A Girl and Her Gun: Operation Smile Lines

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Operation Smile Lines

Yesterday I went to the gun show with John and my hubby. We were on a mission for magazines for my 9mm M&P and other items I might need for an upcoming training. Also, I had never been to a big gun show, so it was time I put a check in that box. If you have been with me for any amount of time, then you know two things happen every time I attend a gun show. I buy a ton of beef jerky and I have a habit of accidentally stealing things. I have turned myself well before the po po shows up and I always pay for said items in full. Still, I have been trying to break this habit of mine. I may well have succeeded, too. Yesterday was the second gun show in a row that I did not steal a single thing. Impressive I know. That is the good news, but it gets better...I bought some stuff.

My Favorite Jerky

A New Shirt

A New Flashlight


Some Ammo For

1943 Mosin Nagant

*I did get to the range today and I did shoot this baby. Met some amazing people. I will tell you all about both tomorrow.

40 Comments:

At February 12, 2012 at 1:01 PM , Erin Palette said...: Welcome to the Mosin Militia! You are going to LOVE shooting it! Be prepared to get lots of interesting looks from the boys at the range, too. If they're anything like mine they'll be going "Why is that tiny girl shooting a gun as tall as she? And why is she having such fun with it?"

I've written a LOT about owning, shooting, and customizing a Mosin. If you have any questions, please ask! If I can't answer them for you then I have friends who can.

What arsenal is yours from? Mine is also a 1943, from Izhevsk.

Also, if you find you have the urge to speak in outrageous Rrrrussian accent, clipping articles from your speech, and saying things like "Is gun, is not meant to be safe" and "strong like bull"... well, don't resist! That's half the fun!

In conclusion, I leave you with some hearty Mosin humor.

Harasho and happy shooting! (Invest in a recoil pad.)
At February 12, 2012 at 1:22 PM , agirlandhergun said...: Thank you!! I am sure I will be asking:) I like that shirt!! I actually already have a funny story about when I bought the gun. I will share in tomorrow's post.

We looked it up online and I believe it is the same, an Izhevsk. Based on length, rear site leaf, and the hammer & sickle, it seems to match.
At February 12, 2012 at 1:27 PM , George said...: Well, the Appleseed blogshoot is coming up...:)
At February 12, 2012 at 1:29 PM , Jacked Up Glock Mom said...: Love the shirt! Nice rifle, and you will have fun shooting it. Some of the best deals on guns I have purchased have been from gun shows, did you buy it from a private seller or a exhibitor?
At February 12, 2012 at 2:04 PM , An Ordinary American said...: (Blogger is acting a little weird, so I have to piggyback on a "reply" post. Thanks, George. ;) )

I was doing just fine with the whole post, nodding and saying "Uh-huh, yep, uh-huh. . . then came the picture of the Mosin.

Great gun, to be sure. My little brother got one a few years ago when he and our dad went to a gun show in Lubbock. Did they buy oldest son and big brother (me) one?

No. I think they forgot about those genuine Chinese SKS new, unfired rifles I bought them twenty something years ago during my U.S. Marshals days when I was broke all the time.

I couldn't write them out of the will fast enough. (grin)

We're also trying to get together a Texas blog-shoot for the first weekend in April. Right now, it looks like it will be in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

I'll have more about it on my blog in a few days.

Congrats on the beautiful gun.

--AOA
At February 12, 2012 at 3:01 PM , Brock Townsend said...: Agreed. I have the M44. You might be interested in my trails and tribulations with a brake.

For Don: Mosin Nagant M44 Brake
http://freenorthcarolina.blogspot.com/2011/03/for-don.html

Tom's
http://postimage.org/image/3kxgxy4sp/
At February 12, 2012 at 3:02 PM , North said...: Oh I am SO sorry about your experiences. Perhaps next time you will have fun.

*grin*
At February 12, 2012 at 3:08 PM , JB said...: Read up on corrosive ammo with the Mosin if you haven't already. Great rifles though!!
At February 12, 2012 at 3:21 PM , agirlandhergun said...: I have, but thank you so much!!
At February 12, 2012 at 3:21 PM , agirlandhergun said...: It's been pretty rough.
At February 12, 2012 at 3:22 PM , agirlandhergun said...: Absolutely. Thank you. I will check it out.
At February 12, 2012 at 3:22 PM , agirlandhergun said...: From a dealer.
At February 12, 2012 at 3:26 PM , agirlandhergun said...: George, I can use this at Appleseed?

AOA, rhanks! The b,oh get together sounds fun!
At February 12, 2012 at 3:37 PM , Amy said...: Holy cow, girl! What IS that thing? Perhaps a better question is. . .do I want one, too? Ha ha ha!
At February 12, 2012 at 3:45 PM , kpage16 said...: Wow! Rifle envy! That is one sweet gun! I had a hard time passing the rifles by yesterday at the gun show. I was on a mission to find a pistol and pick up some other little things. If I hadn't found the pistol I was looking for, I probably would have come home with a rifle. Have fun!
At February 12, 2012 at 4:15 PM , Mayberry said...: WOOT! Awesome! My 91/30 is 1934 vintage (and shoots great), and my M44 is 1954...
At February 12, 2012 at 4:26 PM , That Texas Lady said...: I am so proud of you for not stealing anything!!!
At February 12, 2012 at 4:28 PM , Anonymous said...: Other vintage shooters don't like it when I take mine to the vintage match. They keep catching me cheating. I don't know, poking holes in the target with bayonet should count, shouldn't it?

