ML marked PU sniper

[stoggie]

Here is a link with the cyrillic alphabet and its latin equivelant:

The Russian Alphabet

Here is a link with known serial number variations:

Mosin Nagant Serial Numbers

Here is some text from the above link that may help:

Receivers used by Finland were apparently numbered in some cases. Because of the use of different sizes and fonts of stamps used by Finland and importers it is difficult to be certain if a Finnish receiver number is original or not. As with all Mosin Nagants, if it is a dot matrix type stamp it is not original.

The lack of an SA stamp would (usually) dictate that it was not used by the Finns. Also, by 1944, the Finns and Russians were at peace (I think). Perhaps the Rifle was restamped to comply with importation. Maybe the country it was originally destined to required a serial number on the receiver, and required it using the Latin alphabet.

Again, I'm not an expert, just speculation.

[Claven2]

It's not finnish. Finland captured so few PU rifles in 1944 that for it to be one would be like hitting the lotto. Also, it would be Finn marked in some way or have evidence of their use of it.

I've had very many Finn capture 91/30's and never saw one with a restamped serial number. Most Finn of that era spoke and wrote Russian fluently.

[sdh1911]

Sounds plausible, it appears to have been re-built at some point a long time ago. Perhaps it was done as you suggested by the country of receipt. M/T-SDH

[Will Durant]

The importer had to place a serial number upon the receiver and that was the closest that they could come to the Cyrllic serial number/lettering system.I would guess the importer to be Century Arms.Will

[Jean]

Yes I agree, an importer's restamp to match Cyrilic letters.

[sdh1911]

This was out of the first batch of imports and all the marking was done on the barrel end of the gun. I've looked at the strike under high magnification and it is original. I've been a gunsmith since the mid 1980's, so I have a good idea of what it should look like, it may have been done during rebuild, which was most likely done in the 1950's. Thanks for all your input-SDH

[sdh1911]

I've been doing a lot of reading on codes and such and came across what could mean something with this gun. If it at sometime in its life span ended up in German arsenals it would mean "Munitions Reserve" The stamping was done prior to rebuild so I don't believe it to be importers marks, besides they didn't do things in that fashion as far as I've seen. There is no DDR marks, so, maybe a war thing? SDH