Mosin's of the Kossuth Crest

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When I started seriously collecting many moons ago I instantly gravitated to Mosins because they were plentiful, came in more flavors than Baskin Robbins, and where, for the most part, cheap. I eventually took a liking to PU snipers, and really liked the Hungarian PU’s for there, imho, superior fit & finish.

Well along they way I stumbled into a matching PU sniper with the Hungarian coat of arms, The Kossuth Crest stamped on the receiver and have since been searching hi & low for more to add to the collection.

The Kossuth Crest stamp has a couple of theories which include there use in the 1956 Hungarian Uprising (doubtful) to a stamp put on Russian weapons loaned to the Hungarians post WW2, sort of a Russian version of Lease/Lend, to possibly some sort of Hungarian refurbishment stamp. Whatever it was applied for it is very uncommon, and on 4 PU snipers I am aware of here in the U.S. they are all 1943 Izhevsk PU’s of the same prefix, “BT”. According to long time member Alb87 he had documented ½ a dozen so stamped firearms over in Europe with one being a deactivated Tula PU sniper and another a PPSH41

The stamp has also been observed on both Russian & Hungarian Tokarev pistols in the U.S., but I have yet to secure one of these.

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This one is a 45 Izhevsk M44 that I acquired from an infamous Mosin collector about 8 years ago. This was the 2nd one to join my collection and is the only one I am aware of in the U.S. that isn’t a PU. It is a forced matching rifle with a forced match bolt and buttplate (02) and resides in a Hungarian stock.

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The next one was my 1st one to join the collection and is an all-original Russian matching 1943 Izhevsk PU sniper with a replacement scope. This rifle also isn’t import marked, unlike the M44.
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The 3rd one in my collection was a recent acquisition and by far is the most interesting. It is also a 43 Izhevsk PU sniper in a Hungarian PU sniper stock with a Russian hand guard. The butt plate, bolt are Hungarian sniper parts (BC prefix) and the mount is Hungarian with w Russian PU scope. This one too is not import marked.

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I've said before, but the Kochetov mount was the most ingenious and practical fielded in WWI or WWII. It allowed the scope and upper mount to be collimated to the rifle's bore easily and quickly with simple hand tools, and be still a quick-release if desired.