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Contents of Mosin-Nagant
and SKS Carbine CD-ROM |
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Videos |
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Rebluing a Military Surplus Rifle Windows Media Video
Disassembling and Reassembling the Mosin-Nagant Rifle Bolt Windows Media Video
Disassembling & Reassembling the SKS Carbine Windows Media Video
Cleaning the SKS Carbine Windows Media Video |
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Bonus Material - 10 Manuals |
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Bonus Material: 1014 Pages of Manuals (Savings of $53.90)
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Surplusrifle.com Disassembly & Reassembly Manual: Mosin
Carbines
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Surplusrifle.com Disassembly & Reassembly Manual: Finnish
m/39 Rifle
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Surplusrifle.com Disassembly & Reassembly Manual: SKS
Carbine
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Surplusrifle.com Disassembly & Reassembly Manual:
Mosin-Nagant 1891/30
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Surplusrifle.com The Care and Feeding of the SKS Carbine
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Surplusrifle.com The Care and Feeding of the Mosin-Nagant
Rifles & Carbines
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Ordnance Corps Mosin Nagant Manual
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U.S. Army TC 9-56 SKS Manual
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DIA Small Caliber Ammunition Identification Guide Volume 1
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DIA Small Caliber Ammunition Identification Guide Volume 2
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Mosin-Nagant and SKS Specific Articles (55):
585 Printed
Pages of Material |
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Article: Buying & Shooting: Two Accurate Rifles for only $100 by Jamie
Mangrum 4 Pages
They brought out most of the rifles they had in the back, for me to gander
at and paraded them by, like some New York fashion show . I had been keeping
my eye on an Arisaka they had on the rack, priced around $100, but to my
dismay it had been sold. I had seen a couple of 1891/30 Mosin-Nagants and
asked if they still had them on hand, and they did. On close inspection -
both rifles had decent rifling and nothing broken (or unfixable).
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Scoped SKS Range Report by Jamie Mangrum 4 Pages
Learn how to - here at Surplus Rifle with a hands-on, "step by step" article
on how to scope the SKS Rifle.
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Review/How To: Odds and Ends: 3 Lil' Black Beauty (Sporterizing a Mosin
Carbine Bolt Sights Scope Stock) by Jamie Mangrum 15 Pages
She was cheap ($49) to begin with and I hold no inclination that she is a
collector’s piece. All that being said, she shoots really well. The old girl
has held a special place in my heart and I decided it was time for us to
make one last trek down the sporterizing row for Surplusrifle.com. What I
wanted to do with her - I wanted to install a Monte Carlo sporter stock on
her; Install a standard Weaver style scope mount, rings, and a standard
scope; Have the bolt handle bent so as to be able to cycle properly with the
new scope mount.
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Just Starting Out: Selecting Your First Military Surplus Rifle or Carbine by
Jamie Mangrum 4 Pages
I get a lot of email questions through the Surplusrifle.com website and when
I see a topic or question start to come up repeatedly I get an idea for an
article. This is one such article. I have received many questions that
follow the following premise: I don't have a lot of money and I want to get
started in collecting and shooting military surplus (mil-surp) rifles.
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Yugo M59/66 SKS by Jamie Mangrum 3 Pages
The Yugo M59/66 SKS is an improved model of the original SKS Carbine. The
two I picked up had been modified to make them California legal. The NATO
grenade launchers had been removed and replaced with a fairly large muzzle
brake. Both rifles came with a sling, leather ammunition pouches, and a
cleaning kit. Both were in almost new/unissued condition.
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Odd Man Out - The Albanian SKS Carbine by Jamie Mangrum 3 Pages
I have received a lot of email asking me to write about the Albanian SKS, so
when I found one locally - I could not pass it up. When I first saw the one
I finally purchased, I was really happy to find that it was literally caked
in cosmoline. I know this sounds weird, but...... I had been hoping to find
a rifle or carbine in this condition for a future article on removing
cosmoline from a milsurp rifle. When I finally wiped away some of the
cosmoline to see what I was buying, I saw something that really caught my
attention. This was not your typical SKS carbine!
