13 Facts About Mosin-Nagant – Best Sniper Rifle Ever

Famous Mosin-Nagant M1891, a rifle that served well in the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, members of the Warsaw Pact, the former Soviet republics… It sparked two world wars and countless minor conflicts, and today is used in various official, sporting and hunting activities at all continents…

The M1891 was 1305 mm long, and the rifle barrel was 800 mm long. The rifle was constantly worn by a 500 mm long bayonet. The military authorities at that time considered that the constant wearing of the knife on the rifle contributed to the combat spirit of the soldiers.

The rifle was named after Russian Lieutenant Sergey Ivanovich Mos and Belgian Leon Nagant.

We bring out thirteen interesting facts about best sniper rifle ever…

Fact: At the beginning, rifle was officially called the “Three-line rifle 1891“, thus abolishing the tradition of incorporating the name of the constructor into the name of a weapon. Mosin, for this reason, was deeply offended and in the letters he emphasized that he was the author of all the major parts and assemblies that make up the system. Few years later it was named Mosin-Nagant rifle.

Fact: The first 500.000 of M1891 rifles were ordered from the French Châtellerault factory because the domestic producers did not have the appropriate machines. Domestic weapons departments began to produce it in 1893, and for only three years delivered about a million and a half rifles to army.

Fact: The first time it was mass combat used during the Russo-Japanese War in 1904.

Fact: During the First World War, due to the great need for armament, the Soviets ordered more than a million copies of the Mosin-Nagant rifle from the American Remington factory. Remington produced 750.000 rifles before production was halted by the 1917 October Revolution. Moran than 280.000 rifles have appropriated by US Army.

Fact: A Finnish-produced M/28-30 (produced by SAKO) rifle is version of Mosin-Nagant, used by Simo Häyhä, the best sniper in the world of all time, who killed more than 500 Soviet soldiers during the 1939-40 Winter War. Häyhä used it without a telescopic sight to represent the smallest target for an enemy (with any optical attachment on the sniper head should be above the rifle), he also did not like telescopic sight because there was a risk of clouding due to temperature and the camouflage itself (reflection on optics can give the sniper position).

Fact: The most famous model is M1891/30, the basic infantry weapon of the Red Army from 1930 to 1945. It was adapted model that is used as a sniper rifle. M1891/30 was also used by famous Soviet snipers; Vasily Zaytsev, who killed 225 soldiers and officers of Wehrmacht during Stalingrad Battle (1942 – 1943), and Ivan Sidorenko who killed as many as 500 enemy soldiers also during Stalingrad Battle. The Russian sniper rifle Nazi Germany feared most…

Fact: It is assumed that the Russian snipers killed over 50,000 German troops and officers with this rifle during the Stalingrad Battle.

Fact: During the Korean War, Mosin-Nagant M91/30 was the most numerous rifle of North Korean Army.

Fact: It is still used in various official, sports and hunting activities on all continents. In 2000, it experienced almost incredible reincarnation. Out of the M1891/30 rifle, which was abundant in Russian military stockpiles, the sniper rifle OC 48/OC 48K was developed.

Fact: As a sniper rifle, Mosin-Nagant rifle is the longest in the use of all sniper rifles in the world, over 120 years.

Fact: It is also one of the most massive produced rifles in history. Since 1891, 37 million of Mosin-Nagant rifles were made.

Fact: China introduced Mosin-Nagant rifle in 1927 and is still in use.

Fact: In the US, it is possible to buy Mosin Nagant for an average price of $ 150. It costs around $ 200 on the black market and is one of the cheapest inexpensive rifles that can be used in extreme climatic conditions.