The Mosin Nagant 91/30 was Russia’s former leading infantry rifle during the past two world wars.
It is big and sturdy, heavy and loud, and it packs a wallop a beast of a gun that certainly won’t bag any beauty crown. But it has character.
I wondered how to improve Mosin Nagant accuracy. This article is a summary of information and research compiled from gun forums about how to upgrade a Nagant to make it more accurate.
Contents
Nagant history
Russia first introduced the rifle sometime in 1891, and was greatly enhanced in 1930 (hence, 91/30).
In no time, it became the Russian soldiers’ go-to sniper rifle, which reputedly helped win the Battle of Stalingrad during the Second World War.
After WW2, though, production of these Mosins were phased-out making way for more technologically advanced rifles to proliferate.
Still, a good number of these Mosins remain available in the market.
The rifle’s downside, however, is that it does not have the reputation for outstanding accuracy.
So if you have the monster sleeping somewhere in your armory, we’re going to help you improve that Mosin Nagant’s accuracy.
Lets get started.
Modify the trigger
The Mosin’s trigger is usually heavy, and the heavier the trigger, the more is accuracy diminished.
It also has a long and cranky pull and the trigger return spring may be considered ineffectual after such long abuse.
You can replace the trigger with a match-grade one from Timney Triggers or at Huber Concepts for a ball-bearing trigger modification.
While at it, you may also have your spring upgraded for less than $10.
Mount a scout scope
Buying a scope for a Mosin is one thing; mounting is another. And no one says it’s easy.
You’ll need the expertise of a gunsmith to drill and tap the receiver.
This also entails buying a bent bolt to clear the eyepiece of the scope – a scheme which can cost you over $200 and bleed your pockets dry.
Modifying a rifle more than twice the price you bought it for sounds insanely impractical.
Instead, you can buy and mount a scout scope with a long eye relief without need for the bent bolt, and for less than a hundred bucks!
Look for stores and dealers of scout scope mounts for the Mosin Nagant 91/30.
Most mounts that don’t require gun-smithing will be rather flimsy, so carefully choose those sturdily made.
Free-floating the barrel
For enhanced accuracy, the rule of thumb should be that the barrel should not, in any way, touch the stock.
To do this without cutting out much of the stock’s forefront, you need to sand a fine layer from the inside channel of the bottom part, detach the hand guard and insert a piece of corkboard between the tip of the stock and the barrel.
To ensure the barrel does not come in contact with the stock, do a test by inserting a paper or dollar bill between the stock and barrel to the fore of the corkboard shim and slip it in the direction of the receiver.
If there’s no contact, the paper or bill should slide without a hitch.
There is a dynamic after-sales market out there for Mosin Nagant rifles.
This is simply because many are like you who’ve opted for this big and loud beast of a gun, not to mention that the price is quite cheap for such a big guy.
Avoid unnecessary trappings, such as bolting muzzle brakes to the rifle. They are useless on the Mosin’s recoil and gases.
Those three areas mentioned should be your first concerns to increase Mosin Nagant accuracy.
Reply