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Article: Shooting the Finnish m/39 by Jamie Mangrum 3 Pages
This Nagant M-39 is in Excellent condition. I mean Like New ! Great bluing,
brand new barrel, fantastic sights (far better than a Russian 1891/30). I
have to admit that I did not like the finish of the stock - even though it
was brand new - so I put four coats of satin finish polyurethane and feel it
improved it greatly. I did not purchase this to be a collectible - I wanted
a shooter.
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Article: Father: The Russian SKS by Jamie Mangrum 5 Pages
Description: The Russian SKS is the most recent SKS that I have added to my
ever growing collection. I went to a friend's store and low and behold he
had two of the Russian beauties on display.
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Article: Ernie's Ultimate m38 Carbine 9 Pages
After seeing the movie "Enemy at the Gates" I decided that I wanted to get a
Mosin-Nagant rifle. I started checking the papers for ads and found several
at my local Big-5 sporting good store. After looking over the M1891/30
rifle, I felt it was just too long for my intended use. I then looked at an
M44 carbine, the length was correct but the bayonet on the right side felt
kind of weird to me so I passed it up as well. Then I found an M38 carbine
which has no bayonet but is the same dimensions as the M44. The M38 was just
what I was looking for so, I bought it.
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Advanced Technologies Inc., Fiberforce SKS Stock Installation by Jamie
Mangrum 13 Pages
I have been getting a lot of email requests for an article on after-market
stocks for the SKS. I looked around and decided that the stocks offered by
Advanced Technology, Inc. (ATI), looked the most promising. They offer three
glass-filled nylon, SKS replacement stocks - starting with the Monte Carlo
(classic Monte Carlo style. Great for hunting or sport shooting), the
Ultralight (basically a folding stock that does not fold?), and the
Fiberforce (founded on the famous Dragunov design). I decided to go with the
bad-assed, black-ops, looking stock - the Fiberforce.
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Finnish m/39 Disassembly & Reassembly 56 Pages
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Yugo 59/66 SKS Grenade Launcher Removal by O. Milic 4 Pages
Of late this is the number one question submitted to Surplusrifle.com.
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Removing the grenade sight from the Yugo 59/66 4 Pages
The Yugo 59/66 SKS used in this "How To" guide is a California Legal SKS,
with the grenade launcher replaced with a muzzle brake. So I thought it was
kind of pointless to also have a grenade sight installed. I have received
quite a few emails asking me how to remove it, so I decided to remove it
from one of my Yugo 59/66 SKS and leave the other one intact. This is only
one way you can remove the grenade sight, you can also drill out the pin.
Although I think this is a cleaner method, leaving the rifle looking good
after the procedure.
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Review/How To: New Huber Concepts Mosin-Nagant Trigger Prototype! By Jamie
Mangrum 16 Pages
When I first met John Huber and became familiar with his Huber Anti-Friction
Ball Triggers I noticed he had a small blurb at the bottom of his web page
stating - "Mosin-Nagant Trigger Coming Soon...". After finding this out I
was like a kid waiting for Christmas. How could I help myself? For god's
sake - I have a closet full of Mosin-Nagants that are just screaming for a
better trigger. My guess is there are thousands and thousands of us in the
world (if not millions) with exactly the same affliction and prior to John's
trigger - there was no cure. I am sure that I started to sound like a broken
record - "John, how much longer on the Mosin-Nagant trigger?" and John would
answer - "I am working on it!". Finally the day came when he was finished
and my trigger came in the mail.
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John Masen 10 Round Magazine & Rubber Recoil Pad 3 Pages
I stand around 6 foot and 3 inches in height. The SKS length of pull for me
is rather short. Lately, I have thought about replacing the wooden stock on
one of my SKS rifles with a longer composite stock, to see if it is a better
fit. The SKS was not really designed for someone of my size.
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The Last Great SKS: The Yugo 59/66 by Jamie Mangrum 9 Pages
The Yugoslavian 59/66 and 59/66 A1 SKS carbines are based very closely upon
the original design by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov. There are some deviations
as I will cover in this article. The 59/66 like the other SKS carbines is a
semi-auto carbine in 7.62x39 mm caliber, has a ten round capacity fixed
magazine, and the function and design are pretty much identical. It deviates
with an integral 22 mm NATO specification grenade launcher, a flip-up
grenade sight, standard SKS front and rear sights with flip-up tritium night
sights, a folding 11.5" blade bayonet, and a rubber butt pad. Most of the
parts are milled and the overall quality of the Yugo is fairly comparable to
the original Russian SKS 45.
