So a while back I bought one of the Mosins from Centerfire Systems ($199).....attached is a not so great picture and target from the range (50 meters using a bench). The finish on the rifle is simple BLO....I stripped the varnish finish which was probably typical of most Mosins.....

I am not a great rifle shot (usually just got "sharpshooter" iin the service) but I am happy with how the rifle is regulated....pretty much on target at POI! I think the Russkies actually followed their maintenance manual on zeroing etc...before putting it into storage.


I did get the "sticking bolt " problem on extraction (smacked it with my palm)....cases were Tula steel but looked OK.....will check "the Youtube" for a fix....I think  Iraqvetreran8888 had one....


Edit: pics not working....

Ive had one for a few years got it for 80someodd dollars killed a few deer with it i like it it is a good shooting rifle.

Did the cases have laquer on them to seal the primers and the bullets?
It gets hot and melts and makes a mess....

no it doesnt

Ok. I know my Russian surplus in the 440 rd can has some kind of a coating on them... they are brass though..
and that rifle will get some hot that you would think the forearm wood should blister up and catch on fire.
You literally can't touch it with your bare hand..... and the bolt is sticky.
But it's fun to shoot and can hit a 20oz soda bottle at 110m with iron sights.

Most of the surplus stuff is "copper washed" over a steel case. It may have a red coating where the bullet is seated and around the primer. It's lacquer but will not melt in your gun.

Only issue is the primers are corrosive so make sure to properly clean your bore or it will corrode out

My bad.....it's not surplus ammo, it's commercial "Tulammo".....the cases are gray, not copper washed.

Fyi, aim has 7.62x54r for 7.98 a box
It's shooting great out of my mosins
Aim

That's getting into the right price territory, maybe there's hope for the future.  I still have some Bulgarian heavy ball and Russian light ball to live off for a while yet.

It sounds bass ackwards, but my gun ONLY runs well on the green lacquered steel case stuff.  The grey polymer coated stuff causes the bolt to stick like a motherfucker