What is the deal with the Mosin Nagant M44 recoil reputation?

Posted 17May2017. 

I am probably one of the more interesting people to take on new shooters, and I have a tendency to view the “blank slate” of an inexperienced person as a way to test certain theories about firearms myths.

Before I continue, I must clarify: this “experimentation” is never conducted in any way that would place anyone in jeopardy. I am a firm believer in safety in training and training to be safe…

So… the nefarious “M44 recoil” myth.

Off the top of my head, I can estimate that I have introduced over two dozen people to the lovely and addictive world of Mosin Nagants since 2014. One of the things I have noticed is that if the “myth” is not acknowledged, the only commentary I get after cycling them from the 91/30 to the M44 is that the carbine is much louder. For most who either have heard that the recoil is much more impressive or I have intentionally mentioned this idea to, their preconceived notions are “verified” through experience. “Confirmation bias,” or something like that.

The photo is from a couple of weeks ago – a friend’s 16-year-old daughter with my 1944 Tula M44… and nothing but smiles (and a respectable percentage of hits at 400 yards) for the 20 rounds she’s fired. While this kid has been known to tolerate a 12-gauge shooting slugs, I can honestly say that she is also the first to know her limit when it comes to recoil.

It is difficult to answer your question without having had any comparative experience with, say, your trusty 1903A3 (though, I will check to see if any of my milsurp buddies in the area can hook me up). I can say that I typically put about 120–180 rounds downrange every week as I rotate through my budding collection, and that 91/30’s and M44’s are nothing compared to some of the 12-gauge stuff out there. In fact, going back to my initial blog post on the topic of the M44, the only thing I noted was the concussive muzzle blast and how it is the worst weapon to shoot with a hangover (verified).

Is it worth the purchase? Noting your collection and paying attention to the prices as they steadily creep into the stratosphere, I would venture to suggest that you don’t go about $450 and stay away from anything from Albania. 🙂