1915 Balkan PTG M91, late import Serb 'C' stamped

[racerguy00]

Here are some photos of the Balkan Tula Peter the Great M91 that I recently picked up.
Interesting features: wooden crossbolt updated with a steel one, plugged sling rope-holes with added sling slots, later style billboard import stamp, Serbian letter C stamp, rear sight spring peened 'wedge', all matching numbers except the bolt, 'pinecone' stock stamps. The bore is really nice. Xs on the stock, buttplate, and mag housing. Also, there is a large knothole in the hanguard. I had not seen one like that before. It adds character.

On the downside, there was heavy, active rust in large spots under the woodline. I gently removed as much as possible and stabilized the areas after I took these photos.

I got a decent deal on this rifle relatively speaking with all the high prices lately. I like the mix of older features with later ones on this rifle. I'm fascinated by the history of the various balkan M91 imports. There is a LOT of history in these rifles.

If anyone else has an M91 with the later billboard import stamp, please feel free to post photos. I'm really curious as to the number of M91s imported in this last batch: the highest importer-applied serial number I've seen from this group is in the upper 500's. These M91s could very well be the last sizable lot of M91s to be imported into the US.

All comments welcome!

[Three_Dogs]

The stories that rifle could tell if it could speak. Take care of it!

[Junk Yard Dog]

No need to be gentle when it comes to removing that rust. It's very important that you get it all out or it will just continue to grow. Dump light oil on the spot and scrub the shit out of it with a copper/bronze bore brush, the oil will turn orange as you scrub. Wash off the spot and the brush with some cheap spray oil, dump more light oil on the spot and continue until all orange is gone and only pitting remains. Nice rifle

[TulaTom]

Big 45 metal cleaner works good on rust like that. Get all of it.

[desdem12]

That is way cool. Love the rope holes and wood cross bolt.

[JDennis]

Awesome!!!

[zeebill]

Balkans rifles can present a ton of questions about themselves. There are so many things done to them that are impossible to put in a time period or attribute to some entity entirely. Most all Bulgarian pinecone stamped rifles I am seeing these days are very well shimmed on the bottom and top of the stock. But this also shows Serbian lineage now who did the shimming? You can only make educated guesses to my way of thinking as to who actually did it. Maybe it was just a continual line of improvements done by different owners? Now the rope holes and old wooden recoil bolt makes that an older stock but there is no stamping under the butt plate? Just that weird looking X or a try at an astrick which I have seen elsewhere. What the devil does that mean? Those obvious X's all around the thing what the heck are they to mean? My only guesses are that is accumulation of many parts assembled at some time with many replacements done at a later time period. It almost becomes one of these deals where you have to ask what individual parts have seen in history. Almost like I feel when I see refurbs with all their pell mell replacement parts coming from who knows where. It is indeed a muddled history to say the least but with an older M91 I can accept that easier some how.

I am not aware of any M91 imports in years of any size but yes indeed that has a bigger import mark on it saying it might be recent. Is there any sign of an older import mark under the barrel front? If I am remembering right CAI was the first to go to the big and ugly marks up where that one is so maybe it dates back farther than we think? Like I said those things present so many questions with so few clearcut answers. I have seen a couple of Remingtons in the last few years that have many similar traites and actually have a couple left with both Finn and Bulgarian signs on them. Great question mark rifle which has obviously seen much more than we will ever know. Bill

[The Feral Machinist]

Cool rifle. Oldest receiver on a Mosin I've seen. :-D:-D

[Rangerflip]

Nice rifle with lots of history, thanks for sharing.

[racerguy00]

Cool rifle. Oldest receiver on a Mosin I've seen. :-D:-D

My first thought was that it says '91', but it's 915 as in 1915.