The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

So, a friend at work was talking guns and said he had a Nagant... I asked what it was and within a few weeks I bought my first...! I found out that it's a 1917 Tula and was imported here by C.I.A. (Century International Arms, Inc.). I paid $365 total including tax and transfer. I thought that was pretty good for any gun... I cleaned it up and oiled it and I'm going to go shoot it today.

Any input or advise on how to keep this guy in good shooting shape is welcomed... It would be fun to get a deer or elk with it...!


I hope this works, I'm real good at forum stuff...

Here are some pictures.

Cool, welcome to the board. From the style of scrubbing used to remove the czarist eagle from the markings this looks like a Balkan used M91. Most of these turn up with tiny pinecone stamps in the fingergroove, or on the buttstock. That would indicate Bulgarian use. These were provided to Serbia as aid from Russia during the great war and later captured by the Bulgarians and others. Lots of history in these rifles.

I have it's older brother, 1916 same rifle. I Had to replace the extractor on mine, perfect function otherwise. Aim low. Clean it well after you shoot some ammo thru it, clean the stock now and then with Murphys oil. Do this and It'll last another lifetime or three. Oh yea leave the barrel bands alone if possible and remember the screws in those tighten backwards.

A Peter the Great Tula 1917 M91 is a great first Mosin Nagant! Clean it immediately after shooting it, treat all 7.62x54R ammo as corrosive unless you loaded it yourself. There are many good informative subforums in the bar under the top of the page, about variations, cleaning, FAQ's , etc. Da Boss and steelbuttplate have given you some good info, too.

Congrats. Nice Balkan...

Cool way to start a collection, like chips, you can't have just one.

That is a nice Mosin for a first one. Enjoy it.

Thanks all, my post was supposed to say "I'm NOT real good at forum stuff". Anyway, that's some really cool info! I shot it yesterday 6-3-19, it was awesome...! Yeah I heard about the corrosive ammo so I bought some modern ammo but I still cleaned it well. I just got in to reloading so I'll be doing that also. I found that there's Tula hammer stamps all over it, that was cool...! Is Tula a person? @ junk yard dog, thanks I'll look for that pine cone stamp. It's great to have a network for these guns...

Tula is a place.

Oh, copy that...!

So the friend that got me into these sent me a pictures of one of his. I couldn't find the stamp on any other info page. Does anyone know the origin of this one?

1942 Izhevsk.

Cool, I'll let him know...

Thanks...

Wow you did great. A M91 like that in the condition you found is getting harder to find. Some guys think they need to "fix it up" or "restore the stock" to make it look better and doing so just ruins the history and value. At 365.00 you did fine. Isn't it just amazing that you can take something so old, and so cool, knowing it has literally served in no telling what kind of battle action, or skirmish some place and still it shoots as good as it did a century ago? Now your friend has the 91/30 model. If you place them side by side you'll notice all the upgrades as Russia changed the rifle. Shorter barrel and overall length, handguard changed, sling slots about the same distance but closer to the end of the barrel due to shorter length. And total change up on front and rear sights.
Now find yourself a carbine and see if you might want one of them. Harder to find, a 91/59 would be a good one. Or the M44 with the attached fold out bayonet is not so hard to find. You already bought the harder to find model so again I say you did great.

My first M91 was a 1917 Tula, still have it today. Shoots all well as I can let it, now get someone with better eyes she'd do even better.

Mine is SN N2207345, and is also stated to be a Balkans rifle.

Tell your friend it is a Mosin or a Mosin Nagant. Not a "Nagant". A "Nagant is a Russian revolver.

Nice Mosin for a first rifle!

Dolk

A very nice first rifle,don't be afraid to shoot the corrosive ammo..just read up on how to properly clean afterwords.
Your friends 91/30 are the most common Mosins.Yours being an M91,and older,is worth more and harder to find.Take heed to what has been said,don't alter the rifle,and it will keep its value,and increase as they become harder to find.

1jackds2 wrote:Cool, I'll let him know...

Thanks...

If you'll drift that front sight to the right about 2 squirrel hairs, aim slightly lower, mine does 2&1/2 inches at 50 yd using surplus ammo, , yours should too. Sandbag it.

That's all awesome info, Thanks...! I was telling my friend that the other day. How that there might be teeth marks or blood or something on the stock from fighting. Never know. But for sure, I am not going to do anything to it except keep it clean and oiled. And actively shoot it of course. I just started hand loading so I will do that for it too. I want to hunt with it this year, I think that would be cool...!