Original Item: Only One Available. These are so very rare, a real pre-1899 Antique Russian Mosin-Nagant Rifle, originally referred to as the "Three Line Infantry Rifle, Model of 1891." This receiver used in this example was almost certainly from one of 190,000 or so Mosin-Nagant M1891 Full Length Rifles left behind in Imperial Russian depots when the country gained its independence in 1917-1918. The rifle was quickly adopted as the standard weapon of the fledgling country, and quickly the need arose to overhaul these to meet Finnish Army standards. This resulted in the first of many upgraded Finnish Mosin-Nagant rifles, the M/91. Due to the large number of rifles already present, until close to the WWII era all Finnish Mosin-Nagant rifles were built on the original Russian receivers.

During the late 1920s, several additional variants were developed, based on the needs of specific parts of the Finnish Civil Guard and Military. These included the M/24, M/27, the M/28, the M28/30, and numerous sub variations. An M/91-35 was proposed, but strongly objected to by the Civil Guard. After four additional years of development, the M/39 rifle was accepted, nicknamed "Ukko-Pekka" after the former President Pehr Evind Svinhufvud. This rifle was a compromise between the Army and White Guard, adopted so as to standardize Mosin–Nagant production.

The M/39 was derived largely from the M28-30, but included some alterations proposed by the Army. The M/39 also incorporated a semi-pistol grip into the stock, though some early examples used typical Mosin–Nagant straight stocks. Only 10 rifles were completed by the end of the Winter War, but 96,800 were produced after the Winter War and used in the Continuation War. Small numbers were assembled from leftover parts in the late 1960s through 1973, bringing the total production to approximately 102,000.

The example we have here is one of those produced following the winter war, which means it almost certainly saw service curing the Continuation War of 1941-1944. The barrel is marked with serial number 208220 and dated 1941, and above this is the Crowned S in a Gear logo of SAKO (Suojeluskuntain Ase ja Konepaja Oy), a Finnish firearms manufacturer. They were a known producer of barrels and M/39 conversions using older receivers, and their logo is also stamped into the stock. There is additionally PUOLUSTUSLAITOS stamped below the logo, which translates to "Defense Department". There are some additional markings on the left side of the barrel, including an SA inside a rectangle, for Suomi Armeija (Finnish Army).

Most importantly, the bottom of the receiver tang is dated 97 for 1897, legally classifying this as a Pre-1899 Antique Firearm. Above this marking is the "Hammer" marking of Tula arsenal, a Czarist marking which was discontinued following the Russian revolution and subsequent civil war. This is one of many Imperial Russian receivers that saw service for well over half a century.

Tula Arsenal was first founded in 1721 by Tsar Peter I "The Great" of Russia, and was later reconstructed in the 19th century, after which Tula Arms Factory became one of the most prominent arms factories in Europe. In 1879 the plant started production of the famous Berdan rifle with an improved bolt. Workshop was organized by a model where created their own models of small arms and hunting weapons. Increased production of various products: single- and double-barrel muzzle-loading shotguns, breech-loading center-fire rifles. Designer Sergei Ivanovich Mosin took part in devising damascus steel technology used in production of barrels. He also designed a bolt-action rifle which was put to testing along with a rifle developed by Émile Nagant. In 1891, as a result of complex tests Mosin's entry was chosen over the Belgian design and it was adopted by the Imperial Russian Army as the three-line rifle of 1891.

We were not able to find any other Imperial Russian or Soviet markings on the parts of the rifle, so they may have been scrubbed off, or they were parts produced domestically. The Imperial Russian "Double Headed Eagle" over Cyrillic letters "Л К" marking on the top front of the receiver has been removed, now a small circular depression.

The barrel is the correct shorter 27 inch version, which is thicker than the original Russian specification for greater accuracy. It is fitted with a Finnish M/39 sight, with ranges in the standard hundreds of meters, and the fore sight is a blade with a "winged" sight protector. The stock on the rifle is the correct Finnish two part design, with a finger joint under the rear sight area, and has the cross bolt to reinforce against recoil. It is the M/39 pattern, with a "pistol grip" area, as well as sling swivels on both the bottom and left side of the stock, which allowed for multiple different sling configurations and types of slings to be used, part of the compromise between the Army and White Guard.

