The Mosin Nagant is a legendary gun. It has been around since World War II and was one of the major weapons for the Russians. Its design was quite revolutionary then, but it is outdated by today’s standards. It is heavy, kicks hard, and has no provision for optics, and its finish is rugged compared to modern rifles, which have a rather sleek finish. In this article, I’ll show you some Mosin Nagant upgrades that will kick this legendary gun up a notch.
With a few accessories, you can upgrade your Mosin Nagant from an old, heavy, and hard-to-shoot rifle to a fun-to-shoot gun with minimal recoil and noise that handles better. Some of these accessories are easy to find on Amazon at an affordable price. Many are easy to install yourself without drilling on the gun, but you may need to hire a gunsmith for others.
6 Key Mosin Nagant Upgrades And Product Reviews
Below is a look at the six most crucial Mosin Nagant upgrades and a review of suggested products for each upgrade.
Mosin Nagant Upgrades: Stock
The stock is one of the most important Mosin Nagant parts. It provides the shooter with a means to brace the gun and aim with stability and counters the muzzle rise and transmits recoil to the shooter’s body. It supports the barrel.
Chances are your Mosin Nagant stock is old, worn out, and rusty. As such, it might feel heavy and compromise stability and shooting efficiency. Therefore, you should replace it.
There are different aftermarket stocks on the market compatible with various types of Mosin Nagant. They vary in shape, size, finish, and material used. Below is a brief overview of the best stocks for a Mosin Nagant.
ATI Mosin Nagant 7.62x54R Monte Carlo Stock
- Color: Black
- Dimensions: 36.5 x 7.8 x 3.4 inches
- Weight: 2.27kg
- Material: Glass-reinforced DuPont Extreme temperature polymer
- Outstanding features: Scorpion recoil pad, sling swivel studs, drop-in installation, and 3M raised soft-touch cheek rest
The Monte Carlo Stock instantly transforms your Mosin Nagant into a hunting rifle with a more modern look. It is affordable and easy to mount and has a glass-reinforced polymer construction, making the rifle lightweight and weather resistant.
The construction design offers excellent recoil management and comfortable handling. It has a chemical-resistant recoil pad, which absorbs impact seamlessly for comfortable shooting. The pad also minimizes muzzle lift and improves target acquisition.
The stock also has a raised 3M soft touch cheek rest pad for enhanced comfort when shooting. It has swivel studs that enable easy sling mounting for sturdy rifle shooting. The grip and forearm are checkered for a non-slip grip.
The Monte Carlo stock is compatible with most Mosin rifle variants, including 91/30 rifles, M-44 carbines, and M-38 carbines. It has a drop-in installation design. However, you may need to make slight modifications to your Mosin Nagant e.g. material removal or addition for a perfect fit of the stock.
This stock is popular among hunters, military, collectors, and law enforcement professionals. It comes with a limited lifetime manufacturer’s warranty on workmanship and materials. It is made in the USA by Advanced Technology International (ATI), a leading manufacturer of rifle and shotgun stocks and a wide range of accessories for different firearms.
Pros
- Affordable
- Sleek, modern design
- Sturdy, durable, and chemical resistant construction
- Lightweight
- Compatible with different Mosin variants and other rifles
- Comes with a limited lifetime warranty
- Easy to fit
Cons
- You may need to sand and grind the stock for a perfect fit
Mosin Nagant Upgrades: Trigger
Once you have chosen a stock, the next important step is choosing a trigger. The M91/30 trigger in most Mosin Nagant guns is rough, snobby, creaks, and jumps around. Therefore, you want to replace it with one that pulls smoothly for accurate shooting.
Alternatively, you can have your gunsmith do a trigger job that involves adding a return spring on the existing trigger to improve slack take up. They would also need to scrub the trigger assembly to improve its feel and handling.
Most Mosin Nagant gun owners may be adamant to fit an aftermarket trigger on their stock due to safety and efficiency concerns, there are a few options on the market that ensure safety and efficiency. The best choice for a trigger for your Mosin Nagant is the Timney Trigger.
Timney Trigger
- Pull weight range: 1.5 – 4 pounds
- Outstanding features: adjustable pull weight, thumb safety
The Timney trigger enables more accurate shooting when using your Mosin Nagant rifle. It comes fully calibrated and ready to shoot and enables you to adjust the pull weight, sear engagement, and over travel. It has an aluminum construction that ensures your stock remains light.
The trigger is curved for ergonomic handling and has a single-stage operational design with little to no distance in pull weight between the travel and break stage. One of its most unique features is the thumb-operated safety that eliminates the Mosin Nagant’s cocking knob safety, which is cumbersome to operate.
At the factory, the pull weight is set at three pounds. However, you can adjust the pull weight between two to four pounds, depending on the shooting conditions and the weight of your rifles. Two to 2.5 pounds is most suitable for lightweight rifles and target shooting from a bench.
A range of three to 3.5 pounds is the most common for different shooting scenarios, including three-gun competitions, hunting, and target shooting. Four pounds of pull weight is suitable for heavier rifles and shooting in cold weather conditions with your gloves on. Note that setting the weight too low may increase the risk of accidental discharge.
Pros
- Compatible with a wide range of rifles
- Adjustable pull weight
- Factory calibrated
- Fitted with a thumb safety
- Operates smoothly
Cons
- You may need to ship your stock to Timney or hire a gunsmith to inlet it
Scope Mount
When Mosin Nagants were being designed, the sights and scopes technology had not emerged, so the rifle construction did not incorporate scope mounts or sights. To modernize your Mosin Nagant, you will need to install a scope mount on the rifle. Below is an overview of one of the best scope mounts for Mosin Nagant rifles.
