A fantastic Mosin Nagant M1891 full of early features
Here we go! This is the first rifle i am reviewing on the website and my YouTube Channel. Of course this must be an M1891! In this case, it is a Tula Arsenal produced M1891 of 1895. What is special about this example is that it is wearing some of the so called early features that characterizes the first production of the Mosin Nagant rifles.
As shown above, the rifle still retains a stock without sling slots, sling swivel on the magazine and second type barrel bands with a sling swivel on the front one. Those characteristics are fully coherent with 1895 production, as well as the presence of the handguard that has been introduced in 1894.
Starting from the rear portion of the stock, it has no sling slot and has a fantastic Tula Arsenal cartouche still intact and in good shape.
The Tula hammer, the K and the П and the year of production are still present. The letter П (P in the International Phonetic Alphabet) can be found alone or usually with the K (K) on many parts. Alone (after 1909) or with the K, like in stock roundels as the one above, this is the acceptance marking of the Russian Proof Commission. On rifles produced outside Russia for the Tsar (e.g. by Remington or New England Westinghouse), the П stamp is really important, because the presence of this marking is the evidence of the Russian Inspector approval, so the fact that the marked part was matching the standards and was accepted. Returning back to our Tula M1891, other early features can be found on the rear plate of the stock: this is the old style way to stamp the serial number on this part (picture below).
An old style Mosin Nagant butt plate
The upper part of the rear/butt plate is showing the Tula hammer only.
Moving forward from the butt plate we can observe another early kind of mark the serial of the rifle on parts. In this case, we can see the serial number on the back part of the cocking piece.
The serial is not matching the one on the barrel, as in this case the bolt is the only part of the rifle mismatching. Even if it is not matching the serial number, the bolt is fully marked Tula and it is an early type, coherent with the era of the rifle.
All the bolt parts are marked with the Tula hammer, a simbol that will be used by the Tula Arsenal until 1928.
The central part of the rifle is showing interesting features: the sling swivel on the magazine, a coherent element, and the crossbolt, that has been introduced in late 1909 to reinforce the stock, with the introduction of new ammunitions (spitzer cartridges). So the crossbolt was added to this rifle later, around 1909, when it was highly likely refurbished and adapted for the new rounds, like the majority of Imperial Mosin Nagant M1891. It received the crossbolt and the new Konovalov rear sight, introduced in 1908 for the same reason: the new spitzer ball 7.62X54r cartridge.
This Mosin M1891 received the 1908-1909 updates
Detail of the crossbolt can be observed below.
The receiver has no imperial eagle markings, something unusual.
The barrel markings are in the original shape, as the rifle has not been reblued.
The marking is the classic one used by the Tula Arsenal until 1912, when to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of the Arsenal/Ordnance factory, established by the Tsar Peter the Great in 1712, the Factory was renamed in “Tula Emperor Peter the Great Ordnance Factory” and the marking on the barrel changed. If you want to know something more about Tula Factory markings, please visit the markings and proofs section.
A Sestroretsk marked Konovalov rear sight
As you can see above, the leaf of the Konovalov rear sight, that was added after production, as we said before, it is marked with an arrow. This big arrow is the marking of the Sestroretsk Arsenal so this part was added during the 1908-1909 refurbishment process. The meaning of the capital C and H is unknown.
The internal part of the sight is marked Tula but it is also hosting an unknown symbol just before the Tula hammer.
The right side of the sight is unmarked while the left side is stamped in hundreds of Arshin (4, 6, 8, 10, 12).
Considering 400 Arshin are 284,5 meters, you can easly convert the distances.
Under the central part, we can find the magazine and the bottom plate that is matching the barrel. The forward edge of the magazine block is Tula marked with the ПK acceptance proof mark.
A Mosin Nagant marked Tula in every small part, except the rear sight leaf
The barrel bands of second type are marked with the Tula hammer. The rear band is depicted in the picture below.
The rifle has no clear connection outside Russia. This means that there are no markings indicating this rifle has been used outside the Imperial Russia Army or the Soviet one. Except for an unidentified marking under the rear sight’s leaf, the only sign of a possible unconfirmed Finnish connection is the presence of small screws/nails preventing the barrel bands to move during fire. This is something that it was implemented in Finland but probably even in other countries of the Balkan area.
Above you can see the nail blocking the rear barrel band to move.
A Finnish connection?
Also the front barrel band has a nail that is locking it in place and every part, including the sling swivel is marked Tula.
The rifle has a cleaning rod and a standard Russian M1891 front sight.
Below you can see the entire rifle forward section, right side.
And then the left side.
The nosecap is Tula marked and also the barrel bands are showing different likely inspectors markings.
Detail of the marking on the forward barrel band.
In the picture below you can see the other marking on the rear barrel band. It should be a Cyrillic letter Ч. Meaning is currently unknown to me.
A picture of the lower forward section of the rifle is showing the cleaning rod configuration.
In conclusion, a very nice M1891 rifle, still retaining most of the original configuration, except for the rear sight and the stock crossbolt. Connections external to Russia are unclear and the rifle has been imported from Germany, as we can see from the German import proof markings below.
Original Russian M1891 Mosin Nagant rifles are pretty rare
This rifle is definetly a kind of rare example, for the early features, the general very good conditions and the presence of the original stock from 1895, even wearing a still readable cartouche. The modification that this Mosin received during the 1908-1909 refurbishment process are part of the evolution of the model M1891 rifle and the fact that almost every part is matching, except for the bolt, is adding value to this piece of history.
