Polish m44 query

[dangeo69]

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Hi all
Just picked up my Polish M44. This one has a turned down bolt but I cannot find any reference of this on a Polish M44 (at the moment). Help please on if it is a common thing or has the bolt been altered ..
Photos enclosed

Thanks
George

[Snayperskaya]

I'm going to say it's been altered, as far as I'm aware the Mosin carbines were never scoped in service so wouldn't need a turned down bolt.

I have seen PU scoped M44's sold in the UK as "Russian Border Guard tower sniper rifles", these were put together (faked!) by a well known UK dealer that shall remain nameless and sold as a real deal issued rifle!!!.

[dangeo69]

Yes, I thought it looked a bit suspect when I saw it advertised (even though the dealer said '' Because thats the way they make 'em'' when I asked why it had a bent handle. That confirmed my suspicions when he made that comment. That said I went into the sale with my eyes open and also because the rifle was pretty cheap and new. It does not stress me out too much in fact I think I can get used to it as I am going to shoot this one a lot. What made me more happier was that from reading this forum (and other sources) I was able to go into a sale for a Mosin and now have some knowledge on the subject, knowing that I could have walked away from the purchase.
It would be interesting to know who the nameless U.K. dealer was but having said that all of the ads that I look at on U.K. sites for past and present sales, (private and dealers) for Mosin Nagant rifles generally advertise the rifle with a very basic description or with the incorrect information. Probably more so in the past as I think people are starting to make an effort to learn more about them.

Thanks
George

[steelbuttplate]

Can you make a Bubba handle straight ?

[qz2026]

That's a damn shame. Hope you didn't pay the going price that these are selling for. If it was mine and I got it on the cheap by talking down the seller due to the bubba bolt, I might pay to have it made right again.

[dangeo69]

Thanks all for the comments.
Out of interest what is the going rate for a Polish m44 in the states (unaltered). I paid £400.00 squids for this one, was that over the top ?. The problem in the UK is that stuff is not so readily available and sometimes you have to take whats out there. I think I will look into getting it put back to original, I know an excellent restorer.

[Darryl]

Thanks all for the comments.
Out of interest what is the going rate for a Polish m44 in the states (unaltered). I paid £400.00 squids for this one, was that over the top ?. The problem in the UK is that stuff is not so readily available and sometimes you have to take whats out there. I think I will look into getting it put back to original, I know an excellent restorer.

not a lot of us here know the going rate for something in the UK. It's very different. Then there is the exchange rate! LOL

Squid, Isn't that something living in the ocean! Just kidding!

[Snayperskaya]

If it was me I have tried knocking down the price due to the bent bolt handle, I'd have offered £300 and gone from there.

£400-£500 is about the going rate for a good M44 in the UK at the moment, I know of a mint Polish M44 for sale at the moment that is immaculate and that's up for £500.

There are plenty of Mosins for sale in the UK at the moment.There are plenty of dealers that specialise in deactivated firearms and many of them have stocks of live firearms in excellent condition that are waiting to be "butchered....often it is worth giving them a call to ask what they've got.Also worth asking on UK-based forums as quite a few people have rifles in their cabinets that they'll sell if they aren't using them/fancy a change.

I would never just "take what's out there", I'd rather wait to find what I want rather than accept second best.I waited 3 years to find "my" PU and walked away from about a dozen rifles in that time.

You may be able to find a bolt body to replace yours on Ebay, search worldwide and you may find a NOS one with no serial number and then get it stamped with your serial number......there may even be someone on here that may have one going spare.

[steelbuttplate]

Can you make a Bubba handle straight ?

$400 pounds is about $525 U.S.

[qz2026]

Can you make a Bubba handle straight ?

$400 pounds is about $525 U.S.

Yeah, I was going to say the same thing - +/- 400 pounds. But, not with that bolt. Here it might get 1/2 of that if you'd be lucky...

[zeebill]

A nice complete matching Polish M44 would bring between $600 to $800 around here. With the fake bent bolt I would ,say maybe $300 to $500. I think Jim the bolt man is still around and he used to make them straight again years ago for around $100 or so. Me I got my example many years ago for $225 at a local show. Never shot it either and it is indeed a pristine example. You poor folk over in the UK more or less have to take what you see over there and most are made unfireable too. Bill

[dangeo69]

Thanks for all of your comments. You have shamed me into getting it sorted. I will get my man on to it. Watch this space !!!

