The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

Did not pay much notice of the stampings, just the condition. Bright shiny bore, a new looking refurb. A good deal for $280 so I bought it. When I got home I realized there was no original date on the barrel and nothing on the tang.
Any info. on this group of "59"s that is known other than of the other 91/59's?

I know they are harder to find than the others. I'd have grabbed that one too. I don't think it's known who sanitized them.

I suspect these rifles used the rough 1942-43 actions, I note that the metal is much smoother and more polished than Mosins of any sort tend to be. It looks as if the rough edges and poor light strike wartime markings were polished away. I have some partly cleaned up 91/59's with that same shine and polished look.

You see these from time to time. They are relatively uncommon to find. I, too, snatched one up just to have one. It had a '43 tang date but some don't even have that. I even have one that was never stamped with the "M1891/59" on the shank but is obviously a 91/59. Perhaps as Jim indicated, some needed a cosmetic clean up for one reason or another. Just another question we would like answered along with the other hundred questions about the 91/30-M-91 carbine conversions that were done.

My thoughts are that the Sanitized rifles started out as rough finish wartime examples. As they polished the rough ones to smooth the markings were gone altogether. IIRC almost every "Sanitized" 91/59 is a wartime example. Just my opinion on the matter.

I have one... #'s stamp matching (-bolt that is electro-penciled) Receiver is a 43 Izhevsk.

More details here.... Sanitized 91/59