My gunsmith mentioned that the narrow barrel didn’t leave much room for a shoulder, so he actually threaded it so the brake would be perfectly clocked without having to use shims. If you’re worried about velocity in a 16″ Mosin, it’s better than you might think.

The short barrel makes the gun ‘handier,’ and the additional unburned gunpowder makes a bigger fireball. Yes, in my mind fireballs = more fun. Eventually I decided to just do 16″ of barrel and leave the brake removable so muzzle devices could be swapped around later. I went back and forth on having the brake permanently attached so the total barrel length including the brake would be 16″. The first step in the build process was cutting down the barrel and threading it for the brake. See All Open Sight (separate review on it here).Brass Stacker Anchor Point scope mount.I spent some time shopping around and then dropped off the Mosin and the following box-o’-parts with my gunsmith, Nick at HCTC Firearms. Other necessities were a scope or optic of some sort, a shorter barrel, a muzzle brake to tame recoil and increase the fun factor, some coating to inhibit corrosion and make it look cool, and serious trigger work or an outright replacement. Right off the bat I knew the stock was a goner. Just like any recipe, it can be customized to suit your tastes. Something that draws attention at the range, that other people want to try. A rifle that looks fun, handles better, recoils less, makes some noise and flash and, above all else, demands to be shot. Turn a neglected 1945 Mosin into something that’s a blast to shoot. The purpose of this build, then, was clear: fun. The last few times my Moist Nugget saw the light of day it simply served to introduce new shooters to a true rifle round - mostly so the experienced shooters could giggle at the “OMG recoil” faces. It was a great weapon in the First World War and, although it defended Mother Russia nobly in WWII as well, technology had already moved on. It’s not particularly enjoyable to target shoot and I’m not lugging that ridiculous thing and its bayonet on a hunting trip. Now, although I expect comments rife with hate for ragging on a great battle rifle, the fact is that my Mosin served little purpose for me. But it’s an excellent platform for a project build. It’s huge, it’s heavy, it kicks pretty hard despite its weight, it has no provision for an optic and its fit and finish is what you’d expect from WWII Russia (in my instance). Do this 4 more times.(it's worth it!) Once done the tru oil will create a see through layer of protection for your stock.What we have here is a long gun that isn’t particularly pleasant to shoot in its standard form. If you do get drip marks go back to step 1 and start the whole process over.just kidding, all you have to do is sand that part a little bit harder and reapply some more tru oil. Once you get back from an 8 hour pizza run, be sure to lightly sand the surface with some steel wool, and apply another layer of tru oil. The first coat the wood should soak up fairly quickly, which is wonderful! Allow the tru oil to dry for 8 hrs. Be sure not to use so much Tru oil that it ends up dripping. Break out some tru oil and with one finger apply the tru oil in a circular motion all over your stock.

Get your gloves on and hang the stock from the ceiling. no problem we have a solution for fixing that!Īfter you have achieved the color you wanted in your stock, you now have to seal it in for eternity from the outside elements. I have a nice crack in the stock that was inflicted by the previous owner dropping the firearm. Also the water treatment will show you any weak points in your stock and seen above. Of course it wont do anything to cracks in the wood but allows you to start with a nice level surface. The wood fibers will swell up and correct any dings it has accumulated over the years. By emerging the stock in hot water there are some other great side effects. Take your stock out and allow it to dry by hanging it again. Keep doing this until the water is lukewarm. Cover your utility sink with a towel and allow your stock to float in the hot water for about 5 min before flipping it to the other side. Then take your boiling water and pour directly onto your stock (again be careful!). I start by putting the stock back in the utility tub, then lather the stock in Krud Cutter and allow to sit for 10 minutes. I used 'Krud Cutter' because it is biodegradable and it lathers the wood in a nice coat of suds. To correct this start boiling some water ( be careful!) then use a de-greaser of your choice. After stripping your stock, it still will have some old stain and grease trapped in its pores.

Stock crack mosin safety