Mosin 1891/30 query

[tnks2me]

Just wondering if anyone knows any info on this particular batch of Mosins.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Looks to me like you have a 1943 Izhevsk M91/30 rifle, going by the rough machined receiver it's one of the wartime expedient models that were rushed into service during a busy point in the USSR's war with Germany. They omitted final metal finishing in order to speed production. After WW2 had ended the USSR began a program of refurbishing their leftover WW2 weapons and stashing them away deep in Ukrainian salt mines. It seems the idea was they would use the weapons to arm the Soviet people in the event the west invaded during the early days of the Cold War. Despite the fact that such a move by the west was idiotic after 1955 or so the program continued anyway into the late 1970's . After the fall of Soviet communism Ukraine became an independent nation and in possession of these weapons stored on it's territory, they were sold for hard cash to importers both in this country and many others.
Welcome to the forum, and appreciate that rifle, you can read the desperation of the time in every tool mark on it's receiver.

[Three_Dogs]

Welcome to the forum!

[Junk Yard Dog]

I just noticed all the grease slathered on the sight ladder, you just got this rifle? The latest batch of refurbs seem to be packed in grease like this.

[tnks2me]

Hello Again. Many thanks for the welcome and also very happy to hear about this rifle, i picked up this item here in Australia from a private dealer and was lucky enough to spend some time before making a decision. Also i was thinking that i may have missed the boat to find some in good condition. Big cheers for the Headsup

[Junk Yard Dog]

You are not the only member on the forum from Down Under who has recently gotten their first Mosin, we know from him how hard it was to acquire, waits, licenses and all. From the small bit I can see of the rifle it looks like a nice one

[desdem12]

I looked at a 43 izhevsk like that today, had the nicest barrel i have seen in a long long time. Was in a laminate stock too.
Welcome to the forum

[husker51]

[bunkysdad]

Hello and thanks for showing your new rifle. It looks great. Shooting these are a blast.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I looked at a 43 izhevsk like that today, had the nicest barrel i have seen in a long long time. Was in a laminate stock too.
Welcome to the forum

You didn't buy it????

[tincansailor]

[audadvnc]

The picture of that rifle, covered in grease and with very rough machining, is a dead ringer for the 1943 Izhevsk I bought at a Fleet Farm a few weeks back.

[Junk Yard Dog]

A few years back the rifles were coming in from the distributors dry, the Soviets used desiccant paper to preserve them. There would be rust spots sometimes, probably why they switched to slathering them up with crud, or maybe it was the older ones that were slathered, we have no idea for sure.

[zeebill]

Dealers get their guns from wholesalers and wholesalers get their guns from import sources. Anywhere along the line of supply rifles can and are cleaned matter of fact many dealers pay extra for rifles that are cleaned of grease or the cosmoline as many of us call it. So parts of the same shipments may look entirely different than others from the same batch. I have no idea how the rifles are cleaned but have many times handled rifles that are squeky clean to the touch. Even the insides are clean and not even oily and again I have no idea how they are cleaned. Batches are better thought of as times in the flow of the supply chain. They come in in shipments via the case while years ago some were just shipped by stacking them on pallets with cardboard over the top and banded in place. Sometimes they didn't even have card board in between the rifles and they did damage to each other. The result of that was things like SOG's broken stock specials and the like. The cases were a big move upward in shipping quality and now the then free cases are even sold to make more money off the product. And life goes in our capitalistic society Bill

[Junk Yard Dog]

You think I can get them to come and clean my rifles after I get back from the range?

[zeebill]

Heck these days anything can be had for a price! Bill

[Junk Yard Dog]

Not everything, I keep asking for a machine that can send some people to the dark side of the moon, but they tell me that such a machine can't be made at any price...yet.