The Weapons of Chernarus #1: Mosin 9130

[Tatanko 5591]

 

Greetings, and welcome to the first installment of "Weapons of Chernarus." In this new series, we'll be exploring the ever-growing catalogue of deadly tools available in DayZ Standalone, primarily focusing on firearms.

 

Our first issue will cover one of the game's very first weapons: the Mosin 9130! Read on to find out more about this gun, its attachments, its use, and its real-life counterpart.

 

 

Mosin-Nagant M1891/30

 

From Wikipedia: "The Mosin–Nagant (Russian: Винтовка Мосина) is a five-shot, bolt-action, internal magazine-fed, military rifle, developed by the Imperial Russian Army in 1882–91, and used by the armed forces of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and various other nations."

 

The version of this rifle that we use in-game is based on the M1891/30, a later revision of the original gun put into service in 1930 and lasting until 1944 when it was officially replaced by the SKS. The Mosin continued to see regular use in armed conflict up through the Korean and Vietnam Wars, and can even be seen on modern day battlefields thanks to its incredibly rugged design.

 

Most of the weapons we use in DayZ Standalone deviate slightly from the real-life guns they are based upon. Most of the changes made for the game version concern ammunition and attachments, for the sake of sharing those items between weapons. That said, the Mosin we use in-game is accurately chambered for 7.62x54mmR rounds, which most models of this gun were designed to use (less popular variants include 7.62x53mmR, 7.92x57mm, and 8x50mmR).

 

Where the gun in DayZ differs most from its real-life doppelganger is in the simplification of its available attachments for the game. Given the massive number of rifles produced, homebrew modifications and aftermarket solutions for attaching optics and other useful parts are widespread -- something that may make its way into the game eventually through the use of crafting workbenches.

 

 

A Legendary Rifle

 

The Mosin is a gun of legend, much like the Kalashnikov automatic (AK47) that would eventually take its place more than half a century later. It was developed to replace the single-shot Berdan rifle that was being used by Russia's military in the mid-1800's. Its very existence is the result of Tsar Nicolas calling for a superior firearm for use in long-range combat.

 

Action was first seen in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, and continued through Russia's own civil war, World War I, and World War II before being replaced by more modern semi and full-automatic rifles. It was also widely used by Finnish armed forces who adopted the rifle while the country was part of the Russian Empire.

 

Over time, the rifle's reputation has grown to mythical status thanks to tales of fabled marksmen like Vasily Zaytsev (Russia), Lyudmila Pavlichenko (Ukraine), and Simo Häyhä (Finland). It has also seen favorable depictions in cinema, playing a prominent role in the movie Enemy at the Gates.

 

 

The Old Standard

 

Before moving forward to talk about where the gun fits into the game now, let's discuss where the gun started in the early days of DayZ Standalone.

 

Initially presented as the prototype for all non-automatic rifles, the Mosin had to fill many different roles all on its own. As such, it had several compatible optics and an available bipod that let it serve both medium and long-range roles. In the above picture, we see the gun outfitted in a combination that was very popular early on as a sniper weapon (long range scope + bipod).

 

Over time as other rifles have been introduced to the game, the Mosin has slowly been stripped of the ability to attach either long-range optics or the bipod, relegating it to medium-range duty only. Those desiring a sniper tool that uses the game's highest-caliber ammunition will have to seek out an SVD.

 

Trivia time: the Mosin in DayZ originally came chambered for 7.62x51mmR (seen in the lower-left corner of the image), which was not accurate but fit the ammunition available for the game. During a shuffle of ammunition in v0.55, the 7.62x51 was renamed to .308, and proper 7.62x54 rounds were added to replace it as the top caliber.

 

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Original image by user Vigilante Gamer on YouTube.

 

 

Last Breath

 

After losing their beloved bipod attachment, fans of the Mosin were heartbroken to learn that their long range scope would be disappearing as well.

 

When the v0.57 update launched, that's just what happened. Before that update hit the Stable branch, longtime users like this fellow took one last opportunity to terrorize their fellow players with a Mosin that could reach out into the distance.

 

 

The New Standard

 

These days, a "fully-equipped" Mosin is still an excellent one, but it looks bare bones compared to its earlier self. In the above image, we see a soldier staring down the glass of a PU scope, past the added M44 compensator attached to the end of the barrel.

 

Equipped as such, the rifle is still highly effective at ranges of 100m to 400m in the hands of a capable user. The limited range is mostly the result of available optics, as its round is lethal beyond that range -- but good luck hitting your target.

