The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

Which is the more sought after factory to have made the Mosin Nagant and why.

Folks seem to like Tula's more. Not because they are better quality. Probably because they have a nice looking barrel shank stamping.

There is no rhyme or reason why people prefer one over the other. One arsenal is not "better" than another. For some reason, people started getting it out there that Tula was more sought after, possibly because of the star stamp. They both have a great history to them and both arsenals should be
just as equally held high in a person's eye, IMO.
It's kind of like when someone wants an M39..they just HAVE to have the precious little SAKO gear logo for some reason.

Same rifle made the same way to the same specs. Some people like the Star stamp of Tula, I suspect because it is more recognizably "commie" than the Izhevsk crest, as if that would endear it more to me or anyone who lived as an adult during the Cold War. Some wartime Izhevsk rifles have a rough finish, so do Tula made ones in 1943 but this does not impact performance or safety. It's a matter of personal preference I suppose, like M39's with some people liking Sako over VKT or Tikka over both, all the same damn rifle but for the markings.

Not a dime's worth of difference to me. In fact, my Izhevsk M91/30 rifles are my best shooters.

So its just cosmetic, people just want a star. Ok thanks.

Same rifles. No difference.

The more subtle difference may be the "sense" of history conveyed by each factory. The three principal manufacturing sites had distinctively different histories. This may be a bit abstract, but the history of a rifle is tied to and invokes the history of the armaments factory from which it came.

For example, a post-1941 Tula M91/30 is a rifle pressed back into production when production of the SVT-40 was cut back, and after Tula was nearly overrun in late 1941 by the Second Panzer Army.

Izhevsk had its own share of drama at the start of the Civil War in 1918 as one of the principal cities that revolted against the Bolsheviks, arming some 4,000 former Czarist soldiers and officers (who also had no desire to be conscripted into the Red Army and sent God knows where).

Sestroryetsk, being the most strategically vulnerable of the plants, had a much more truncated history, understandably associated with the period up through the Revolution.

So yes, mechanically and operationally the same rifle, but to the collector a different historic artifact from each site.

ParrotHead wrote:There is no rhyme or reason why people prefer one over the other. One arsenal is not "better" than another. For some reason, people started getting it out there that Tula was more sought after, possibly because of the star stamp. They both have a great history to them and both arsenals should be
just as equally held high in a person's eye, IMO.
It's kind of like when someone wants an M39..they just HAVE to have the precious little SAKO gear logo for some reason.

What he said a thousand times over with even more common sense added to taste! Bill

This is going to be an interesting thread haha. As for my personal preference, 1920's Izhevsk rifles, and 1930's Tula rifles are among my favorites in my collection.

Tula, because: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1zxOTDHIBQ

No difference in the quality, workmanship, or performance.

I'm sure I'm way off but for those collectors who swear by and not at the "Rarity List" there are quite a few more Tula's listed there than Izhevsk. If you just look by name at Tula or Izhevsk listings there are 6 Tula's over an 8 rating and only 2 listings for Izhevsk that are an 8 or better. Maybe they gravitate to the Tulas because they feel they are more collectable from what they have read there and on some forums.

Most of the time when your read, "Its a Tula!" it usually says FOR SALE in the previous line.Its a good thing for you guys selling your collections. If someone is willing to pay more for the exact same rifle because it has a star on it then why explain to them that there is no difference in the product.

NLMosin wrote:I'm sure I'm way off but for those collectors who swear by and not at the "Rarity List" there are quite a few more Tula's listed there than Izhevsk. If you just look by name at Tula or Izhevsk listings there are 6 Tula's over an 8 rating and only 2 listings for Izhevsk that are an 8 or better. Maybe they gravitate to the Tulas because they feel they are more collectable from what they have read there and on some forums.

Most of the time when your read, "Its a Tula!" it usually says FOR SALE in the previous line.Its a good thing for you guys selling your collections. If someone is willing to pay more for the exact same rifle because it has a star on it then why explain to them that there is no difference in the product.

We take the time to tell the truth here as this forum is for the collectors of the Mosin Nagant and other milsurps,not a forum based on how much money can be made off a particular rifle's markings. Some of the most expensive milsurp rifles to be found have been shown on this forum with no monetary value said or told.