Back around thanksgiving I bought a beat up old 1926 dated Hex Mosin from gander mountain. This old girl has a Izhevsk barrel dated 1923 that is mounted to a Tula receiver with a date on the tang of 1905. She is old and looks it. She isn't smooth when cycling the bolt because of some lite pitting in the receiver. She is scuffed and dinged on her wood. She has missing shellac along the ring path on the handgaurd, she just looks old.... and I love this rifle!!
I have to confess that I didn't shoot this old girl much until just a few days ago because, well she is old and ugly. The first time I took her to the range was back around late February or early march. I got one shot off and the bolt was stuck solid. This didn't endear the rifle to me at all. I didn't get it open till I got home and beat it open with a rubber mallet. I cleaned up the chamber thoroughly and the rest of the rifle and placed it back in the gun safe never to see day light again, until a few days ago. I got her out, took a look at her, and decided to take it to the range and give her another try.
When I got to the range, I wasn't really expecting much from her, lets face it, she is a mutt not a pure breed. I was surprised !! Her trigger is damn near the smoothest with the most predictable break I have seen on a milsurp except for my K31. Even thou it's not a 2 stage trigger, the break is just as predictable and as smooth as the k31. Yeah I know, I just compared a Mosin trigger to a K31. Who Knew!! Her point of aim was damn near perfect with me not touching the sight ring at all. She didn't wander much as she heated up either. She is not a typical mosin. The more I shot, the deeper in love I got. 2" inch groups at 100 yards, my other mosins can't do that!! Next to no wandering when she got hot. I just can't say anything bad about this rifle, infact I think she is a little less ugly now too !!
I guess if there is a moral to this story, it would be : Don't judge a book by it's cover. OR beauty is only skin deep.
Vati