 

 

Still Versatile

 

Even without any attachments, the Mosin is an all-around excellent rifle that often gets overlooked because of its perceived weaknesses. While it may no longer fit the role it once occupied, these days it makes a good medium-range infantry weapon or hunting rifle. What it lacks in rate of fire and range, it more than makes up for in sheer stopping power.

 

 

Combat Role

 

With the shift in available attachments, the Mosin has now been firmly slotted into the role of medium-range support. It does its best work within the bounds of 200m, but is flexible between 25m and 400m with the appropriate optics.

 

It does not do close-quarters combat well, mostly due to the limitations of its bolt-action design. Its strength lies in the power of the 7.62x54, and so it is in your best interest to keep your enemies at a distance that allows you to place one or two of those powerful rounds accurately rather than relying on high rate of fire.

 

 

Personal Touch

 

When you desire some customization or added capability, the Mosin is able to accept a small list of attachments, some of which are purely cosmetic for the time being but will eventually alter the gun's dynamics.

 

Like several other weapons, it is able to painted as the owner sees fit; possibilities include solid black, solid green, and camouflage pattern resulting from a mix of the two. The ubiquitous PU scope enhances your view down the sights, and the ghillie wrap allows you to reduce how visible your weapon appears even further than just painting it. The Mosin will also accept the universal improvised suppressor that can be crafted from a plastic water bottle, though it's powerful round ruins the disposable item quicker than almost any other gun.

 

The M44 compensator and M91 bayonet are just for show at this time, but will eventually reduce recoil and allow for melee attacks respectively when their functionality has been implemented.

 

 

Sawed-Off

 

A variant of the Mosin can be created with the application of a hacksaw, turning it into the sawed-off (or "Obrez") version. By chopping off most of the buttstock and much of the barrel, you are left with what is essentially a large calibre bolt-action pistol.

 

This downsized Mosin has its advantages and disadvantages. While it is much more compact and can be fit into a backpack (1x4 inventory slots), it is done at the expense of range, accuracy, and recoil. As such, it is not an entirely popular modification due to other more ideal choices for a concealed firearm.

 

While it can be painted like its full-sized counterpart, it cannot accept any of that model's attachments such as the PU scope, compensator, ghillie wrap, bayonet, or improvised suppressor.

 

It is one of only two rifles in the game with a sawed-off version, the other being the IZH-18 (along with the IZH-43 shotgun).

 

 

Greater Than the Sum

 

This old school rifle has a certain charm that elevates it above raw numbers. Whether it be the *snick* sound of the bolt being pulled back to chamber a new round, or the distinct bang its big bore metal spewing the exhaust of spent powder, this gun is a pleasure to use.

 

Nostalgia will always paint a prettier picture of it than the one you can hold in your hands today, but don't make the mistake of dismissing this weapon. Spend some time with it -- just maybe you'll fall in love with it.

 

Many thanks to @Skyren_22, @RaptorM60, and forum user Red Ensign for their time and effort towards creating this album.

Edited December 21, 2015 by Tatanko

[S3V3N 1402]

I never pick up the Mosin - NEVER :)

 

What I wonder though, is: after you saw it off, can you still use the PU scope on it? It may not make much sense (except some people really like aiming through a scope rather than ironsights), but it would really look funky. Have you tried that one out? Maybe add this to the list for completion sakes.

 

I'm curious about the CR527. It seems like such an odd mix of army and hunting rifle + it can take the LRS. I love the rifle and how it looks and loads, but I almost never take it, for its lack of magazines available in the world. It's a pity that you can run up to an army base and come out with two complete assault rifles, yet for the civilian rifles you have to run around for days to get them complete. In the future, hopefully we'll see that idea of spawning them with mags+ammo sometimes.

 

This is a great effort from your side, but will you also be updating this to the Dayz Wiki? I think the Wiki is far behind when it comes to gun updates at the moment. Some info isn't even correct any more and the Vintorez and Red9 (and others, I think) still appear as "future features".  

[Tatanko 5591]

What I wonder though, is: after you saw it off, can you still use the PU scope on it? It may not make much sense (except some people really like aiming through a scope rather than ironsights), but it would really look funky. Have you tried that one out? Maybe add this to the list for completion sakes.

The sawed-off doesn't accept any attachments. None ;)

 

 

This is a great effort from your side, but will you also be updating this to the Dayz Wiki? I think the Wiki is far behind when it comes to gun updates at the moment. Some info isn't even correct any more and the Vintorez and Red9 (and others, I think) still appear as "future features".  

