New Mosin owner

[Lavitias]

Also don't resniper it that'll tank the value also well unless you find someone that would also like to buy a bridge in Manhattan from me also. Other then that very fine rifle you have there.

[bunkysdad]

I would say it is worth 300.00 I today's market. As long as you don't refinish it. That shellac, while peeling and coming off, and perhaps not as pretty to look at, is correct for a refurbished ex- sniper and they are not real easy to find line they once were. Clean it good, including the bolt inside and out, and the chamber area to prevent sticky bolt syndrome and don't be afraid to shoot it. They are quite powerful and loads of fun.

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[steelbuttplate]

What we call an "ex-sniper". Once was a sniper and was converted back to a standard M91/30. Izhevsk.

Interesting year.

Dolk

That is a '47 isn't it? A '47 ? First one I've ever seen, 91/30 that is. The bore must be Primo fino

[AMCHornet]

There we go. That is what we needed to see.

1947 Izhevsk ex-PU sniper. That is a late production year. 1945 was the last year of production for the standard M91/30 infantry rifle. I'm speculating a little, but that likely means your rifle was purpose-built to be a sniper rifle. This is different from the pre-1945 sniper rifles because they started out as regular production M91/30 infantry rifles. The best ones (most accurate) were selected to become sniper rifles by having scopes mounted, bolts replaced, stocks sometimes shimmed, and bayonets not issued. What I am saying is that your rifle may have been intended as a sniper rifle from the very start since regular M91/30 production had ended before then. Izhevsk continued to turn out limited numbers of sniper rifles through the end of the 1940s, perhaps even into the 1950s. The upside of these postwar snipers is their quality tends to be significantly higher than wartime-made snipers. By quality I mainly mean the finish on the steel parts.

The USSR later (1960s-1990s) found itself with too many sniper rifles. They decided to "de-sniper" them back into standard M91/30 infantry rifles by removing the scope, plugging the scope holes, replacing the bolt, patching the stock where the scope used to be or replacing the stock entirely, and issuing a bayonet to the rifle. That lighter chunk of wood along the left side of the receiver is where the scope used to be. Some rifles had the stock completely replaced, but yours likely has its original stock, which is neat.

I do not see a refurbishment mark in your pictures, but it is almost certain that your rifle was refurbished at least once, perhaps during the de-snipering process. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just means that worn or broken parts were replaced and every part of the rifle refinished. This is partly why you see mixed arsenal markings on parts. Those parts came from other rifles. For instance, your bolt is a pre-1928 Izhevsk bolt.

Pretty much the worst thing you could do for its collector value is to re-sniper it. It would become another "fake sniper rifle" on the market, and there are already too many. Experienced collectors could tell the difference and wouldn't pay much for it. Amateurs who don't know better may pay a lot of money for a fake, but you don't want that future for it. The de-snipering process was done by the USSR and is an interesting piece of history on its own. Let it stand for what it is. I know the temptation. My first Mosin-Nagant was an ex-PU sniper.

[Darryl]

A few things I would correct here.

This is different from the pre-1945 sniper rifles because they started out as regular production M91/30 infantry rifles. The best ones (most accurate) were selected to become sniper rifles by having scopes mounted, bolts replaced, stocks sometimes shimmed, and bayonets not issued. What I am saying is that your rifle may have been intended as a sniper rifle from the very start since ......

That is an old guess. The truth is, the WWII snipers all had better machining on the barrels and receiver (as opposed to the rougher look of the standard M91/30's). That would indicate that they handled them differently from the M91/30's during WWII production. Meaning they were always "purpose build" even during WWII. The story that they pulled them from regular stock M91/30's by shooting them is just a story made up here a few years back. Now it seems to be true history.

Because of the machining mainly. The machining is better then standard M91/30's indicating they were always intended as a sniper rifle from the get go. It's possible they used the best machinists to build the sniper barrels and receivers and maybe took a little more time with them.It's also possible that after they were machined that "special batch" was fired and any not making the grade was not added to their snipers. But certainly they used better machining techniques then the other M91/30's did. So they were intended to be used as snipers all along. Also, sniper rifle from 43 and 44 fall into batches quite often. Their serial numbers are pretty close to each other indicating they were all made close to each other.
So, saying the 1947 sniper was purposely made and the others weren't is not quite right.

The USSR later (1960s-1990s) found itself with too many sniper rifles. They decided to "de-sniper" them back into standard M91/30 infantry rifles by removing the scope, plugging the scope holes, replacing the bolt, patching the stock where the scope used to be or replacing the stock entirely, and issuing a bayonet to the rifle.

We don't know the reason they decommissioned them at that time. That is another "story" that has floated around for a few years now. It could have been after the war they didn't need as many, but just as easy that they didn't make "grade" or pass inspection also. Standards for a M91/30 standard rifle is much less then a sniper rifle. So repairing them to "make grade" when you have thousands of them is not practical. So, turn them into a standarn M91/30. Perfect answer. Truth is, we don't know for sure. But many of the Ex-snipers shoot just as good as the snipers, but many of them don't. So it's hard to tell for sure.

That lighter chunk of wood along the left side of the receiver is where the scope used to be. Some rifles had the stock completely replaced, but yours likely has its original stock, which is neat.

The cutout is far enough forward to be a repair of the scope mount. This is correct. It is likely a ex-sniper stock that has been repaired. But is is still possible it is just a standard repair as many were done like that. Just no way to know for sure. I'd be surprised if it were the original stock seeing it has obviously gone through a refurbishment. But it's possible also. The snipers had their stocks marked to be put on the same rifle after it was refurbished. But the ex-snipers were not as lucky. No reason to. This rifle is certainly a "mix" of parts (which is OK and a standard thing) and almost certainly a refurbished rifle from parts.

It's a great M91/30 with a bit of "extra" history to it. That makes it a little more "special". Nice catch!!!

Dolk

[AMCHornet]

Thank you for the corrections.

[Matt556]

I recently found an ex-sniper in my collection. I agree with dolk and millman above, returning it to a sniper will reduce its value. I know it is tempting though.