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Review/ How To: Lil' Miss the SKS (Trigger Job, Recoil Buffers, Monte Carlo
Stock, and X-Cellerator Sling ) by Jamie Mangrum 13 Pages
Recently I was perusing local firearm establishments and found a barreled
Russian SKS receiver just sitting amongst the other C&R firearms. After a
close examination I found it was pretty much intact minus the stock,
magazine, and trigger assembly. The overall condition seemed excellent and
the price tag was only $100. I could not pass it up and slapped down the
cash. After bringing her home was the first time that I noticed anything
different about my new carbine.
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Lil' Miss the SKS: Part II by Jamie Mangrum 13 Pages
Lil' Miss is the SKS carbine that I recently wrote about in the article Lil'
Miss, the SKS. I found her just as a barreled receiver and have built her up
from parts. Since she is "my" proverbial Frankenstein, I feel inclined and
guilt free to use her as a test bed for some rather wicked and safe
modifications. In this article I continue the Lil' Miss saga with three new
additions to her tricked out form. First I modify the bolt to make it more
safe, next I replace the gas tube assembly, and last I install fiber optic
sights. I read a post in our message forum recently by Texas gunsmith Ben
Murray about a new firing pin and spring that he made for SKS carbines. He
states that his firing pin and spring, "Virtually eliminates the possibility
of the dreaded slam-fire and uncontrollable full-auto!"
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Finnish m/28 Disassembly & Reassembly 37 Pages
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Mosin Nagant Ammunition 2 Pages
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Finnish m/28 History 1 Page
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Mosin Nagant Operations 4 Pages
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Finnish m/28 Specifications 1 Page
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Finnish m/39 History 2 Pages
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Finnish m/39 Specifications 1 Page
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m59/66 English Logbook 46 Pages
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m59/66 Serbo-Croatian Language Logbook 53 Pages
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Review/How To: Mojo Sighting Systems: Phase III Tandem Aperture Sight Set
for the Mosin-Nagant Rifle or Carbine by Jamie Mangrum 4 Pages
I look forward to trying a set of these on my German Mauser, Swedish Mauser,
SKS, and Swiss K-31 rifles (of which Mojo offers sight sets for each of
these rifles). I would even like to try a set on one of my Mosin-Nagant
1891/30 rifles. They are already tack drivers and with the longer distance
between the front and rear sights, the results should be excellent. This is
a simple project and does not require any modification to your rifle, so it
is safe for even the mil-surp purist to try. Most people won't even notice
the Mojo sights without closer inspection. I save my original sights and can
quickly return them to the rifle with no evidence that they were ever
removed.
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Mojo MicroClick Sight on the Mosin-Nagant by Jamie Mangrum 40 Pages
At first inspection I quickly came to the conclusion that the MicroClick
sight is a high quality and well made sight with great features. I really
like the ability to be able to dial-in elevation without having to use a hex
wrench.
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Mosin Nagant 1891/30 Rifle Disassembly & Reassembly 40 Pages
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Mosin Nagant 1891/30 History 3 Pages
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Mosin Carbine Specifications 1 Page
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Article: Shooting the Mosin M-44 and 1891/59 Carbines by Jamie Mangrum 3
Pages
The M-44 was manufactured in 1955. The bore, an hour later cleaning and 100
patches, looks like new. I really don't believe it was fired very much, if
any at all. The stock has some dings and the bluing is missing in a couple
of spots. All in all - not bad for a whopping $59 from a local sporting
goods store.
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How To: Mosin-Nagant Front Sight Modification by Dale and Thomma Grindstaff
12 Pages
As we all know, Mosin-Nagants generally shoot high - as much as five inches
high at one hundred yards. Most of us enjoy shooting these rifles in their
original military configuration without making a lot of alterations that
take away from the history of the guns. The method I've come up with for
solving the high-shooting problem involves no permanent alterations to the
gun (at least, nothing that cannot be easily and inexpensively replaced) and
is almost un-noticeable (except, of course, for how much better the gun will
shoot). The method involves replacing the front sight post with what you
might call an infinitely adjustable post.
