[jrcamp001]

Has anyone seen a short bolt bent down and back as seen in the attached?

The gun was found in Grandma's house after she passed away, and no one knows where it came from. I've researched enough to believe it is a sporterized 91/30 (thanks in part to this board), and it was probably owned by an uncle who was an active hunter.

I thought the curved bolt might be a common mod for sporterized models, since it is very well done and it works very well, but I've found no references to or photos of a bent/curved short bolt on the internet ... maybe I'm looking in the wrong place. Any thoughts?

Jack

 

[Acutus]

Welcome to the forum!

You got it. It's a sporterized bolt. Military bent bolts on sniper rifles are lengthened then bent down.

Got any pics of the rest of the rifle

 

[Vaarok]

Really a quite common homebrew modification by hunters and the like who sporterize their rifles. Never really saw the utility, myself, the short bolt of a Mosin gives very little leverage when bent.

 

[jrcamp001]

Wow, thanks for the quick reply. I've attached a few more photos.

BTW, the rear sight is the 20meter variety, and the front sight looks to be the Finn model. The barrel length is 20" to the receiver, with an overall length of 41.5".

The barrel markings are very faint but it doesn't look polished or refinished. The serial number and the Izhevsk mark are clear, but all that you can see of the model number is the lower right quarter of a "0" and the upside down "L" of the post-1938 models, as well as the lower right of the Soviet crest, all very faint.

The bolt is very smooth and takes little effort to work it. I plan to get it checked out next by a gunsmith, then shoot it. I understand it's got quite a kick and a nice flame.

 

[7.62x54r]

The stock and barrel have been chopped, the stock's been refinished, and the front sight is aftermarket. Mosins don't have the model number stamped on them except by importers.

 

[DudleyDR]

"1891/59" comes close, but still "no banana". DDR

 

[Tiglath-Pileser]

Should be a fun Mosin-bubba to shoot. You could try to "restore" it, sell it, or keep it as it is as a memory of family.

I'd try to get more family history (pictures, etc) to link with the gun to family history. That would make it somewhat special for you in the condition that it is.

Either way, it is a Mosin, and that makes it fun to shoot.

 

[vintovka]

Some of these were called the "finncub" and sold for very little in the late 50's early 60's.

 

[zeebill]

Front sight looks to be an 03 Springfield maybe. Some were rechambered for 30:06 so that should be checked into by the gunsmith too. They were meant for the older powder fills of yester year and will not stand up to the modern loaded 30:06 so keep that in mind. Buddy picked one up over the weekend that looks very similar for $60 about the going price I would give for one. Bannerman when it existed many years ago did a number of them and sold them for less than that. Just a cheap sporterized version used by hunters of yesteryear to havest Bambi. Bill

 

[vintovka]

For more info check:

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?t=76621

 

[Charlie]

No doubt it's another one of the Finncub or whatever sold by Sears/Mont. Ward/ and various stores in the 50/60s. NO WAY I'd shoot one. Just a weird commercial "bubba" of years ago.

 

[azdoug]

I've got one that came from my grandfather when he passed away. I shoot it all the time; very fun gun.

 

[biggs1deer]

A few years ago I bought a bent bolt like yours at a gun show, it looked in excellent shape with original prefixed serial No. and blued to boot.
A couple years later I was at the Ammunition store in Canton OH. and looking through rifles that were missing parts that they had laying around and there was a 1945 M44 with a(looked like a very clean dremal job) groove for a bolt ,I bought the rifle and took it home and the down and angled short bolt fit it like a glove. Josh told me the rifle was in the crate with normal M44s but had no bolt and that nobody there did that to the stock.
It was always a mystery to me of how I happened upon that bolt and then two years later finding a rifle to fit it. HA HA its usually the other way around.
The rifle and bolt serials did NOT match.
I don't know what they are but I saw that Numrich had bent short bolts.