My First Mosin - Ugly but pretty '37 Tula

[angryatbreakfast]

Hello everyone,

I recently found this Mosin Nagant 91/30 during my first visit to one of the somewhat local gun stores. I have to admit it was an impulse buy based only on the fact that the numbers matched on it; I didn't even look at the bore or chamber before handing over the cash in a fit of Mosin blindness. It was a rough 14 days hoping and hoping that I didn't make a terrible decision. In the meantime, I went and got my firearms hunting license (so I wouldn't have to deal with the 14 day wait again) and kept busy reading and researching Mosins.

However, I picked it up the other day, and so far, I am extremely pleased with my choice. It's a 1937 with a Tula star and arrow on the barrel shank. Serial numbers match on the barrel shank, bolt, floorplate, and buttplate. No force matching or electro penciling as far as I can tell. Import mark is there, but it is a very low-visibility laser etch which I don't mind.

I'm not sure if it's ATI imports or the store where I bought it that did a decent initial cleaning, but the rifle was not jampacked with cosmoline when I got it (although I know it had to have been cosmo'd at some point). The chamber and bore appear to have a light coat of oil and the wood is not leaching grease like I've seen on some other examples of Mosin Nagants.

Using a small flashlight to do a basic check of the bore, I was extremely surprised that the rifling is sharp and smooth. I'll have to borrow a bore scope to do a thorough check at some point but so far the bore looks great to me. I'm almost certain that with a good thorough cleaning, the bore will be in excellent plus condition.

The wood is the roughest part of the gun; the forward part of the handguard where it meets the barrel is torn up pretty badly, and the top piece doesn't match the rest of the gun in color. There is shellac over the brass in the sling slots, which I assume is normal for refurb rifles.

There are a lot of interesting stamped marks on the barrel and receiver, which I tried to take decent pictures of. There are some that look like a circled letter S and a circled letter P, as well as a small circle inside of a larger circle. So far, I haven't found any of the typical refurb marks I've seen online. I'm sure that this thing was refurbed at some point, but I can't find the marks anywhere.

I have yet to clean the rifle thoroughly and take it to the range, but that report will come soon... in the meantime, I am wondering if anyone can help me identify the barrel/receiver stamps. I'm curious as to what the (S), (P), and (O) and other Cyrillic looking marks may mean.

Also, is there anything else I should check out, disassemble, measure, clean, tighten, secure, or verify before I shoot it?

Thank you all so much for any help you may be able to provide to this Nagant noob!

Not sure how to post the pics correctly so here is a link to the photo album: http://imgur.com/a/Xr7pk#0

[Rongo]

Welcome Angryatbreakfast!!!

Great looking 91/30... I love the deep red stock.

[desdem12]

Sweet looking Tula. Those stamps you are are asking about are inspectors and proof stamps more then likely.
Welcome to the forum

[dou44]

welcome and your first one looks good.get ready to be buying more .

[angryatbreakfast]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone! I'm already feeling the need to buy more Mosins, the bore and action on this one just seems too nice to blow hundreds and hundreds of rounds through it and take the chance of ruining it. Plus the wife wants one of her own now, so this one may have a sibling or two soon

[Junk Yard Dog]

The vast majority of the small markings found all over the Mosins are unknown, and will probably stay that way as the Russians are reluctant to discuss small arms production even from the long past. Nice rifle. Check headspace, and firing pin protrusion, instructions for this are on the information page under cleaning. You will not ruin it with hundreds of rounds, improper cleaning can ruin it, so read up on how to clean up after using corrosive primed surplus ammo.

[Longview]

Cool "Grizzled Veteran" rifle... wait, did you say your Wife wants one?? Does she have a sister?

[Sgt. Rob]

Welcome aboard! That is a nice '37 Tula, and those ATI imports do seem to be a bit more interesting then their CAI kin. You have a nice Tula Cartouche on that stock. The circle within a circle on the right side of the barrel shank is considered by some to be an accuracy standard or passing mark. Most other marks are just completely unknown or guessed at. The Russians are not very forthcoming with info and may not even know themselves anymore.

I just happen to have its 1939 cousin!







Semper Fi, Rob