[Lotema]

Thanks all for the comments.
Out of interest what is the going rate for a Polish m44 in the states (unaltered). I paid £400.00 squids for this one, was that over the top ?. The problem in the UK is that stuff is not so readily available and sometimes you have to take whats out there. I think I will look into getting it put back to original, I know an excellent restorer.

I just picked up one a week and a half ago for $500. I'd love to have picked one up when they were first imported but I had other hobbies back then. But considering it looks like it just popped out of the time machine from 1955, I'm ok with what it cost me. I haven't seen many mint condition ones around here and considering people are asking $425+ for a Russian m44, I don't feel like I did too bad.

[Darryl]

My concern with it is the bolt only. You can see where they welded on that bent over bolt and dressed it off. Just beyond the serial number. The serial number is very smooth (almost polished) and the rest is ground. If you tried to weld a straight bolt back on (to make it right), there isno way you couls match up that area to the rest of the bolt were the serial number is. You would alsways be able to see it.

Restoring it is a problem for me. I would not want to have to decide to do it or not. It's a tossup. It's not a "prime" collectors piece and never will be. But it would make a hell of a shooting rifle. That's for sure. And beautiful.

Dolk

[zeebill]

You would alsways be able to see it.

Restoring it is a problem for me. I would not want to have to decide to do it or not. It's a tossup. It's not a "prime" collectors piece and never will be. But it would make a hell of a shooting rifle. That's for sure. And beautiful.

Dolk

It may not be a prime collectors piece for you but it may be for others say only collecting Carbines of the Mosin variety. Checking on some of Jim the Boltmans bent bolts you may be hard pressed to actually tell the ones he has worked on and original ones. If you ever get a bunch of original real snipers in your hands they all vary quite a bit both in angle and size and length of arms. I had two I know were real and evidence of welding and condition of that part of the bolt where the serial is stamped were not well done and varied from the other 3 I had at the time. Because of incomplete knowledge on my part they were sold as not being what I then considered right. Probably nothing was wrong but I thought 5 snipers was too many for me to own. Down to 2 now and rarely shoot them as my eyes don't like their sight pictures that much and prefer cross hairs. Bill

[Darryl]

You would alsways be able to see it.

Restoring it is a problem for me. I would not want to have to decide to do it or not. It's a tossup. It's not a "prime" collectors piece and never will be. But it would make a hell of a shooting rifle. That's for sure. And beautiful.

Dolk

It may not be a prime collectors piece for you but it may be for others say only collecting Carbines of the Mosin variety. Checking on some of Jim the Boltmans bent bolts you may be hard pressed to actually tell the ones he has worked on and original ones. If you ever get a bunch of original real snipers in your hands they all vary quite a bit both in angle and size and length of arms. I had two I know were real and evidence of welding and condition of that part of the bolt where the serial is stamped were not well done and varied from the other 3 I had at the time. Because of incomplete knowledge on my part they were sold as not being what I then considered right. Probably nothing was wrong but I thought 5 snipers was too many for me to own. Down to 2 now and rarely shoot them as my eyes don't like their sight pictures that much and prefer cross hairs. Bill

I would say it might be an entry piece if collecting. I do collect carbines. If I had a hole, I might fill it with this one, but it would be replaced as soon as I could find a better one. The value is less then one with a correct bolt.

As far as PY sniper bolts go, it's not hard to spot a fake. They do thing a little differently then the arsenals did. Mostly, the bolt has to fit the rest of the rifle. If anything is off, it rings a bell. PS, Boltman doesn't make his bolts the same as the arsenal did. And he used to mark them. Maybe he don't now.

[dangeo69]

Bubba bolt no more
I have just received my turned down M44 bolt back from my man who has turned it from a bubba back to how it should be. I have shown it alongside an unaltered one. Can you spot the difference ?. I think he has done a great job.

[steelbuttplate]

Very Good job on that bolt. What are the markings on the right side of that receiver ?

[Longcolt44]

A fine job.

[qz2026]