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The Mosin Scout by Ryan Jones 12 Pages
Anyone who has followed the gun scene over the past several years is most
likely familiar with the “Scout” rifle concept. The idea of this type of
rifle is primarily contributed to the esteemed gun writer, Col. Jeff Cooper.
The basic idea of a “scout rifle” is to have a rifle that, in essence, is
capable of handling any task that a rifle could be called into service for,
from virtually any hunting situation to offensive and defensive combat.
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Adjusting the Mosin Front Sight by Jamie Mangrum 6 Pages
Stan Ward makes the LT 1 Mosin Nagant Front Sight Adjustment Tool for the
1891/30 or 1891 Mosin Nagant rifle (pictured above). It is a very high
quality made tool designed specifically for adjusting the 1891/30 or 1891
rifle's front sight, very easily without the need for a hammer or punch.
These are available for $16 plus, $1.50 postage each by contacting Stan at
stanward@charter.net. Stan's tool will last a lifetime and is a very good
tool investment.
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Review/How To: S&K m44 Mosin "No-Gunsmith Required" Scope Mount by Jamie
Mangrum 8 Pages
The m44 S&K scope mount used in this article is from their "Insta-mount"
line of scope mounts described as - "no-gunsmith mounts which attach to
ex-military type rifles without drilling or tapping"
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SKS Carbine Disassembly & Reassembly 21 Pages
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SKS Carbine Ammunition 2 Pages
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SKS Carbine History 3 Pages
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SKS Carbine Operations 4 Pages
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Article: SKS Quick Detach Side Mounted Scope Mount 5 Pages
Submitted by Ernest (Ernie) Burdick I wanted to scope my SKS rifle with a
4x20 Russian (Belarus) scope (as shown in figure 1) that I already had. I
didn't like most of the currently available mounting systems which seem to
me to put the scope either too far to the rear of the rifle or directly over
the bolt where some type of shell deflector is necessary to protect the
scope from the ejected cases.
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Article: The Utilitarian SKS by Jamie Mangrum 3 Pages
The SKS is a utilitarian tool. It is not pretty. It is not terribly
accurate. It is designed to - 1) function in almost any condition or
climate, 2) be disassembled and reassembled without any tools and with
little to no training, 3) be manufactured cheaply out of mostly stamped
pieces of steel, and 4) supply maximum firepower against its enemies. The
SKS is and does all of these things.
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Install a Windage Adjustable SKS Rear Sight 5 Pages
I was looking around the Tapco Web Site and came upon a windage adjustable
rear SKS sight. True, you can adjust the windage of the front SKS sight,
easy enough. You have to remember all of them there complicated thoughts,
like you move the front sight in the opposite direction you wish to change
the windage (intended grammar errors for editorial effect and humor). For
some reason it took me years before I could remember this correctly. Every
time I would be at the range and want to adjust windage on a Mauser or other
rifle, I would always forget which way I was supposed to move the front
sights! Some sort of Freudian mental blockage, my college books would
say.....on with the story. I always thought that the 1903A3 and the Garands
were made for people like me. It is a lot easier to move the rear sight in
the direction you actually wish the change to be applied!
For $12, I could afford to experiment, so I ordered it.
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The SKS Shootout! Which SKS is the best overall in accuracy? By Jamie
Mangrum 5 Pages
The idea for the following article came from email questions I have received
and messages that I have read on C&R related message boards. The question
that is continuously asked is - Which SKS is the better Carbine/Rifle? Some
folks say the Russian SKS, some the Yugo SKS, some the Chinese SKS, some say
other SKS......I have my own opinions like everyone else. I decided to take
the SKS that I own and put them to the test at the range to see what I could
figure out based upon performance and accuracy.
The SKS Shootout! Target Photos 6 Pages
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How To: Adjusting the SKS Sights! A "how to" Article. By Jamie Mangrum 6
Pages
Adjusting the sights of the SKS can be an easy task if you know what you are
doing and have the right tools. Learn how to at Surplusrifle.com with a
hands-on, 'step by step' article on how to adjust the sights of the SKS.