AIM Sports M44/Mosin Nagant 91/30 Scope Mount
- Weight: 62.5 g
- Dimensions: 5.3 x 1.4 x 1 inches
- Outstanding Features: compatible with all weavers standard rings
It has a simple minimalistic construction of an aircraft-grade black anodized aluminum finish and is compatible with most scope and sight models for M44, M39, and Chinese type 53 rifles. It accepts all weaver standard wings. Since it is short and it does not go all the way to the front of the barrel, it is most suited for use with a rear sight.
The main disadvantage with this mount is that it is difficult to install. Most people install it over the existing leaf spring. However, it can be quite challenging to line up the holes and insert the hinge pin. You require two cramps at different angles to get the alignment right. Note that exerting too much torque on the clamps can damage the mount. However, once you mount it, the installation is quite sturdy.
Pros
- Quite affordable
- Lightweight
- Compatible with most scopes and rear sights
Cons
- Difficult to install
Scope/Optic
There is a wide selection of scopes for rifles on the market. They vary in size, type of optic, magnification level, range, and type of reticle.
The right one depends on the intended purpose and distance range. It should offer a clear view of the target without image distortion. It should also be durable. Below is a review of an affordable and efficient scope you can use with your Mosin Nagant.
UTG 3 12X44 30mm Compact Scope
- Type: Variable power
- Reticle type: Mil-dot
- Magnification: 3-12x
- Objective lens diameter: 44mm
- Distance: 10 yards to infinity
- Dimensions: 14 x 3.75 x 2.75 inches
- Weight: 1.45 pounds
The UTG 3 scope is compact, easy to use, and reliable. At a low price, it offers several functional features for precise targeting. The 30-millimeter SWAT 3-12X44 IE tactical range scope has a low profile for easy carry and mounting.
The front lens is multi-emerald coated for maximum transmission. The exterior has a shockproof and waterproof construction, and the interior is filled with nitrogen and fully sealed.
One of its most outstanding features is the EZ-TAP Illumination Enhancing (IE) system built in the reticle. The 36-color EZ mil-dot reticle and red/green dual-color mode accommodate all lighting and weather conditions. This feature is particularly helpful for color blind shooters.
It also has a – click illumination memory feature that adjusts the scope’s settings to the last conditions it was used in. IE system design incorporates two control buttons for illumination control. The control buttons are ergonomic for a soft feel and easy reach.
The premium lockable and resettable turrets allow for precise and consistent windage and elevation adjustment. You can lock it to protect the optic and ensure proper zeroing. The top wheel adjustment turret offers impressive parallax prevention starting at 10 yards and beyond. The side wheel is easy to operate and provides quick adjustments. You can replace it with a bigger wheel for finer adjustments.
Other notable features include a sunshade with a flip-open lens and quick-detach Picatinny/weaver rings. Its medium-profile, heavy-duty rings are easy to secure on the rifle using quick-detach twist locks. The scope also has a 3.4”-3” eye relief. It is powered by a CR2032 3V battery.
Pros
- Quite affordable
- High-quality durable build
- Numerous features
- Suitable for both long and short-range
- High precision
- Quick focus targeting
- Easy to mount and dismount
Cons
- Some come with a faulty eye-focus ring
Muzzle Brake
It is also known as a recoil compensator. It is a device connected to the muzzle of your rifle to reduce recoil, offering better control of the gun for accurate target acquisition and quicker firing.
Muzzle breaks can dampen recoil up to 50%. Since the Mosin Nagant rifles are pretty heavy, they produce significant recoil, and a muzzle brake can help to reduce it. Some muzzle breaks have a hybrid design that also incorporates a flash rider and a suppressor.
M11 Severe-Duty Muzzle Brake
- Weight: 5.06z
- Thread: 5/8X24
- Dimensions: 2.675”X1.188”X1.375”
- Barrel Diameter: 0.850
The M11 Severe-Duty Muzzle Brake delivers unparalleled recoil reduction by minimizing muzzle rise and ground disturbance. Its design consists of two compensated front baffles that redirect gas sideways and upwards. The baffle thickness reduces progressively towards the front, decreasing bullet flight disturbance for enhanced accuracy.
The muzzle brake is computer optimized for maximum strength. It is a high-precision CNC machined HTRS 400 series stainless steel bar for heat and corrosion resistance. It is available in three caliber options: 6.5mm, 7.62mm, and 8.6mm. You can also choose from a matte finish, stainless steel in-the-white, and matte black finish.
Pros
- High-quality build
- Enhances accuracy
- Excellent recoil management
- Available in 3 caliber options
- Easy to install
Cons
- A bit pricey
Coating
The final step of upgrading a Mosin Nagant is applying a coating, for aesthetics and to enhance durability. The coating should be applied thinly and smoothly but still offer excellent weather resistance.
KG Industries – 2400 Series Gunkote Baked
This one-part coating needs no catalyst or hardener. The application process is simple as you do not need to mix it with anything else. It offers excellent chemical, abrasion, and impact resistance and does not chip, preventing rusting.
It applies in smooth and light layers. You do not need to repair and recoat over time. You can apply it to most common gun and gun component materials, including wood, metal, and composites.
Conclusion
If you have an old Mosin Nagant lying in your storage and rusting away, it is time to get it back to action. With a few gun parts and upgrades, it will be fun and smooth to fire at the shooting range. Everyone will want to try it. An upgraded Mosin Nagant is suitable for target shooting, hunting, and defensive purposes.
