New to me M44 no import marks, numbers matching

[knormal]

Hello all,
I've finally tracked down my first MN, (and first milsurp to boot) this past weekend. It's a early 1945 Izhevsk M44. I've pulled the stock and found no import markings, and all 4 serial numbers match. One thing I thought was odd (keep in mind I'm new a this) is the MO number was stamped on the bottom of the barrel hidden by the stock - at least it doesn't muck up the original factory stampings done in '45.

The finish does not feel like shellac, and based on how hastily it appears to have been applied I think it's an arsenal refinish. Someone said it reminded them of the "Romanian yellow lacquer" finish.

Did all of the rifles get the concentric circle "accuracy" stamp, or was that only on certain rifles?

Here's a couple of images, any insights are appreciated. I'm trying to find out from the original owner if they had any history to go with it, how it was acquired etc.

20180722_105803.jpg

20180720_182810.jpg

20180724_065350.jpg

[tjtM38]

I don't know if the stock has been refinished by the arsenal. I have 10 Mosin Nagant arsenal refurbished rifles, including two carbines and I sure don't have one with a stock refinished like that one. It could have been done by a person who knew what they were doing. You have a nice Izhevsk M44 from the last year of the war. I don't know about the accuracy mark; most of my refurbs have that marking, so I don't think it is anything unusual. On another note, I personally have never seen a refurb with a blued bolt handle, but looks like there are some out there like that. All the bolts for my rifles are "in the white" (unfinished).

[Junk Yard Dog]

The Romanian government was not in the business of refinishing stocks, some of mine have zero shellac left on them at all and nothing applied in it's place. They were seriously hard up for cash when they used these rifles and did as little as possible to keep them running. Typical Romanian refurbishment was to swap on any parts that would work, and send the rifle right back out the door. Take a Q-tip, dip the cotton in a small bit of alcohol, denatured is best but vodka will work. Pick a part of the stock that isn't noticeable and rub the alcohol dipped swab around in a small spot for a moment. If you see the swab turning color then you have shellac and it's very likely a Soviet refurbished stock. No color then some American Bubba has been playing with it. Is there an import mark someplace up by the muzzle or on the side of the receiver?

[SA1911a1]

Some of the older import marks are tiny, and in odd places. Look very carefully.

[millman]

Some of the older import marks are tiny, and in odd places. Look very carefully.

Look under the hinge for the bayonet.

[zeebill]

Check the wing of the receiver for a partial import that you didn't picture. Navy Arms sent some of those in real early that were just barely visible and almost impossible to decipher. That number on the bottom does indeed have MO in front of the number but is not anything to do with the unknown meaning MO stamp that has little to do with a serial number as far as we know. Those numbers may have something to do with the combloc country that partially refurbed that rifle sometime in the past. The fact that the recoil lug ends are covered makes think that the finish may have been put on here but I am just guessing like everyone else is and it needs following up like JYD suggested. Looks to be in great shape whatever it was done with and they are great fun to shoot after safety and head space inspection. Congrats a nice one there! Bill

[knormal]

The handle isn't blued, it has a coffee brown patina to it.

I haven't heard anyone mention the Steel lot# before - have heard it's ministry of defense refurb, or possibly the internal paramilitary deployment: http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinMO.htm

I don't think the finish is a civilian Bubba job because there are both runs and holidays in the finish, and it was bushed on so quickly that only part of the cross bolt head on one side is covered. It has definitely yellowed as I've never seen an out of the can varnish that color, plus varnish is slow drying, so my thoughts are lacquer or shellac as they both dry quickly. I still haven't had a chance to try the alochol test to see if it's shellac.

I will pull the stock and check it all for import marks again. I used a flashlight and my cellphone as a magnifying glass on some suspect scratches, but so far nothing that looks import related. I've looked under the bayonet, under the front sight, and on the inside of the action just in case folks were creative.

Does anyone know when the first M44's were imported into the country? Before '68, or after '86?

[Junk Yard Dog]

M44's have been coming in since the Korean war, brought back by our GI's who captured them. More came in during our involvement in Vietnam, however the bulk of these will be Chinese type 53's. The real flood started after 1992 when the walls came down and the USSR collapsed opening the door for massive exports of Mosins and other military items. The last bunch would have been 7-8 years back with a small lot from the Balkans.

[knormal]

Check the wing of the receiver for a partial import that you didn't picture. Navy Arms sent some of those in real early that were just barely visible and almost impossible to decipher. ... The fact that the recoil lug ends are covered makes think that the finish may have been put on here but I am just guessing like everyone else is and it needs following up like JYD suggested....

Recoil lug ends - is that the piece I called the cross bolt (in the stock where you'd grip with left hand?) My terminology with this is still in the learning process.

[knormal]

so quick question - from a purists standpoint, is it OK to clean/polish the handle to be closer in color to the rest of the bolt? Mine is quite a bit browner -I've rubbed it heavily with an oiled cotton cloth, but not much more is coming off with just oil and elbow grease.

