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So I won an auction and picked it up today. I won it for what I thought was an awesome price of less than 450 shipped. It arrived with two cracks that were not disclosed in the listing even though if you look closely at the auction pics you can tell they were there before it was sent. Here is the auction link: http://www.gunbroker.com/item/701708026
I have emailed him and I’ll see what he will do. Regardless though here is some info and a few pics about the rifle. I will be keeping it.
It is an 1899 Izhevsk 91/38. It has a “1” number on the barrel shank. The buttplate and magplate are stamped matching and the bolt is electropencilled. It is in a cutdown m91 stock without a crossbolt (damn shame). It has a large splice on the right side where the bayonet groove is located. It is import marked and has evidence of the bayonet lug pin being filled in. It came with a sling that another collector told me was Bulgarian. I still really like this 91/38 and it will go nicely with my 1893 and 1894 Chatelleraults.
Congratulations! I believe I like your 91/38 too! She looks good for 118 years! I think you did well sir.
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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
I saw that one and watched it. Didn't notice the cracks though. It's funny that, as far as my collection goes, there seemed to have been a lot of 1899 Izhevsk M-91's used, i.e., fairly common year, for some reason. But, it's always nice to acquire a pre-20th century example especially at such a good price. Congrats! For some reason I am seeing the paid prices (demand) for these and the 91/59's decreasing a little. At the same time, the 91/30's have increased, as we all know. Go figure.
Not really a shame about the lack of a stock bolt. Not sure I would want to fire it though unless with a loaded down cartridge. The wrist crack could be an issue too. I think Neal45 was always astounded at the number of these with no stock bolts. All-in-all, for the price, a nice collector's piece.
Thanks. To clarify the lack of stock bolt is awesome. The shame part was that such a cool stock without the cross bolt was cracked. I bought it partially because of the unique stock. I wasn't ever going to shoot it in the stock it is in regardless of the cracks.
Me either. Granted I only have 3 and not the extensive collection you have, but if I want to shoot a carbine I have one m38 and one 91/59 I shoot a lot and the rest are just for show it seems.
Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it.
Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft.
Theodore Roosevelt
I got all 3 of mine off the internet. One from a Facebook for sale group, one from another message board sale group, and this one from gunbroker. Not seeing them in person has it’s disadvantages but North Dakota isn’t an easy place to find unique guns in person. I have gotten lucky a few times locally but I have had much better luck online.
You are sharp eyed to spot those after holding the rifle in your hands. They are tough to see cracks in his pictures for sure. I have shot a couple of my 91/38's in other stocks to kind of blow the stuffing out of the barrels and make the bores more attractive to the eye. With proper cleaning they look much better. That lack of a recoil lug is one thing that stops me dead on a rifle when it comes to shooting any rifle. My big mouth does not relish the thought of chewing on a hot Mosin bolt and I am a pronounced chicken in my old age! Very neat rifle! Congrats and a great price for one of those these days!
Funny thing I noticed on my older 91/38's is they came in really nice stocks years ago and now these examples today are in similar stocks to what you have there? Wonder why? Bill
I think at some point during the project they simply ran out of serviceable M-91 stocks to cut down. Or, more likely, it cost more (took longer, impacting production schedules) to cut them down, mill in the sling slots, (remove the escutcheons from old and replace on new) mill out and drill for the nose cap, cut the bayonet groove, measure and drill for the barrel band spring holes and finally fit, sand and refinish the stock. This was probably when you started seeing M-38 stocks, some in M-44 stocks and then a bunch put in brand new stocks with darkened post war escutcheons start being used. Where they were built (I think in multiple locations), where they were stored and when they were exported probably accounts for what kind of stocks were used and when they arrived here. If built in multiple locations, each location might have access to different stocks. Some may have just had to cut down Imperial stocks. It was probably a crap shot on what kind of stocks would come in which crates. There is s million "what if's" I suppose.
Yeah I am sure you are right about the million"what if's" and that is one reason I tend to touch lightly on things like there rifles. I tend to head for things where I know what I'm getting and can more or less trace it's origin back more solidly to the source and the maker. I have a few 91/38's but they had to come to me at good prices and when the time was right. There fore the ones I have are separated in time they were acquired by more then 10 or 15 years. Again Congrats its a neat one! Bill
