Mosin–Nagant

Type	Bolt action rifle
Place of origin	Russian Empire  Soviet Union
Service history
In service	1891–present
Used by	See Users
Wars	Boxer Rebellion Russo-Japanese War World War I Finnish Civil War Russian Revolution Russian Civil War Polish–Soviet War Turkish War of Independence Chinese Civil War Spanish Civil War Second Sino-Japanese War Soviet–Japanese border conflicts Winter War Continuation War World War II Great Patriotic War First Indochina War Korean War Yemeni Civil War Laotian Civil War Vietnam War Cambodian Civil War Cambodian–Vietnamese War Thai–Laotian Border War Afghan Civil War Soviet war in Afghanistan Yugoslav Wars Chechen Wars War in Afghanistan Iraq War others
Production history
Designer	Captain Sergei Mosin, Léon Nagant.[1]
Designed	1891
Manufacturer	Tula, Izhevsk, Sestroryetsk,Manufacture Nationale d'Armes de Châtellerault, Remington, New England Westinghouse, many others
Produced	1891–present
Number built	~37,000,000 (Russia/Soviet Union)
Specifications
Weight	4 kg (8.8 lb) (M91/30) 3.4 kg (7.5 lb) (M38) 4.1 kg (9.0 lb) (M44)
Length	1,232 mm (48.5 in) (M91/30) 1,013 mm (39.9 in) (carbines)
Barrel length	730 mm (29 in) (M91/30) 514 mm (20.2 in) (carbines)
Cartridge	7.62×54mmR 7.62×53mmR (Finnish variants only) 7.92×57mm Mauser (Polish variants)
Action	Bolt-action
Muzzle velocity	Light ball, ~ 865 m/s (2,838 ft/s) rifle ~ 800 m/s (2,625 ft/s) carbine.
Effective range	500 m (550 yards), 800+ m (with optics)
Feed system	5-round non-detachable magazine, loaded individually or with five-round stripper clips.
Sights	Rear: ladder, graduated from 100 m to 2,000 m (M91/30) and from 100 m to 2,000 m (M38 and M44); Front: hooded fixed post (drift adjustable)PU 3.5 and PEM scope also mounted

 

Initial design and tests

During the Russo-Ottoman War of 1877–1878, Russian troops armed mostly with Berdan single-shot rifles suffered heavy casualties against Turkish troops with Winchester repeating rifles. This showed Russian commanders the need to modernize the Imperial Army. In 1882 the Russian Main Artillery Administration undertook the task of producing a magazine-fed, repeater rifle. After failing to adequately modify the Berdan rifle to meet the specified requirements, a "Special Commission for the testing of Magazine Fed Rifles" was formed to test new designs.

In 1889, three rifles were submitted for evaluation: Captain Sergei Ivanovich Mosin of the Imperial Army submitted his "3-line" caliber (.30 cal, 7.62 mm) rifle; Belgian designer Léon Nagantsubmitted a "3.5-line" design; and a Captain Zinoviev submitted another "3-line" design. (One "line" = 1/10".)

When trials concluded in 1891, the evaluators were split in their decision. The main disadvantages of Nagant's rifle were a more complicated mechanism and a long and tiresome procedure of disassembling (which required special instruments – it was necessary to unscrew two screws). Mosin's rifle was mainly criticized for its lower quality of manufacture and materials, resulting in a slightly larger number of stoppages. The Commission voted 14 to 10 to approve Nagant's rifle. However, the head of the Commission, General Chagin, ordered subsequent tests held under the Commission's supervision during which Mosin's rifle showed its advantages, leading to its selection over the Nagant.

Technical detail

The Mosin has a commonality with Mauser rifles, in that it uses two front locking lugs to lock up the action. However, the lugs lock in the horizontal position, whereas the Mauser locks vertically. The Mosin bolt assembly is multi-piece instead of unitary, like the Mauser, and uses interchangeable bolt-heads like the Lee-Enfield. Unlike the Mauser, which uses a so-called "controlled feed" bolt head, the Nagant has a recessed head for the cartridge base, what modern terminology calls a "push feed". While modern push-feeds use a plunger ejector in the bolt face, the Mosin uses a blade ejector in the receiver, similar to the Mausers. Also, the extractor is spring-loaded—unlike the fixed Mauser. The bolt is removed by simply pulling it fully to the rear of the receiver and squeezing the trigger from there.

Like the Mauser, the bolt lift arc on the Mosin–Nagant is 91 degrees, versus 60 degrees on the Lee-Enfield. The location of its bolt handle is an unusual feature of the Mosin–Nagant, protruding out of the ejection/loading port rather than connecting to the bolt in the rear. Furthermore, the handle is attached to a protrusion on the bolt, which houses the firing pin and serves a similar function to Mauser's "third" or "safety" lug.

Increased world-wide use

In the years after World War II, the Soviet Union ceased production of all Mosin–Nagants and withdrew them from service in favor of the SKS series carbines and eventually the AK series rifles. Despite its growing obsolescence, the Mosin–Nagant saw continued service throughout the Eastern bloc and the rest of the world for many decades to come. Mosin–Nagant rifles and carbines saw service on many fronts of the Cold War, from Korea and Vietnam to Afghanistan and along the Iron Curtainin Europe. They were kept not only as reserve stockpiles, but front-line infantry weapons as well.

Virtually every country that received military aid from the Soviet Union, China, and Eastern Europe during the Cold War used Mosin–Nagants at various times. Middle Eastern countries within the sphere of Soviet influence — Egypt, Syria, Iraq,Afghanistan and Palestinian fighters — have received them in addition to other more modern arms. Mosin–Nagants have also seen action in the hands of both Soviet and Mujahadeen forces in Afghanistan during the Soviet Union's occupation of the country during the 1970s and the 1980s. Their use in Afghanistan continued on well into the 1990s and the early 21st century by Northern Alliance forces. Even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Mosin–Nagants are still commonly found on modern battlefields around the world. They were used by insurgent forces in the Iraq War and the current war in Afghanistan. Separatists have also used the rifles alongside more modern Russian firearms in the Second war in Chechnya and even today, it seems that some 91/30 PU sniper rifles remain in service and are used on the field by Russian police, Spetsnaz, paramilitary factions in Chechnya and other Caucasus republics like Dagestan and Ingushetia. In addition, scoped Mosins continue to serve as issue sniper rifles with the Afghan Army, the Iraqi Army, the Finnish Army, and with a micrometer sight as a sniper training and precision target rifle with the Finns.

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