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SKS Carbine Specifications 1 Page
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Tech-Sight's TS100 Receiver Mounted Aperture Sight for the SKS Carbine by
Jamie Mangrum 19 Pages
The main thing that intrigued me about the TS100, besides the fact that I am
a big fan of aperture sights, is that it is mounted over ten inches further
to the rear than the original SKS rear sights. It does not use the rear
sight base, but is instead attached to the rear of the receiver via the
takedown lever hole. This equates to a greatly increased sight radius and in
theory would improve accuracy.
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Review/How To: Williams Gun Sight Co. SKS Firesight by Jamie Mangrum 8 Pages
Williams describes the Firesights as - Prepare yourself for the fiber-optic
light gathering sensation that not only allows for higher visibility, but
also presents a faster sight and target picture. It's the day time sight
that's lightweight, and yet very durable. It's the sight that brightens in
low light situations. Made from aircraft strength aluminum (front beads are
made of steel) not plastic.
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Review/How To: The way it should be! A drill and tap scope mount for the SKS
by Jamie Mangrum 10 Pages
Let's face it - the SKS is a difficult beast to mount a scope on and get
reasonable accuracy, repeatedly. I finally came to the conclusion that the
only way to mount a scope on an SKS was to install a "drill and tap" type
mount that is permanently affixed to the receiver. A "drill and tap" type
mount is a mount that you drill holes, tap (thread the hold), install the
mount, and it stays in place for ever. A good "drill and tap" type mount
should allow the firearm to function normally and should not have to be
removed to facilitate cleaning of the firearm.
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Why did the Yugo 59/66 have a NATO Spec Grenade Launcher? by Sinisa Dolinac
2 Pages
In the article The Last Great SKS, Jamie Mangrum stated the following: "Why
did a Soviet Bloc country have a NATO spec grenade launcher on their weapon?
Your guess is as good as mine. I have heard and read several possible
scenarios: They developed the 59/66 with the possible intent to export to
non-communist countries or they planned on being able to pick up captured
NATO grenades during time of war (probably less probable. None the less it
makes for an interesting conversation piece at the range." First of all to
answer this question you need to know little bit of history about
Yugoslavia.
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Review/How To: Reducing Lock-Time on a Mosin-Nagant (also measuring and
adjusting firing pin protrusion) by Jamie Mangrum 8 Pages
The lock-time of an average modern bolt action rifle is more than double the
time it takes for the bullet to travel down the length of the barrel.
Lock-time is the measured time of the following actions: From the time you
pull the trigger and; The striker or firing pin travels forward; The striker
strikes the cartridge's primer and; The primer is ignited. The basic premise
is - a reduction in lock-time will cause your rifle to hit closer to where
you held the point of aim when you pulled the trigger. This is because less
time passes for human errors to impact the path of the bullet.
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How To: Improving the Trigger on the SKS Carbine by Jamie Mangrum 12 Pages
I own a few SKS carbines (notice I did not state an exact figure; my wife
may actually read this article - just kidding) and probably half of them
have triggers that are either as difficult to pull as pulling the bumper off
of my truck with my trigger finger or the pull feels like running your hand
over gravel or a combination of both!. I wondered as to what could be done
to improve the trigger on the carbine. I have found a lot of different
websites, message boards, and articles that talk about this and have even
found some folks that will actually do the job for you. After reviewing all
of the accumulated research I have come up with the following simple
approach: |
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General Maintenance Information Articles
(28): 234 Printed Pages of Material |
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Making a Chamber Cast: A Technique for Positive Caliber
Identification by: Mark Trope 7 Pages
Almost 20 years ago, when Mil-Surp arms first were imported in large quantity, I
was at a gun store that had rack after rack of surplus rifles. They had a rack
of South American Mauser’s tagged as all being one caliber. However, looking
them over I discovered several had not been re-bored or re-chambered! The
storeowner said they were all from the same shipment he got from the importer.
Apparently, when the crates were filled in Latin America, no one checked to
insure all were the same caliber. At first glance, the rifles all looked the
same. One can only imagine what would happen if a cartridge with a bullet
materially larger in diameter then the bore got chambered and fired in one of
those odd rifles!
