Caliber of a three-line rifle. Military history, weapons, old and military maps

Model 1891 7.62 mm (3-line) rifle

A repeating rifle adopted by the Russian Imperial Army in 1891.

It was actively exploited from 1891 to the end of the Second World War, and was modernized many times during this period.

The name three-ruler comes from the caliber of the rifle barrel, which is equal to three Russian lines (the old measure of length was equal to one tenth of an inch, or 2.54 mm - respectively, three lines are equal to 7.62 mm).

Based on the rifle mod. 1891 and its modifications, a number of models of sporting and hunting weapons, both rifled and smooth-bore, were created.

Creation

In 1889, Sergei Ivanovich Mosin (Russian designer and organizer of small arms production, major general of the Russian army) proposed for a competition a three-line (7.62 mm) rifle, created on the basis of his earlier single-shot rifle, from which the bolt action was taken practically unchanged group and receiver; Some ideas regarding the design of the store were taken from the newest Austro-Hungarian rifle of the Mannlicher system, which was tested in the same year with batch loading of an in-line middle store, which was found to fully comply with all the requirements.

Later, at the end of the same year, the Belgian Leon Nagant also proposed his system for the competition (in the same 1889, it had already lost in the competition to arm the Belgian army with the Mauser rifle). There were three copies of Nagant rifles, all magazine-operated, with a caliber of about 8 mm, although Nagan undertook to produce a rifle with a caliber of 7.62 mm. The Nagant system was considered generally benign, but required some improvement. The Commission's great interest was aroused by a well-designed magazine loaded from clips, reminiscent of the magazine of the Mauser system rifle that had just been adopted in Belgium.

As a result of their testing, as well as comparative tests with the Austrian Mannlicher rifle, it became possible to finally determine the requirements for the new rifle, in modern language - to draw up technical specifications for it. It was decided to adopt a 7.62 mm caliber (three Russian lines), a barrel and a sight based on the Lebel model (but with a change in the direction of the rifling stroke from the left to the right adopted in France), a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt, locked with a separate combat mask (since the replacement cylinders in the event of a breakdown are cheaper than replacing the entire bolt), the magazine is in the middle, permanent, loaded from a frame clip with five cartridges. As a result, in 1889 the commission was renamed the Commission to develop a model of a small-caliber gun.

Since neither the Mosin rifle nor the Nagan rifle fully met these requirements, the designers were asked to create new systems based on them, which, thus, were initially doomed to be largely similar in design, being created on the basis of the same developed by the Commission of the barrel and cartridge, which in a complex determine all the ballistic properties of the weapon, and due to the requirements set out for it, using the same type of bolt and magazine, and having differences only in the specific design of these elements. In fact, Mosin and Nagan were tasked with creating their own versions of bolt groups and magazines for the existing barrel.

At the same time, in 1890, 23 more systems were examined, which, however, did not show any advantages over those already selected for further comparison, Nagant and Mosin.

After the arrival from Belgium of an experimental batch of modified 3-line Nagant rifles, large-scale comparative tests of both systems began in the fall of 1890.

Based on the results of the initial tests, the Nagant rifle showed some advantage, and at the first stage of the competition the Commission voted for it by 14 votes to 10. However, this vote was not decisive, since the first stage of the competition was essentially of an introductory nature. In addition, many members of the commission considered that the tests showed the equivalence of the presented samples - this preliminary assessment of the Mosin design, in their opinion, was associated mainly with the lower quality of finish compared to the Nagan demonstration samples, while the Mosin rifle as a whole was simpler and structurally more reliable. The difference in the quality of finishing was quite natural, taking into account the fact that the Mosin rifles at that time were ordinary prototype weapons made in semi-handicraft conditions, which were at the very early stages of development - while the Nagant rifles presented for comparison with them, made “with amazing precision” and beautifully finished, they represented a further development of the design, which had already been shown at a competition in Belgium and was ready for mass production back in 1889. Moreover, it was written that:

“Taking into account ... that the guns and clips shown by Captain Mosin for experiments were made under extremely unfavorable conditions and, as a result, very inaccurate, while the guns and clips of Nagant, on the contrary, turned out to be made amazingly accurately, Lieutenant General Chebyshev did not find it possible to agree with the conclusion that both tested systems are equally good. In his opinion, in view of the above circumstances, Captain Mosin’s system had a huge advantage.”

Having become more familiar with both systems and the results of military tests (300 Mosin rifles and 300 Nagant rifles were tested), the members of the Commission reconsidered their opinion. During test firing, the Mosin rifles had 217 delays when feeding cartridges from the magazine, and the Nagan - 557, almost three times more. Considering the fact that the competition essentially boiled down to finding the optimal store design, this alone clearly spoke of the advantage of the Mosin system in terms of reliability, despite any “adverse conditions.” In addition, the Commission concluded that:

"... the foreign Nagan's pack guns, compared with the same caps. Mosin, are a more complex mechanism to manufacture... and the cost of each gun will undoubtedly increase."