[Ratnik]

I haven't heard anyone mention the Steel lot# before - have heard it's ministry of defense refurb, or possibly the internal paramilitary deployment: http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinMO.htm

Like it was mentioned earlier, number at the barrel bottom is steel lot number. Soviets never placed unit numbers at weapons, all markings at their weapons are related only to production/refurbishement

[Junk Yard Dog]

so quick question - from a purists standpoint, is it OK to clean/polish the handle to be closer in color to the rest of the bolt? Mine is quite a bit browner -I've rubbed it heavily with an oiled cotton cloth, but not much more is coming off with just oil and elbow grease.

That surface coating is called " patina" today it's the result of the items naturally oxidizing with age. That look is more appreciated today than the new looking examples. The current thinking is old things should look old ( except some people) I would think this is bullshit if I didn't make good money off of such items with their natural ...patina.... in place. Leave it be.

[Longcolt44]

Just a note, The Russians used shellac not varnish. Shellac dries quickly.

[ffuries]

Bolt handles turn black quick with use when not oiled and and cleaned after use, I've got a couple bolts that are nice and shiny with dark handles. Also some people have boiled their bolts to get the cosmoline out of it, which is OK to do, but they leave it in too long and will turn the bolt dull and give it a black or gray look.

So if just handle is gray/black it's from normal handling
If entire bolt is gray/black left in boiling water too long
Or
Bubba's improvement

[Darryl]

Sorry, that bolt looks blued to me. It is way past the handle and onto the bolt. It is the color of the receiver, maybe a touch bluer. I have never seen a patina as "even" as that and certainly not that "blue" as this show in these photos. I may be wrong, but you would have to show me a photo of the bolt where it is "brown" patina. That looks blued and only very few people did this to these rifles. One is Finland, but it shows no other markings or use by Finland. Also, it looks "refurbed" for sure. That means it went back to Russia. This looks blued after it was sold out of the arsenals.

Sorry, that is what it looks like. But if you removed that bolt right now and took photos of it all the way around so we could see what we see now and the other sides, I'll bet you would see that bluing run all the way around. Patina will not (or should not) be underneath inside where it is covered up by the receiver.

More photos would show that.

[qz2026]

I've seen about every finish on a M-44 that there is and this looks arsenal to me. The bolt is odd. I agree with Dolk - it's been blued. When and where that happened is all speculation. Finn or German recapture? Bubba? Importer? It should have an import mark somewhere. Is the s/n stamped on the side of the receiver? I've got one or two that are likely early Century imports with stamped s/n on the side of the receiver but no other import marks anywhere.

[Darryl]

I've seen about every finish on a M-44 that there is and this looks arsenal to me. The bolt is odd. I agree with Dolk - it's been blued. When and where that happened is all speculation. Finn or German recapture? Bubba? Importer? It should have an import mark somewhere. Is the s/n stamped on the side of the receiver? I've got one or two that are likely early Century imports with stamped s/n on the side of the receiver but no other import marks anywhere.

Yes, blued bolts are not a common thing. Finns did some of it, but this in not a Finn captured M44. So it was done after it was refurbished by the Russians. And, We see all sorts of photos except where the import marks could be. I'd like to see the other side of the receiver (up closer) and around the muzzle area. Some were missed when they imported them. And there are others that were imported before import marks were required but those look different and not very common. More likly the import mark is being missed or it was missed when marking them.

[qz2026]

I've seen about every finish on a M-44 that there is and this looks arsenal to me. The bolt is odd. I agree with Dolk - it's been blued. When and where that happened is all speculation. Finn or German recapture? Bubba? Importer? It should have an import mark somewhere. Is the s/n stamped on the side of the receiver? I've got one or two that are likely early Century imports with stamped s/n on the side of the receiver but no other import marks anywhere.

Yes, blued bolts are not a common thing. Finns did some of it, but this in not a Finn captured M44. So it was done after it was refurbished by the Russians. And, We see all sorts of photos except where the import marks could be. I'd like to see the other side of the receiver (up closer) and around the muzzle area. Some were missed when they imported them. And there are others that were imported before import marks were required but those look different and not very common. More likly the import mark is being missed or it was missed when marking them.

Yeah, I 'm not saying it was a Finn M-44. Only that a bolt could have made it to a Russian parts bin from a Finn or German recapture, unlikely as that may be.

[knormal]

I'll get updated thorough photos tonight, and remove the stock doing so if that helps.

[steelbuttplate]

so quick question - from a purists standpoint, is it OK to clean/polish the handle to be closer in color to the rest of the bolt? Mine is quite a bit browner -I've rubbed it heavily with an oiled cotton cloth, but not much more is coming off with just oil and elbow grease.

That surface coating is called " patina" today it's the result of the items naturally oxidizing with age. That look is more appreciated today than the new looking examples. The current thinking is old things should look old ( except some people) I would think this is bullshit if I didn't make good money off of such items with their natural ...patina.... in place. Leave it be.

Don't take away the mud, blood and beer that turned it shiny brown. You can shine 'em up but it takes lots of use to get the look it has.