My Little Mosin: Firearms are Magic (Monday Gunday guest post by Jeff W.)

Erin says: Jeff W. is an internet friend of mine. This is his first post on my blog. 

I’ve been a longtime reader/stalker here on Lurking Rhythmically, only having recently started commenting and talking with Erin (over My Little Pony of all things, because I am an avowed Brony), but that’s not why I’m making this guest post extravaganza. I’m doing this because another hobby I have is shooting, and Erin has kindly invited me to write a Monday Gunday guest post specifically about my first time shooting a Mosin-Nagant. I own a couple of other long guns, and I’ve been known to shoot a few rounds now and then, but I’d never fired a Mosin, or even picked one up, before last weekend.

After breaking the ice with her about bronydom, Erin and I got to chatting about enjoying shooting, and  then Chris Bridges did his post about going to the range for the first time with Erin and shooting there. I don’t exactly know what sparked it, but I decided that I needed a Mosin-Nagant of my very own. I IM'ed Erin the next day and blamed her for this new need in my life and all she did was laugh and encourage me. [1]

As it shakes out, I live in the buckle of the Bible Belt so gun shows aren’t exactly uncommon (I can count on at least 4-5 a year here). There was one that upcoming weekend and I declared that I was going to go and get my very own Mosin-Nagant. Unfortunately I had some issues with house care come up that same weekend and I missed my opportunity to get one. I bemoaned this fact to Erin the very next day and she sent me to this site to help me get over my infinite sadness at missing out on militias and Mosins… or because she’s a pusher and wouldn’t be thwarted by a setback on my part, I’m honestly not sure yet. [2]

Anyhow, I ended up sending the link on to several friends, including some brothers who had just returned from a bear hunt in New Mexico (I know my target audience) to see what they all thought. About 15 minutes later, my friend J (name redacted to protect the not-so-innocent) texted me and asked if I wanted one because he was already planning on ordering some. The Friday before Labor Day weekend, we placed an order for 4 Mosin-Nagants and a crate of ammo [3] to be split between us. J knows a fellow with an FFL who would receive them and cut us a deal on the price for the transfers. By 1:00 that afternoon it was a done deal.

Long story short (too late!), the rifles came in Friday before last and on Sunday 9/11 we went out to go shoot them. We figured on a solemn day we should actually continue life as normal and actually have fun (this isn’t a political statement, just a belief that life needs to go on). 

We went down to our shooting spot on some land that J owns and set up to make some noise and wreck some targets. Now this land we’re shooting on is not too far from the geographic middle of nowhere but it’s very pretty. From our shooting spot to the targets is about 75 yards. That mess in the middle is a dried pond; it’s been a rough summer here in Oklahoma.

Click to embiggen

So since Erin got me into this, and I got the rest of the guys to fall into the Mosin trap, I got the “honor” of having the first shots. I was warned by Erin and all of the internets that the Mosin kicked like a mule so I think we were all a bit nervous about it. At any rate I went first. Here’s a video of that:

The kick wasn’t too bad really, not as bad as I’d been led to expect [4], plus the gun was a LOT of fun to shoot. The four of us would do 5 rounds each, then go check the targets, for a total of 20 rounds fired apiece. I was shooting at the far left target in the first pic. So how’d I do at 75 yards with open sights? Not too bad…

For 75 yards over iron sights, this is actually really good.

My results were as follows:

Rounds 1-5 –  Nothing of note.

Rounds 6-10 – Group 1.

Rounds 11-15 –  Group 2.

Rounds 16-20 –  Nothing you can see, I was shooting at a tennis ball. I missed it.

My buddy J got 2 tennis balls in 5 shots from the same distance, so these rifles are pretty darn accurate! I’ll probably be souping mine up in a similar fashion to Erin’s sooner or later. My biggest complaint was the weight especially when firing the gun standing and unsupported. All in all, though, these guns are a great deal of fun! All four of us thought so. I can’t wait to shoot them again. [5]

Editor's Notes:

[1] This is indeed true. I am an evil temptress.

[2] Both answers are correct. See above note for clarification.

[3] One crate of ammunition = 880 rounds total, or 220 per person.
[4] This is a bald-faced lie, as you can tell when you watch the video. "Holy crap!" indeed. Also, I have a record of our IM conversation the next day:

10:44 AM Jeff: 1) I'm getting my friend to email the pics, but I went 12/15 on the paper at 75 yards open sights

10:45 AM 2) my damn arm feels like it wants to fall off

 me: LOL

 Jeff: no bullseyes but I'm pretty satisfied with the way it shoots

 me: 1) Good shooting, especially on iron sights

  2) LOL

  3) I warned yooooouuuu

 Jeff: friend of mine hit a tennis ball with iron sights from 75 yards

  you did

10:46 AM me: How many rounds did you put through?

 Jeff: just 20 each from all four of us

 me: And did you use a recoil pad or were you all manly?

 Jeff: we were all manly

  this time

  but probably never again

  :D

 me: Never again? :P

  Yup. 20 seems about right.

10:47 AM Jeff: then I went home, watched enemy at the gates and cleaned the hell out of that gun

 me: Who shot first?

 Jeff: me

  standing

 me: What was the first thing you said after the first shot?

 Jeff: actually the first shot I said "it's not that bad"

10:48 AM it wasn't until about the 10th or 12th shot that I started to feel it

  and today I really feel it

[5] Welcome to the Mosin Militia, Jeff!