Moreover, we were talking about more than significant costs: even according to the most conservative estimates, the production of the Nagant system would have resulted in additional costs in the amount of 2 to 4 million gold rubles for the first million rifles produced, that is, 2-4 rubles for each, moreover, that the total amount required to rearm one Russian soldier averaged about 12 rubles. In addition, an additional 3-4 months were required for the development of the design by industry, in the conditions of Russia's already emerging lag behind developed European countries in rearmament with new small arms, despite the fact that the Mosin rifle was already being prepared for production and was specially designed for a high degree of technological continuity with already produced Berdan rifle.

So in 1891, upon completion of military tests, the Commission developed a compromise solution: a rifle was adopted, created on the basis of the Mosin design, but with significant changes and additions, both borrowed from the Nagan design and made taking into account the proposals of the members of the Commission themselves.

From the experimental Mosin rifle, it directly used a locking mechanism bar, a safety cocking device, a bolt, a cut-off reflector, a magazine cover latch, a method of connecting the feeder to the cover, making it possible to disconnect the cover with the feeder from the magazine, a hinged swivel; from the Nagant system - the idea of ​​​​placing a feed mechanism on the magazine door and opening it down, a method of filling the magazine by lowering cartridges from the clip with a finger - therefore, the grooves for the clip in the receiver and, in fact, the cartridge clip itself. The remaining parts were developed by members of the Commission, with the participation of Mosin.

Changes borrowed from the Nagant rifle (the shape of the loading clip, fastening the feed spring to the magazine cover, the shape of the cut-off reflector) somewhat increased the ease of handling the rifle, but even if they were removed they did not deprive it of its functionality. For example, if you completely abandon clip loading, the magazine can be loaded with one cartridge at a time. If you disconnect the feed spring from the magazine cap, cartridges will still feed, although there is a greater risk of losing the spring during cleaning. Thus, the role of these changes is secondary to the purpose and functioning of the weapon and does not provide grounds for refusing to recognize Mosin as the author or to put Nagan’s name in the name of the sample, without mentioning the authors of other, no less important additions than those borrowed from his system .

Probably, the name “Commission rifle of the 1891 model” would most fully reflect the authorship of the design of this rifle, by analogy with the German “Commission rifle” (Kommissionsgewehr) of the 1888 model, also developed at one time by a commission based on the Mannlicher and Mauser systems.

“The new model being manufactured contains parts proposed by Colonel Rogovtsev, the commission of Lieutenant General Chagin, Captain Mosin and gunsmith Nagan, so it is advisable to give the developed model a name: Russian 3-line rifle of the 1891 model.”

On April 16, 1891, Emperor Alexander III approved the model, crossing out the word “Russian”, so the rifle was adopted for service under the name “three-line rifle of the 1891 model.”

Mosin retained the rights to the individual parts of the rifle he created and awarded him the Grand Mikhailov Prize (for outstanding developments in artillery and rifle units).

This was not the first time that a model created on the basis of a specific system with extensive additions was adopted by the Russian army under an impersonal index, without mentioning the name of the author of the original system; for example, a rifle developed on the basis of the Karle system (in the original Russian documentation - Karlya) was adopted in 1867 as a “quick-firing needle rifle of the 1867 model.”

Subsequently, however, opinions began to appear that such a name violated the established tradition of naming small arms models of the Russian army, since the name of the designer was crossed out from the name of the model adopted for service. As a result, in 1924, Mosin’s surname appeared in the name of the rifle.

At the same time, both in the Manual of 1938 and its reprint of 1941, in the brochure for OSOAVIAKHIM in 1941 “The Rifle and Its Use,” and in the Manual of 1954, the rifle (in the version after the modernization of 1930) is simply called “mod. 1891/30,” without mentioning any names, despite the fact that the designations of other models (self-loading rifle and carbine by F.V. Tokarev, submachine guns by G.S. Shpagin and A.I. Sudaev, etc. ) in similar literature were almost always provided with notes like “designs of such and such” or “systems of such and such.” Thus, it is likely that even during this period, the “impersonal” name according to the year of its adoption into service continued to be officially applied to the rifle. In the manual from 1938, the authorship of the rifle is also directly indicated:

"The 7.62-mm rifle model 1891, adopted by the Russian army in 1891, was designed by Captain Mosin together with other members of the commission formed for this purpose."

