Mosin-Nagant M1944 - large goove

[Alex Hamilton]

Hi,
I have bought a Mosin-Nagant M1944 (with folding bayonet) and collected it today. It is 1953 Polish manufacture in an almoust un-issued condition. I slugged the throat when I got it home and it came out as .314". In fact, it does not seem to have a "throat" at all. The bore starts from the chamber neck.

I have a Lyman 311299 mould and the bullets drop at .3135", which should be ideal for this rifle, but I am worried that the chamber neck may not allow me to chamber the round with the bullet that large. I don't have the reloading dies yet, to test, so I would like to know if this large groove size is common with Mosin-Nagants and has anyone had problem with chambering such large rounds.

Also, are the bores chrome lined? How do you tell if it is?

Many thanks,

Alex in UK.

[Piedmont]

Alex, Generally what you are proposing will work just fine. Rifles that large are the norm. I have tried an old Russian M91 that I would have liked to feed a .315 or .316 (because the groove dimension was .314") that would only take a .314 because of the chamber neck. It worked fine doing it that way.


I don't believe any mosins were chrome lined. I imagine it would be visible from the barrel end, like on a chrome lined AK, you can see the chrome out onto the muzzle.

[Jack Stanley]

The two short rifles I have measure just about the same as yours . They fit the larger bullets but they do look like they have been worn in real well .

Jack

[Buckshot]

...............If you bought 5 Mosin-Nagants you'd have 5 different sets of bore and groove measurements :veryconfu I have four M91-30's and a M44. One of the M91's was made in 1943 while the Rooskies still had sizeable numbers of Germans scattered over their real estate. It's rough as can be externally but has the tightest barrel dimensions of ANY of the M-N's. One hex actioned rifle was made in 1929 and has the largest barrel dimensions.

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

[Three44s]

"while the Rooskies still had sizeable numbers of Germans scattered over their real estate. It's rough as can be externally"


That must be what was going on when my M38 was whittled out. It looks like the forging billet was beat into submission with the spliting side of a wood spliting maul.

BUT ....... I love that rifle ........ shoots great (but as all the carbines seem to ....... it kicks like a mule!)

Three 44s

[Nora]

I love that rifle ........ shoots great (but as all the carbines seem to ....... it kicks like a mule!)

You got lucky.... mine under a full load kicks like 2 ;)

Nora

[doubs43]

Wartime Soviet arms production was typically crude when it came to external finish. I've seen receivers that appeared to have been chiseled from a bar of steel..... rough as a cob. However, where it matters for operation, they are properly fit and polished. They simply didn't waste time where it wasn't necessary and "pretty" wasn't necessary.

As for the M-38 and M-44 rifles, I've always been of the opinion that they were the product of a demented mind... possibly the Marque De Sade. The recoil is brutal and any extended period of shooting is pure torture. Give me the extra weight of the 91 or 91/30.

[nicholst55]

As for the M-38 and M-44 rifles, I've always been of the opinion that they were the product of a demented mind... possibly the Marque De Sade. The recoil is brutal and any extended period of shooting is pure torture. Give me the extra weight of the 91 or 91/30.

I will definitely concur with that! I briefly owned a really nice M44 (1948 Izhevsk) that I couldn't stand to shoot for more than 5 rounds at a time. It gave me 'gun headache,' as the Brits call it, and I am not recoil-shy! A properly designed stock (and a muzzle brake) would go a long way towards taming one of those beasties. That, and some reduced loads. [smilie=b:

[John 242]

Just a heads up...
I don't have a M44 but I shoot my 1942 Model 91/30 with 10 gr. of Unique. The boolit is a 314299 sized to .312. This combo has less felt recoil than an 5.56 NATO fired from an M4. It's also capable of 1 inch five-shot groups at 50m when I do my job right.
Ussually I'll get 2 inches.

[milsurp mike]

I got 1 every of m44 that was ever made,Country wise that is.The Chinese T53 is the biggest flame thrower I own.It has a big Bore and i think the fire out runs the Bullet.The last time I had it at the range I was offered a Fire extinguisher.I use heavy ball J bullets and the Bulgarian powder from pulling down the Surplus ammo.The other countries are great Kickers but i like the Flame thrower the Best.Mike