My $44 '44' M44 trunk gun

J

JeffLrrp

New member
Its almost like fate was with me today.

Im at Gander Mountain to pick up some ammo, and I wander over to the used guns section, as per normal.

Lo and behold, I see a 1944 dated Mosin Nagant M44 carbine. An Izzie. With a wooden aftermarket sporter stock. Im estatic, because I really want a Mosin. I look at the price = $39.99 WOW.

Im thinking, this has got to be a junk gun. So I start checking the gun over.

Rifling: very strong. Barrel as dirty as all get out. Some very, very light pitting (or so my eyes tell me. May just be the buildup of crud, though).

Stock: dinged up, but not the standard stock, so no summer shoots with oozing cosmo outta the stock

Bolt and action: a little sloppy, but not bad for 40 bones.

The Creme de la Creme: All matching serial numbers on the bolt, magazine baseplate and barrel = WOOHOO.

I decided even if it was a substandard shooter OR a unshootable paperweight, it still was worth $40.

Total price after background check fee and tax = $43.99

The game plan is to spend a few hours picking her apart and cleaning her up, find some surplus ammo, shoot a hundred rounds through her and than regulate her to trunk gun status. As long as it can find center-of-badguy at 75 yards or so im good. Im under no illusions as to this (or me) being a tack-driver.

How good y'all think I did? :D:D:D

[Im working on getting a picture or two up. Ive got to find my camera, though
 
J

javabum

New member
I think that if you bought it and are happy with it and know its limitations
then you did good.But then again another gun in the hands of a good guy is a plus as far as i am concerned.:D
 
T

Tom2

New member
Background check fee? Man, every way to d*** you out of another nickel or dime for the priveledge of giving them your money, huh?
 
D

Deaf Smith

New member
Now that little cannon is basicly a 30-06 in power in a small light package. Take care when you shoot it. Expect a ball of flame out of the end of the muzzle and a touch of mule kick on the other end.

But, I've got to say, it sounds like a real good buy and it will be interesting to shoot. Have fun!
 
S

Schneiderman

New member
Cool story, I got my M44 plus a whole lot of store credit (hello ammo) when I returned the M1 carbine that exploded in my face. Mine is also a Russian model dated 1944, but mine has a nice gloss stock, don't know if it is original or what the story behind it is. It's a cool gun though, and was always loudest at the range though I haven't been to the range in a couple years. Shoot a watermelon with it someday!
 
D

Daily Fred

New member
Good catch!

Re range noise - I used to have an M44, and even at the noisiest ranges it's report would turn heads! :)

I let it go though - inaccurate and suffered from sticky bolt syndrome. I upgraded to the 9130 and am pretty happy with it. I can hit a (stationary) clay pigeon at 100 yds pretty consistently with it.
 
E

essohbe

Moderator
Cool story. I am happy for you! The M44 is probably my favorite milsurp rifle.

...even at the noisiest ranges it's report would turn heads!
Click to expand...

Another reason to love them! They are very loud because they were made for the ~28" barrel (like the 91/30) but were cut down to ~20" so you get the signature fireball and bruised shoulder, lol.

I still don't think it's loud enough! Lol.

Yesterday, I found out my rifle is very good at getting rid of old Halloween pumpkins :D .
 
I

Ignition Override

New member
Schneiderman:

Was the M-1 carbine the new imitation built by AutoOrdnance?

My brand-new AO gun suffered a stuck/jammed bolt after six weeks and had been treated carefully.
I should have done some reading before buying a $750 weak imitation (you can feel it when moving the bolts) of the real thing.
 
S

Schneiderman

New member
My M1 Carbine was stamped "Universal". I don't remember the history, it obviously wasn't an original WWII model or anything, it was fairly new. Probably some chinese knockoff cause I got it dirt cheap (that's the only reason I bought it). I fired two shots and on the third shot it exploded.
 
D

Deaf Smith

New member
Universal is one of the poorer makes. And it was made in the U.S., not China.

I bet it exploded cause the bolt was not fully locked when the round went off (called out of battery.)

The first Universals did use GI parts but not long after they started up they started making their own parts which were NOT interchangeable with GI Carbines. Most of the parts don't work.

I presume you Universal has dual recoil springs (GI carbines have just one.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top