That is, it also points to the “commission” origin of the rifle’s design, although without directly mentioning individual borrowings from the Nagant system. Abroad, the name Nagan is often placed next to the name Mosin, as well as in the names of the Tokarev-Colt and Makarov-Walter pistols.

Design and principle of operation

Barrel and receiver

The rifle barrel is rifled (4 rifling, curling from left to top to right). Early samples have a trapezoidal rifling shape. Later, when they were convinced that the metal of the bullet was not enveloping the barrel, the simplest rectangular one was used. The caliber of the barrel, measured as the distance between the opposite fields of the rifling, is nominally equal to 7.62 mm, or 3 Russian lines (in reality, as shown by measurements carried out on a large number of rifles of different years of production and varying degrees of preservation, - 7.62 ... 7.66 mm). The rifling caliber is 7.94…7.96 mm.

At the rear of the barrel there is a chamber with smooth walls, designed to accommodate the cartridge when fired. It is connected to the rifled part of the barrel using a bullet entrance. A factory mark is placed above the chamber, allowing identification of the manufacturer and year of manufacture of the rifle.

At the back, onto the threaded stump of the barrel, the receiver is tightly screwed, which serves to house the bolt. A magazine box with a feed mechanism, a cut-off reflector and a trigger mechanism are attached to it, in turn.

Magazine box and reflector cut-off

The magazine box (magazine) is used to accommodate 4 cartridges and a feed mechanism. It has cheeks, a square, a trigger guard and a cover on which the feed mechanism is mounted.

The cartridges in the magazine are placed in one row, in such a position that their edges do not interfere with the feed, which is why the shape of the magazine is unusual by modern standards.

The cut-off reflector is controlled by the movement of the bolt and serves to separate the cartridges fed from the magazine box into the receiver, preventing possible delays in feeding caused by the edges of the cartridges engaging each other, and also plays the role of a reflector of spent cartridges. Before the modernization of 1930, it was a single part, after which it consisted of a blade with a reflective protrusion and a spring part.

The reflector cut-off is considered one of the key parts of the rifle design introduced by Mosin, ensuring the reliability and trouble-free operation of the weapon in any conditions. At the same time, its very presence was caused by the use of outdated cartridges with a rim, which were not very convenient for feeding from a magazine.

However, even the magazines of the Lee system, adopted for the English Lee-Metford and Lee-Enfield rifles, which also used a cartridge with a rim, did not have a cut-off reflector, instead of which the magazine had spring jaws on top and a diamond-shaped profile, thanks to which the cartridges were placed in it so that the edge of the upper cartridge stood in front of the edge of the next one, and their engagement was excluded (herringbone). It was this scheme that later became generally accepted for magazines chambered for welted (having a rim) cartridges.

Trigger

The trigger mechanism consists of a trigger, a trigger spring, which also serves as a sear, a screw and a pin. The rifle's trigger is long, quite tight and without “warning” - that is, the trigger stroke is not divided into two stages with different forces.

The bolt of a rifle is used to send a cartridge into the chamber, lock the bore at the moment of firing, fire a shot, and remove a spent cartridge case or misfired cartridge from the chamber.

It consists of a stem with a comb and a handle, a combat cylinder, an ejector, a trigger, a firing pin, a mainspring and a connecting strip. On a sniper rifle, the bolt handle is elongated and bent downwards to improve the convenience of reloading the weapon and the ability to install an optical sight.

The bolt contains a firing pin and a coiled cylindrical mainspring. The mainspring is compressed when the bolt is unlocked by turning the handle; when locked, the firing pin cocking rests on the sear. It is possible to cock the firing pin manually with the bolt closed; to do this, you need to pull the trigger back (in this case, the trigger is the tip screwed onto the shank of the firing pin). To engage the safety, the trigger must be pulled back as far as it will go and turned counterclockwise.

Stock, receiver

The stock connects the parts of the weapon; it consists of a forearm, a neck and a butt. The Mosin rifle stock is solid, made of birch or walnut wood. The neck of the stock is straight, more durable and suitable for bayonet fighting, although less comfortable when shooting than the semi-pistol necks of many later models. Since 1894, a separate part was introduced - a barrel guard, which covers the barrel from above, protecting it from damage, and the shooter's hands from burns. The butt of the dragoon modification is somewhat narrower, and the forend is thinner than the infantry modification.

The stock and receiver are attached to the weapon mechanisms using two screws and two stock rings with ring springs. The stock rings are split on most rifles and blind on the Dragoon model. 1891.

Sights

Consisted of a sight and front sight.

The sight is stepped on the rifle mod. 1891, sector on a rifle mod. 1891/30. Consists of an aiming bar with a clamp, an aiming block and a spring.

