Everything Old is New Again-Mosin 91/30

Milsurps. My name's Brick and I'm a milsurp addict. There's just something about milsurp rifles. Whether it's the long slender lines of a Russian Mosin 91/30, ice pick like bayonet, and clunky bolt operation or, the more modern Century Arms C-15 semi-automatic with innards directly from the jungles of Venezuela; handling a military surplus rifle emotes a reverent blend of utility and history. If only they could talk, the stories they might tell.

They're also in my opinion a prepper's best bet for a defensive firearm. Take the lowly Mosin 91/30. Just about anyone can purchase one for a single weeks worth of pay. Even at minimum wage you can still get a Mosin 91/30 at today's prices (less than $100) and have enough left over to buy a few boxes of ammunition. They're heavy brutes that shoot a brute of a caliber (7.62x54r) and ammunition is still plentiful and relatively inexpensive. They also have a steel butt plate for crushing walnuts, and a long slender bayonet that functions nicely as a BBQ skewer. Most Mosins I've seen are 60-70 yrs old but still capably do what they were originally designed to do which is make holes at a distance. They're also more than capable of doing double duty as a deer rifle.

The Mosin 91/30 may be the best kept non-secret secret in the milsurp world. Using milsurp 147gr light ball ammo, all of our Mosins will shoot minute of basketballs at 100 yards. They make great loaner/handout rifles and are simple to operate. The only 2 downsides to using them as a first trainer type rifle is that the safety is awkward to use and even with light loads there is a bit of kick and muzzle blast that might put off a first-time shooter.

The above 2 faults inclusive, an "old" Mosin 91/30 is unquestionably one of the better "new" purchases one could make if looking to acquire a dependable, simple to operate rifle on a very limited budget. More details about the Mosin 91/30 can be found here, and here.

I've seen 91/30s priced as low as $70.00. If you have a Dunham's Sporting Goods nearby, check them out as they frequently have Mosin 91/30s on sale for less than $100.00