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mosin barrel replacement

30K views 28 replies 20 participants last post by  5150 
#1 ·
I am looking for a bull barrel for a mosin. Does anybody even make barrels that will fit? How much money and how difficult would it be to have a barrel converted to fit a mosin. I want to retain the original caliber. I have a barreled receiver with a horrible bore I want to do something with.
 
#2 ·
MN Barrels

I have also thought of a MN bull barrel, like the Finn TKIV 85. When I see how well some of my MN shoot, I can only imagine with a precision heavy barrel.

I will tell you, the outfits I found charge ~$300 for a heavy barrel, and not installed.... and perhaps not chambered. A chamber reamer from Brownells is $100, about as much as a good gunsmith would charge to install.

Which brings me to my next "experiment" I have got several excellent barrels from Buymilsurp.com. He has a pile of MN take offs, some excellent+, check it out. I have a thrashed sewerpipe barrel and plan to remove it and put on a newer quality surplus barrel. I have done M-1 Carbine barrels, but they index super easy. Lets see with Mr. MN.

I will say if you go down the heavy barrel road, there is a Richard's Microfit stock company, gorgeous laminated or regular sweet black walnut, 97% inletted for a MN. They will put the channel you want on several types of serious target stocks. Obviously, free floating with a bedded receiver. So I work on the dream to.

I hope this has been of some use. Ciao
 
#3 ·
I am interested in your discoveries. I also have a barreled receiver that could stand a barrel.
 
#4 ·
Barrel replacements...

And I just posted another question on this board without looking this one over. Say, you wouldn't happen to know the material the receiver is made of do you (13% this, 4 % that, etc...) Just want an Idea of how strong it can be based on materials used in manufacture, thanks. Also looking into the TKIV 85 design idea, awesome piece of history there too.
 
#5 ·
I couldn't find any info on MN receiver material. Supposedly its fairly soft and unlikely to blow up under heavy loads - expands instead.

But the MN has some problems that make me keep it in original military configuration and would stop me from spending much money on it:
The bolt handle is too far forward for fast, easy manipulation.
The split bridge makes it hard to install a conventional scope and side mounts are less efficient.
The safety is poor.
I believe there's only 1 trigger mod available.
The external magazine makes the rifle clumsy to carry on a hunt.
Gas handling/protection provisions are mediocre.
The WWII Soviet rifles are poorly finished.
 
#10 ·
Some comments; Finn military armorers think the M-N receiver is too soft to carry a free floating bull barrel. The solution was the TAK85 bedding block system (my English skills fails me, I don't know what you call this thingie) was introduced. This means that both receiver and barrel are free floating.

The bolt handle is too far forward for fast, easy manipulation.
Practice! ;) Or modify bolt handle to your taste.
The split bridge makes it hard to install a conventional scope and side mounts are less efficient.
True, to a point. A repro PE mount with 1" rings is one solution, offset rings another. The TAK85 attaches the scope to the bedding block. And of course there's always the ATI trampoline system... :rolleyes:
The safety is poor.
True, needs attention. Rings help somewhat. I got a replacement trigger group with side safety for my hunting 9.3x53R
I believe there's only 1 trigger mod available.
In addition to DIY solutions and the Huber, there are at least 3 others available from time to time; one Finnish and one German target trigger group, both around 50 €, the original (and later copies of)TAK85 trigger groups sold to civilians in the 1980'ies, ca 100 €. All these sans safety. Lastly there's the Finnish civilian trigger assembly with side safety, ca 100 -150 € when occasionally found at gunshows.
The external magazine makes the rifle clumsy to carry on a hunt.
You're kidding, right? :)
Gas handling/protection provisions are mediocre.
True, drilling a gas went hole on each side, a la Remington and Tikka is a good idea to include in your project.
The WWII Soviet rifles are poorly finished.
True. That's why the itch to 'improve' surfaces so easily :D
 
#6 ·
i put a dp28 barrel on a m/n looks cool with the flash hider on it. a cal. i would like to do to the m/n would be the 33 winchester if you turn the rim down to fit the bolt head it fits the mag and feeds real good. a few of the other barrel swaps i have done is sks in carcanos,a mg13 in a vz24,30-30 in a 1911 smit./rubin,03A3 barrel in 308 on a mas 36,a few rem.700 barrels on turks,45 acp in a 1891 arg.,45acp in #1mk3 & #4mk1 the 1st. 3 i did in 45acp were 16-1/2"x 3/4" that were bushed and head spaced like the sav. 110 but the last one i just did was real cool a 32" long x 1-1/8 barrel on a #1mk3 former indian 410 shotgun with a wever to1 top mount a guy at the range wants to swap me a remington mod.722 in 300 sav. for it so its gone o ya i also put a sav. mod. 59 .410 barrel of a m/n
 
#9 ·
That 7.62 X 39mm Carcano...