On a rifle mod. 1891, the sight was graduated in hundreds of steps. There were two rear sights on the sighting bar: one was used when shooting at 400, 600, 800, 1,000 and 1,200 steps, and the second, for the use of which it was necessary to raise the aiming bar to a vertical position, at a distance from 1,300 to 3,200 steps . There were also two versions of the frame sight: the original version, used until 1910 and designed for a heavy bullet, and the modernized one, with a Konovalov system rail, designed for a light, pointed “offensive” bullet of the mod. 1908. On a rifle mod. 1891/30, the sight is marked up to a distance of 2,000 meters; a single rear sight can be set to any position from 50 to 2,000 m in 50 m increments.

The front sight is placed on the barrel near the muzzle. At arr. 1891/30 received a ring ear muff.

In 1932, serial production of the sniper rifle mod. 1891/31 (GAU Index - 56-V-222A), distinguished by improved quality of processing of the barrel bore, the presence of an optical sight PE, PB or PU and a bolt handle bent down.

Serves to destroy the enemy in hand-to-hand combat. It has a tetrahedral blade with fullers, a tube with a stepped slot and a spring latch that attaches the bayonet to the barrel, and a neck connecting them.

The rifle was brought into normal combat with a bayonet, that is, when firing it had to be fixed, otherwise the point of impact would shift significantly and at a relatively long distance it became almost impossible to hit anything with the weapon without a new reduction to normal combat. When shooting with a bayonet at a distance of 100 m, the average point of impact (MPO) on a rifle reduced to normal combat without it deviates to the left by 6-8 cm and downward by 8-10 cm, which is compensated by the new reduction to normal combat.

In general, the bayonet had to be on the rifle essentially constantly, including during storage and on the march, with the exception of movement by rail or road, in light of which it was very practical that its edges were not sharpened, like knife-shaped bayonets, since, with the established method of carrying, this could create significant inconvenience when using the weapon and cause injuries when handling it.

The manual prescribed that the bayonet should be removed, in addition to the cases noted above, only when disassembling the rifle for cleaning, and it was assumed that it could be difficult to remove due to its constant presence on the weapon.

The sharpened tip of the bayonet was used as a screwdriver during complete disassembly.

Until 1930, there was no spring latch; instead, the bayonet was attached to the barrel using a bayonet clamp; the shape of the blade was also slightly different. Practice has shown that over time such a connection is prone to loosening. In 1930, the mounting method was changed, but rifles were still shot with bayonets. Some of the modernized rifles also had a bayonet with a namusnik (an early version); later they began to make a namusnik on the rifle itself.

Carbine arr. 1944 had an integral switch bayonet of Semin’s own design. The carbines are zeroed with the bayonet in the firing position.

An interesting fact is that the sniper version of the Mosin rifle also had a bayonet, and it was set extremely tightly. In this case, it served as a muzzle weight, which significantly reduced the vibration of the barrel when fired, which had a positive effect on the accuracy of the battle. The slightest loosening of the mount, which was not uncommon on conventional rifles in the infantry, on the contrary, had a negative effect on the combat of the rifle.

Rifle Accessory

Each rifle was supplied with an accessory consisting of a wiper, a screwdriver, a muzzle pad for cleaning the barrel, a ramrod coupling, a pin, a bristle brush, an oil can with two compartments - for a solution for cleaning barrels and oil, as well as a gun belt.

Operating principle

To load a rifle you need:

1.Turn the shutter handle to the left;
2. Pull the bolt back all the way;
3.Insert the clip into the grooves of the receiver; drown the cartridges and throw away the clip;
4.Move the bolt forward;
5.Turn the shutter handle to the right.
After this, the rifle is immediately ready to fire a shot, for which the shooter only has to pull the trigger. To fire the next shot, repeat steps 1, 2, 4 and 5. Four cartridges from the clip are fed into the magazine, and the top one remains in the receiver, separated from the rest by a cut-off blade, and when the bolt is closed, it is sent to the chamber.

Incomplete disassembly of the rifle

1.Remove the bolt, for which, while holding the trigger pressed, turn the handle up to the left and pull back all the way.
2.Remove the bayonet.
3.Unscrew and remove the cleaning rod.
4. Separate the lid of the magazine box.
5.Disassemble the shutter.

