No other firearm in the world can boast the credentials of the Mosin-Nagant M91/30. Thirty-seven million were built from 1891 to 1965, and the weapon is still in use today. The bolt action Mosin is a five-shot design that has seen hundreds of world conflicts. The Name "Mosin-Nagant" was a misnomer that surfaced from western literature on the rifle, Mosin was working for the Russian government at the time of its design, so he could not directly apply for a patent himself as it was considered property of the Russian Government. Equipped only with single-shot Berdens, Russia suffered devastating casualties during the Russian-Ottoman War of 1877. A new weapon for the defense of Russia was badly needed.

Design

The best firearm architects of the day submitted their ideas to the Ministry, with all being a three-line principle. The one exception was a 3.5 line submitted by Leon Nagant. A line denoted a part of the caliber designation; 1 line = 1/10 inch or 2.54mm. So, three lines equaled the caliber of the original Mosin at 7.62mm. Borne out of necessity and conflict, the Russian Empires Ministry of Defense decided on Sergei Ivanovich Mosin's concept. In 1891, the three-line Mosin M1891 design headed for production. We have Mosin-Nagant M91/30s in the original caliber of 7.62x54R. The Mosin-Nagant is a highly collectible piece of World history, Which we currently offer in Good And Fair Conditions respectively. Fanatics (there are plenty, and you know who you are!!!) collect them by the dozens.

The Mosin-Nagant M91/30

Mosin-Nagant's are not always a singular design (Though the receivers are basically identical). Through the decades, countries and firearm designers have spread out the concept through a dozen or so variants. Warring states made changes to the Mosin fitting their army's characteristics, such as different barrel lengths.  

War and the Mosin-Nagant

Nearly four million rifles had been built by the time the Mosin-Nagant saw its first real battlefield action, in the 1904 Sino-Russian War. However most Russian units in the far east were still armed with the Berdan rifles. Over time, more and more battlefield soldiers were issued the Mosin-Nagant. Production increased to over a half dozen factories. During the First World War, the Mosin-Nagant performed well on the battlefield. However there was still a massive shortage which lead the Russian government to order 1.5 million rifles from Remington Arms and another 1.8 million from New England Westinghouse Company in the United States in 1915. However, in 1917 the October Revolution occurred, and the Bolsheviks took power in Russia. The new regime cancelled payments to the American companies manufacturing the Mosin-Nagant. Remington and Westinghouse were both on the verge of bankruptcy due to the communist regime's decision, which lead to the remaining rifles being purchased by the U.S Government which were used as training arms for home guard units as well as during the Archangel campaign when the U.S Sent American soldiers to intervene in the Russian Civil War. After each conflict, lessons were learned. They added a spitzer round to supplant the round or blunt nose cartridge. A Spitzer bullet added a couple of ballistic advantages, including accuracy and penetration. Long-range sights were added, taking advantage of the Mosin's distance characteristics. The stock was shortened to give the soldier a much-needed sling.
 Through two great wars, the Mosin-Nagant became popular with soldiers. The rifle was a hard hitter, accurate, and easy to use.

Mosin Nagant Dog Collar Sling - Exact Reproduction of Original Sling With Dog Collars

7.62x54R

7.62x54mmR is a potent round. (R stands for rimmed, not Russian) developed for the Mosin-Nagant by the Russian empire and introduced in 1891. 7.62 remains one of the few standard-issue rimmed cartridges in use today. A stellar distinction, the 7.62 has the longest enduring service life of any military-issued cartridge in the world. In 2011, the 7.62 reached 120 years of service. The cartridge is used in the semi-auto PSL and Dragunov marksman rifles.

Romanian PSL-54 762x54R Semi-Auto Rifle

A 7.62x54R is similar to a 30.06 cartridge, but lighter. Effective range is about 300 yards further than the 7.62x51/.308, and the weight is heavier. Flatter trajectory and less velocity than the 30.06, and you have a 7.62x54R cartridge. An original 7.62x54R load was a 210-grain round nose bullet with a velocity of 2200 feet per second. Several years later, Russia adopted a high-velocity Spitzer round, which fired a 148 grain at 2800 fps. We offer several variations of the 7.62x54R cartridge from select manufactures.

7.62x54R Ammo Blanks

Birth of the Mosin-Nagant M91/30

In 1924, after thirty years of service, changes were inevitable. The Red Army gave birth to the current designation of M91/30. Shortening the barrel by three inches and a hooded front post over a front site blade increased the Mosin-Nagant's killing efficiency. This was following the general trend of the European powers shortening their infantry barrels. Starting at the Second World War, Russian snipers used the M91/30 to kill thousands of its enemies. Sniper rifles were pulled from regular production lots. To be considered, the rifle had to place four rounds into a maximum grouping of 30mm. (1.18 inches) The M91/30 was adopted in 1930 and was replaced less than 2 decades later. The Mosin in general served served much longer, but the 91/30 was retired after about 15 years from front line service. A carbine variant was introduced for non-combat troops. Meant for cooks, messengers, and other non-combat troops, the M38 featured a shorter barrel. The carbine M44 was another variant produced with a side-bayonet feature. However, the M44 saw little battlefield action and eventually was phased out.

Action on the Mosin-Nagant

Mosin uses two front locking lugs in a horizontal position to lock its action, unlike the Mauser's vertical configuration. The Mosin uses a push feed recessed bolt head that snaps over the cartridge base. This design is like the M91 Carcano and Remington 700. Removing the bolt on a Mosin-Nagant is a simple action. Pull the Bolt to the rear while holding the trigger back. This simple battlefield design was a powerful feature for soldiers who kept their weapons in top working condition. Rifling on the Mosin Barrel is right-turning, looking down the barrel in a clockwise rotation. There is a four groove twist at 1:9.4 inches or 1.10 inches. The Mosin-Nagant featured a five-round magazine, and could be loaded individually or with stripper clips. A small part, designed explicitly for the Mosin-Nagant, called the interrupter, is located inside the receiver and prevents double feeding of a cartridge. Scandal surrounded the "interrupter;" Nagant filed a patent infringement to Russian officials. Nagant eventually won out and was paid the design winners sum of 200,000 rubles. Unfortunately, Mosin only saw 35,000 rubles ($464 US Dollars, Today) for his efforts.

Variants

  • 1891 Infantry Weapon
  • Dragoon
  • Cossack
  • 1907 Carbine
  • Model 1891/30
  • 1938 Carbine
  • 1944 Carbine
  • Model 1891/59 Carbine
There are two variants designed around 2000 that most Mosin-Nagant purists consider non-factors and hardly recognized. The OTs-48/OTs-48K and the Obrez. The Mosin-Nagant is a fascinating historical artifact. The rifle held its own against countless other submachine guns, rifles, and handguns. Like other Soviet small arms, the Mosin-Nagant required little maintenance, was simple to operate, and incredibly accurate. Bullet drop on the Mosin averaged 1.5 to below 1 inch at 100 meters. To say there will never be another weapon like the Mosin-Nagant is short-sighted. However, after nearly 130 years of service time and countless accolades, the argument can be made. Shop All C&R Eligible Firearms
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