I've been contemplating just such a hybrid myself, but need more info as to how to make barrel shank & receiver threads compatible and convert the external magazine to an AK mag well that will accept AK mags. It would probably help if I could weld and had a machine shop at my disposal, I suppose...



Since it's a bolt action, there wouldn't be any issues with the BATFE like if it was putting an AK mag well into an SKS, would there be?

Would this technically be "modifying" an existing firearm or "manufactuting" a distinctly new one out of old parts?
 
#21 ·


Since it's a bolt action, there wouldn't be any issues with the BATFE like if it was putting an AK mag well into an SKS, would there be?

Would this technically be "modifying" an existing firearm or "manufactuting" a distinctly new one out of old parts?
Expect to be hassled if you lived in Kalifornia! Northridge International sells the rare 20 round detatchable 98K Mauser box magazines on the EXPORT market only...
 
#11 ·
Hey Bokmal. Don't get me wrong. I love MNs. But I love carrying an efficient, comfortable rifle on a hunt more. After a couple expensive experiences in rifle building I've given up on sporterizing any more mausers, and they're way easier than Mosins.
 
#12 ·
Absolutely no offence taken or implied :) I just wanted to add to the discussion from my limited knowledge about tinkering with Mosins.

I agree with your reasoning, you'll never get your money back on DIY rifle customization. BUT you'll have fun and learn a lot. Mausers are indeed easier than Mosins, but up here a complete Mauser action costs 150-200 euros, while Mosins actions are about 25 euros... It's just way cheaper to play with the latter.
 
#13 ·
Why re-barrel when they are cheaper to just buy another with a good bore?
Want a Mosin with a high quality "new", "unissued", "target" beefy barrel? It's called a Finn M39! They already did all of the hard stuff plus added a superb set of iron sights. Stock isn't the least bit shabby as well! Late model '67-'73 were built and hand tuned as "sniper/target training rifles".
I was so impressed with the 1970, which for all purposes appeared to be 'like new', I just had to order another and got a '67.
Other than the trigger, which was not 'hand tuned to perfection' like the '70, it too was hardly if at all used.

Wanting something to tinker with that eats 7.62x54R, that will stand up to a constant heavy diet of same on the range, there are few choices in decent bolts out there, other than that Czech rifle nobody imports.

The M39 will accept a hex mount PE scope mount
http://accumounts.com/ repro w/ six screws, which is about as solid a mounting as you can get.

Since it is a Mosin receiver, it will fit rather nicely in a Boyd's walnut stock.
Unfortunately, a nice custom wood stock is hard to find right now and even the Boyd's monte carlo is in scarce supply but
http://www.dmfirearms.com/index.php...ucts_id=1072&zenid=bq2q3a29io74u5bujg6oitr021
has a couple left. I just got the new one from them.
I used one for the M44 project and am quite in love with it.
Being solid walnut, you can drill the butt for
http://www.precisionreloading.com/recoilsuppressors.htm
a mercury filled recoil suppression tube that has proven quite effective and a LimbSaver butt pad (grind to fit) that all but eliminates recoil.
Sand and shape it anyway you want (but do include a Devcon pillar post epoxy bedding job and free float the barrel)
http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?p=282054&posted=1#post282054

I already added a http://www.huberconcepts.com/Mosin-Nagant_Trigger_Replacement.htm
With some fine tuning and polishing, the trigger is about as fine and smooth as you can get and fully adjustable. Already have it set as a precise sniper trigger.

There is even enough barrel ahead of the front sight to thread for a quality screw on muzzle brake. Still looking for the one I want but it will probably end up with one eventually.

While the eventual cost of the total package is going to mount up, there is still nothing else out there that will compare for the total price that lets you start off with as solid a foundation as the M39.