Operating countries

Russian empire
-Kingdom of Montenegro - on May 24, 1898, 30 thousand rifles and 12 million cartridges were delivered to Montenegro, on July 20, 1909, another 10 thousand rifles and 17.5 million cartridges were delivered on the steamer "Petersburg"; by the beginning of the First World War, rifles were in service with the army
-Ethiopia - in 1912, several thousand rifles were purchased for the army
-Bulgaria - after the creation of the Balkan Union in the spring of 1912, during 1912 50,000 rifles were delivered to the Bulgarian army; as of October 14, 1915, at the time of Bulgaria's entry into the First World War, there were 46,056 rifles in service; these and captured rifles were used during the First World War; after September 9, 1944, they were supplied from the USSR
-Mongolia - 10,000 rifles delivered in 1913
-Kingdom of Serbia - in 1914, an agreement was concluded for the supply of 120 thousand rifles and 120 million cartridges, the first batch of 50 thousand rifles arrived in August 1914, before the outbreak of the First World War, and in total it took until August 16, 1914 for the Serbian army to receive 113 thousand rifles and 93 million rounds of ammunition

Austria-Hungary - captured rifles were used during the First World War, 45,000 units. were converted to a standard 8-mm rifle cartridge, the rest were used in front-line units along with captured cartridges
-German Empire - captured rifles, due to the shortage of domestic rifles in the German army, were used during the First World War and were adopted by the German Navy
-USA - rifles of “Russian order”, not delivered to Russia until the end of the civil war under the name U.S. Rifle, 7.62 mm, Model of 1916 was used as a training weapon in the army, including in student training centers (SATC) and reserve officer training centers (ROTC), and were in service with individual units of the US National Guard.
-USSR - in service from the creation of the Red Army until the end of the Great Patriotic War; After the war, a huge number of rifles were transferred to DOSAAF, and were used for shooting training and in basic military training classes.

Estonia - after the declaration of independence in 1918, rifles of the Russian army were used to arm the Estonian army, border police and other Estonian paramilitary forces. After the end of the War of Independence, a certain amount was transferred to the Defense League. The rifles remained in service until Estonia joined the USSR in July 1940 (later they were transferred to units of the 22nd Corps of the Red Army).
-Poland - was in service in the 1920s, in the 1920s-1930s wz modifications were made. 91/98/23, wz. 91/98/25 and wz. 91/98/26 for 7.92x57 mm ammunition, in 1941-1942. were in service with Anders' Army
-Finland - rifles were in service with the Finnish army from the beginning of its creation, in the 1920s there were deliveries from Germany; were in service at least until the end of World War II, modernized versions of M/24, M/27, M/28, M/28-30, M/39 were produced
-Mongolian People's Republic
-Second Spanish Republic
-PRC - used during the Chinese Civil War, the carbine model 1944 was produced under the name “type 53”
-Third Reich - captured rifles entered service with auxiliary and security police forces. Rifles model 1891 entered service under the name Gewehr 252(r), and rifles model 1891. 1891/30 - under the name Gewehr 254(r); from the autumn of 1944, rifles entered service with Volkssturm units

Czechoslovakia - in service with the 1st Czechoslovak Army Corps, and then other units of the Czechoslovak Army
-Poland - since 1943 in service with the 1st Polish Infantry Division, and then other units of the Polish Army; in addition, after the end of the war, the model 1944 carbine was produced in small batches at an arms factory in the city of Radom under the name wz. 44
-Yugoslavia - in 1944 they were supplied to the NOAU
-Hungarian People's Republic - the rifle was in service under the name 48 M. puska; In addition, the model 1944 carbine was produced in small batches in 1952-1955. at the Budapest Arsenal
-GDR
-Vietnam

DPRK
-Belarus - the rifle was withdrawn from service in December 2005
-Kazakhstan - rifles and carbines mod. 38/44 are in service with departmental security, as well as certain categories of employees of the system of production association of hunting, fishing and zoological enterprises (PO Okhotzooprom) of the state concern Kazmestprom
-Russia - carbines are in service with departmental security, paramilitary and guard units of private security of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "Security" of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation
-Ukraine - as of August 15, 2011, the Ministry of Defense had 180,000 rifles mod. 1891/30 and 2500 carbines mod. 1944; carbines are in service with the state security service

As of early 2011, a large number of rifles (mostly supplied in the post-World War II period) were being used by armed paramilitary groups in Africa.

Modifications

Civil options

In the USSR, conversion carbines KO-8.2 (based on the Mosin rifle), KO-38 (based on the carbine model 1938) and KO-44 (based on the carbine model 1944) were produced.

In Russia, at the Tula Arms Plant, the production of conversion carbines model 1944 KO-44 and KO-44-1 continued, and production of conversion versions of the rifle model 1944 also began. 1891/30 - KO-91/30 (Vyatsko-Polyansky Machine-Building Plant “Molot”) and MR-143 (Izhevsk Mechanical Plant). Conversion versions of the rifle mod. 1891/30 practically do not differ from the original army rifle - all the differences boil down to a trace-forming pin installed in the barrel bore to meet forensic requirements and a forensic mark in the chamber, as well as the absence of a bayonet.

In addition, in 2005, production of the VPO-103 conversion carbine chambered for the 9x53 mm R cartridge began.

