'43 Tula 91/59 ... Accuracy Rifle ?

[yatzee982]

I recently picked up this 1943 Tula 91/59 in a trade deal. I don't know alot about the 91/59's but I like them alot and didn't have a Tula in my collection. The gentleman I traded for it had recently gotten it from another guy who had never shot it or even cleaned the cosmo from it ... it was slathered in it. It's a C.D.I. import out of Swan,VT. and the original owner had it for 10 - 12 years or so in a closet. I am not very familiar with all the markings but when cleaning it up I see the barrel looks like it was sanded and re-serialed ? I know the Tula Snipers have a C+N over the star but this rifle looks like it has a C+H that has been partially sanded during the re-serial process ? There are no drilled holes in the reciever. Also parallel to the rifle the stock has a numer 3205 stamped in it but the serial number is HP 259. I appreciate any info or thoughts about it .. Thank You.

Pics:

[zeebill]

That rifle at one time was chosen to be a sniper hence the remains of the CH mark on it. That mark alone may be all that has been done on the road toward it being a sniper rifle, another words the drilling of the holes may never have taken place hence there are no signs of them. That also means the rifle was made into a 91/59 from a 91/30 which I have never seen. When the 91/59's were made the scrubbing on the barrel badge plate was done along with the reblue job. In the pictures it may be just the light but it does look like there was some sanding done to the blue in specific spots? They usually have a nice trigger and good looking wood like yours does. I find them to be very good shooters especially because of the unusual light triggers for a Mosin. The importers mark is actually CAI or Century Arms Inc.

You have what I use as a hunting rifle and find to be fairly accurate out to 100 yards plus a bit. Nice looking rifle and one of my favorite Mosins! Congrats on a great trade I would say. I don't know what to make of that front sight and would need a better picture to comment on it. Bill

[Junk Yard Dog]

The tool marks were cleaned up like that on my 1942 Izhevsk 91/59, it's normal, but that front sight??

[zeebill]

The tool marks were cleaned up like that on my 1942 Izhevsk 91/59, it's normal, but that front sight??

The barrel plate area looks normal from the side pics but the close-up looks awful shiny and I don't know which picture to believe? See what I mean? Bill

[Junk Yard Dog]

The shine is exactly like the one on my rifle, if anything they buffed mine a bit more trying to clean it up. The '36 Tula has a shine on it also, they buffed it but it wouldn't have had tool marks, they must have had some time to kill.

[zeebill]

What I am getting at is, is that black and shiny like it looks from the side view or sanded and shiny like chrome? Bill

[Darryl]

It all looks normal to me except that front sight and the CH mark.

The CH mark is as Bill says which is unique, but that front sight I'd like to look a little closer at.

Dolk

[yatzee982]

Sorry about not mentioning the front sights in my original post ... it was 1am and I was pretty tired. The front sights are being held in by duct tape atm. They slide right out of the channel way to easy so I put duct tape over them to hold it in place. I will have to think on what to use to hold it in place more permenantly ... solder ? The rifle is pretty shiny like it was buffed alot and then re-blued. The trigger on it is very nice and crisp with an excellent looking bore... lots of shine. The tang only has a 4 stamped on it with no star or bow/triangle arrow so I guess it's just a '43. I was wondering what the numbers stamped in the stock signified ? The old serial number perhaps ? I can get more pics of any area needed and I appreciate the info already given .. thank you.

[MarksmanTim]

I'm jealous of this one! Nice carbine!

[Darryl]

Don't "glue" that front sight in!

It is in a "dove tail" slot. I think you can stake the dove tail and tighten it up a bit. Others will come alone with more info I'm sure.

That's a M91/59 with a "twist"!
Dolk

[bunkysdad]

I have a automatic center punch that I thought about using on my 91/59 front sight, as it is loose just like yours. I was thinking of putting a few dimples on the bottom of the sight and see if that will swell the area just enough to hold it. I don't intend to make the change on the barrel. I always wanted a carbine of some sort without the attached bayonet and thought I would have found a M38 by now, but when the 91/59 fell in my lap I was super happy to say the least. I love this model, and it's the unique rear sight that sets it apart for me.

[zeebill]

Duct tape! So that is what is was! I ran out of magnification and still had no idea what I really saw!

Correct the old fart here the 91/59's were supposed to be M91's cut back to the length they are right? How did a CH mark from what would have been a 91/30 get on there? Now I got to look at some references and read more about length's and such I guess. It's just too much for the old man's mind to hold!!!! Bill

OK back from referenceland and I was thinking all wrong I had reversed them in my mind they were normally 91/30's not cut from M91's. Old back-ass-wards strikes again! Sorry about that!

[bunkysdad]

Yes, that is correct. 91/30's cut to carbine length, and milled the upper numbers on the rear sight.

[WeldonHunter]

Now this is a different take on one of these. Fred_G has a 91/30 that the front sight was loose like this and I think he cut some strips out of an aluminum can and put them under the dovetail on the sight and installed it. It pushes the dovetail up tight against itself.

[bunkysdad]

Yeah that should work real well.

[zeebill]

The Russian arsenals used a prick punch or if you care to call it a center punch to both lock and tighten the slider part of the front sight in the base. It is not hard to do if you have a good base to keep the barrel solid when you hit it, without a backer of some sort it is a difficult thing to do though. Bill

[bocephus]

Former sniper now a 91/59, badass. How much you think the grey blanket could get for it?

[Sgt. Rob]

Anychance we could see some pics inside the action? Just to confirm it were not drilled and tapped for sniper use?

BTW, that would be my 91/59 grail. Tula and sniper marked!!

Semper Fi, Rob

[desdem12]

[qz2026]

Very nice.

The serial numbers on the stock should match the barrel serial number, sometimes only the last 3 digits, sometimes the whole serial number. I didn't catch it, was this a numbers matching carbine? Unfortunate if this had the incorrect stock. But, that doesn't take too much away from a fine carbine. I am quite fond of these guys...

Poor Zeebill... having a rough night. But, Bill you weren't all wrong - just about this rifle. I have three 91/59's that came from cut down Dragoons or M-91's - which ones we will never know. The round receivered '59's were likely 9130's with matching barrels and receivers. I've wondered about M-38 barrels... I have only one with a mismatch on the barrel/receiver but that is one of the older ones.