A question on Mosins...

[jdgabbard]

Ok, so I've had this mosin for quite a while now. And while I've got about 4k of surplus ammo for it and its brothers, I've decided I'm going to start loading for it. Got dies, a 312-185 Lee mold for it it, and a fair supply of powder, though I'm still awaiting brass.

However, one thing I've never messed around with buying was anything to properly measure bore diameter. I've never really slugged a barrel, and don't even have any of the soft lead boolits to slug it with. I know, heracy...

I've always gone to the standard "size to" size, and then worked from there with outstanding results in pistol calibers. And this is what I plan on doing with this rifle. Now that said, what do you who load for this war horse find as the go to size? .311? .312?

[94Doug]

I think they can be all over the place up to .318.....


Doug

[Tazman1602]

Get some lead sinkers or some soft lead from one of the members here (I can't remember who helped me out when I started slugging barrels but I *think* it was Mooman...) and drive them down the barrel and out the other end. A lot of guys don't use wood dowels -- with good reason as they can be a real pain when they break off and wedge in the barrel I guess but I've never managed to do that ................................yet............... ........

It SOUNDS like a pain but it's not at all and will tell you exactly what to size to. Then if you need a "special" size die, Buckshot here can make you that for a REALLY reasonable price.

Art

[jdgabbard]

It's not a matter of not knowing how or having soft lead. I have about 200lbs I'm hoarding. I just don't have any cast up and don't really want to change alloys in my pot. The biggest issue is I've never bought 'accurate' measuring equipment. At least nothing that's going to do better then .01 without guessimation.

[Larry Gibson]

Thing about MN's is they vary a lot in groove diameter. Best thing I've always done is just mic the inside diameter of several fired cases (brass milsurp are best) and average those. Use that for the size of the case bullet. Works for me as the MNs can have a very large diameter throat also. I just size the bullets to as large as the case neck will hold and chamber.

Larry Gibson

[littlejack]

As Larry said, size your boolits to fit the throat, not the bore. You will have better accuracy.
Next, if you do slug the bore, make sure you clean it real good ahead of time, and put a light
coat of oil before you drive the slug. With the 7.62x54 bore, you can use one of the large
lead splitshot for fishing. Measure with at least a set of calipers to .001.
Jack

[RayinNH]

jd, you can cast a few using just an old spoon and a propane torch to melt the lead. Just heat up enough lead to do one boolit at a time. They don't even need to be perfect, a warm mold helps though for good fillout. If they're too small, stand them up and mash them down a bit to fatten them up...Ray

[buck1]

You can get calipers for about $20.00 .
Thers not a go to size in a mill gun. They are just not that consistant.
A little time setting up right will save LOTS AND LOTS of time and trouble latter.

[nicholst55]

I've used round balls for muzzleloaders when nothing else was available; lay them on the back of your vise and flatten them out enough to start down the bore with a hammer. Not the best method, but it works in a pinch.

[Nobade]

I have found that loading for Mosins is easy. Just seat the biggest boolit that will still allow you to easily close the bolt on a loaded round and you're in business. In my case that is .315". I can't close it on a round with a .317" boolit in it. With the long funnel throat the size doesn't seem to matter at all as long as it's big enough. I have also found in poor condition bores where normal loads won't shoot, that loads with slow powders topped with cream 'o' wheat will allow for good accuracy and no leading.

[home in oz]

Good Advice!

[mooman76]

You would be lucky to have a rifle that measures 311 or 312. Most of them seem to measure larger. More like 313/4 or even larger is not unheard of all the way up to round 318. You can melt some lead like said here in a spoon or ladle. Drill a hole (slightly larger than your barrel) in an oak or good solid piece of wood and use it as a mould. It doesn't have to look pretty. It will take the shape of your barrel anyway.

[Three44s]

Get some of these:


http://www.google.com/products/catal...d=0CFgQ8wIwBQ#

Three 44s

[littlejack]

Those boooooolits got a hole in um.

[Three44s]

That hole is for sound effects!!!

SCREAMERS!!!

(really, they are what Beartooth Bullets recommends for slugging the internals of one's fire pole)


Three 44s

[EMC45]

I have 3....All measure different.

[1Shirt]

Both of mine are about .315. Nobade's advice is sound, as is Larry's! Lots of practical advise on this forum based on experiance, common sense, and occaisionally logic.
1Shirt!

[txpete]

with the russians its a ??? what you will get.imho the war year guns tend to run larger as they were getting them out as fast as they could.my best russian shooters have hex recievers ymmv.I now size .314 for all my russians and they shoot good.
that said thats not the case finn mosin nagants.
my 28/30 I size .309 and the same with my M28 sig.I shoot .311 in my M39's and M27 tikka.