In recent decades, Mosin rifles sold from the warehouses of the armed forces, due to the ratio of price and characteristics, have gained great popularity in the civilian weapons market in many countries around the world, including Russia and the United States.

According to the largest American online weapons store, Bud’s Gun Shop, the Mosin rifle took first place in sales in 2012 among all types of small arms authorized for sale to the US population. In the list of 20 top sellers, the Model 1891/30 rifle is the third oldest in service in the world. Only two types of the “police” model of the Smith-Wesson revolver are older than the age of adoption (ranked 11th and 19th in the popularity list). The cost of rifles and carbines of the 1891/30 model is about $100. Delivery from former USSR mobilization reserves. The set includes a bayonet, belt, bandolier and accessories.

Sports modifications

After the war in the USSR, based on the design of the “three-line” bolt and receiver, several variants of sporting rifles for target shooting were created:

Created in 1959, designer A. S. Shesterikov.

It was mass-produced from 1961 to 1970, with a total of 1,700 units assembled. In 1963, the rifle was awarded a gold medal at the international exhibition in Leipzig.

It was produced from 1964 to 1970, created due to the fact that since 1963 biathletes switched to using 6.5 mm cartridges.

-AB Target Rifle (Army Rifle)

It had a weighted barrel of especially precise processing with a length of 720 mm, a more convenient bolt handle bent downward, a diopter sight and an optical mount, and a more comfortable stock. AB had an accuracy of about 3x2 cm at a distance of 100 m with a target cartridge (according to technical conditions; in reality, the accuracy of many samples was significantly better, modern shooting shows an accuracy of about 0.5 MOA with the “Extra” cartridge from 5 shots from a bipod at 200 m ), which in theory made it possible to use it as a “police” sniper rifle. After the removal of the corresponding discipline from the Olympic Games program at the end of the 1970s, the few copies of the AB rifle were mostly disposed of, although at least one surviving sample is known, albeit significantly altered. In September 1999, a SBU sniper pair competed in sniper competitions with a modified AB rifle. At least one sample of the AB rifle is in the SDYUSTSH "ROSTO" weapons store, Ulyanovsk.

A sports modification of the rifle with a match barrel, created and continues to be produced since 2003 in a piece version by the Vyatsko-Polyansky plant "Molot"

TTX

Weight, kg: 4.5
-Length, mm: with / without bayonet: 1738 / 1306 (infantry), 1500 / 1232 (dragoon and model 1891/30), - / 1020 (carbine)
-Barrel length, mm: 800 (infantry), 729 (dragoon and model 1891/30), 510 (carbine)
-Cartridge: 7.62x54 mm R
-Caliber, mm: 7.62
-Operating principles: sliding shutter
-Rate of fire, rounds/min: 10
-Initial bullet speed, m/s: 865-870
-Sighting range, m: 2000 m
-Type of ammunition: integral magazine for five rounds, loaded with clips
-Sight: open or optical

At the end of the 19th century, the Russian Empire was in dire need of effective small arms, the production of which could be quickly launched on its own. During the tests, it was decided to supply the army with a three-line rifle, the creation of the brilliant Russian designer Sergei Ivanovich Mosin.

This “three-line” is now known as the Mosin rifle. And in those distant times, senior management crossed out the name of the inventor, as they modified the original model, adding some solutions from a foreign competing model. But one cannot deny the amazing simplicity and reliability of the resulting “three-line”.

The history of the Mosin rifle

Its design turned out to be so successful that it allowed it to serve the imperial and then Soviet armies until the mid-20th century, even during the Great Patriotic War.

The Russian three-line Mosin rifle is one of the first examples of Russian weapons adopted by the Russian army. Few models of small arms can boast such a rich history of use in military conflicts.

The rifle had its baptism of fire in 1900, when it took part in the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion in China. It was already used quite widely in the Russo-Japanese War, and later on the fronts of the First World War.

The design and quickly expanded production made it possible to create many types of weapons. Over time, the necessary improvements were applied.

Thus, the “three-line” reached the battlefields of the Soviet-Finnish conflict, and then the most difficult, bloody battles of the terrible Second World War. But the history of the creation of such a successful weapon was not simple.

At the end of the 19th century, the Russian Empire began testing its own models of small rifles. At that time there was one, which made it possible to change the design of the cartridge, making it more compact and reliable.

Thus began the era of multi-charged weapons.

At the end of all tests, the Russian military leadership had to choose between the two remaining models:

• Belgian repeating rifle designed by Leon Nagant;
• Domestic model of Sergei Ivanovich Mosin.

It must be said that the majority of soldiers and generals gave a clear preference to the foreign model. In fact, Nagant's brainchild was distinguished by high shooting accuracy and a large magazine.

