Mosin-Nagant

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Template:Weapon-firearm The Mosin-Nagant (Russian: Мосин-Наган) is a bolt action, five round, military rifle that was used by the armed forces of Imperial Russia and later the Soviet Union and various Eastern bloc nations. Also known as the Three-Line Rifle (Трёхлинейная винтовка), it was the first to use the .30 caliber 7.62 x 54 mm R cartridge. It was in service in various forms from 1891 until the 1960s, when it was finally replaced in its final function as a sniper rifle by the SVD rifle (Снайперская винтовка Драгунова - Snayperskaya Vintovka Dragunova - Dragunov's Sniper Rifle).

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History

Because of experiences during the Russo-Turkish War in which Russian troops armed with Berdan, Karle, and Krnka single shot rifles engaged Turks with Winchester repeating rifles the Russian Main Artillery Administration undertook the task of producing a magazine-fed, multiround weapon in 1882. After failing to adequately modify the Berdan to meet the requirements a "Special Commission for the testing of Magazine[-fed] Rifles" was formed to test various new designs (such as the Mauser, Lee-Metford, and Lebel). A young captain named Sergei Ivanovich Mosin submitted his 3-line calibre (an archaic Russian measure, 3 linii equals 0.3 inches or 7.62mm) rifle in 1889 alongside Léon Nagant's (a Belgian) 3.5-line design. When trials concluded in 1891 all units to test the rifles indicated a preference for Nagant's design and the Commission voted 14 to 10 to approve it. However certain more influential individuals pushed for the domestic design resulting in a compromise: Mosin's rifle was used with a Nagant-designed feed mechanism. Thus the 3-line rifle, Model 1891 (its official designation at the time) came into being.

Production began in 1892 at the ordnance factories of Tula Arsenal, Izhevsk Arsenal, and Sestroryetsk Arsenal. Due to the limited capacities of these facilities an order of 500,000 weapons was placed with the French arms company, Manufacture Nationale d'Armes de Châtelleraut. By the time of the Russo-Japanese War in 1904 approximately 3,800,000 rifles had been delivered to the army.

Between adoption in 1891 and 1910 several variants (see Variations produced in the Soviet Union) and modifications to existing rifles were made, including changed sights, the inclusion of a reinforcing bolt through the finger groove (due to the adoption of a 147 grain pointed (spitzer) round), the elimination of the steel finger rest behind the trigger guard, new barrel bands, and the installation of slot type sling mounts to replace the more traditional swivels. At this time a handguard was also added.

With Russia's entrance into World War I production was restricted to the M1891 dragoon and infantry models for the sake of simplicity. Due to the desperate shortage of arms and the shortcomings of a still developing domestic industry the Russian government ordered 1.5 million M1891 infantry rifles from Remington Arms and another 1.8 million from New England Westinghouse. Massive numbers of Mosin-Nagants were captured by German and Austro-Hungarian forces and saw service with both militaries' rear-echelon forces and the German Navy. Many of these Austrian weapons were sold to Finland in the 1920s.

During the Russian Civil War both the infantry and dragoon versions were in production, though in dramatically reduced numbers. Following the victory of the Red Army a committee was established in 1924 to modernize the rifle that had by then been in service for over three decades. This led to the development of the Model 1891/30 Rifle based on the design of the original Dragoon version. Changes include: the reintroduction of flat rear sights and restamping of sights in metres, instead of the antiquated arshinii on tsarist weapons; a cylindrical receiver replaced the octagonal (or "hex" as some call it) one around 1936-37; the blade front sight was changed to a hooded post around 1932-33; and the barrel was shortened 5mm. Also, a new bayonet with a spring loaded catch was designed for it. By 1945 approximately 17,475,000 M1891/30 rifles had been produced.

The Mosin-Nagant was adapted as a sniper rifle in 1932 and was issued to Soviet snipers during World War II. It served quite prominently in the Battle of Stalingrad which made heroes of men like Vasily Grigoryevich Zaitsev. They were very much respected then and now for being very rugged, reliable, accurate, and easy to maintain. Sniper-modified models are highly sought after and valued by collectors, especially in countries like the United States.

