Statistics
| Calibre | 7.62 x 54R mm |
| Action | Manual Operated, Rotating Bolt |
| Overall Length | 1,234mm |
| Overall Length with Bayonet | 1,666mm |
| Barrel Length | 730mm |
| Weight | 3.8KG |
| Weight with Bayonet | 4.18KG |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 x Rounds in Internal |
The rifle was finally adopted for service by the Russian T Sar (Russian Government) in 1891 as a “Treechlineynaja Vintoka Obraztsa 1891 Goda paten”. Along with the revamp a small-calibre cartridge was adopted. This new cartridge incorporated a rimmed bottlenecked case, and also included a jacketed, blunt noise bullet. This type of design for the manufacture of less expensive mass produced ammunition, was adopted due to the lack of skilled manufactures, and more importantly to keep the manufacturing costs to a minimum.
The history of the Mosin Nagant’s development was somewhat shady and marred with controversy, during the official trials. Two separate designers were selected from multiple weapons manufacturers, and awarded final field testing. One by Russian Army Captain Sergei Ivanovich Mosin, the other by the Belgian designer Leon Nagant.The final design approved by the Russian Commission, utilised design features from both Mosin and Nagant thus naming the rifle Mosin Nagant.
Captain Mosin was awarded a rank promotion for his services in developing the rifle and was posted to the “Sestoretsk Arsenal" where he continued to work on further patens for the production of the Mosin Nagant. Leon Nagant also continued to design and manufacture weapons and was responsible for the development of the Nagant M1895 Revolver.
Leon and his brother Emile moved into manufacturing Automobiles under licence of the French firm Rochet-Schneidir, Nagant cars were manufactured from 1900 – 1928. The firm was taken over by Imperia in 1931 and was re-floated in 2008 to manufacture Hybrid power plants for today’s cars.
Due to the lack of skilled Russian Manufacturers, the Russian arms industry was unable to meet the deadline for delivering the new Mosin Nagant rifle. The first contract for supply was awarded to the Chatelleravt Arms Factory based in France. In 1894 – 1895 the rifle was manufactured by two Russian Arms Factories at Izhevsk Arsenal and Tula Arsenal. Once again in 1916 – 1917 a foreign contractor was used for production of the Mosin Nagant as due to the First World War Russian Manufacture was lacking in skilled production. Further orders were placed with American and United Kingdom suppliers.
In 1941 when the Soviet Union was invaded by Nazi Germany The Mosin Nagant was the standard issue rifle to Soviet field troops. In 1932 the Mosin was adapted as a sniper rifle and generally incorporated the P.E. 4x power sniper scope. The new sniper rifle was issued to initially 1000 Soviet men and women snipers. The rifle featured heavily in the Battle of Stalingrad which made Heros of The Soviet Union out of snipers like;
Junior Lieutenant Vasily Grigoryevick Zaitsev (later promoted to Captain) 1939 – 1945, Vasily had a confirmed kill count of 242 but due to lack of official records Vasily’s actual count is estimated as high as 400 or more. Vasily was awarded the following Military Awards.
- Hero of the Soviet Union
- Order of Lenin
- Order of the Red Banner
- Order of the Patriotic War 1st Class
- Medal of the Defence of Stalingrad
- Medal for the Victory over Germany
Private Lyudmila Pavlichenko (later promoted to Major) 1916 – 1974 Lyudmila was part of the 2000 Soviet female sniper unit and had a confirmed kill count of 257 German infantry soldiers with a further 39 German Officers. In 1943 Lyudmila Pavlichenko was awarded
The Gold Star of the Hero of the Soviet Union
Captain Ivan Sidorenko (later promoted to Major) was Deputy of Staff in the 1122nd Rifle Regiment, 334th Division and 4th Shock Army during the Stalingrad Siege. Ivan Sidorenko had a confirmed kill count of 500
Fyodor Matveyevich Okhlopkov 1908 – 1968 Fyodor had a confirmed kill count of 429 and was overlooked for citations due to his ethnicity ( he was an ethic Yakut) Fyodor Okhlopkow was later awarded the Hero of the Soviet Union and the Order of Lenion and later in 1974 a commercial cargo ship was named in his honourIn the years after World War II, the Soviet Union ceased production of all Mosin-Nagants and withdrew them from service in favour of the SKS series carbines and eventually the AK series rifles. Despite its growing obsolescence, the Mosin-Nagant saw continued service throughout the Eastern bloc and the rest of the world for many decades to come. Mosin-Nagant rifles and carbines saw service on many fronts of the Cold War, from Korea and Vietnam to Afghanistan and along the Iron Curtain in Europe. They were kept not only as reserve stockpiles, but front-line infantry weapons as well.
Virtually every country that received military aid from the Soviet Union, China, and Eastern Europe during the Cold War used Mosin-Nagants at various times. Middle Eastern countries within the sphere of Soviet influence—Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestinian guerilla factions—have received them in addition to other more modern arms. Mosin-Nagants have also seen action in the hands of the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan during the Soviet Union's occupation of the country during the 1970s and the 1980s. Their use in Afghanistan continued on well into the 1990s and the early 21st century by Northern Alliance forces.
Even after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Mosin-Nagants are still commonly found on modern battlefields around the world. They are being used by insurgent forces in the Iraq War and the current war in Afghanistan. Separatists have also used the rifles alongside more modern Russian firearms in the ongoing war in Chechnya.