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Cleaning the SKS Carbine 9 Pages
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Purple Power and the Battle with Cosmoline by Darren Locke 3 Pages
After disassembling the rifle, I took it to the sink and put a few ounces of PP
(full strength) in an old teacup. Then I got an old toothbrush and got busy. I
like the old toothbrush method because my old toothbrush belonged to my ex, so
it pleases me no end to scrub grease with it. In retrospect, though, I think a
cheap "hard" toothbrush (the kind that will make your gums bleed when new) would
be a better way to go.
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Adjusting the front sight of a Mil-surp Rifle 2 Pages
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Patina: The Color Which Age Gives to Works of Art (Advanced Stock Refinishing
Techniques) by Jamie Mangrum 11 Pages
I have discovered that as your knowledge about the military rifles that you
collect expands then so will your arsenal or repertoire of "repair and
refinishing" techniques. If you are even a "somewhat" serious collector and want
your rifles to be in original condition, then after extensive reading you will
end up developing/learning "similar" or "close-to the same" finishing techniques
as were originally used when the rifles were manufactured. We purchase rifles
all the time that have had a part of the stock replaced (like maybe a handguard)
over the last 50 to 100 years. Most of the time - you never know. Other times
the color or patina of the different stock parts are mismatched. Sometimes this
mismatch is bloody obvious. I don't know about you - this bugs the hell out of
me and makes me want to correct it. The difference is the simple result of time,
dirt, and oil (in no particular order) or the lack of these elements. The
original finish is usually a dark hand rubbed patina that can only be achieved
through years and years of use. Or is it? I have found that you can closely
duplicate the aged patinas that you find on old stocks. Though it does take the
correct ingredients and a lot of patience to successfully complete.
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Blue Wonder Gun Blue by Jamie Mangrum 8 Pages
Before Christmas a Surplusrifle.com reader emailed me a hyperlink to take a look
at an online video that showed a new and unique way to blue firearms. I went to
the site and watched the video and was immediately intrigued by what I saw.
The video demonstrated the following process:
Apply the supplied Blue Wonder Gun Cleaner to the surface of the firearm and
then heat the surface of the firearm with a propane torch;
Wipe off the excess cleaner;
While the metal is still hot you apply the Blue Wonder Gun Blue solution;
After you apply the coats as necessary to achieve the level of darkness you
want, apply the supplied "developer" solution;
After the developer has had time to work with the gun blue solution you should
end up with a very dark blued firearm.
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Review/How-To: Blue Wonder Rumble: Blue Wonder Gun Cleaner by Jamie Mangrum 9
Pages
I am always looking for a faster and better way to clean the ever growing horde
of mil-surp rifles that populate my collection. I really love the smell of
Hoppes No. 9 and the lower cost of Ed's Red - but both of these cleaning
solvents take a lot of elbow grease and time to clean a rifle. This is not a
problem if you are cleaning a single rifle, but if I take a trunk full of rifles
to the range then you can multiply the cleaning task exponentially. Not to
mention the smell and the fumes! After cleaning "the entourage", I end up coming
out of the garage smelling like I work in a Hoppes No. 9 manufacturing facility,
my head is swimming around like I have a super bowl beer buzz, and somehow I
have distorted recollections of seeing a half-time female pop-star half
unclothed while performing on top of my clothes dryer (something I probably
should not tell my wife or anyone else for that matter).
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Review and How-To: B-Square Scope Mount Drill Jig - by: Jamie Mangrum 7 Pages
Every time I drill into a receiver I get the "shakes and sweats." I decided that
I wanted a cure for this ailment! I wanted a "sure-proof" method of aligning and
centering a scope mount on a receiver so I did not end up with a heap of scrap
metal and some spare parts for other rifles. Part of being frugal is making the
most of (or not wasting) what you have spent so little on - namely a mil-surp
rifle. I researched different jigs and found some required the barrel to be
removed and some are just too expensive for me. The B-Square Scope Mount Jig is
neither of these. It attaches to the receiver when removed from the stock and
cost under $140. It also is used for a variety of rifle styles and types and is
setup for standard #31 drill bits and 6x48 taps (standard drill and tap sizes
for installing a scope mount on a rifle). B-Square even includes one of each
with the kit.
