. Key here is a few bucks more, not twice as much.
There are some pre 1898 Mosins. Being made pre '98 means that a 4473 FFL transfer isn't required. That drives the price up because of guys who think it's a big deal to get a moldy oldie that "They" don't know about. Whatever. IMO, "They" know all they want about us all. I buy guns and "They" know it and I don't care. I doubt "They" get all hot and bothered when somebody picks up an old military bolt action. Anyway, if it's pre '98 expect to pay a little more and should you sell it down the road, you get to charge more.
The manufactre dates you see on the shank are not the receiver dates, they are barrel dates. Guns sold as "1942 Manufature" may be much older. The receiver date is on the underside of the receiver near the trigger. You have to take the stock off. You'll see guns from WWI and earlier were rebarreled for WWII. Thus explaining for the "Hex Receiver '40" guns. Like a lot of military rifles these may have been arsenal reworked. Some many times. There are bunches of little stamps that can be decoded to tell you some of the rifle's life story. A whole hyrogliphic language of it's own.
The Finns captured and refurbed a bunch of Mosins (and made some themselves). They made a trigger improvement that is really quite nice. It's a roller that smooths the trigger to sear contact and a tiny little spring to give the trigger a return. Much more shootable. They also rebarreled most of theirs with better barrels than the Ruskies used. Finns cost more and many swear are worth it. Your mileage may varry.
That's all the pointers I can think of right now. Any questions, feel free to contact me. I'm no expert on the Mosin Nagants, but I'll tell you what I can.
