Chinese Type 53 carbine Mosin Nagant

The Mosin Nagant is without a doubt the most popular surplus rifle on the market today.  While prices have gone up over the years, they are still an awesome value.  Most of the Mosins out there are standard 91/30 full length rifles.  These were built in the Former Soviet Union by the millions and stockpiled just about everywhere they had influence.  Among the 91/30s, you will also find the occasional M44 Carbine.  These short rifles are essentially a 91/30 with a shorter barrel and a permanently fixed, folding bayonet.

In 1953 the People's republic of China went looking for a carbine and found one in the Soviet Union.  According to some sources, the Soviets packed up the machine tools and shipped them to China as a gift to their fellow communists.  In any event, the Type 53 was born.  Type 53 = Chinese M44.

I acquired mine in a trade for some guns that I was no longer in love with.  I had sold my Mauser and felt naked without a surplus bolt gun in my arsenal.  Therefore the Mosin.  Everything about it is straight Mosin.  Other than the Chinese script and the import marks, the untrained eye can't tell it's not Soviet.  I am no expert on the Mosin and really don't want to be.  I find the old bolt guns fun and historic.  I like shooting it, so that is good enough for me.  

Speaking of shooting, these things do have a kick.  I find the Mosin to have less of a sharp kick than the Mauser 98, but it is still an arm bruiser.  Steel butt plates are great for cracking your opponent in the head with, but they are murder on the shoulder.  A slip on pad from Pachmeyer works wonders for me.  There are other pads out there that screw on, but I have read mixed reviews.

If you like owning a flamethrower, get a Mosin carbine.  They throw flames from the muzzle every time.  I have also found that it is more accurate with the bayonet out.  Actually Mosins were usually meant to fire with bayonets attached.  That is how the Soviets carried them and that is how they were sighted in.  Of course that can be adjusted, but I just deploy the pig sticker and fire away.

I have to admit, I was a little disappointed when the guy pulled a Chinese Mosin out to trade me, but I'm glad I have it.  It is everything a Mosin is supposed to be, but didn't get drug through WWII.  I have a decent looking, good shooting, surplus rifle that didn't break the bank.  I would think that the value of these things will go up more.  Who knows how much.  I doubt they will ever be big bucks, but you never know.

7.62x54r .32 caliber shell adapter

Being a strange and cheap fellow, I'm always looking for wacky ways to use guns I already have in new ways.  When I came across this cartridge adapter, I just had to have one.



So basically what was done here was that some enterprising person duplicated the exterior dimensions of a 7.62x54r cartridge, minus the bullet.  Then they chambered the inside of said item just like a .32 H&R Magnum.  This allows the use of .32 caliber pistol ammo in the calibers of .32 S&W, .32 S&W long, .32 ACP, and .32 H&R magnum.  That's quite a selection to choose from!  Sadly I don't see the .32 federal mag listed, but hey, how much can we ask for?

I bought mine from the Sportsman's Guide, but they are on Ebay too.  They are mainly for use in Mosin Nagant rifles, as using one in a SVT 40 would be comical.  Cost is around $25.

They are also offered for a few other rifles as well.  Just Google chamber adapter for whatever rifle you have.

I have used one of these in my Chinese Type 53 using my handloaded .32 S&W loads.  They have zero recoil,  Accuracy is actually not bad at pistol ranges.  I wasn't expecting to hit anything, but it does.  Turning a hard hitting battle rifle into a soft shooting plinker is worth $25, even if it turns it into a single shot.

And that is the only trouble with the adapter.  It's a one at a time operation.  Stuff whatever .32 ammo you want into it, push the loaded adapter up into the Mosin's chamber and close the bolt.  After firing, the adapter comes out just like a 7.62 shell.  However, you are best advised to pull the bolt back slowly and catch the adapter, lest the adapter fall on a hard surface.  If you allow it to fling out and smack the cement it will dent the tip of the adapter.  Shooting it has always straightened it out again, but I'm sure that isn't good for it.

Conclusion:  Fun yes.  Rapid fire no, It's great tool for teaching people who are new to the old battle rifle how to shoot without burning up their shoulder or your full size ammo.  It's also a lot of fun for anyone.

Shotshells 101

If you've never taken a shotshell apart, or your are just curious, here's a little education for you.

This is a cutaway of a common target shell, specifically a Winchester AA.

The hull is made of plastic and includes a plastic "base wad".  The "base wad" is the lower structure of the shell.  Federal still uses a wound paper base wad, but most other manufacturers use plastic.  That's why Federal shells smell different when they are shot.

Anyway, the "brass" portion of the shell is actually not brass anymore.  It is steel that is plated with brass or zinc or some other metal to keep it from rusting.  Target loads usually have short brass, while shells made for hunting have high brass.  According to Lee Precision, the length of the brass no longer has anything to do with the hull's ability to withstand whatever load you wish to load into it.  Indeed, there are shells out there that have no brass at all.

All shells use the same #209 primer.  There are magnum 209A primers that are supposed to add a little more fire to the load.  I have used them and see no practical difference in the loads I made.  I'm sure they may have added a slight increase in pressure, but for the loads that I make, they are not necessary.

Shotshell powders are made for a wide variety of gauges.  Most of the powders out there are suitable for anything from 28-10 gauge.  The .410 is an odd ball.  There are just a few powders produced for the diminutive cartridge.  Most shotgun powders are also suitable for pistol loads.  Some of the cheap promo loads have powders that burn dirty.

