It's Called A Mosin In Russia: The Mosin-Nagant M1891/30 Bolt Action Rifle

The Mosin-Nagant series of rifles

Russia: The source of the "biker bitch" of rifles, the AK-47. The home of the Dragunov long range rifle. Also, the birthplace of the Mosin-Nagant series of rifles. This post will explore the history surrounding the Mosin-Nagant series, specifically the Model 1891/30 (hitherto referred to as "Mosin" with respect to Russia) and any and all information regarding the rifles that I can expose for you. Let's dive in.

My own M91/30. Featuring the 5 round stripper clips to facilitate faster reloading.

The Mosin is a bolt action rifle developed by the Imperial Russian Army between 1882 and 1891. The development story is similar to most regarding military firearms; The Mosin was born of a necessity to advance with and beyond the capabilities of the enemies of Mother Russia. This necessity was made evident by the Russo-Ottoman War of 1877-1878 which saw the Russians, armed with Berdan single shot rifles, slaughtered by the Winchester Model 1866 repeater rifles of the Turks. The terrific loss by the Russians forced the commanders to advance their arsenal.

A Turkish Irregular cavalry charging the Russian Infantry thanks to the V&A collections

Much like the trials for the M9 here in the States, the trials for the rifle series to replace the Berdan single shot were somewhat troublesome. There were 3 submissions to the trials: 1 from Captain Sergei Ivanovich Mosin, 1 from Belgian designer Leon Nagant and another from a Captain Zinoviev (which didn't end up making the cut). If it wasn't somewhat obvious already, the Imperial Army commanders were split between the Mosin design and the Nagant design. While the Mosin rifle was easier to perform maintenance on due to it's simpler design, it was built with less than adequate processes and parts. This led to the Imperial Commission selecting the Nagant rifle. Despite that selection, the Commission head, General Chagin, had tests further performed which demonstrated the advantages of the Mosin design. The Commission then accepted the Mosin as the future firearm of the Empire.

Belgian Leon Nagant holding the Nagant revolver.

Of course, the man in the above photo was a little miffed by the fact that he was chosen and then discarded by the Commission. Leon filed for international patent protection for the interrupter design of his rifle. Oddly enough, however, he got that design from Mosin's rifle and, as Captain Mosin was Russian Military and couldn't file for a patent on his design, was eventually paid the 200,000 rubles that was to go to the winner of the trials. Russia also did not initially refer to the rifle as the Mosin to prevent further debate from Leon Nagant. At the conclusion of the trials, Russia adopted the "Three Line Rifle, Model of the Year 1891" (3 Line refers to the caliber of the bullet. 1 line = .1 inches so 3 line is .30 caliber or 7.62)

Three Line Rifle, Model of the Year 1891. Also known as the M91

The M91, the first production Mosin rifle, ended up only utilizing 2 parts of Nagant's design. The first part, and the most important, was the magazine spring. The original Mosin design had a loose spring in the integrated magazine which was found to be easily lost during cleaning. Nagant's design featured an attached magazine spring which made retaining the spring, obviously, easier while cleaning. The other contribution by Nagant was the loading mechanism. While the fixed magazine can be loaded one round at a time, Nagant designed a method of using stripper clips with 5 rounds per clip which allows the gun to be loaded a little faster. The rest of the rifle was designed by Captain Mosin.

The top image shows the magazine spring and how it is attached to the floor plate. The 2nd from the top is a 5 round stripper clip. The bottom 2 images show how the stripper clip works by using the topmost round to press the other 4 into the magazine. The clip is then removed and firing may begin/resume.

Fun fact: Initially, the M91 was, of course, manufactured in Russia. Companies such as Izhevsk and Tula were responsible for many of the rifles. However, the Empire placed orders with Remington Armory and New England Westinghouse Company here in the states between 1915 and 1918. The New England Westinghouse rifles have the 1915 designation on the barrel regardless of when they were actually built. The pictures below show the stamps on the barrel.

Images courtesy of 7.62x54r.net

After the M91 came the first real "update". The Izhevsk Ordinance Factory, and later Tula Arsenal, in Russia developed improvements to the Mosin rifle to better serve the Russian mounted infantry; Cavalry troops of this time were known as Dragoons and thus the new design took the name and the M91 Dragoon was born. The Dragoon was shortened slightly by 2 1/2" for a total length of 48 3/4" to facilitate firing from the back of a horse. The Dragoon also had a similar model that was made by Izhevsk which is known as the Cossack. The difference between these models is that the Dragoon was sighted with a bayonet and the Cossack was never issued a bayonet. Also, with these models, they introduced the steel recoil crossbolt and changed the rear sights up slightly.

