The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

My stepfather won this unissued polish m44 on gunbroker, but later realized it's not all matching like his description says after he paid. He asked the seller why he wrote all matching when the buttstock has no serial number and he said alot of them were arsenal scrubbed so it's still considered all matching... What you guys think? Here is the link..

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/734769110

For all matching I would expect that the butt plate would have the number on it as well. Whether or not the Poles did that and still considered it original or not, I don't know for sure.

That being said, the seller did have a picture of the butt plate that clearly showed that it was scrubbed. I rarely look at the sellers description as it's often a bunch of fluff, mis-statements or out right lies (in the extreme cases). The pictures tell a better story (generally) and if there are other pictures I want to see to get more information from then I'll ask the seller for them. If they refuse then I tend to lose interest in the rifle.

That is a Polish buttstock, the stamped serial numbers match, it's a good price for a Polish M44, or any M44 in that condition. He wouldn't get mine for three times that price. Polish M44's are exceptionally well made and very nicely finished.

Seems like someone didn't keep it "oiled". It looks a little rusty on the unblued parts (or is it just me.....again!)

I'd pay you $400 plus shipping for it.

D0lk

Many early Polish and also Type 53's imported had serials missing or original serials on reused parts scrubbed like that one does. I think it is more or less the position of the judge that says all matching or not. Another words if I'm selling it I got an all matching rifle. If I'm buying it I got points off in value for a scrubbed or missing serial. Myself if its not stamped at all I consider them all matching if they reused a plate like that and the serial is scrubbed like that one then it isn't all matching to me. Just a personal opinion which means nothing to anybody but me. Bill

From what I recall these Polish rifles came in with the Romanian hoard. Part of the military aid Romania got from other communist countries when they couldn't manage to produce enough rifles of their own. It's not unusual to find mixed parts rifles from Romania like My Hungarian M44 with Polish stock, and mix of Hungarian, Polish and Romanian small parts. The Romanians rebuilt rifles a variety of ways, sometimes all they did was line out old numbers and stamp new one right next to them ( my M44) or grind off old markings, or not renumber rifles at all, just swap in parts that work and call it good. At the time the market was flooded with cheap M44's and nobody was paying attention to were they came from. My own unissued Polish M44 with Polish sling and cleaning kit was on the shelf next to some issued looking M44's that I now know were Hungarian and Romanian rifles. Later I got an issued Soviet M44 with a Polish sling on it.

I've seen a few of these Polish M-44's that appear to be the pristine ones that were non matching, although the bolt usually matches. I always check the text and the pictures before making a decision. What you paid is ok, I think, for what you got. I would have questioned the bore condition though. The scrubbed butt plate likely came out of a Romanian refurb - and that would be a hint for the buyer as to the history - something not matching, no cleaning rod found it's way through Cugir or some other arsenal in Romania. It interests me that they would have scrubbed the butt plate. In the past, they simply threw any butt plate in the box on these (Russian, Hungarian, Romanian) is they needed one. They would throw a non matching bolt on them to but I suppose they would headspace it first. Some of the later imports (or perhaps refurbished in other locations) started showing up with EP'd bolts and, like yours, scrubbed butt plates. So something happened in their process... With regard to the T-53's - 1960 variety - my understanding is that they did not stamp the butt plates..

Looks like you did well with the rifle. Congrats...