In the years after World War II, the Soviet Union ceased production of all Mosin-Nagants and withdrew them from service in favour of the SKS series carbines and eventually the AK series rifles. Despite this, the Mosin-Nagant saw continued service throughout the Eastern bloc and the rest of the world for many decades to come (see Foreign Mosin-Nagants). Mosin-Nagant rifles and carbines saw service on many fronts of the Cold War, from Vietnam and Korea to Afghanistan and along the iron curtain of Europe. They were used not only as reserve infantry weapons, but as front-line infantry weapons as well.

Recently a large quantity of Mosin-Nagants have found their ways into the American market as antiques and collectables and also as a dependable, reasonably accurate, and cheap plinking and hunting rifle. Due to the gargantuan surplus created by the Soviet industry during World War II, these rifles can be acquired today for as little as $80 for a standard model. Sniper models are many, many times more expensive, when they can be found.

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Foreign Mosin-Nagants

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Soviet Satellites

With Russia's and eventually the Soviet Union's heavy influence on Eastern Europe it is not surprising that many Mosin Nagants found their way into the hands of soldiers in various Balkan Wars and in the post-World War II militaries of nations like Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland (see individual heading below), and Romania. These often underwent various refurbishings and modifications and were in use usually until the 1960s or 1970s as training rifles. Many rifles were also produced locally in the post-war years.

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People's Republic of China

China began production of the M1944 carbine version of the Mosin-Nagant in 1953, leading to its Chinese designation "Type 53". It's likely that the machinery used to make them was provided by the Soviet Union in the early 1950s, at the height of Sino-Soviet relations. They differ little when compared to Soviet weapons. Though mostly replaced in China's main forces by 1957, the Chinese Type 53 Carbine continued to be in service with provincial militias well into the 1970s and later.

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Finland

Prior to 1917 Finland was part of the Russian Empire and therefore some Finnish Mosin-Nagants were at one point original M1891s. Many rifles were acquired from foreign sources during the 1920s and captured during the Winter War and Continuation War. Finland never manufactured Mosin-Nagant receivers, relying instead on existing receivers from its stockpiles of purchased and captured rifles. Nearly all Finnish Mosin-Nagants have been refurbished and modified in a bewildering variety of ways. Modifications could be as minimal as an [SA] stamp and new sights to a complete overhaul with new stock, new two-piece birchwood stock and new accurized barrel. Many Finnish Mosin-Nagants have two dates—a date for the barrel and a date for the receiver found under the tang. Some of these receivers date back to French production in the early 1890s. The Finnish Army continued refurbishing and reissuing Mosin-Nagants well after its wars with the USSR were over. There are Finnish M-39's with barrel dates into the early 1970s when they were issued as officer training rifles.

Models of Finnish Mosin-Nagant rifles were identified by numbers: M27, M28, M29, and also were known as Pystykorva rifle, see fi:M/27.

Finnish Mosin-Nagants are known for their accuracy and dependability. These rifles fetch much greater, although still reasonable, prices on the arms market than Russian or other Mosin-Nagant Rifles. The famous Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä is widely considered to be the most successful sniper in history, and used a M28 "Pystykorva" rifle.

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Germany

Both the German Empire in World War I and Nazi Germany in World War II captured large quantities of Mosin-Nagants. These received various modifications, notably adaptation for use with the 8 mm Mauser cartridge. Those captured during World War I were sold to Finland as per the Treaty of Versailles. After World War II Mosin-Nagants were commonly heavily modified and issued to East German border guards.

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North Korea

Both the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China provided massive numbers of Mosin-Nagants to North Korea during the Korean War. However, given the policy of consummate self reliance still in effect there today it is possible that the North Koreans produced some rifles themselves. There is evidence that as late as 1993 Mosin-Nagant sniper rifles were still in use.