The Wad is where things get different.  In the old days wads were simple fiber discs that separated the shot from the powder and offered some cushion to keep the shot from deforming.  Today, things have changed dramatically.  The one piece plastic wad you see above is the most common design in target shells.  This design does a few things.  It separates the shot from the powder and provides a seal as it moves down the barrel.  It also acts as a shock absorber to cushion the shot during firing.  This keeps shot from being deformed.  Round shot flies true, deformed shot does not.  It also offers a cup to contain the shot.  Once out of the barrel this cup opens up and the shot begins to spread.  This not only keeps shot from contacting the barrel, but also can extend range.  There are so many different types of wads out there that it would be hard to discuss them here.  Just look at the wide variety manufactured by claybuster alone.

Not all wads have the shock absorber.  

Finally there is the shot itself.  Most shot is made of lead, with a small amount of antimony mixed in to harden it.  Lead shot is coated in graphite to keep it rolling around free.  If you dissect a high end hunting shell marketed for pheasants, turkeys, etc. you may find that the shot is plated in copper.  This is done to stop the shot from deforming as it accelerates down the barrel.  Noticing a trend here?  The faster you want the shot to go, the more the shot tends to deform.  Plating the shot in a hard material gives it a hard egg like shell.  Some loads even have buffer material to further protect the shot from damage. 

 

Lead is not the only choice in shot.  Far from it.  Non toxic shot was mandated by federal waterfowl regulations many years ago.  Steel has been the go to material as it is cheap and plentiful.  It is however not very dense and must be pushed to high velocities to make clean kills.  This lack of density also gives steel the tendency to bounce.  That effects the way that steel shot goes through a gun's choke.  Whereas a duck hunter using lead probably would have used a full choke, a hunter using steel would have no luck at all with that full choke.



Steel's inherent disadvantages were quickly realized by hunters, who demanded something that worked like lead, but didn't poison the waterways.  Enter tungsten, hevishot, bismuth, and other heavy materials that approximate the weight and density of lead, but are non toxic.  Some of these are actually heavier than lead.  I personally have never spent the money on any of that ammo.  I'm a target shotgunner primarily, so lead does just fine by me.

Automatic Shotguns - Recoil vs Gas Operation

If you've looked into automatic shotguns at all, you may or may not have noticed that there are 2 different operating types.

The first and oldest type is the long recoil principle of operation.  When the shot is fired, the barrel and bolt recoil into the receiver.  The barrel then moves back forward into its normal position.  The spent shell is ejected as the bolt continues its rearward movement.  At this point the barrel has returned to its normal position.  The bolt now moves forward, picks up a new shell from the magazine, pushes it into the breach, and locks to the barrel.  All this happens in the blink of an eye.

Our old friend John Browning made it all look so simple, but there is a lot going on.  In the following diagram you will see arrows pointing to 2 springs.  The fat spring on top is the barrel's recoil spring.  This is what the barrel acts against under recoil.  Just ahead of that spring you will notice a bronze friction ring.  This ring acts like a brake to take some of the shock out of heavy loads.  The skinny spring handles the recoil for the bolt.

I am unaware of any recoil operated shotguns currently in production, however there are millions of them on the used market.  You can spend as little as $150 or several thousand.  Some people say that these recoil shotguns kick like mules.  Indeed they will if heavy loads are used without adjusting the friction ring.  It's important to understand your gun and follow the instructions so that it will cycle the shells you plan to use in it.  There is nothing wrong with the recoil guns.  Some, like my 11-48 actually cycle all shells without adjustment.  Most, like the Browning Auto 5, require adjustment of the rings to operate reliably yet not tear your shoulder off.  

The second, and most recent, operating system is gas.  Gas operated rifles had been around for many years before shotguns began to use the system.  Basically, drill a hole in the barrel (gas port) and vent some of the gas from the burning gunpowder to push the bolt backwards.  Gas guns have the advantage of cycling all loads well, while not having a recoil spring on the barrel.  The barrel doesn't move either.  One example is the Remington 1100.

My arrow is pointing to the gas piston of a Remington 1100.  This piston is pushed backwards by the gas siphoned off of the barrel.  The 2 action bars look very similar to the ones on a pump shotgun.  Indeed they both cycle the action, but the autoloader does it automatically and the pump uses your muscle power.  You may be wondering about the spring labeled #3.  It is not a recoil spring, it just returns the piston to its position after the shot is fired.

Gas guns are the current standard of automatics and generally work very well.  They must be kept clean, as powder fouling will clog up the works.  Also, you must keep an eye on your o rings.  These rubber seals are essential to the operation of the gun.  If they are damaged or hardened, you will have issues.  

Personally, I have shot gas guns and I think they are just great.  It all depends on the manufacturer and how good their design handles different loads.  I've shot the Remington 1100, 11-87, and the Mossberg autos.  I like all of them, but I do not own any gas operated shotguns.  Instead I have gone to the recoil gun.  Honestly, the Remington 11-48 that I have has served me well.  I didn't buy it because I prefered a recoil gun, I bought it cause it was cheap.  But, it has been a great gun.  My Dad has enjoyed his Browning Auto 5 magnum for years now.  Call us old fashioned if you will, but these old recoil guns treat us well.  Set them up properly and recoil is not an issue.    

http://www.randywakeman.com/GasOperatedVsRecoilOperatedAutoloadersPartIII.htm