Legality of mosin nagant modification??.....?

Question

I live in california and i got the idea to make/modify/install a detatchable magazine on a 91/30...and i wanna know what i would have to do to make that legal if i did do it? i know about the 10 round limit..but im not sure about modifications etc...what would i have to do to make it legal? if possible at all? thanks

Answer 1

Curious: That is an awesome flowchart. I feel bad for the Californians, except that in the collective sense they have done this to themselves.

Legally, you should be alright since the detachable magazine would be the only suspect feature.

But WHY would you want to butcher a piece of history? Would you tear the Mona Lisa from its frame to make it more portable? I lovingly maintain all my milsurps, only altering what must be done to keep them safe and in working order. I encourage other collectors to do the same. These are classics, even if they are inexpensive and plentiful.

Answer 2

I too hate it when people "butcher" military surplus weapons.  Why can't people appreciate them for what they are, and their historical value.

I recommend you just buy the rifle you want in the first place, that already has a detachable magazine, and sell the 91/30 to someone who can appreciate its real value.

As a military surplus rifle collector of 15 years, I can tell you:

1)  importation laws are becoming more strict every year, especially with the Democrats coming to power.

2)  Supplies of most historic firearms have begun to decline over the last 5 years or so.  

Don't believe me?  Go to your local bookstore and buy any gun magazine with articles on this subject.

And before you ask, no, I will not sell these firearms.  I intend to pass them on to future generations.

Answer 3

some very fine sporting rifles have been built on military actions. i my self have three sporting rifles built on the mauser actions,and they are great hunting rifles...as for butchering a piece of history with m91s selling for as little as 50.00 each when you buy a case of them,its a far cry from altering the mona lisa

Answer 4

Your OK at it will only have one of those features that make liberals cry.

Answer 5

Go ahead and do your modification without concern that it will turn your rifle into an illegal "assault weapon".  California's assault weapon statutes only apply to semiautomatic, centerfire rifles, semiautomatic pistols, and semiautomatic or revolving cylinder shotguns.  I've included a link to the California statute, check section 122761.1 to see that there are no restrictions for bolt action rifles.  There is a restriction on high capacity magazines regardless of the action unless you owned the magazines prior to the California ban (that is still in effect) being enacted.  I am unaware of any restriction against high capacity fixed magazines on bolt action rifles, but it is something you should run past the DOJ and an attorney first.  It would certainly make for interesting conversation.  Also remember if you were to take it hunting it would have to comply with any magazine capacity restriction imposed by DFG.  Good luck.

ADDITIONAL:  Yes, that is my understanding of the law.  Just remember that there are some overall dimension restrictions regardless of action.

Answer 6

John T seems to be the only one to figure it out

AWBs are aimed at Semi Autos not bolt actions

Ans as Chris said

The Mosin Nagant will never be a valuable collector item

There are a million here and more coming in every day

The only problem I see with a ten round detachable mag is that there would be no practical purpose

The time it would take you to design amd build one would be better spent leaning how to use stripper clips

But if you want to do it just to see if you can I can think of no reason not to

That how innovation is done and learned

Answer 7

I would suggest consulting a qualified local firearms dealer as to the legality of such a modification to your antique bolt-gun, even though such a modification would probably cost more than your Russki surplus rifle did originally.

Rather than throwing good money after bad, I would suggest buying a GOOD quality rifle like a Mauser, Springfield, or even a Lee-Enfield, which, even though chambered for the second rate British .303 round, was ORIGINALLY equipped with the 10 round magazine you want.

Answer 8

Good link on the answer up there about Califas features dos and don'ts.

Why you would want a detachable magazine on a bolt action rifle is beyond me. Even the bolt action military rifles like the British Enfields and the Swiss K31 that had detachable mags were never used as a reloading option, they are reloaded from the top with charger clips.

Buy some charger clips for the Mosin, and actually train yourself on their use. Using thin mechanics gloves helps. With these, you can reload another five rounds in a flash....a lot quicker than changing a magazine.  

Answer 9

It cant have any "evil" features designated in the AW ban in california.  check out calguns.org they have pretty much all the info you need.  just remember that once you put a detachable clip on it, if you have 1 evil feature on it IE  collapsable stock, flash suppressor, pistol grip, it will become an assault weapon.  if you keep the same stock an only put a detachable clip on it it should be ok.  I would look into it further as I am unsure about the bayonet and bayonet lugs on that rifle.  here is a link to a AW flowchart to see if it falls under an assault weapon in california  http://www.calguns.net/caawid/flowchart....   hope this helps.  I have one of these rifles and love it.  I never even thought about doing this, it sounds kinda cool.  I have a synthetic stock on it now and its an excellent rifle.

Answer 10

DJ is right.

You don't need a ten round mag for a bolt-action. And you should pause between every 5 shots to let the barrel cool a little anyway.

Secondly, the magazine for a Mosin is not detachable. Unless of course you plan on detaching the trigger guard too. Its just not designed for more than 5 rounds.

Finally, a 91/30 is a valuable piece of history. Ruining the magazine is just going to destroy the value of the rifle. Don't do it. PLEASE don't do it.

Chris W: Remember the Kar98k and the Type 38? They used to be the same cost as the Mosin is now. Then idiots decided they were worthless and started s******g them up. Now a Type 38 costs 500$. And a n**i marked Kar98k in nice shape? 600-700$.

Morale of the story: Don't s***w with old guns.