Original Item: Only One Available. These are so very rare, and one of a very few examples that we have had in decades. A real pre-1899 Antique Russian Mosin-Nagant M1891 Full Length Rifle, more officially referred to as the "Three Line Infantry Rifle, Model of 1891." This example was never converted to the 91/30 standard, and is still in the original full length. It does have the stock cross bolt for use with the heavier "Spitzer" bullets used, however the sling swivels are still in the original configuration, attached to oval fittings on the stock.

Even better, this rifle was originally made in FRANCE, at the Châtellerault arsenal. These are extremely rare, and this is the only example we have had with both the barrel and receiver made in France, as we previously had an M/28 with French receiver. This rifle looks to have seen long use, and escaped most of the later upgrades made to Mosin-Nagant rifle in Finnish service.

The rifle has lots of issue markings, and is marked with serial number 443416 over the chamber, which does not match the bolt, which was most likely swapped out over the years. There is also an SA inside a rectangle marking on the left side of the barrel, for Suomi Armeija (Finnish Army). However, the Finnish did not convert this example to their M/91 standard, and is still in the original configuration. This does also means that it was used and/or captured during either the "Winter War" or "Continuation War" with the Soviet Union, or possibly both!

The Russian "Mosin-Nagant" bolt-action rifle is arguably the most-produced rifle in history, with around 37 million being produced in various versions in several different countries. This number easily surpasses the Lee-Enfield, Mauser GEW98 and Mauser K98K in number produced. The reasons for this are multiple, including both the size of Russia and later USSR, as well as the long service life of this design, which is still in use today in some locations.

The history of what is known as the "Mosin-Nagant" rifle begins in the late 19th century in Russia, following the Russo-Ottoman war. During the course of the war, it became apparent that Russian troops needed a modern bolt-action rifle to compete with the rest of the world, so they started evaluations in 1889 on what would become the general issue rifle for infantry troops. Three designs were submitted, and at the time in Russia bullet diameter was measured in "line"s, where one line was 1/10 of an inch. This is what gave rise to the official name of the rifle, the "3-line rifle, Model 1891", as it was in .30cal, or 7.62mm. The name "Mosin-Nagant" is in reality somewhat of a misnomer, as the design chosen was designed by Mosin, not Nagant. However due to legal issues with Nagant over certain design aspects of the rifle, his name was attached to the design as well, leading to the name used in most of the world, the "Mosin-Nagant Model 1891". Three other models would subsequently be put into service prior to WWI: the M1891 Dragoon, the M1891 Cossack, and the M1907 Carbine.

The official designation of this model is 3-линии пехотная винтовка образца 1891–го года which translates to "Three Line Infantry Rifle, Model of 1891". It has the cross bolt to reinforce the stock against recoil, and the flip up rear sight correctly goes up to 3200 арши́ны (arshíny) an archaic measurement used by Russia through the first world war. Roughly equal to 71.12 cm, the ranges (4 to 12) on the left side of the sight base have been struck through, and new measurements (2 to 8 1/2) added in hundreds of meters (12 x 100 arshíny = 8 1/2 x 100m) on the right side. The sight is complete and fully functional, with the locking buttons on both sides still present.

The barrel displays an Imperial Russian Double Headed Eagle just below the rear sight on the base of the barrel, and the same marking is repeated on the top front of the receiver. The full markings on the barrel are mostly clear, and read:-

(Imperial Eagle)
ОРУЖЕЙНЬІЙ
ЗАВОДЪ
ШАТЕЛЬРО
1894
Ⓒ
N 443416

These indicates original manufacture in 1894 at Châtellerault Arsenal in France, only seen on those dated 1892-1895. During the early years the Russian Empire wanted to expedite the launch of their new service weapon, and contracted outside to France, who they had a long association and Alliance with. We checked the tang of the receiver, and it is also marked with 1894 over Ⓒ, so the barrel was not swapped out at any time. This also means that this is definitely a Pre-1899 antique firearm. 

These rifles in Finnish service underwent lots of parts swapping over their long service lives, and nowhere is this more evident than the bolt, which has the main body of the bolt and extractor marked with the "Hammer in a Circle" marking of Tula arsenal, while the "bolt connector" is marked with the "Bow & Arrow" marking of Izhevsk Arsenal, and the cocking piece bears the "Arrow" marking of Sestroretsk Arsenal. These are all Czarist markings which were discontinued following the Russian revolution and subsequent civil war. The lower barrel band was also made by Sestroretsk, while the butt plate was made by Izhevsk, and the magazine has no markings we can identify. We also did not see any Soviet Era markings on any of the components, definitely a rarity.

Condition of the rifle is very good, especially considering the age and amount of service it must have seen. The stock is in very good condition, with the usual denting and scratches expected from a rifle that saw long service. The bottom of the butt stock is a grafted on piece of wood, but we do not know if this is from original manufacture, or a later arsenal service. There has been a small screw added next to the front barrel band to help keep it in place, a modification often seen as it was hard to keep the barrel bands tight after a while as the stock was worn down. This is definitely a stock that looks like it survived through several wars.

The metalwork is in good shape, showing overall wear and oxidation to the barrel and receiver, which looks to have been touched up in arsenal at some point, but since has worn away a bit again. The bolt, originally bright steel, now shows some evidence of past peppered oxidation, particularly on the cocking handle. It still retains the original cleaning rod, which is in good shape, still threading properly into the stock. The rifle cycles well, with a crisp dry fire, though we have no way to test the magazine for feeding.

The bore is in very good condition, still showing strong land and grooves, though it definitely shows a good amount of use. There is overall past oxidation and fouling, so the finish is definitely dark in the grooves. The front of the bore has also been counterbored in about 3 1/2 inches, thought to improve accuracy by removing worn rifling at the muzzle.

A wonderful piece of Russian, French, and Firearms history, much as it was when originally made in the late 19th century in France! Ready to research and display!

Specifications (Rifle):-

Year of Manufacture: 1894
Caliber:7.62×54mmR Russian
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 31 1/2 Inches
Overall Length: 51 1/2 Inches
Action type: Bolt Action
Feed System: 5 Round Internal

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to most US States and most U.S. territories.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition, and are not tested for the the ability to feed or load any type of cartridge. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers" not for use, and we make no guarantees regarding functionality aside from what is stated in the description. Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to most addresses within the United States.