Panzerschwein
member
Gang, this is my Soviet made Mosin-Nagant M91/30 rifle, known often during the Great Patriotic War (WW2) simply as the "Three Line RIfle" by Soviet troops:
The name designation comes from an old Russian measurement called "lines" which is equal to one-tenth of one inch, and refers to the caliber. This gun fires 7.62x54mmR ammo which uses .30 caliber bullets so "three line bullets" as it were.
My rifle was made in the famous Tula factory in 1939, right before the Russians and Germany went to war. It comes equipped with all original period Soviet accessories, though some are post war. The sling is known as a "dog collar" type as it is a piece of canvas secured to the stock by two leather "dog collars" and is somewhat distinctive. An original cleaning kit is present which has attachments that connect to the ramrod and also contains a multi-tool for rifle disassembly and firing pin protrusion, which is user adjustable. A two compartment oil/solvent bottle was carried by each soldier to assist in the cleaning process.
The "screwdriver tip" cruciform bayonet attaches rigidly to the rifle and most are quite a tight fit. The cleaning kit multi-tool can be used to assist in fixing and removing the bayonet by using it as a sort of lever. When attached, the rifle nears two-meters long and makes for a very formidable weapon, even without ammunition. The belt and two ammunition pouches with a total of 60 rounds on 5 round stripper clips was the standard loadout for the Soviet infantrymen, though there was generally no hard fast rule on this and depending on logistics he could have more or less ammunition at his disposal.
Overall the "Three Line Rifle" played an important role in WW2 as the standard issue Soviet infantry weapon. Though other, more modern weapons were in widespread use such as the SVT-40 semi-automatic rifle and PPSh-41 submachine gun, there were countless Mosin-Nagants in inventory at the start of the war and Russian factories could make them efficiently and cheaply. This put more Mosin-Nagants in the hands of Russian soldiers than any other weapon, and total production figures are in excess of 30 million made during the war, making it the most common and widely produced bolt-action military rifle in human history.
As many of you know Mosin-Nagant rifles have been widely available on the civilian market in the United States for over a decade. They can still be had for under $275 in arsenal-refurbished very good condition. Throughout my time I have seen prices steadily creep up and up on these rifles and eventually, like all surplus arms, they will dry up. I recommend getting one, the history is extremely interesting and they make for a fun shooting rifle. 7.62x54mmR surplus ammunition has dried up, but commercially loaded ammo is available and priced competitively with common rifle round such as .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield.
We owe some debt of gratitude to the Three Line Rifle. Without the fierce Russian resistance in the Eastern Front of the European Theater of World War 2, the fate of the German army and the Third Reich might have been very different. As Americans, it is easy for us to forget all about the 11 MILLION Russians who died fighting Nazi Germany, instead focusing on our by comparison, relatively small (yet crucial) involvement in Western Europe and Africa. Without those brave frontoviks (front line soldiers) and their Mosin-Nagant rifles, the Germans would have had far more men and machines with which to wage their "total war" against American and other allied forces.
So if you don't own a Three-Line Rifle, you should!
Take care all and happy new year!!
-Cooldill
The name designation comes from an old Russian measurement called "lines" which is equal to one-tenth of one inch, and refers to the caliber. This gun fires 7.62x54mmR ammo which uses .30 caliber bullets so "three line bullets" as it were.
My rifle was made in the famous Tula factory in 1939, right before the Russians and Germany went to war. It comes equipped with all original period Soviet accessories, though some are post war. The sling is known as a "dog collar" type as it is a piece of canvas secured to the stock by two leather "dog collars" and is somewhat distinctive. An original cleaning kit is present which has attachments that connect to the ramrod and also contains a multi-tool for rifle disassembly and firing pin protrusion, which is user adjustable. A two compartment oil/solvent bottle was carried by each soldier to assist in the cleaning process.
The "screwdriver tip" cruciform bayonet attaches rigidly to the rifle and most are quite a tight fit. The cleaning kit multi-tool can be used to assist in fixing and removing the bayonet by using it as a sort of lever. When attached, the rifle nears two-meters long and makes for a very formidable weapon, even without ammunition. The belt and two ammunition pouches with a total of 60 rounds on 5 round stripper clips was the standard loadout for the Soviet infantrymen, though there was generally no hard fast rule on this and depending on logistics he could have more or less ammunition at his disposal.
Overall the "Three Line Rifle" played an important role in WW2 as the standard issue Soviet infantry weapon. Though other, more modern weapons were in widespread use such as the SVT-40 semi-automatic rifle and PPSh-41 submachine gun, there were countless Mosin-Nagants in inventory at the start of the war and Russian factories could make them efficiently and cheaply. This put more Mosin-Nagants in the hands of Russian soldiers than any other weapon, and total production figures are in excess of 30 million made during the war, making it the most common and widely produced bolt-action military rifle in human history.
As many of you know Mosin-Nagant rifles have been widely available on the civilian market in the United States for over a decade. They can still be had for under $275 in arsenal-refurbished very good condition. Throughout my time I have seen prices steadily creep up and up on these rifles and eventually, like all surplus arms, they will dry up. I recommend getting one, the history is extremely interesting and they make for a fun shooting rifle. 7.62x54mmR surplus ammunition has dried up, but commercially loaded ammo is available and priced competitively with common rifle round such as .308 Winchester and .30-06 Springfield.
We owe some debt of gratitude to the Three Line Rifle. Without the fierce Russian resistance in the Eastern Front of the European Theater of World War 2, the fate of the German army and the Third Reich might have been very different. As Americans, it is easy for us to forget all about the 11 MILLION Russians who died fighting Nazi Germany, instead focusing on our by comparison, relatively small (yet crucial) involvement in Western Europe and Africa. Without those brave frontoviks (front line soldiers) and their Mosin-Nagant rifles, the Germans would have had far more men and machines with which to wage their "total war" against American and other allied forces.
So if you don't own a Three-Line Rifle, you should!
Take care all and happy new year!!
-Cooldill