Have two M91/30s myself, one of them I've sporterized. They're like potato chips: you can't just have one.

Also, when the apocalypse arrives (heh), they'll be great currency. $120 a pop on average, and you might be able to trade one plus some ammo for a handsome sum (not likely cash, but other needed commodity). Remember, a rifle with a relatively small amount of ammo can mean a lot of meals.

Enjoy it!
At February 12, 2012 at 4:30 PM , Critter said...: You go! You Shoot! Kill many Nazi on Steppe, you! Tonight is for wodka!

make sure you clean the bore with hot, soapy water first to dissolve the corrosive salts. then use a nitro solvent for the powder residues. failure to do so will result in a red, pitted bore in less than 24 hours.

my moisin was built in 1893, two years after Russia adopted the design. it has Czarist, Commie and Finn markings on it and still shoots as well as the day it was made. it was also made under contract in France cuz the ruskies couldn't build enough for themselves.

ammo is cheap, the rifle is so tough that even Ivan the Oafish can't hurt it. enjoy!
At February 12, 2012 at 6:14 PM , Stephen said...: Good for you, Pretty Girl...
At February 12, 2012 at 7:21 PM , Erin Palette said...: Agirl: You probably already know this, but your Mosin is NOT an M44. It is an M91/38. An M44 muzzle brake will categorically NOT work on your rifle. At all.

And the muzzle brakes claiming to work on 91/38s have a bad, bad reputation for having their screws fail from the recoil, losing alignment, catching a round and flying downrange while self-destructing.
At February 12, 2012 at 7:22 PM , Erin Palette said...: You do.
At February 12, 2012 at 7:23 PM , Erin Palette said...: Argh, I meant 91/30 instead of 91/38. I haz teh derp.
At February 12, 2012 at 7:25 PM , Erin Palette said...: I was told that ammonia would work just as well. I pour Windex down my barrel and haven't had a problem after 100+ rounds, and I live in Florida which is corrosion central.
At February 12, 2012 at 7:28 PM , Mayberry said...: Ha ha, I watched a muzzle brake fly downrange on my first shot : )
At February 12, 2012 at 8:20 PM , Critter said...: most anything will work if it dissolves the salt deposits left by the priming compound. the old russian way was soap and water and it seem to work well. also, it's a good idea to treat any ammo from Russia or China as if it's corrosive. they still have a lot of those old state factories churning out old style primer compound and just putting it in boxes labled "non-corrosive". this is especially true of anything in "spam cans".
At February 13, 2012 at 3:44 AM , Old NFO said...: That thing is bigger than you are :-)
At February 13, 2012 at 6:15 AM , Larry said...: Mine is also a 43 model, the big star on it says it's a Tula. They may have advanced on Berlin together. ;)
+1 on the gel filled recoil pad, your shoulder will thank you.
At February 13, 2012 at 7:04 AM , agirlandhergun said...: Neat to wonder what kind of events the gun might have been involved in, isn't it?
At February 13, 2012 at 7:05 AM , agirlandhergun said...: Yeah and it's heavy too.
At February 13, 2012 at 7:05 AM , agirlandhergun said...: Thank you:)
At February 13, 2012 at 7:06 AM , agirlandhergun said...: I don't think it's cheating...it is being creative.

Thanks for the tips!
At February 13, 2012 at 7:07 AM , agirlandhergun said...: What pistol did you get?
At February 13, 2012 at 7:08 AM , agirlandhergun said...: I didn't already know that. I have heard of the Mosin Nagant before I bought one, but didn't know anything about it. I am just now researching and learning what's what. Thanks!
At February 13, 2012 at 8:02 AM , RabidAlien said...: That's exactly why I bought mine. Wish there were some way to track its history. I also have a British Enfield from 1913, but have had no luck trying to find information on it from anyone in England.
At February 13, 2012 at 8:05 AM , RabidAlien said...: AOA...are sometime-gun-bloggers/avid-blog-readers allowed at these blog-shoots?
At February 13, 2012 at 10:08 AM , Erin Palette said...: Oh, there are tons of variations on it, but the most common are the 91/30s which you and I have, and the WW2 M44 with a permanently-attached, folding bayonet. The M44 comp locks onto the bayo lugs.
At February 13, 2012 at 3:14 PM , George said...: Sure. Sore shoulder, though. :)
At February 13, 2012 at 8:03 PM , 45er said...: Ha! I think there might be enough Mosins for everyone that wants them. Everyone I know has them, including me.
At February 15, 2012 at 4:58 PM , kpage16 said...: A Bersa Thunder 380CC. It felt really comfortable. I can't wait to take it to the range this weekend!

Operation Smile Lines

A Girl and Her Gun

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Operation Smile Lines

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