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Poland

After World War Two the Polish produced large quantities of the M-44 carbine at the Radom arsenal. Many of these did not go into direct military service but rather were put in storage, in the event they were ever needed. Polish Nagants can be identified by an 11 inside a circle stamped on the rifle's receiver. This mark is their "country code" that identifies which Eastern European country it was produced in. In addition to being stored they were produced in ideal conditions on Soviet equipment, making them some of the best examples of the Mosin-Nagant in the world.

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Turkey

Like Germany and Austria-Hungary, Turkey captured many Mosin-Nagants during World War I. Many were also acquired through German aid or when Whites sought asylum after the Russian Civil War. These rifles were used during the Turkish War of Independence and again against Greek forces in the Greco-Turkish War.

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Others

US and Allied military forces encountered Mosin-Nagant rifles and carbines in action in the hands of Viet Cong guerrillas and North Vietnamese Army soldiers during the Vietnam War. A large number of these weapons originated from both the Soviet Union and the People's Republic of China. Many Soviet and Chinese-made Mosin-Nagants (along with Soviet and Chinese-made SKS carbines) were brought back to the United States as war trophies by US troops who served in Vietnam.

These "bring backs" were not the first Mosin-Nagants in the U.S. American arms makers manufactured many M-1891 Mosin-Nagants as part of a contract to supply the Imperial Russian Army during World War I. When the Czar was overthrown and could not honor the contract, some American made Mosin-Nagants even ended up being used as reserve firearms for the US Army and Navy. These are among the most obscure U.S. service arms.

The Mosin-Nagant has also seen action in the hands of the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan during the Soviet Union's occupation of the country during the 1970s and the 1980s. Its use in Afghanistan continued on well into the 1990s and the early 21st century by Northern Alliance forces.

They have also been used by Chechen rebels in Chechnya alongside other modern Russian firearms in the ongoing war there.

The Mosin-Nagant is very popular with gun collectors, rifle shooters, and hunters in many countries as well as in Russia due to low cost and the availability of military surplus 7.62mm x 54R rifle ammunition from Russia and other countries that were under Soviet influence during the Cold War.

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Variations produced in the Soviet Union

  • Model 1891 Infantry Rifle (Russian name: пeхoтнaя винтовка образца 1891-гo года) The primary weapon of Russian and Red army infantry from 1891 to 1930.
  • Dragoon Rifle (Russian name: драгунскaя) Intended for use by mounted infantry. 2.5 inches (64 mm) shorter and 0.9 pound (0.4 kg) lighter than the M1891.
  • Cossack Rifle (Russian name: казaчья) Introduced for Cossack horesemen, it is almost identical to the Dragoon rifle but is sighted for use without a bayonet.
  • Model 1907 Carbine At 11.37 inches (289 mm) shorter and 2.1 pounds (0.95 kg) lighter than the M1891 this model was excellent for cavalry, engineers, signalers, and artillerymen. It was stocked nearly to the front sight and therefore did not take a bayonet. It was produced at least until 1917 in small numbers.
  • Model 1891/30 (Russian name: винтовка образца 1891/30-гo года, винтовка Мосина) The most prolific version of Mosin-Nagant. It was produced and was standard issue for all Soviet infantry from 1930 to 1945. Its design was based on the Dragoon rifle.
  • Model 1938 Carbine A rifle based on the M1891/30 design that was in service from 1938-1945, though examples produced in 1945 are quite rare. Essentially a M1891/30 with a shortened barrel and shortened stock, this carbine did not accept a bayonet.
  • Model 1944 Carbine This carbine was introduced into service in 1944 and remained in production until at least the 1950s. Its specifications are very similar to the M1938, with the major exception of having a permanently affixed, folding bayonet. These were in use not only by the USSR, but also its various satellite nations.
  • Model 1891/59 Carbine Existing M1891/30 rifles that were cut down to carbine length in the 1950s. These were probably created in the Soviet Union as a last line of defense contingency, little is known about them. Collectors tend to like these rifles for their slightly mysterious nature.
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Mosin-Nagants in the media

The Mosin-Nagant series rifles and carbines have been seen in a number of war movies and television shows dealing with World War I, the Russian Revolution, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

One example of a movie in which the Mosin-Nagant was shown on a large scale was the 2001 World War II movie Enemy at the Gates in which the Mosin-Nagant Model 1891/1930 (both the infantry version and the sniper version with the 3.5x PU telescopic sight) was shown in the hands of Red Army soldiers and snipers fighting the Germans in Stalingrad, especially in the hands of the main Russian characters in the film.