But during the final tests, it misfired twice as many times as the Russian model. Another important quality that determined the future fate of the Mosin rifle, which became a legend, was its relative simplicity and ease of production.

In the Russian Empire, they compromised with the military and introduced improvements to the mass version of the army “three-line”. Now Mosin's weapon received a magazine from the Belgian model.

Because of this, contrary to global trends, the new Russian rifle did not receive the name of the creator, but was simply called a three-line rifle. It became popular among the people as a “three-line” (3 lines according to the old Russian system of measure is 0.3 inches, which is equal to 7.62 mm - the caliber of the new rifle).

The rifle received the name of its creator only when the Soviet leadership decided to rename the most popular small arms in its army. This was in 1930 after a number of modernizations.

However, the prevalence of the “three-line” is also typical for Western countries. It is known that at first Russia could not produce a sufficient number of small arms on its own. To do this, they resorted to the help of French factories.

Also during the First World War, some orders were given to American manufacturers, but the plans were disrupted due to the outbreak of the revolution. Known as the “Mosin-Nagant rifle,” the samples that were not purchased by the Russian side were sold to private owners in the United States.

Design and device

Many technical features of the “three-line” are due to the genius of the great Russian designer - Sergei Ivanovich Mosin. Proof of the simplicity and genius of the weapon is the fact that even now the rifle is successfully used, although mainly for hunting or as collector's items.

S.I. Mosin connected his entire life with the development and production of small arms. Of course, the creation of the rifle that made him famous was not carried out by him alone. But it was this designer who made the most valuable contribution. By the way, he was very upset that his brainchild was not initially named after him.

Mosin was born in the Voronezh region in the village of Ramon. I received a brilliant education. First he studied at the military and artillery school, then at the artillery academy. In 1875, Sergei Ivanovich began his career in Tula, known as the arms capital of Russia.

He quickly became the head of the tool workshop. In 1894, Mosin's genius was noticed, and the designer began to manage an entire plant in the city of Sestroretsk.

Soon he developed a famous rifle for the Russian army. The operation scheme of the “three-line” developed by Mosin was not very complicated.

Many processes were carried out mechanically, so the final model adopted for service was very reliable.

The shutter mechanism is structurally simple. The barrel is rifled, includes 4 rifling, running from left to top to right. At the rear of the barrel is the chamber. The factory mark can be found above the chamber. It is usually used to initiate the creation date of the “three-line” and the manufacturing plant.

One of the key design solutions of the rifle is considered to be a cut-off reflector, which ensured uninterrupted operation of the weapon. The technique Mosin used was a necessity due to the use of outdated rimmed cartridges.

To eliminate snags on the edges of the cartridge cases when feeding the cartridge into the barrel, he used special cut-offs and an original magazine shape.

By the way, English engineers used technology for manufacturing magazines where the cartridges were arranged in a herringbone pattern. This also prevented the cartridges from clinging to each other. It must be said that it was their developments that formed the basis for the production of most small arms of that time.

The “three-ruler” trigger mechanism consists of a trigger and a spring. The bolt sends the cartridge into the chamber, closes the barrel during the shot and ensures the ejection of the spent cartridge case. It consists of a striker and a coil spring.

The rifle used a stepped sight. The stock, consisting of a forearm, neck and butt, was most often made of birch, but in some cases of hazel.

In terms of technical characteristics, many models of that time differed little from each other.

• Caliber - 7.62 mm;
• Weight including bayonet - 4.5 kg;
• Length with bayonet - 166 cm (with bayonet removed 114 cm);
• 4-round magazine.

What cartridges are suitable?

The cartridge for the “three-line” was developed by the Russian engineer Veltishchev. In his work, he used the cartridge for the French Lebel rifle as a basis. The bullet became blunt-pointed and shell-like. The sleeve was distinguished by a protruding bottle-shaped edge. The charge used smokeless powder.

It is interesting that the rim used in the sleeve was already part of an outdated production technology at that time. But the development of the military industry in Russia was at a low level, and the production of such cartridges required less technology.

It was only in 1908 that so-called “offensive” or pointed bullets began to be used for the Mosin rifle. This was preceded by years of foreign intelligence work, because the Germans developed and tested a new type of bullet back in 1905.

After long tests, it became clear that the pointed bullet was a real breakthrough in military affairs, since its performance was almost twice the range and speed of previous models.

Again, the economic component came first here. At first, the budget for innovation was so small that in the factory they changed the geometry of already produced blunt bullets.

The use of new cartridges required a number of upgrades to the existing rifle model. So, in 1910, the army began to receive a “three-line” with an installed Konovalov sight.