What information are you hoping to see updated? I agree that an overhaul is long overdue, but it's a lot of work for one person. Something I may do this weekend is go through and update/fill-in the statistics numbers at least, so those are current. If there's anything besides that, I'd be happy to include it. The wiki often gets unintended updates when I do albums, because it just makes sense to make use of my work as much as possible.

[S3V3N 1402]

What information are you hoping to see updated? I agree that an overhaul is long overdue, but it's a lot of work for one person. Something I may do this weekend is go through and update/fill-in the statistics numbers at least, so those are current. If there's anything besides that, I'd be happy to include it. The wiki often gets unintended updates when I do albums, because it just makes sense to make use of my work as much as possible.

 

 

I just checked back on the Wiki and it seems like I was mistaken or the info has been updated in the meantime. The only faults I can find are that the Vintorez is said to have last been in version 0.57 and that there is no 20 round mag for it:

 

http://dayz.gamepedia.com/VSS_Vintorez

 

The other thing, I'll have to check ingame is the ammo type for the SVD. I haven't had an SVD in a long time, but doesn't it use 7.62x39, instead of  7.62x54 rounds? And don't the Izh 18 rifles actually use the 7.62x54 or even .308 now? I'm either confusing a lot of ammo types (memory error), or the information isn't quite right. Also broom and canoe paddle aren't in the game currently. I'm not sure if they'll ever return (perhaps when boats/canoes are introduced?)

 

It's a Wiki after all, you won't have to contribute alone. I just thought, if you go through all this - much appreciated - effort, it might as well be used to expand and update the Wiki-page. 

Edited December 16, 2015 by S3V3N

[Tatanko 5591]

The other thing, I'll have to check ingame is the ammo type for the SVD. I haven't had an SVD in a long time, but doesn't it use 7.62x39, instead of  7.62x54 rounds? And don't the Izh 18 rifles actually use the 7.62x54 or even .308 now? I'm either confusing a lot of ammo types (memory error), or the information isn't quite right. Also broom and canoe paddle aren't in the game currently. I'm not sure if they'll ever return (perhaps when boats/canoes are introduced?) 

Those ammo types are all correct. The SVD appropriately uses the largest round in the game (7.62x54R), and the IZH-18 is chambered in 7.62x39 for this game.

 

As for the items not spawning: that changes so frequently and without notice that it's a waste of time trying to keep up with it, unfortunately. They'll be back, they just aren't in the loot tables at the moment (along with many other items...).

[ColdAtrophy 1850]

You've inspired me sir. At the next available opportunity I have, I am going to switch to the Mosin as a primary and run with it for a few weeks or until my untimely death. After the Mosin was reconfigured and the new hunting rifles and scope were added in, I think I mentally began to think of the Mosin as some sort of step backwards. The fact of the matter is, however, that the Mosin is very accurate, fires the most lethal round in the game (unless the SP6 has now usurped that title?), and you can't run more than 500 meters through spawn points without tripping over one. It also looks pretty sweet in my eyes and has a satisfying firing sound. I've decided lately to try to reevaluate my gearing up strategy in an effort to ease some of the psychological pain of being the Kenny (Southpark) of the 1pp hive. I seem to die 2 or 3 times a week on Stable from the most insane bullshit with only 2-10 other players on the server even though I can somehow survive weeks on Experimental with packed servers. I want to figure out how to be effective with 5 or 6 hotbar slots, mostly civilian spawn loot, and relatively common items. In this way, re-kitting is simple and quick, and I could perhaps find my odds of surviving going up as the game's economy changes or as Hicks fiddles with the knobs on the CLE.

 

Anyway, forgive my digression please. Well done and I look forward to more of these. I have to ask, any plans on doing these for the vehicles once they get all the bugs worked out?

[igor-vk 909]

Maybe we should start writing comic book, but with your screenshots instead of drawings.

[Tatanko 5591]

I have to ask, any plans on doing these for the vehicles once they get all the bugs worked out?

Glad to see people giving the Mosin some love after reading this!

 

As for the question about vehicles: yes, almost certainly :)

 

Maybe we should start writing comic book, but with your screenshots instead of drawings.

But the community already has a fantastic comic artist... my friend DonToraneko!  B)

[igor-vk 909]

But the community already has a fantastic comic artist... my friend DonToraneko!  B)

Something more dramatic, not funny comic