Mosin Nagant - Remington

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Shotar
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Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:18 pm

Mosin Nagant - Remington

Post by Shotar »

I have made a new purchase that is inbound to my dealer at this time. A Remington Mosin Nagant, non import marked, Serial number is less than 150 but I forgot to ask Barrel date. I'm presuming 1916.

Does anyone know anything about production. I know Remington made about 1.5million of these at Bridgeport and this one was obtained form a private collection near there. This one appears to have never left the country. Given it's very very low serial number, is it possible this was first day production and somehow made it into the collection of a worker or exec instead of being shipped off to the Czar????
fgd135
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Joined: Thu May 29, 2008 9:02 pm

Re: Mosin Nagant - Remington

Post by fgd135 »

Remington restarted serial numbers at #1 beginning every year of production, 1916, 1917 and 1918, as did the Russian factories making the M1891 pattern, so your rifle could fall in any of those years, check the date.
Yes, it is possible that a worker took a rifle home.
You should also know that many Remingtons were never sent overseas but were purchased by the US government for use by the US Army and National Guard, after the Bolsheviks seized power in Russia in 1917. The US government cancelled all contracts for war supplies to the Communists, and bought 300,000 or more Mosins directly from Remington and New England Westinghouse. These rifles were used in basic training camps , SATC and ROTC units, and were supplied to some National Guard units who were forced to turn in their 1903 rifles for the American Expeditionary Force going to Europe. At least 50,000 Remington M1891 rifles were shipped to the Czech Legion via San Francisco and Vladivostok.
Not all of the Remington MN rifles purchased by the US were marked with US Ordnance stamps but many of them were, look for small eagle head stamps with numbers on the stock and receiver. Rifles were proofed at arsenals like the Benicia Arsenal in California.
I've read elsewhere that the US designation was "US Rifle, 7.62mm, Model of 1916".
After WW1 the remaining rifles were sold thru the NRA for about $3 each.
Be also aware that the remaining incomplete rifles and parts were sold off by Remington after WW1 to surplus dealers; those dealers cut down many of the rifles into non firing drill rifles and sold them off high schools, military schools, veterans groups, etc. Some of these rifles do not have serial numbers as they were never completed at the factory before being parted out, and were assembled afterwards.
Last edited by fgd135 on Fri May 21, 2010 7:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.
SharpsShtr
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Re: Mosin Nagant - Remington

Post by SharpsShtr »

Actually, War Department manuals and reports for the time of their usage (1918) in the U.S. military call them "Russian Three Line Rifle, Caliber 7.62 mm (0.30 inches)". Short names were "Russian three line rifles" or simply "Russian Rifles". Though the above designation, "US Rifle, 7.62mm, Model of 1916", is often mentioned I haven't yet seen it in period documents.

Matt
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