The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

I just realized the hand guard bands go one way. Kinda scuffed up my 91/30 hand guards.

Some oil on the wood.

I imagine that more than one Soviet conscript did the same thing if they were lucky enough to be issued a weapon during the war.

Wondering why it was so hard to reinstall

Rifle is fine.

As mentioned, using some oil should help get them off easier.

It would have gone on just fine if the band was not upside down. Took bites out of the stock most of the way down. Just looks terrible, is all. Put some tung oil finish over the exposed wood looks a little better and is not bare wood anymore.

They are hard to install if you put them in upside down, but they are not meant to go on and off easily either. If that was the case they could rattle loose in combat like the original M1891's were prone to do. The Finns fixed the 1891's by putting a small screw, and sometimes pins to hold the band in place. The Soviets solved the problem with the addition of the retaining clips and spring loading the band a bit.