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Cleaning - Mosin Bolt Action the Rifle 7 Pages
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Cleaning a Mil-Surp Rifle after Shooting Corrosive Ammo 4 Pages
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How-To: Cosmoline Removal by Jamie Mangrum 15 Pages
Removing cosmoline is not only the most important skill that a mil-surp firearm
collector needs to learn but it is also a rights of passage event that welcomes
and also initiates you into the world of curio and relic firearms. You are not
really a mil-surp collector until you purchase a rifle and get it home to find
that the amount of cosmoline on the firearm outweighs the actual weight of the
firearm.
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Dealing with Hangfires 4 Pages
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Measuring Headspace by Jamie Mangrum 18 Pages
Headspace is the measurement between two points in a rifle's chamber. These
points are the boundaries of cartridge movement when a cartridge is chambered.
In strict SAAMI terms headspace is the distance from the face of the closed
breech of a firearm to the surface in the chamber on which the cartridge case
seats.
Why is headspace important with a mil-surp firearm?
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How To: Making the Surplus! Homemade Bore Cleaner Solution Ed's Red by Jamie
Mangrum 6 Pages
I had spoken to a couple of my friends that have been making their own bore
cleaner for years. They gave me a small bottle to try out. I tried it and it
does not smell at all nice, but it really works well. If you have been shooting
for years, you may have heard of Ed Harris. The recipe used in this article is
all over the Internet.
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How To: Making the Surplus 2! Homemade Electronic Bore Cleaner/Copper Fouling
Remover by Jamie Mangrum 12 Pages
Looking for a faster and easier way to clean rifles has become somewhat of a
pastime for me. Combine that with the fact that in my early years I had been an
honest to goodness, electronics technician. The thought came to me - I could
possibly make one of these gadgets for myself and it actually might work.......
I searched the internet and sure enough I found a set of instructions that told
me how to build the device using simple plumbing washers, a cleaning rod, and a
cheap flashlight. In comparison the commercial equivalent of the device cost
anywhere from $69 to $129.
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Surplusrifle.com's FFL 03 Curio and Relics License Primer 11 Pages
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF or ATF) was originally under
the control of the Dept. of Treasury, but in 2003, the law enforcement portions
of ATF were transferred to the Dept. of Justice. ATF is essentially a tax
collecting, law enforcement and regulatory arm of Justice/Treasury dealing in
alcohol, tobacco and firearms (duh). In terms of firearms, the ATF is the
federal government agency that issues so called Federal Firearms Licenses (FFL).
There are several types of FFLs that one can get. The “full license” that allows
the licensee to purchase pretty much any firearm is what is called an “FFL 01”
type or dealers license. This is a business type license, not used for
collecting, but rather for buying and selling to others. There are other
categories that deal with manufacturing and importing firearms. The type of
license we will focus on is the “FFL 03 C&R” or simply “C&R”.
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Review/How-To: Love my Guns Electronic bore Cleaner by Jamie Mangrum 12 Pages
A vendor contacted me and told me that they had an electronic bore cleaner that
they would like me to tryout for an article on Surplusrifle.com. I have already
written an article on building an electronic bore cleaner and it works pretty
well. Then I was told that the product they were offering was far better than
the unit I had built for myself. I had not had the opportunity to use any of the
commercial electronic bore cleaners on the market today and thought I would give
it a try to see how it compared. My Russian captured 98k with the "less than
serviceable" bore and I had just never really developed the relationship that we
were destined to have and I was willing to try anything to make it work. Kind of
sounds like we were on our way to some marital counseling with the Love my Guns
bore cleaner. Sorry for the very hokey analogy but it seemed funny enough at the
time I wrote it.
