91/30 Hex Receiver question

[cplbuck]

Hello all,

I found a 91/30 with a hex receiver and laminate stock that caught my eye in my local sporting goods store. I asked to see it and first place I looked was at the receiver to see what arsenal it was made in. Funny thing is it didn't have any marks on it. Just the serial number with MO stamped below it. Above that was /49 and a small shape that looked like a small shield. No Tula star or Izhvesk arrow. Any ideas out there? I imagine this is a post war rearsenal Izhvesk. Thanks.

[C&Rtrader]

read about it here:

http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinMO.htm

however, Note well, it does NOT stand for ministry of defense. that organization didn't exist when MO marks started appearing.

post a picture? it is a scrubbed receiver? that would be unique on a 91/30

[cplbuck]

Thanks for the link C&R. That's a great site. I'll go back tomorrow to the store. I think I'm going to plunk down some money for it if it's still there. I have an M44. It's a little pricey but I've been thinking about getting a 91/30 for a while. Unfortunately the damn import marks are right on the receiver. Looks like crap.

[Spartan301]

91/30 Hex Reciever

Looked through my books on Mosin-Nagants, could not find anything like you described. Very interesting! Maybe a pic?

[cplbuck]

I'll post a pic of it tomorrow if it's still there. The receive doesn't look like it was scrubbed. I'm sure when you guys with more expertise than I have see a pic of the receiver you will recognize it hopefully. Anyway, It's in very good shape, the stock is more on the brown side, doesn't look like the red shellack you typically see. Can't tell much about the bore, it's still covered in cosmo. Thanks guys.

[mosinnagantm9130]

If it isn't any more expensive than any other Mosin they have there, it sounds like it could be a good choice to buy that one, as long as it isn't in terrible shape.

[Alpha Male]

cant wait to see the pictures

[Bainter1212]

Tagged for pics

[Eljay]

If it isn't any more expensive than any other Mosin they have there, it sounds like it could be a good choice to buy that one, as long as it isn't in terrible shape.

Yep.

re: the makers mark, sometimes any of the stampings on a Mosin can be pretty light/faint.

[19K]

It can just be worn down. If it's a hex it's probably older than your typical mosin nagant

[cplbuck]

Very sorry to say, I went back and unfortunately some Russian guy who was very rude to the sales person, bought it before I could return today. He was giving her a hard time about being required to buy a gun lock and other various gun laws here in CA. Sorry guys. I was very disappointed that it's gone. Thanks for all the replies. Maybe it will show up again someday.

[89 Vision]

Ya, scoop it up! Plenty of Mosin collectors out there (myself included) that will pay a little extra for a Mosin with uncommon markings, or lack of markings thereof.

[nick]

Very sorry to say, I went back and unfortunately some Russian guy who was very rude to the sales person, bought it before I could return today. He was giving her a hard time about being required to buy a gun lock and other various gun laws here in CA. Sorry guys. I was very disappointed that it's gone. Thanks for all the replies. Maybe it will show up again someday.

Sure is a small world! If this is the Big 5 in El Segundo, then I think I'm the "rude Russian" (my last name happens to be Russian) who picked it up. It's the hex Izhevsk 91/30 with double MO markings and ground off Izhevsk crest (barely visible, you have to hold it just right to see it. Likely ground off before it was refurbished, and so was the year), right? Laminated stock? If it's any consolation, it had an issue, which I think I know how to fix, but an issues nevertheless. Couldn't pull out the bolt, the bolt detent doesn't move when the trigger is pulled.

As for the rude part, that's... interesting. I'm pretty much never rude. I can be insulting (wasn't the case here though), but the insults would be delivered in a calm tone and with a smile most of the time (and with a fairly polite choice of words). At worst, in a cold voice. In this case, I was told that I had to buy a lock with the rifle. When I questioned that (I always did the safe affidavit at Big 5 before), I was told that it's the store's policy. When I asked to show me this policy, and when it had changed, the salesperson called some other guy, who told me that it was a federal law and I can look it up at the CA DOJ website. Well, I promptly went to the CA DOJ website (gotta love smartphones), and sure enough, a safe affidavit is perfectly acceptable for long guns. So, after a short further discussion, I filled out the safe affidavit form, as it should've been from the beginning. At no time was I rude (and, in fairness, neither was the salesperson). But I guess, contradicting a gun store employee telling you false information is considered rude by the said employee. How rude of me Oh, and I did mention that gun laws are generally ridiculous, but what they were citing wasn't among them. That is, wasn't what the law said.

[nick]

Ya, scoop it up! Plenty of Mosin collectors out there (myself included) that will pay a little extra for a Mosin with uncommon markings, or lack of markings thereof.

It's not so much the lack of markings as the markings being ground off at some point before the last time it was refurbished. You can still faintly see the top of the crest that's typically at the top of the late 1920's Izhevsk Mosins. The rest, including the year of manufacture, is ground off, and I have a suspicion that the serial number was also ground off and restamped (and then the MO markings were added at some point, since they're in a different font). The combination of that, laminated stock, hex receiver, and a decent bore was enough for me to get it, despite the potential issue I described above and the price.

The other Mosin they had had a pretty bad bore and was a run-of-the-mill Izhevsk. Those were the only Mosins they had.

[cplbuck]

Hello Nick, and may I humbly offer you a HUGE apology for the rude remark. It was the store clerk. Very sorry about that. I'm very happy that the 91/30 found a good home. Thank you very much for letting us all know about the rifle. Mystery solved! So that it what she meant by arguing about gun laws. You are absolutely correct if they insisted you buy a gun lock when you have a safe. I should have known there are always two side to every story. Yes it was the El Segundo store. I took a magnifying glass with me the second time I went to check it out and could not read anything. As some of the others suspected, the markings were ground off. Once you get the grease cleaned off I'd love to hear how it shoots. I passed on it the first time because of the price. I have an M44 and a lot of ammo and man does it kick. I'm really happy to hear that a fellow calgunner picked it up.