I need help from Mosin Nagant Experts

[teddy12b]

Hello,
      I need to remove the bayonet from my M44 Mosin Nagant so it would be legal to hunt with.  I found a pin that I could knock out, but the only problem is that I'd loose the front sight post and I want to keep the rifle with iron sights.  What should I do short of just sawing off the bayonet lug, even though if I get desperate I might try that.

[Mikey]

teddy:  I worked with one of those rifles and found I had to remove the bayonet and lug to get it to shoot accurately.  I also found the action/barrel to stock fit was very, very poor and it needed bedding.  I found that with the bayonet attached, at least with my rifle, the group went to pattern at 50 yds.  I removed the bayonet, sawed off as much of the lug as possible, had to open the barrel channel considerably to get the barrel free-floated and during the bedding process had to assure the action and barrel were centered to the barrel channel.  After all that she shot like a dream with 200 gn S&B or Silver Bear ammo.  HTH.  Mikey.

[Ambushhunter]

Or....you can go and buy an M38!! Can't have too many Mosins!

[oneshotonekill]

Well I'm not a mosin nagant expert but I do have a Russian M44.  On my model 44 there is a screw that you can take out to remove the bayonet.  It actually serves as the hinge pin for the bayonet and is not connected to the front sight at all.  I removed my bayonet and left the lug in place in case I ever want to put it back on.  What type of M44 do you have? It obviously is set up different than the Russian model I have.

[teddy12b]

I have a Russian M44 with the screw in it.  The only problem is that on the opposite side of the screw head the screw has been crimped and meshed with the lug.  It'd be about impossible to get the bayonet off that way, I already took a look at that.

[oneshotonekill]

Could you drill the screw out?  You could probably find another screw to replace it if you decide to put the bayonet back on.

How does it shoot with the bayonet on it?  When I used the open sights I had a pretty big POI shift left to right with the bayonet on or off.  I set it up with a scout mount and pistol scope, removed the bayonet and put it in an ATI synthetic stock it is a pretty handy deer whacker now.

[teddy12b]

I also put a ATI stock on mine and I still have more "fitting" to do on it before I'm completely happy with it.  I want to keep mine with open sights so I put a Mojo rear sight on it.  I haven't done any measuring of group sizes that way it set now because there is still more work to do, but I'd say I could knock a deer over pretty easy at 100 yards.

[S.S.]

I had to cold grind mine off, polish and re-blue it ...
it was brazed on with what appeared to be brass.
a real pain in the butt.