There is some evidence that Enemy at the Gates helped lift the profile of the Mosin-Nagant and contributed to the rifle's current popularity among many rifle shooters and military rifle collectors the world over. The appearance of the rifle on the movie poster was accidentally reversed through digital manipulation.

The weapon has also been seen in the 1999 movie Three Kings in the hands of the Iraqi freedom fighters who were helping the main American characters in the movie. The Mosin-Nagant series rifles and carbines were seen alongside other rifles like the SKS, the AK-47, the Lee-Enfield and the Mauser Kar-98k in the movie.

In the video game Metal Gear Solid 3, a sniper with the code name "The End" has a customized Mosin-Nagant as his personal weapon which shoots tranquilizer darts instead of conventional rifle ammunition, and comes equipped with a sniper scope, pistol grip, and foldable stock.

The Mosin-Nagant M1891/30 is in the Call of Duty video game series with both the standard-issue infantry rifle version and the sniper rifle version being used by the soldiers of the Red Army.

The Mosin-Nagant is also in the video game Battlefield Vietnam with the Mosin-Nagant M1891/30 PU sniper rifle being used by the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong. The official Battlefield Vietnam website said that the sniper version of the Mosin-Nagant M1891/30 rifle was inferior to the Dragunov SVD sniper rifle on the grounds of accuracy and effectiveness. In real life, the Mosin-Nagant sniper rifles were found to be more accurate and effective than the SVD, albeit slower firing.

Besides modern-day movies and video games, the Mosin-Nagant rifle has been seen on many occasions in Soviet propaganda posters, especially propaganda posters that were printed in the Soviet Union during World War II with images of Red Army soldiers armed with bayonet-fixed Mosin-Nagants fighting German soldiers. One Soviet propaganda poster has an image of Adolf Hitler being struck in the face with the butt of a Mosin-Nagant rifle in revenge for the Battle of Stalingrad [1]. Another Communist nation that made extensive use of the Mosin-Nagant rifle in their propaganda posters was the People's Republic of China with Mosin-Nagant rifles and carbines being weilded by the soldiers of the People's Liberation Army and by the members of the Chinese People's Militia alongside other rifles like the SKS and the AK-47.

Having been the standard weapon of Tsarist Russia starting in 1891, naturally the Mosin-Nagant appears prominently in various movies set during World War I Russia, and then the subsequent Russian Revolution. Famous examples include Doctor Zhivago, and films of Soviet director Sergei Eisenstein. A common image in movies, based on documentary photographs and film footage from the times, would show the wielders of the Mosin-Nagant rifles carrying them like walking sticks.

In America's Army the OpFor equivalent to the Americans M24 SWS Sniper Rifle is a scoped Mosin-Nagant.

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References

  • Military Heritage did a feature about the collectible Finnish version of the Mosin-Nagant rifle--supplies are limited due to the Internet and the limited production runs for the Finnish version (Chuck Lewis, Military Heritage, October 2005, Volume 7, No. 2, p. 26, p. 27, .p 70, p. 71), ISSN 1524-8666.
  • Lapin, T.W. (2003). The Mosin-Nagant Rifle 3rd Edition. Tustin, California: North Cape Publications. ISBN 1-882391-21-7
  • Doug Bowser. Rifles of the White Death.
  • Markku Palokangas.Sotilaskasiaseet Suomessaa 1918-1988. (Reportedly out of print and written by the director of the Finnish war museum, but has an estimated year 2005 cost of US$350 when the three volume set can be found.)
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External links

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