Mosin-Nagant safety

[Junior1942]

I don't like the safety on my M38 Mosin-Nagant. I can't release it without making a clicking noise a deer could hear 100 yards away. Any thoughts on making a trigger-block safety?

[Bret4207]

Jr., I was considering a MN for a tractor gun a while back. Still am sorta. The safety was a concern simply because it was so awkward for me to use. I happened upon a website article, don't know where, that showed a guy had taken his and put a K-31 type ring on the safety. He welded or silver soldered a steel hardware store type ring on it, big enough to stick a man sized finger in. Said it worked great. Not sure if this would help you, but I thought it was a great idea.

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Junior,

If you're able to disassemble your bolt and you can find out how at surplusrifles.com, you can do exactly as TPR Brett suggests. If you don't want to alter your original safety, you can order an extra one from tngunparts.com very reasonably and use the spare to alter as he's suggested.

Remember this one thing when you make the alternation though. I don't know if you're right or left handed, but you want the finger ring to be welded on in a position such that when you release/rotate the safety off, you get the greatest omount of physical leverage for the greatest amount of control. Also, the ring needs to be large enough your finger doesn't get bound up when you turn the safety. This will allow you to be as quiet as possible when releasing the safety.

Regards,

Dave

[dnepr]

There is an article at surplusrifles .com about modifying the bolt spring not only does this improve trigger pull it makes the saftey a whole lot easier to use. there is a whole bunch of articles about improving MN's at surplusrifles .com if the site is still up but the owner of that site is in poor health from what I understand and the site is going down sometime this spring.

[Larry Gibson]

I have also seen where and SKS safetey was installed on a MN. Required two holes to be drilled and the stock relieved a little. Worked great. May go to the gunshow today as pick up a SKS safety if ones there and try it.

Larry Gibson

[Junior1942]

Larry, keep us informed, please.

[Ricochet]

Junior, it's a whole lot easier to learn to work the Mosin safety than to modify the rifle. It's really not hard, once you learn the trick of it. (Like picking up a Harley off its side.)

Put the butt of the rifle in the crook of your elbow resting against your biceps, and with that hand, grab the knob. Some say do it between your first two fingers, I like to use my index finger and thumb. Pull back and turn it to the position you want, and ease it down. Grabbing it that way gives you much more leverage, and it's a piece of cake.

That's the most secure safety I've seen. No way that rifle can fire when the striker's in safe position.

[Junior1942]

Ricochet, it's the noise I don't like. I get inside the thickets with the deer, and sometimes I can almost touch them.

[Ricochet]

I see. Personally, I'd do that with the safety off, and handle the rifle carefully.

[Larry Gibson]

Larry, keep us informed, please.

Well I went to the Puyallup gunshow, had been a while since I'd been there. I was taken aback by the prices of most everything. Saw a nice M788 in 30-30 but $650 was a bit much. As the show ended I offered $500 but he said $650 or he'd take it home, he took it home.

Anyways there was a SKS safety there - best price I could get was $7.50 for that little stamped piece of metal!! Well, it was the only game in town so I brought it home. I put it on my Finn M39. I installed it a little different that the one I'd seen and mentioned earlier. Mine sets back a little farther. I had to remove some of the rear part of the trigger guard behind the trigger. Took me 3 hours to put it on. However it sure is worth the trouble. Works slicker than snot! Solidly blocks the trigger so with the MN design the sear is then pretty much held in place and the striker can't go forward. I can also cycle the bolt with the safety on. It also is very quiet in operation. In the pictures you see the safety off, on and the left side with it on blocking the trigger. In the fire position the trigger finger does not touch the safety at all. Might have to go hunting with the old Finn now.

Larry Gibson

[Junior1942]

Thanks, Larry. I'm now in the market for an SKS safety. Where do I get one online?

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Here ya go:

Numrich Arms, great place to buy parts, pretty reasonable.

http://e-gunparts.com/model.asp?idDept=229

[Four Fingers of Death]

I have a Remington M/N. Will it work on it? What model SKS safety? SKSs have been banned out here for 15 years or so. Mick.

[Larry Gibson]

I have a Remington M/N. Will it work on it? What model SKS safety? SKSs have been banned out here for 15 years or so. Mick.

I'm sure it is a chinese made safety as it is not nearly as well made as the one in my Russian SKS. I don't see any reason it won't work with a Remington made MN. Also if you guys are going to try this I guess I'd better tell you the rest of the story;

The first photo shows the stock at the rear of the trigger guard. I cut a washer to fit the hole then inletted the thickness of it. I made a wire spring that fits between the washer and the rear of the trigger guard. This spring pushes down on the flats of the safety shown in the second photo to give the "click" feel and hold the safety on or off. The ends of the legs of the spring are bent down (towards you in the phot) to push on the flats. The wood behind the legs was relieved so the springs have room to bend.

The second photo shows the cut out in the rear of the trigger guard for the safety. I drill a hole first, then used a moto tool with a small grinder and thn filed it so the safety fit. The safety wasn't square so the hole isn't either, probably could have squared up the safety first. The legs of the flats (where the spring rides) were shortened as with the safety sitting this far back the slot couldn't go any farther back do to the screw hole.

Third photo shows the hole for the safety pin and a role pin holding it. I used a #40 drill.

Forgot to mention that with the safety set back like I did it the trigger block edge was welded up (extended) about 1/4" to block the trigger. I made it a little long then ground it to fit.

Thats it. Works great for the first time. Let me know if I can help or answer questions.

Larry Gibson

[Ricochet]

Remington M91s are too valuable now to modify. IMO. Almost like grinding on a nice original 03 Springfield.

[Finn45]

How about cross bolt safety with spring and ball click system like in Marlins? Blocks the firing pin, not just the highly tuned and sensitive trigger... Not my rifle and not the best picture, but I guess the idea is clear? Cross bolt clicked on the left side; rifle fires, button on the right side; it won't. If you fire it against the cross bolt (closer fitting, smaller click sound), you need to either cock it again from the loop or open and close the bolt once. I believe that actuating end (right) of the cross bolt and the opposing edge on the bridge should be made to "catch".

[Buckshot]

..............Hi Finn45, have missed seeing you around. That's a neat setup on the safety!

.............Buckshot

[Four Fingers of Death]

Neat, but looks like sin

My Remington is completely original and in excellent condition. I think I'll 'sleeve it.' That is, sleeve it alone.

I bought a Dnepr 650 in the 70s, came in a box. PITA, but I loved it.

[Ricochet]

My Remington is completely original and in excellent condition. I think I'll 'sleeve it.' That is, sleeve it alone.

Excellent idea. I'd love to have a nice original Remington M91 myself. Only M91 I have is a very well used mixmaster that came out of Bulgaria, with a New England Westinghouse receiver and barrel.

[Four Fingers of Death]

Yeah I tripped over this one in a country town. I cased the joint like I do to every country town gunshop (they are a dying breed) and saw the MN on a lower shelf. I had been looking at short (Bulgarian I think) rifles in Sydney that were $AU250 which is a reasonable price, but I held back for some reason. I ended up getting a MAS36 with dies and loading notes and a hundred or so reloads for the MAS and the Remington for $250. The notes were so comprehensive, including measurements, etc, the dies and the rifle had been oiled carefully and the charge weights were spot on with five cases I picked at random I ended up shooting them off. I shot a Palma/Bisley style shoot at 300yards which was the only range open that weekend, with no jacket or sling and shot close to a personal best. The first three shots were bulseyes, one was a central! Was I pleased? Is the Pope a catholic? Yessssssssssssss!


I haven't got a pic of the musty nugget yet.