If you want to dick around with a custom that shoots 7.62X54R, I think the M39 is the way to go!
I expect to be fully satisfied with the eventual outcome of this one as it gets better by the day with each step in the process.
 
#14 ·
BOKMAL and DB2044,

You are both right and I thank you for your insight on this topic. I would like to add to the "soup" of opinions if I may.

1. MN's are plentiful
2. MN's are cheap
3. Ammo for them is cheap (for now anyway)
4. Finally, just as the Mauser's before, advances will be made in products that will enhance these guns. I'm sure that someday soon we will see replacement (new made) barrels available from Midway or Brownell's. If there is a base line product out there that can help sell new parts, it will come. I will wait for now, but the TKIV 85 is damn sexxy and too expensive for my wallet!

----

Does anyone know how to reproduce the Finnish modification Jam Free on the frigger guard/mag? Me and a ball peen hammer just won't work (LOL).
 
#15 ·
Another Idea...

Has anyone converted a M/N to .45-70 or .444 Marlin?

The forward part of the magazine would have to be widened, but the rim diameters are pretty close, aren'tn they?

I would imagine that only about 3 .45-70s would fit in such a modified magazine. Do you think that 4 might fit?

If you reamed and re-rifled the barrel as opposed to changing it, how long would one be able to run a 91/30 barrel out while maintaining adequate wall thickness at the muzzle in .45 or .44?

An M-38 length carbine in either of those cartridges would make a heck of a brush gun, I would think.
 
#16 ·
I've seen some Mosin converted to 45-70. It's a popular so called 'dog handlers calibre' (Moose are frequently hunted with tracking dogs in the large wildernesses of the north here in Finland) in a Marlin or Mosin.

The conversion to 45-70 seems simple enough, change barrels and widen the front of the magazine a little bit more than for the 9.3x53R Finnish.

As for reaming out and rethreding the barrel, well, I've never seen it done but I imagine that I can't be much cheaper than simply buying a replacement barrel.
 
#17 ·
lothar wather will thread & long chamber its .311 bore barrels for the mosin. you will have to set the shoulder back to set the headspace then cut the extractor slot. it's a special order piece & goes for around $300. pac nor also sells .311 bore barrels.
i'm collecting parts for a 6.5x55 swede chambered mosin, using my bannerman as a guide to make the rimless cartridge work in a mosin. the 6.5x55 fits the mosin mag like it was made for it.
i'm using a pre-threaded lr mauser barrel as a starting point because the minor diameter of its threads is slightly over the major diameter of the mosins barrel threads & i can get the threaded & short chambered mauser barrel for about the same price a a normal barrel blank then just cut new threads.
 
#23 · (Edited)
here a couple of pics of the mosin project i've got going on. the bolt handle has been moved to the rear of the bolt & the gap in the rear bridge has been filled. i have a finned 7mm barrel from madsen light machine gun thats going to be threaded & chambered in 7mmx54r. the scope mount will be made from a picatinny blank. for the stock i may go with a richards tac-driver or make my own design by reshaping the original stock then glassing it.




i'll probably drop the barrel & receiver off in a few days to be threaded.
i have a mauser project in 7mm-08 with the same type of barrel, i need to finish shaping the stock on it.


for the trigger i'm still waiting to see how another guys project works out, he is building a trigger similar to how a winchester 70 is set up but with a side safety. a couple of other triggers have also been adapted to the mosin, the bold side safety trigger for a mauser 98 & the timney side safety trigger for sako L579. i also have the blueprints for a finnish adjustable target trigger.

once this project gets a little farther along i'm going to do a early british style mosin nagant sporter in 6.5x55 swede. the stock will be similar to the rigby stocks with a short forearm & about 14 1/2"lop, double set triggers & i'll cut the rear part of the trigger bow off the triggerguard & weld on the back half of a shotgun style triggerguard because i don't want to completely get rid of the mosins magazine because thats one of the things that gives it its character
 
#27 ·
i can do even better, i can show it being done step by step but it will be a couple weeks.
i'm going to do another one & i'll show how it was done.
the scope mount in this picture is a rem700 la turned backwards & slightly modified.
right now i'm trying to decide if i want to use the finned madsen barrel or this maxim barrel.
 
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