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Be forewarned 91/59's are very, very, very, habit forming! I have found them just to much to resist at times, matter of fact when I see one I run the other way. I forget how many I have left but they all seem to have perfect triggers and they just handle so good. I have one transplanted into a hated ABS stock that is my hunting rifle. At one time I had almost a dozen of them! I finally got a hold of myself and sold about half of them off. When I bought them they were going for under $200 and in the right place under $100 if you had cash at the right time. Wow! $400 maybe I ought to look at see what I have left huh? Course I just spent $500 for a nice 91/38 of 1907 vintage in a recoil lug not there stock with a finger rest repair. I rationalized that out when I was bidding on it! Yeah sure!
I have the book out in the shop and frankly I don't remember what years I have left as there were so many of them at one time I was ashamed to look and count them. I even moved them to 3 different safes for awhile. What can I say I loved the little suckers! Take one out and shoot it and between the feel, the accuracy, the trigger. and at that time the price you too will love them! I am almost glad the new 91/38 has no recoil lug because that may convince me not to shoot it although many others have told me they have shot theirs. So be forewarned!!!!! Them little suckers will hook you and you may decide all you want to collect is 91/59's! Bill
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"A people that values its privileges above its principles soon loses both."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), Inaugural Address, January 20, 1953
zeebill wrote:Be forewarned 91/59's are very, very, very, habit forming! I have found them just to much to resist at times, matter of fact when I see one I run the other way. I forget how many I have left but they all seem to have perfect triggers and they just handle so good. I have one transplanted into a hated ABS stock that is my hunting rifle. At one time I had almost a dozen of them! I finally got a hold of myself and sold about half of them off. When I bought them they were going for under $200 and in the right place under $100 if you had cash at the right time. Wow! $400 maybe I ought to look at see what I have left huh? Course I just spent $500 for a nice 91/38 of 1907 vintage in a recoil lug not there stock with a finger rest repair. I rationalized that out when I was bidding on it! Yeah sure!
I have the book out in the shop and frankly I don't remember what years I have left as there were so many of them at one time I was ashamed to look and count them. I even moved them to 3 different safes for awhile. What can I say I loved the little suckers! Take one out and shoot it and between the feel, the accuracy, the trigger. and at that time the price you too will love them! I am almost glad the new 91/38 has no recoil lug because that may convince me not to shoot it although many others have told me they have shot theirs. So be forewarned!!!!! Them little suckers will hook you and you may decide all you want to collect is 91/59's! Bill
+1
Now, come on Bill, they didn't put that stock bolt in for nothing... Even the wooden dowel was not enough. I'll never shoot mine unless I pop it in another stock This is me after I crack the stock
Thank you everyone! Bill yes it does feel special and the trigger is great and the bore is great. Please enlighten me on recoil lugs. I had planned on shooting this quite a bit. Where and why do the cracks occur?
Early 91/38's were made on really old M91 stocks that had no recoil bolts and they may by now be weakened with age so I am hesitant to shoot mine. Yours is a 91/59 which has a recoil lug and even though the stock can be an old M91 stock used again it should stand up fine to shooting if it has a recoil lug bolt. Yours does if I remember right so shooting with proper cleaning after corrosive ammo should be fine. Enjoy it they are indeed neat little guns. I was shocked just how good they shoot for a short little carbine. I guess that super slick trigger most of them seem to have helps more than my mind gave it credit? Enjoy and yes shoot it to heighten the enjoyment! Congrats! Bill
How common is that colorfill on the stamping? I've seen a handful on this forum, in white or red, but most of the guns I see around here are not colorfilled. I think the arsenal refit numbers on one of mine are white... but all other markings are just stamped.
Some people fill these in with a crayon type of marker so they can see the markings better. Some shanks are stamped very light so occasionally sellers will fill these in to be more visible to buyers. Larry Eisel does this regularly. Some color like this was done over seas but my thoughts are that most was done here. I don't particularly care for it and remove it in my initial cleaning process.
Thanks everyone and thanks Bill for the quick response and info I'll shoot it this weekend with a range report if the weather is good. There was some white on the shank when i first saw it and I did the rest for picture quality. I intend to remove it. I had bought an m44 and a 1925 hex from this same dealer and had told him I was looking for an m38. When I saw him at the show he had it behind his coat against the wall and his distributor had just brought it to him a 1/2 hr ago. I remember seeing the guy walk buy and saying "lucky guy got an m38!" Not knowing it was a 1831/59 and she was destined for me. Uh oh I called it she already and I haven't event shot it yet.
What can I say I loved the little suckers! 
Bill
This is me after I crack the stock 