Then, in 1930, the M91 Dragoon was given further updates. The front sights were improved to the globe and pin over the original blade. The pictures below show the changes made. The globe was added to protect the post sight from being knocked out of alignment, an issue seen with the blade sight.

Images courtesy of 7.62x54r.net

The rear sights were also updated. The measurements were changed to meters instead of the earlier Arshini units of measurement. Another update was of the barrel bands. Instead of the solid bands that were featured on the Dragoon and the button retained bands, the new rifle utilized "split bands". In the images below, the left is the button band and the right is the split band.

Images courtesy of 7.62x54r.net

The last change to be made overall is the shape of the receiver. The original receivers for the Mosin series were hexagonal, but they were phased out in favor of the round shaped receiver in 1935-36. The pictures below show the difference between receivers. The rounded receiver is in the top image and the bottom features the hex receiver.

Images courtesy of 7.62x54r.net

This rifle that I've been describing is the "7.62 mm Rifle, Model of the Year 1891-30" or M91/30 as it is known here in the States. Now that you know a little about the history, let's go over the gun itself. A small disclaimer: Mosin rifles are products of both of the World Wars. As such, it is slightly difficult to pin down exactly what models have what features. Because of the needs of the wars combined with availability of parts and materials, the rifles often combine features. Moving forward, we are using my M91/30 manufactured in 1942 by the Izhevsk Ordnance Company. (as far as my research has shown lol)

Apologies for the somewhat lacking quality. I am learning how to use my camera lol.

The Russian Mosin is typically made of Birch wood for the stock and hand guards which surround a carbon steel receiver and barrel. The 2 piece stock/handguard is shellacked to preserve and protect the wood. With many Mosins quietly rusting in storage, they are also coated with a layer of a Vaseline-like substance called Cosmoline to further protect the rifle from moisture and corrosion. Luckily, mine had been cleared of all of the cosmoline when I purchased it. The stock and handguard shroud the majority of the barrel, leaving only a few inches behind the muzzle and leaving the receiver end bare as well. The stock and handguard are held together with split barrel bands which are then retained by springs. The integrated magazine is part of the trigger guard and holds 5 rounds. The triggers, like everything on the Mosin, can be varied. Mine is around 7.5 pounds, not too too bad. Also, the butt plate is the usual metal pad that prevents the stock from splitting. Your typical drink of cheap Russian vodka. Gritty to take down, kicks like a mule.

At first glance, it appears that the bolt is made of stainless steel because of the shiny white metal color. It is actually hardened carbon steel that has been polished to give it that color.

The bolt is a multi-piece design with 2 horizontal locking lugs at the forward position. The bolt can be easily removed for cleaning by opening the bolt and sliding it backward. While pulling the trigger, the bolt will slide free of the receiver.

The bolt can further be broken down to facilitate a complete cleaning regimen. As seen in the picture below from 7.62x54r.net

Another feature of the bolt is the safety. The cocking nob at the rear (#2 in the above picture) can be pulled back by hand and rotated counter clockwise to catch on a lip on the receiver. This is a very rigid safety and can be difficult to engage/disengage. In the images below, the top image is the fire ready mode and the bottom shows the cocking nob in the "safe" position.

The Russian Mosin's utilize the 7.62x54R round (displayed in the pictures below). The round has the distinction of being the oldest military cartridge in use today; since 1891 in fact. Considered the Russian 30-06, the Mosin rifles were actually designed for this round and vice versa. While not quite as powerful as the 30-06, it still is used to kill large bears. My administrator, Jesse, has put these rounds through 4 inches of concrete with little issue.

That about wraps up this edition of Blued Barrel. The M91/30 is my first ever bolt action rifle and it has left a great impression on me. The price tag on these bad boys can vary, usually between $80-$200 depending on condition, features and how the fellow selling it feels at the moment. The ammo is an even better deal. You can easily find a "spam can" of 440 surplus rounds for around $100. Good luck finding 22 LR for that price at the moment. All in all, If you want a nice piece of history that definitely goes BANG in a fun way, this would be the way to go.

Just a forewarning, at the suggestion of a friend of mine, you may see a Mosin torture test at some point down the line when we can get the funds for an extra. ;)

With that, I want to take the time to thank the people are 7.62x54r.net for the pictures and some of the information that I have gleaned from their pages. I knew a bit about the Mosin, but now I know even more! Also, with the vodka line in mind, Remember to never drink alcohol or take any other drugs before using your firearms or leave your firearms out around people who are under the influence of any. God Bless our America!