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Making Mil-Surp Stock Cracks and Holes Disappear 2 Pages
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Measuring Cartridge Over All Length (OAL) in a Mil-Surp Rifle 11 Pages
For years owners of match rifles have used devices such as the Stoney Point
Chamber All Gauge to find the exact distance from bolt face to barrel lead for a
chosen bullet (as shown in figure 1). A specially modified cartridge case is
threaded to the Chamber All to get this distance, then a caliper takes the final
measurement. The Chamber All costs about $30.00, add to that a modified case for
about $5.00. However, the only mil-surp cases made by Stoney Point are the
6.5x55mm, 7x57mm, 8x57mm, .308 Winchester (7.62 NATO), 30/40 Krag, 7.62x39mm,
30-06, and .303 British. As you can see, many cases have not made the list! You
can send an empty brass case from their rifle to Stoney Point along with $6.50,
and they will modify it to be used with the gauge. The final cost including
shipping will run close to $40.00, not to mention the waiting time. Oh, but
there just has to be a better way……
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How-To: Measuring the Max! Feather River Sports 25lb Trigger Gauge by Jamie
Mangrum 8 Pages
Article after article that I have written for Surplusrifle.com, I have had to
describe the trigger pull of my mil-surp firearms in relative terms. I have had
to guess what weight the pull of the trigger actually was, in each case. The
reason for the guessing?
Like Mark said, commercially manufactured trigger gauges, when tested on a
mil-surp firearm with a heavy-weight trigger pull, measure well beyond the
measurement capability of the scale.
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How-To: Rebluing a Mil-Surp Rifle 7 Pages
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Recoil and Power: Debunking the Myths, Part I by Kevin R. Chandler, Ed.D. 5
Pages
Commonly misunderstood concepts are those of rifle recoil and power. In this
article we will focus on the origins of rifle kick and how it can be changed
when messing about with military surplus rifles. A follow-up article will focus
on the results when the bullet contacts something when traveling almost three
times the speed of sound. Both articles, of course, will have enough cross over
to keep everyone confused. Two weeks after I received my C&R FFL License, my
first interstate military surplus rifle purchase arrived at my front door, an
M44 Russian carbine. I purchased a pack of 7.62X54R military surplus rounds of
dubious origin (Albania?) from my local gun shop and, after a thorough cleaning
and safety check of the rifle, we headed out to my range. Surely this 100+
year-old design (shooting an antiquated round) would be as gentle as my old 22,
not! Some might consider this thing brutal! But why does it kick so much more
than my son’s relatively mild 8mm Yugo Mauser shooting similar surplus rounds?
There are some very good reasons, as we shall see.
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Recoil and Power: Debunking the Myths, Part 2 by Kevin 6 Pages
Commonly misunderstood concepts are those of rifle recoil and power. In this
article we will focus on the so-called power of a bullet and how it can be
changed when messing about with military surplus rifles. This is a follow-up
article to one in which recoil energy was explored. In the last article I told
of my encounter with a 200+ lb hog while carrying my Yugo SKS. I shot the beast
at about 10 yards with a military surplus round from which I had sawn off the
tip with a Hanned Convert-A-Ball die. According to the Hanned literature a
modified round should be effective on medium sized varmints having enough
momentum to achieve sufficient penetration and enough energy to do sufficient
damage. Well, it worked. The bullet achieved total penetration, entering the
left side just behind the shoulder and exiting the right side just a bit lower,
and just behind the right shoulder. In between, a number of things happened that
resulted in a quick kill.
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How To: Refinishing a Military Surplus Rifle Stock by Jamie Mangrum 10 Pages
Easy-Off, Heavy Duty Oven Cleaner is the best and quickest way of removing any
type of finish from a wood rifle stock. Really. It draws out all of the oil and
grease that has built up in the stock, over the years from cleaning and storage
of the rifle.
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Staying Level and Centered: Scopes, Bases, Rings & Rifles; Making It All Come
Together by Mark Trope 9 Pages
Many Mil-Surp owners choose to scope their rifles these days. Some rifles, like
M-93 & M-98 type Mauser designs will easily accept one and two-piece top mount
bases. However, they will require drilling and tapping, (D&T). Usually 4 holes
are required to get a set of bases on a rifle. To D&T a receiver costs $20.00 to
$30.00 per hole these days. Sure it’s a lot, but, the Gunsmith’s kids need
dental work, his mortgage payment is due and his wife’s tires have canvass
showing! When your project requires the services of a professional, pay the man
and be happy. Some other rifle designs will allow a prefabricated, clamp or bolt
on type scope base.
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Reader Submitted Mil-Surp Stock Refinishing Tips 9 Pages
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Taking the Bluing off of a Mil-Surp Rifle 5 Pages
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Tung Oil Stock Refinishing Technique 8 Pages
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