The first change I made was to replace the Mosin stock with a composite Monte Carlo stock. I purchased mine at a sporting goods store but they are available at most gun stores, gun shows and there are usually several listed on eBay. The ones I've seen fit all models of 7.62x54R rifles and carbines without gunsmithing or modification. A checkered pistol grip and forearm, Monte Carlo style cheek rest, and rubber butt pad make for very comfortable shooting and sling swivel studs are included. The more pronounced pistol grip and longer length of pull fit me a lot better than the standard military stock. Make sure the stock doesn't keep the magazine interrupter from retracting all the way. You should be able to push it down easily with your finger. You may have to grind out the area with a Dremel tool. After a day of shooting remove the gun from the stock and check for contact marks.

Composite Stock

I bedded my receiver to the new stock with Acraglas from Brownells http://www.brownells.com/. Follow directions in the kit for mixing the compound and using the mold release. There 3 bedding points - the area around the recoil lug, the flat area around the rear receiver screw, and the chamber area of the barrel. Most important is the area around the recoil lug. It should be a tight fit; the lug can be filed if necessary to make the rear face vertical. Make sure the screw doesn't touch the stock preventing recoil lug contact. Use shims to center and float the barrel in the stock while the bedding compound is setting up. Shorten the screws if they bottom when tightened. The front stock screw should be tightened first, as tight as possible with a hand held screw driver - then the rear one, not quite as tight.

Stock Bedding