Condition of the rifle is very good, and it definitely looks to have seen service during the Continuation war, and possibly afterwards. There are the expected scratches, dents, and dings from service, but no cracks or chunks of wood missing. It does not show any signs of having been refinished after service. The metalwork was most likely reblued during the M/39 conversion, and now shows some wear and oxidation consistent with service in the field. The markings on the barrel have been highlighted in white to make them easier to see.

It still retains the original cleaning rod, which is in good shape, and threads correctly into the stock. The rifle cycles well, with a crisp dry fire, and the bolt can easily be removed for a field stripping. The bore is in very good condition, showing a bright finish with clear lands and grooves. There is definitely some wear to the rifling from use while in service, but it was well cared for, so there is no oxidation or fouling we can see.

A wonderful piece of Finnish and Firearms history, which probably saw service during the WWII Period against the Soviet invaders. Ready to research and display!

Specifications:
Year of Manufacture: 1897 - converted later
Caliber: 7.62×53mmR Finnish
Cartridge Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Length (overall): 46 3/4" (118.7 cm)
Barrel Length: 27" (68.6 cm)
Stock length:  43 1/4" (109.9 cm)
Action type: Bolt Action
Feed System: 5 Round Internal

During the Winter War of 1939/1940, Finland heroically fought the forces of the Soviet Union in a David-versus-Goliath struggle that lasted about 100 days. Though the Finns eventually lost about 11 percent of their territory to the Soviet Union, they inflicted 323,000 casualties on the Soviets while suffering only 70,000 casualties themselves. Of course, for a small country that was a lot of casualties. As a result of Finland’s tenacity and courage during the Winter War, the reputation of the Finns around the world was enhanced, while the Soviet’s poor performance in combat may have contributed to AH's decision to invade the Soviet Union less than a year and a half later.

Finland’s greatest asset during the Winter War was a large cadre of citizen soldiers who combined their skills as skiers, woodsmen and riflemen to ambush and carry out hit-and-run attacks on the Soviets. The principal weapons for the Finnish raiders were the Suomi submachine gun and the Finnish versions of the Mosin-Nagant rifle, chambered for the Finnish 7.62x53R round, which is virtually identical to the Russian 7.62x54R round used in their version of the Mosin-Nagant.

Originally, Finland had a large number of Soviet Mosin-Nagant M/91 rifles, which were in military arms depots when they achieved their independence from Russia in December 1917. Within a few years, however, the Finns would begin producing Mosin-Nagant rifles at SAKO, Tikka and Valmet, three arms producers that remain famous today for high-quality rifles.

The first large-scale upgrade of Finnish Mosin-Nagant rifles was the M/24 rifle for the Finnish Civil Guard. The Finnish Civil Guard (the Suojeluskunta) fulfilled a function similar to the U.S. National Guard. It was composed of volunteers, many of whom were outdoorsmen, hunters and shooters. They were separate from the Finnish Army, which was composed primarily of conscripts. Civil Guard members trained frequently and realistically. So much stress was put on marksmanship that the Civil Guard actually owned the Sako gun works. Most who have studied the Winter War believe that the Civil Guard was the most important element early in the conflict to slow the Russian advance. Their M/24 rifles used German barrels from Venus Arms, or barrels purchased from SIG in Switzerland. These rifles are often referred to as the “Lotta Rifle” after Lotta Svard, the women’s auxiliary of the Civil Guard, which helped raise the money for the rifle upgrades.

Next, the Finns reworked the M1891 Mosin-Nagant by retaining the receiver and magazine, but using a shorter, heavier barrel, improved sights, an improved bolt and new barrel bands, among other changes. After problems arose with the stock breaking when using the bayonet, the stocks were also modified. An interesting point is that many Finn soldiers didn’t like the bayonet, but preferred to use their traditional puukko knives for close combat. The current bayonet for the Valmet M/76 rifle is actually a knife bayonet of traditional style. A shortened cavalry version, the M/27rv, was also produced in limited numbers. Very similar to the M/27 was the M/28, which had a different barrel band and improved trigger. Initially, M/28 barrels were purchased from SIG, but later they were produced by Tikka and SAKO. All of the rifles, however, were assembled at SAKO. The major criticism of the M/28 was that it retained the Russian “Konovalov” rear sight, which Finnish troops did not like. This is one of the primary reasons for the development of the M/28-30.