Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Mosin M44 - The humble dragon

1945 rearsenaled M44, wood refinished with Minwax Polyshades












Most of us require little from our rifles. We just ask they be reliable, hit hard, and be reasonably accurate. The M44 is all that in a compact package.

I got my rearsenaled M44 at the gun show before last because it was a good deal, and it shot a cartridge that I had a lot of. I thought it might be a good loaner (as I am always in need of potential loaners, living in Ca), and after the initial detail strip, I took it to a local range to test-fire, put maybe 10 rounds through it, and then it went back into the closet.

As it sat there I began to think about it more. The more I thought of it, the more it appealed to me. The idea of a cheap inexpensive, reliable, compact, full power rifle just made a lot of sense to me.
I am a bit biased though, since I prefer full power cartridges.

The idea that for as little as $80, and the cost of a few hundred rounds of ammunition, one can have a viable long range (300 yards or more depending on barrel condition) firearm for property defense, putting meat on the table, or taking care of pests. In fact, the humble M44 should be able to take any creature you can find in North America. Surplus ammo is still inexpensive, and available (though starting to dry up), making practice much easier on your wallet.

There are issues with them; but almost every issue can be checked with a little bit of knowledge, and some time inspecting the firearm prior to purchase. The internet is your friend, and don't be afraid to show up at Big 5 with a cleaning kit and a flashlight!

Certainly, you could complain about recoil, magazine capacity, and the safety (I don't feel much recoil, and happen to like the safety). Certainly, there are better guns on the market, but for the money, the M44 is a lot of gun.

Select one properly, learn to use it properly, and it might surprise you.

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