[Ol' Relic]

I found a grizzled old M91 at a small gunshow today. I was drawn to it for some reason and ended up taking it home. I probably paid too much for it, but anyway what's done is done, so now I'm trying to figure out some of its travels. It has some things going on that are beyond my knowledge, so I'm hoping some of the more knowledgeable board members can enlighten me.

I realize that this is one of those "this thread is worthless without pictures" kind of things, but I'm going to post pics as soon as I can get some time to take them, probably tomorrow-in the meantime I'm hoping someone can shed some light on it going by this verbal description:

It's a 1916 dated Izhevsk, has a mismatched bolt and floorplate, but seems to be in the original stock (or at least to have the original buttplate). The stock, though it has Russian-style sling escutcheons, has what looks like a weathered Finn b.l.o./pinetar finish, and has a zagged-lined splice just behind the front escutcheon.

The Imperial Crest in front of the arsenal stamp on the barrel has been crudely ground off, and the one on the receiver has been ground off with a spherical burr Finn-style.

OK, so to me it's sounding like a Finn capture so far, BUT there is no SA stamp anywhere I can see. There has been a "C" rather crudely added to the end of the serial on the receiver (in a much larger font), and the original Izhevsk serial plus the c has been stamped on the side of the receiver (the serial on the buttplate, which as I said, matches the original Izhevsk serial doesn't have the c added).

Obviously, the Imperial crests could well have been removed by the Bolsheviks, but some of the other stuff has me stumped.

Anyone?

 

[mto7464]

not all finns will have the SA mark. Pics while help when you get them.

 

[combat32]

Sounds like a Balkan scrub gun, pics will tell the tale

 

[LVSteve]

The large C sounds like a Serbian cyrillic S. See here.

 

[jp]

The splice behind the front escutchion sounds like a Romanian stock feature, pics will tell!

 

[themosinator]

This is sounding more and more interesting!!...can't wait to see the photos!!...

 

[rocker98]

Could be.....

Sorry. Pics please

 

[LVSteve]

Perhaps the OP should look here for his splice.

 

[Pahtu]

Hmmmm sounds like a Romanian piece....hmmmm......

Pahtu.

 

[Ol' Relic]

Sorry for keeping you guys in suspense, but the wife has had me working on a home improvement project (guess that's my penance for spending all day running around at the gun show). If I had spent all evening taking pics of my new toy, I probably wouldn't have lived to post another day. lol

Looking at the comments made so far, I'd say the theory of the splice being a Romanian thing looks quite likely (though it's a little farther forward than the one shown on the link posted).

I was on the verge of regretting buying this thing on the way home today, but I think now my gut feeling may have been right-seems like it's indeed a pretty interesting find. Lots of pics tomorrow, I promise.

 

[Ol' Relic]

OK, finally got the pics done, sorry-not a very good batch of pics, I seemed to be having an "off" morning with the camera . . .

Didn't post a pic of this, but the magazine is a Remington. Lots of cruddy old cosmoline inside, as you can see. I'm leaving it, at least for now, as it's been doing a good job preventing corrosion, and really isn't hurting anything. Kinda strange that the tang reads 1917 with the rifle being a 1916?

 

[Ol' Relic]

and more . . .

Note that the arshin marks aren't lined out on the sight. Maybe adding creedence to the Balkans/Romanian theories?

 

[SwingingSniper]

That splice looks just like one I have on a Remington M91. I believe it has been identified as a Romanian modification, and I believe these rifles came in with the Balkan imports.

 

[Ol' Relic]

Thanks to everyone's input on this one, and it seems you are indeed correct that it's a Romanian-stocked rifle. I had looked on the "virtual mosin museum" over on 7.62 x 54 net before soliciting opinions, but completely missed a page which I found today (and which featured an M91 with markings and features very similar to this one). The article also mentioned that the circle B stamped on the right of the barrel was thought to be a Bulgarian marking. And even if this weren't a Romanian stock, there's no way the buttplate serial is original. The font is considerably different from the barrel serial-I was hasty in my examination.

This thing has piqued my interest, I gotta do some research on the history of these.