Mosin Mystery?

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  • Tankfixr

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 25, 2009
    1,396
    Harford County
    Recently picked up one of the Classic Hex Receiver Mosins.

    After I got the "Cosmoline Queen" cleaned up I was fairly happy with the rifle. Markings are good and the wood looks great. What has me scratching my head is that the factory decided to grind on the bolt cocking piece. For the life of me I can't understand why.

    I was hoping one of one of you may have seen this nonsense before and have a clue as to why they would do this to an otherwise great looking rifle.
     

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    yellowsled

    Retired C&R Addict
    Jun 22, 2009
    9,348
    Palm Beach, Fl
    What a really nice "5 line" Tula! You did very well. The grind marks on the back of the bolt, who knows... It could be to remove the original maker mark, or Igor was just drunk on vodka and was bored. Wither way, not a big deal... Nice score!
     

    Alphabrew

    Binary male Lesbian
    MDS Supporter
    Jan 27, 2013
    40,749
    Woodbine
    Nice hex tula ex-dragoon! I'm can't remember if there are numbers on the safety or not, so you could replace that part of the bolt if it bothers you. I'd leave it alone if it was mine.
     

    DCutdSE

    Rebel Scum
    Jan 2, 2009
    81
    Do the bolt and receiver match? Perhaps the original receiver was out of spec and it was easier to grind the bolt than the receiver to make the parts function properly together. Maybe the back edges of the original receiver were too high and were rubbing on the bolt.
     

    Tankfixr

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 25, 2009
    1,396
    Harford County
    It's nothing that will keep me awake at night.

    It just seems odd. The only mark that should be there is the manufacturer. What remains seems to be a Izhezsk "Bow and Arrow" mark.
     

    Tankfixr

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 25, 2009
    1,396
    Harford County
    Bolt itself is a match to the rifle. The part of the cocking piece that Ivan decided to play with rides outside of the action at all times and really would not touch anything.

    Weird.
     

    yellowsled

    Retired C&R Addict
    Jun 22, 2009
    9,348
    Palm Beach, Fl
    I think only the American ones had numbers on the cocking bolt, and it was on the far back on the actual knob where it meets the back of the firing pin.
     

    DCutdSE

    Rebel Scum
    Jan 2, 2009
    81
    The part of the cocking piece that Ivan decided to play with rides outside of the action at all times and really would not touch anything.

    You're right, I'm trying to imagine the movement in my mind and was mistaken.
     

    h2u

    Village Idiot
    Jul 8, 2007
    6,693
    South County
    It's nothing that will keep me awake at night.

    It just seems odd. The only mark that should be there is the manufacturer. What remains seems to be a Izhezsk "Bow and Arrow" mark.

    I think you may have answered your own question. Speculation on my part, but someone may have thought it best to attempt to scrub the Izhevsk stamp off of a part now assembled to a Tula rifle. They obviously did a poor job :D

    I think it gives the rifle character. I'd leave it, but if it really bothers you-switch it out. Congrats on a nice rifle :thumbsup:
     

    Machodoc

    Old Guy
    Jun 27, 2012
    5,745
    Just South of Chuck County
    Just posting this in case someone new isn't aware of it ...

    Most Mosin rifles that have been brought into the U.S. have undergone "arsenal refurbishing" at some point ... usually in the 1950s. That process included stripping the rifles down into parts, throwing all the identical parts into bins, re-working hundreds of thousands of identical parts separate from all of the other bins full of hundreds of thousands of other identical parts, and then reassembling the rifles. As the parts were being re-worked, the serial numbers were ground off of them (and the grind marks buffed, if there was time and the inclination to do so). When the rifles were re-assembled, new serial numbers were stamped into them (earlier refurbs) or written on with an electro-pencil (later refurbs).

    In short, many--if not most--of the "all matching serial numbers" Mosins that you find have been "force matched", meaning that the numbers on them do not actually represent all of the original parts of one rifle, as it was first built. This is very common.

    You may also see old serial numbers "lined out" with new numbers stamped next to them. There are lots of variations on this theme.

    In the case of the bolt pictured, who knows? Ivan may even have been trying out the new grinding wheel that he had just installed ... or he may have been trying to create enough sparks for Pietrovski to light a cigarette. It looks hurried, coarse, and with no attempt at buffing out the coarse grind marks.

    All we can say is that it's part of the unique personality of your Mosin.
     
    Last edited:

    Boom Boom

    Hold my beer. Watch this.
    Jul 16, 2010
    16,834
    Carroll
    My guess is somebody along the way ground out some aggressive pitting. Pitting is still evident in the lower left.
     

    psoyring

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 25, 2010
    1,052
    Brunswick MD
    During refurbishment pretty much all of the parts were disassembled, thrown into bins then reassembled into rifles, so yes, in most cases all parts are forced matched. This is why often the parts are from every maker out there. BTW locally I have seen one case of refurbished rifles with some dated 1958 with an ep.
     

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