1945 M44??

[Royalblood]

I recently bought this M44 from a local gun store. I only bought it because I could not find import marks and the antique finish on it. The owner told me that it could be a bring-back. I bought the rifle for $120, was this a good choice?

[crwjr]

Beautiful Rifle, to bad somebody had to hack the bayonet off but other than that it looks great welcome to the forum

[desdem12]

That does look nice. $120 isn't too bad for that. Back in the old days they made you take bayonets off of guns if they were brought into the country. Not sure if that is what happened here but maybe. I think they did that to SKS's too. Now california won't let you have grenade launchers on the SKS's. Nice gun Royal.

[Izhevsk762]

Shame about the bayonet lug. The finish is not that of a typical recently imported M44, it is possible it is a bringback. Without the bringback paperwork, theres no way to be sure, but this one has the "look" of a bringback.

[etprescottazusa91]

Bringback from where, Southeast Asia? No body brought back Russian state property from Europe 60 years ago. The bayonet being cut pretty much destroyed any collectability on that rifle, its a shame, nice rifle otherwise. With the bayonet cut off I would not have paid $120.00 and passed on that one, it's just a shooter.

[mosinmike17]

Shame about the bayonet missing, reminds me of my M38 since it sits on a 44 stock.

Great pick up for what you paid if you intend on shooting it moreso than displaying, I am hoping to score a Tula M44 at some point just for the collection. Can't wait to see how the rifle looks clean. Definitely looks great cosmetically for its age, too. Maybe you can get a bayonet for it and restore it to original historic condition in that regard? Beyond that I wouldn't touch a thing aside from any necessary rust removal. Get that barrel checked before you shoot it though, as I am sure you know.

[Darryl]

Yes, Vietnam..... Many Russian rifles went to Vietnam for a while, then they were supplied with the T53 (China). A lot of the T53's were missing bayonets when they were imported back into the US.

Fact that is has no import mark, and all original serial numbers leads me to think it might be a Vietnam rifle. But without papers, it could be someone here in the US hack sawed the mount off also.

You won't find many M44's without import marks on them. They imported very few before the laws here required import marks. So the chances are it is a bring back. Just a shame there really is no way to know now. Sill, it is a nice rifle and has a lot to say without all the "refurbishment" on it!

Nice

Dolk

[pacanis]

I think it's a keeper. I would have bought it just to have one with all original stampings for that price. I would have been shaking my head at the missing bayonet, but I would have bought it.

[mogunner]

I would have bought it as well. You can replace the bayo lug pretty easily. With no bringback papers it's "just" a neat old Mosin right now, but last time I checked they aint making any more...

[Junk Yard Dog]

Two in one week, Russian rifles imported from China would be my guess. I remember that some of the type 53's brought in 20 years ago had the bayonets hacked off so they could be sold in California. Russian made M44's did come in with the Chinese 53's, the Soviets sold M44's to China after the communists took over, and before they were making their own type 53's. The look of the rifle is typical of the Chinese imports. Vietnam is also a possibility as some Soviet M44's did end up there passed along by the Chinese, but I would bet this is a late 80's import, the import marks were very tiny, and sometimes left off by accident.

[bunkysdad]

I like it and for 120.00 it was a no brianer. Since the bayonet lug is the only mod it does make you wonder. have you shot it yet?



Ya gonna pull those pistols, or whistle Dixie?~ Josey Wales

[Royalblood]

Thank you so much everyone for all the information you guys have provided! I will look into replacing the bayonet lug. I have not got a chance to shoot it Bunkysdad, but I plan to within the next week.

[Longcolt44]

Thank you so much everyone for all the information you guys have provided! I will look into replacing the bayonet lug. I have not got a chance to shoot it Bunkysdad, but I plan to within the next week.

Leave it as it is. Replacing the bayonet would be a big task and would still not ad anything to the value. Not to mention you would have to destroy another M44 to get the lug parts.

[Rongo]

Worth it for the price. As others said... Leave it be.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Best to just leave it be, the damage is done and it's a gunsmiths skills needed to get that lug off and back on properly. Not worth buggering it up even more.