An Incredible (if Not the Best) Rifle a Person Can Buy Under $100

russian-mosin-nagant

The Mosin Nagant is a relative bargain at $100. You would be hard pressed to find a similar model that's just as good for that price. Read on for more reasons you should consider this rifle.

The Mosin Nagant is a bolt action rifle that was the primary battle rifle of the Russian Army from the 1890’s until after WWII when it was replaced by the SKS and the Kalashnikov. The Mosin Nagant is still used by insurgent forces throughout the world. In fact, when I was serving as a counterintelligence officer in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom, it was common practice for the enemy insurgents to use the Mosin Nagant against the coalition forces due to its superior range during mountain combat. A recent influx of military surplus Mosin Nagants over the past few years have brought thousands of these battle rifles to the United States at budget prices. As I write this article you can readily purchase these rifles for well under $100.
The Mosin Nagant certainly meets the criteria for a survival rifle listed above. It is a simple yet rugged rifle with very few parts that has withstood the test of time. It is without a doubt one of the most proven battle rifles in the history of warfare. The Mosin Nagant holds five rounds and can be loaded with stripper clips or individual cartridges. It is chambered in the powerful 7.62x54R caliber which is able to drop any animal in North America. It ranges in power between the .308 and the 30.06 Springfield. Unlike the two American calibers (.308 and 30.06) which sell for approximately $20 per 20 round box, the 7.62x54R can be purchased in bulk military surplus ammunition tins.
So who would benefit from a survival rifle that cost under $100? A lot of people would. Not everyone has the financial means or the desire to spend north of a grand on a tricked out AR15. In reality, a survival situation likely won’t depend on a high rate of suppression fire. For those truly dedicated preppers, you can purchase four Mosin Nagant rifles and a case of 880 rounds of ammo for around $500.
Mosin Nagant Specifications and Range Time:
The Mosin Nagant may not win any beauty contests but it is effective. The standard model (M91/30) per Wikipedia is 48.5 inches long with a 29 inch barrel.
This makes it rather unwieldy for close quarters combat. There are carbine versions of the Mosin Nagant available which I would highly recommend; however, they usually cost a bit over $100 so they do not qualify for the purpose of this article. The Mosin Nagant weighs 8.8 pounds and has a listed effective range of 500 meters (550 yards) with iron sights and 800 meters with optics. It has a muzzle velocity of 2,838 fps. The accuracy you can expect from a surplus rifle will vary from rifle to rifle. Many people will enhance the Mosin Nagant with a synthetic stock and a scope.
Mosin-Nagant Safety
When it comes to ergonomics these rifles are a bit lacking. That said, they are incredibly rugged and reliable. They were designed for the Russian soldier wearing a heavy winter coats. The Mosin Nagant has a straight bolt (not bent), therefore when working the action it sticks straight up and can block your field of view. To engage the safety it requires a significant amount of force to pull back on a cocking piece located on the rear of the bolt. This is so difficult that most people simply don’t bother with it and just carry an empty chamber for safety.

Before you head on to your next survivalist or hunting adventure, make sure you bring a rifle that really improves your game! Whether it's this rifle or another, having a weapon you can count on for hunting will really make all the difference during a SHTF moment. For more on affordable rifles visit Reality Survival.

Featured Image via Flickr // Flickr // Flickr


600 Comments

  1. Eric Stone said:

    Yea bull$#%&!@*I haven’t seen one for under 100 in a while. If it is its probably in$#%&!@*condition.

  2. Richard Bailey said:

    Save a couple more hundred and get a good modern bolt-action that you can walk into almost any store and buy ammo for, and easily mount a scope on to.

  3. Eric Stone said:

    Yea you can only day dream of the days where decent guns were under 100. Unfortunately I was broke then.

  4. Jeffrey Rogers said:

    These are hardly available anymore, and certainly not at that price when they are.

  5. Kevin Robbins said:

    Can’t get a Mosin for a hundred bucks anymore. But they are definitely cool rifles!

  6. Mark DePetro said:

    Throw a good one in the promag arch angel stock and you have a sweet looking,magazine fed, straight shooting,bolt action rifle.

  7. Michael La Torre said:

    Good rifle for a general purpose gun. I have two. One is a short barrel.

    I wouldn’t run to a gun fight with it, but if that is all I had, I can make it work.

  8. Jon C. Allen said:

    Never seen one for 100 bucks. I have seen them for around 125 bucks, tho. Essentially the same ballistics as a .30-06 round.

  9. Mike Schunemann said:

    I wouldnt say under $100. I got a sweet deal on this hex barrel for $220 and refinished the wood.

  10. Sam Urmson said:

    I got mine for 100 about 2 years ago. Matching numbers and a bayonet. Missing the rear sight tho

  11. Bc Jones said:

    Saw a whole rack of them recently for $99 your choice

  12. Josh Ice said:

    There 350$ plus ant carbines over 400$ update your info every 5 years or so duh!

  13. David Paul Rethoret said:

    It’s officially an over priced paper weight. Shot several of these rifles, all garbage. Never understood the appeal.

  14. Robert Jefferson said:

    I bought mine at a Roses store for 70.00 in the mid 90’s. Will not part with it for anything!! Have bulk ammo for it. It was made by the Remington Armory, stamped right across the top.

  15. John Detherage said:

    The machined bolt and machined receiver SKS is still the highest performance weapon under $100 that you can get. Better than the Moisan because it holds so much more ammo

  16. Charlie Clabbers said:

    Where at? That is a steal. Look on GunBroker. Not going to fix d them that cheep. Also I have been looking in every store small and big and can’t find them. I would like a couple more.

  17. James Bell said:

    Yeah old post can’t get one around here for less than 250

  18. Shaun Pfleger said:

    But not nearly as reliable and willing to take abuse as the masochist m91/30.

    We want shot one for five hours in a freezing rain downpour at at 35 degrees Fahrenheit. Even fed it rounds that had been dropped in the mud. All ancient surplus rounds. Not one issue

  19. Sam Juarez said:

    Ammo is pricey but stock up on it or learn how to make your own

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