I received a 1933 Izhevsk arsenal Hex receiver laminated stock from Classic Firearms a couple of weeks ago and still am in the process of removing the cosmoline from it in my spare time. The bore is excellent and I really have doubts that it was ever issued for combat. I hope it be the shooter that I expect it to be. Then again most of them are.

 

You know, there are so many excellent grade 91/30 rifles out there; what did the Ruskies issue to their combat troops? I know that the infantry guys didn't regularly clean their rifles after shooting the corrosive ammo. Once a bore is damaged from corrosion, I don't think it can be recovered back to excellent. It just seems like there are too many 'new' condition Mosins on the market which doesn't reflect the usage that these rifles actually received.

Any input on this point?


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You know, there are so many excellent grade 91/30 rifles out there; what did the Ruskies issue to their combat troops? I know that the infantry guys didn't regularly clean their rifles after shooting the corrosive ammo. Once a bore is damaged from corrosion, I don't think it can be recovered back to excellent. It just seems like there are too many 'new' condition Mosins on the market which doesn't reflect the usage that these rifles actually received.

Any input on this point?


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Yes,

Most of the many millions that didn't make the grade due to serious bore degradation (or other serious defects) were probably stripped and the usable parts used on other rifles. Hence the occasional rifle with a different date on the barrel shank and the tang. Also noted with other parts exhibiting line outs & restamps, electro pencil remarking, stamps with different fonts, or evidence that a serial number had been ground off. Also evidenced by the proliferation of parts manufactured by Tula, Ishevesk, Remington, New England Westinghouse, Sestroretsk, Chatellerault, etc winding up on the same rifles. That occurs even on the serialized parts on rifles that people try to promote as new or unissued, and it likely isn't accurate in most cases.

 

That makes sense. There aren't very many low grade rifles out there because they've been stripped and disposed of accordingly. Thanks for pointing that out.

Since the topic of this post is older grade Mosins, I wish that I had an Imperial dated 91/30 that hasn't been scrubbed! What a find that would be. It wasn't that long ago that you could find a collectible rifle pretty easily for a fair price. Now a days, the prices are at premium levels for those same rifles. That's what I get for waiting around and procrastinating, eh.


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Since the topic of this post is older grade Mosins, I wish that I had an Imperial dated 91/30 that hasn't been scrubbed!

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There aren't even very many pictures of them. A few years ago, a guy on this board found one offered for $120, at a time when they regular 91/30 price was about $75. He didn't buy it because he was on his motorcycle.

Bet he wishes he had that deal to do over...

 

Have you guys noticed how much an M-44 has appreciated? Those rifles were a dime a dozen! Now, you can't even get into the same ballpark until you lay down $150+. Makes me happy to know that I bought a couple before the price explosion....same same with just about any milsurp, I guess. The glory days have come and gone. With this knowledge, is the same going to happen to ammunition? hmm....


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