History of Mosin-Nagant
What is impressive about the Mosin-Nagant, is its production numbers and its worldwide ubiquity. This gun was one of the most mass-produced guns in history—almost 38 million manufactured since its creation in 1891. It has been produced in several countries and has seen action in many wars over more than 100 years.
The History
The original Mosin-Nagant was developed in the late 1800s after major Russian casualties during the Russo-Ottoman war in the late 1870s. While the Russian troops were using single shot rifles, the Turks were using Winchester repeating rifles. The Russian leadership knew they needed to modernize their weaponry.
Russian M1891
By Armémuseum (The Swedish Army Museum) - Armémuseum (The Swedish Army Museum) through the Digital Museum (http://www.digitaltmuseum.se), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18326392
Thus, the 3-Line Rifle M1891, a five shot bolt action was born in 1891. It was designed by a man named Mosin and used a box fed magazine developed by a man named Nagant. The official Russian name for the rifle never included neither Mosin nor Nagant. It was a nickname adopted by the Western market.
The M1891 saw action in the Russo-Japanese War, the Russian Civil War—on both sides—and made it to several other countries including civil wars in Finland and Spain. The M891 was also the infantry rifle distributed to Russian troops during the First World War.
After World War I, Russia set out to modernize the rifle that had been in service for almost thirty years. The result was the 91/30 which was adapted as a sniper’s rifle two years later. The USSR also produced a carbine version with a shorter barrel known as the M38.
The 91/30 was the standard issue firearm for Soviet troops at the beginning of World War II. As the war continued on, the Soviets had to speed up production which resulted in several changes to the Mosin-Nagant including rounding the receiver and rough finishes. Ugly but functional and incredibly durable, the Mosin-Nagant helped push German troops out of Russia.
Mosin-Nagant M38 Carbine for Urban Combat
By Armémuseum (The Swedish Army Museum) - Armémuseum (The Swedish Army Museum) through the Digital Museum (http://www.digitaltmuseum.se), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18374042
In 1942, Mosin-Nagants were issued to Soviet snipers with PU scopes boasting 3.5x magnification and adjustments for both windage and range. Much like the Mosin-Nagant and other Russian firearm designs, the PU scopes and mounts were able to withstand tough conditions. These sniper rifles saw action in the Battle of Stalingrad and in other Eastern front urban skirmishes.
After World War II, Russia kept these Mosin-Nagants in surplus and distributed them to satellite countries and other Russian allies—including Egypt, Syria, and Iraq. While the AK-47 overtook the Mosin-Nagant as the primary Russian infantry rifle, it continued to see action with communist forces during the Cold War, Korean War, Vietnam War, and even in Afghanistan in the 1990s—more than one hundred years after the five shot bolt action was first created. Despite their age, these rifles continue to be seen on battlefields around the world. Most recently, in 2014, the Mosin-Nagant was spotted in the hands of pro-Russian separatists in southern Ukraine.
With the fall of the Iron Curtain, Mosin-Nagants came to the Western market. Because of the massive surplus, these rifles were cheap compared to other military rifles of their time. While this rifle is functional and durable, its range and accuracy is average at best. But what is impressive, however, is how prolific they were and how common they still are—even more than 100 years later.
Sources
http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinM44P.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosin%E2%80%93Nagant
https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/gearscout/2018/10/30/how-the-mosin-nagant-became-the-worlds-most-feared-rifle/
https://gundigest.com/military-firearms/is-a-mosin-nagant-still-worth-the-money
https://www.guns.com/news/review/gun-review-mosin-nagant-m44
https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/why-russias-mosin-rifle-one-greatest-ever-made-111926
