The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

Here's one that I've never posted. It's a Finnish captured 1897 Izhy M91 with some good old features. The early magazine has had the sling swivel cut off, but the pin has never been recapped. Kind of odd for a Finnish rifle...? It's a fairly nice rifle with the Tsar's crest still intact on barrel and receiver. The best part of this rifle is the stock. It's got the German capture mark and also the Imperial stamp dated 1893! Best of all, it's a solid one piece stock that has never been cut or spliced. Considering it's age and what it's been through, I'm impressed. It does have an unfortunate stock repair, but I can live with it.
These are all the photos I have, but thought it was worth sharing.

You've been holding out on us. Shame.
on the rifle.

Need more pictures!

That original stock surviving is pretty cool.

Very nice. Unfortunate repair? I have bought rifles because they had stock repairs.

I just found one more photo in another directory here. A clean stock with just the right amount of character.

Nice features on that rifle, love it

Very nice M91 lots of history on that one.

cj1964 wrote: It does have an unfortunate stock repair, but I can live with it.

I would say fortunate, I believe that's where the longer trigger guard with the finger rest would have been. Not a 100% sure though, don't recall the year they did away with the finger rest.

This is the accepted answer.

Longcolt44 wrote:Very nice. Unfortunate repair? I have bought rifles because they had stock repairs.

redspoon wrote:Very nice M91 lots of history on that one.

cj1964 wrote: It does have an unfortunate stock repair, but I can live with it.

I would say fortunate, I believe that's where the longer trigger guard with the finger rest would have been. Not a 100% sure though, don't recall the year they did away with the finger rest.

That seems indeed the fill for the finger rest. The finger rest was removed in the second half of 1893, I believe. Also note the very early square back trigger guard, which mated to the finger rest.

Looks familiar.

That's an awesome rifle. That the 1893 date on the cartouche is still legible is amazing.

That is a very nice M91. When I was looking for one M91 from each arsenal from each decade, the Izhevsk 1890s one was the hardest for me to find - go figure. You don't see many stocks early enough to have the patch for the finger rest. Everything is beautiful about that one.

I have quite a few Finn captured M91s and having the intact Eagle crests is not unusual. All of them are intact on mine. Only my "Balkans" have been scrubbed.

The squared-back trigger housing is the rarest Item on the rifle. These were generally discontinued on rebuilds as the newer stocks which accepted the curved-back guards would not mate with them.

This is quite a rifle you have been sitting on. Perhaps you can snap some new pictures.

martin08 wrote:The squared-back trigger housing is the rarest Item on the rifle. These were generally discontinued on rebuilds as the newer stocks which accepted the curved-back guards would not mate with them.

I would imagine the resourceful Finns just round out the trigger guards to make them work with the normal stocks.

I don't think I have ever even noticed a square back trigger guard before. Probably because I have not been fortunate to own one, but I don't even remember reading about them. That is very cool. I usually leave it to you guys to suggest, but I think with the correct picture layout and write up this would be another great rifle for the Showcase!

Thats a nice one,would love to see some pic;s of the complete rifle.

That is one cool rifle. I'd be happy if I just had the stock. More pics please.

bunkysdad wrote:I don't think I have ever even noticed a square back trigger guard before. Probably because I have not been fortunate to own one, but I don't even remember reading about them. That is very cool. I usually leave it to you guys to suggest, but I think with the correct picture layout and write up this would be another great rifle for the Showcase!

Here is how it looks with the hardware in place. (and a Showcase vote, for sure!)