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(Mfg. by the Izhevsk Arms Factory)
(Click PIC to Enlarge)
Calibre.......................7.62x54R
Barrel Length............. 28.75 inches
Rifling........................ 4 groove, right hand twist, 1:9.5"
Overall Length........... 48.5 inches
Weight...................... 8.7 lbs
Magazine capacity...... 5 rounds.
Qty mfg..................... Approximately 17.475 million (In production from 1930 - 1945)
Qty mfg..................... Approximately 12.5 million (conflicting number is according to mosinnagant.net)
Source: The Mosin-Nagant Rifle by Terrence Lapin, ISBN: 1882391217
Canadian Market Value Estimate: $250
1940 M1891/30 Mosin Nagant
(37 picture virtual tour)
Observations: (by "Claven2")
Note: Pics of rifle provided courtesy of Milsurps.com moderator Claven2.
The rifle model 1891/30 (vintovka obrazets 1891/30 goda in phonetic Russian) grew out of a desire by the Russian military's desire to update the older Three Line Rifle model 1891 which had been in front line service since its year of adoption. The older rifle had proved overly long an unweildy for use by cavalry and special troops, and the M1907 carbine had proved too short and fragile for infantry use. Though the Communist Soviet forces would eventually revisit the carbine concept in 1938, in the 1920's they sought to adopt one rifle to serve all units of their armed forces.
It was decided that the new rifle should be based on the existing Dragoon/Cossack rifle platform with some changes to the design to make it more durable and easier to manufacture. Primary among these changes was the switch from the old imperial unit of measurement, the Arshin, to the newly adopted metric system. Additionally, the older Konovalov sight system had proved prone to breakage and was resource intensive to manufacture. A flat tangent sight in the Mauser style was chosen as a replacement.
Other changes included simplification of the machining employed in the manufacture of the bolt body, a globe-type front sight that better framed the target for snap-shooting, and a handguard of simplified manufacture. The hexagonal receiver was retained, as were the milled band springs, etc. found on the Dragoon rifles which had then been in service for nearly 40 years.
In 1936, it was decided that further economy of production was warranted. The design of the 1891/30 was revisited, resulting in cost saving manufacturing changes that altered the look, but not the design characteristics of the rifle. The "hex receiver" (which is actually better referred to as a "half-octagonal" receiver) with its intensive machining at precise angles was dropped in favor of a more easily machined round receiver borrowed from the original trials rifles submitted by Col. Sergei Mosin and Belgian designer Leon Nagant in 1891.
After Soviet Russia's entry into the "Great Patriotic War" (or World War 2 as it's called in the West), even further manufacturing economies were sought. [as a side note, russia entered the war on June22, 1941 when Germany's armed forces launched Operation Barbarossa - the unprovoked invasion of the Soviet Union] The barrel bands were changed to simplified stampings, the band springs were changed to heat treated stampings, the receiver was changed to eliminate the machining to the side wall resulting in the change from "low wall" configuration to "high wall" configuration. Eventually, the receiver tang steps were dropped, the receiver's inner barrel collar was omitted, the rear bolt guides were left unmachined, the trigger became a raw forging, surface finishing of the receiver, barrel and magazine were dropped altogether and even sling slot escutcheons and stock finish sanding were eliminated to speed manufacture as the Nazi war machine closed in on Moscow, Leningrad and Stalingrad. The enemy was indeed at the gates and rifles made in 1942 and 1943 reflect this point all too well.
Throughout all, however, the M1891/30 retained virtually complete parts interchangeability and functioning. Like hte Lee Enfield, even bolts were interchangeable as headspacing was accomplished by changing only the bolt head. In 1941 the Tula factory was even completely moved to another city and re-established with very limited effect upon overall production.
The M1891/30 earned and indeed retains a reputation as one of the simplest and most ruggedly reliable service rifles ever fielded by an Army. It could be maintained by untrained peasant conscripts, be manufactured quickly, cheaply, and in numbers and could be repaired easily in the field with limited spare parts and gunsmithing ability. These same traits make it a popular milsurp rifle in the collections of enthusiasts even today.
Collector's Comments and Feedback:
1. The depicted rifle was originally made at the Izhevsk arsenal in 1940 and has all matching serial numbers. Like most Mosin Nagants on the market today, it has been re-arsenalled in the post-war timeframe. As was common practice at the time, the magazine floorplate has been replaced and renumbered to match the rifle. These refurbished rifles will often have a variety of parts replaced during refurbishment. Though this particular rifle has only one renumbered part, often the bolts, buttplates and floorplate will all be replacements. Usually, the replacement parts are not stamped with the serial number prefix letters. Since the original parts would all have had this prefix, lack thereof is a generally considered as a clear indication that a part has been replaced by the arsenal.
Rearsenalled Soviet rifles are often marked to indicate refurbishment. This usually takes the form of a square or diamond shaped stamp on the barrel with either one or two slash lines through it. sometimes the stock will also be similarly marked. This rifle is so marked in both locations.
This particular rifle is unusual for two reasons. Firstly, the majority of the 1891/30 rifles in North America are stamped with a new serial number and the name and location of the importer. This example is not so marked. Secondly, though it is considered to be an Izhevsk made rifle, it is fitted with a receiver originally manufactured by the Tula arsenal. While a relatively uncommon practice, this mixing of parts bears withness to the parts trading that sometimes occured between these two arsenals to overcome production shortfalls and meet the production figures imposed by Stalin.
It is important for collectors to note that rifles with all matching serial numbers should be valued higher than the same rifle with mismatched serial numbers. Renumbered parts on a re-arsenalled rifle are to be expected and should not adversely affect value. Additionally, many of the later rearsenalled rifles with replacement parts were re-serialized with electropencil markings. while considered entirely correct for a rifle that underwent Soviet refurbishment, many collectors prefer those examples with stamped markings for aesthetic reasons. Whether this affects value is a decision best left to the individual collector. Of course, rifles without importer stampings will carry a premium due to their enhanced state of authenticity. Though this rifle is not counterbored, counterboring was a common practice during refurbishment. While some collectors avoid arsenal counterbored specimens, acuracy is usually above average from these barrels due to the fresh barrel crown. Again, its impact on pricing will be an individual consideration.
The majority of Mosin Nagant M1891/30 rifles found in North America that are not arsenal refurbished and retain original finish and matching parts will invariably be rifles captured by Finland during the Winter and Continuation Wars. Such rifles should be considered "Finnish Service Rifles" and will be dealt with separatly in the Finnish Service Rifle forum.
(Feedback by "Claven2")
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