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Finally managed to get a type 53 in very good condition
Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2022 7:22 pm
by kpangon
I've been on the hunt for a nice Type 53 for a while now. It's proved incredibly difficult to find a nice one, most that I've come across are in absolutely horrible condition. This one is a 1954 Arsenal 296 type 53, that is all matching except the bolt. The date is stamped 1954.12 on this one, does the .12 signify production in December of 1954?
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Re: Finally managed to get a type 53 in very good condition
Posted: Mon Feb 14, 2022 7:55 pm
by millman
That's a nice one. I have 2. One is rougher than the other, but the lesser rough one matches at least.
Re: Finally managed to get a type 53 in very good condition
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 7:25 am
by qz2026
The "12" represents the month of production, in this case December. This one looks like a pretty nice example. At one time I had a ton of matching T-53's in really nice condition Don't see too many of these anymore. If you do, your talking big bucks. The T-53's generally were the smoothest actions in a Mosin. The bore, however, is the real key to these and many had excellent bores. You have to be careful of Navy Arms imports though. They were know to have messed with these guns, refinishing etc. And most weren't matching and the bolts were usually highly polished.
Re: Finally managed to get a type 53 in very good condition
Posted: Tue Feb 15, 2022 5:52 pm
by Rongo
That's a nice one. I had a lot of them a while back... Sold all of them except my all #'s matching one.
Re: Finally managed to get a type 53 in very good condition
Posted: Wed Feb 16, 2022 2:32 pm
by SA1911a1
That is a fine looking T-53, congrats on finding it.
I bought probably a dozen T-53s over the years. I probably have six left. I have one that looks brand new, all matching, a lightly used all matching, and one that matches everywhere but the bolt which is not serialized at all. The new one is a CAI, but the other matching rifle was an OWS. I also got some real stinkers when I was buying them from Omega, three at the time for, if memory serves, just over a hundred bucks for the three. I had some that would cartwheel the bullets at ten yards, they were, to coin a phase, SHOT. I learned, early on, not to ask the owner of OMS for a "hand select", I thought he was going to cuss me out. (probably did after I hung up the phone) He was a good guy that probably bought the T-53s by the ton at scrap price. Help my memory, wasn't his name Bob?
We need to normalize relations with Cuba, I bet there is a gazillion surplus Mosins down there waiting for Yankee dollars.