Advantages and disadvantages of the rifle

In 1891 - we can say that this is the date of birth of the Mosin rifle - three types of this weapon were adopted by the Russian army: infantry, dragoon and Cossack “three-line”. They differed from each other in the length of the barrel, and the Cossack version lacked a bayonet. The entire internal structure remained the same.

Like any small arms, the new model also had a number of advantages, but also serious disadvantages.

The “three-ruler” was distinguished by its simplicity and ease of use. Many Russian weapons have always been famous for their reliability. And uninterrupted operation sometimes directly depends on the simplicity of the design.

Mosin's brainchild could be easily disassembled and cleaned, including in the field.

The point of the bayonet was specially made flat to be used as a screwdriver.

Assembling the “three-line” in the factory was also easy. Domestic factories were quickly reoriented to meet new demands, so new small arms were produced in large volumes.

But the “three-line” was not an ideal weapon from the very beginning. The real scourge was the inability to aim effectively. The Russian soldier is, of course, unpretentious, and over time many ideas have appeared that are distinguished by their ingenuity.

But it was in the factory samples that the much-needed front sight was added only before the Second World War, in one of the last modifications of the “three-line”.

The most important disadvantage of the Mosin rifle was the need to always keep the bayonet in a firing position.

Firstly, it was completely inconvenient in limited space. For example, in the trenches or in the forest. The rifle became bulky and inconvenient, constantly clinging to branches or other external objects, which in combat conditions could lead to unnecessary waste of time.

Secondly, the bayonet interfered with aiming. If it was removed in advance (and some fighters did this), then the balance of the barrel was disrupted to such an extent that it became impossible to conduct aimed shooting. In essence, firing turned into shots at random.

Thirdly, with long-term use of the “three-ruler”, the bayonet mount gradually wore out, became loose and again led to imbalance of the barrel. This also had a negative impact on shooting accuracy.

The first samples of the rifle had another bad feature. The top of the barrel was open along its entire length, and the design did not include the use of barrel linings. Only much later did they begin to install wooden pads that protected the soldier’s hands and face from powder fumes, which previously often caused burns.

It is worth noting that the popularity of the improved Soviet rifle was ensured by domestic propaganda. In fact, it was not ideal and did not, as was claimed, surpass many foreign models.

Mosin rifle modifications

The legendary “three-line” was so popular in the Russian and then Soviet army that the appearance of its various modifications is a completely natural phenomenon. Perhaps the most successful improvement to the rifle was the sniper model, which appeared in 1931.

The Mosin sniper rifle allowed targeted fire at a range of 1000-1300 meters. A 3.5x optical sight was installed to help the sniper. The installed optics did not allow constructively to provide a clip for five cartridges, which was installed on all production samples.

So a significant drawback of the sniper version was the ability to conduct only single fire.

After each shot a reload was required.

Only the best soldiers were recruited into sniper squads. After completing training, they received a Mosin sniper rifle, which could be produced in two versions. The first did not involve any improvements to the barrel. In fact, the standard “three-line” was simply equipped with a front sight and optics.

The second option was distinguished by modified characteristics of the intra-trunk space. This allowed for improved accuracy and range. But there were few such samples.

Interestingly, the “three-line” snipers were also equipped with a bayonet, which was attached more tightly and served more as a weighting agent for the barrel. During the tests, it became clear that, indeed, the bayonet in the combat position has a good effect on the accuracy of fire.

During the Great Patriotic War, handicraft modifications were very popular - the so-called sawn-off shotguns of the Mosin rifle. Most often they were used by partisans. They were made easily: they sawed off part of the barrel and butt. The weapon became compact, but the already low shooting accuracy became even worse.

At the end of the 20th century, the armed forces received an order to design a budget sniper model for the needs of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Tula residents took Mosin’s famous “three-line” as a basis.

After modernizing the trigger mechanism, adding a cheek and butt, and an additional handle, the result was a compact but inconvenient sniper model. A small batch of these rifles can still be found at the department’s disposal.

Myths about “three-rulers”

The most famous and sad myth about the Mosin rifle can be called the history of the Second World War. During the tragic days of the Battle of Stalingrad, the shortage of weapons was so acute that one soldier sometimes received a clip, and another a “three-ruler.”

Later it became known that there were enough weapons, but many warehouses were not far from the border and were captured by the enemy in a matter of days at the beginning of the war. This sloppiness cost the country millions of dead.

Another story connected with the very beginning of the path of the legendary weapon happened with the creator of the rifle, S.I. Mosin. It is known that the French, having learned about some of the wonderful solutions that the designer included in his brainchild, offered him about a million francs for the project.

But Sergei Ivanovich showed patriotism and brought the development to completion, donating the “three-line” to his homeland.

Later, however, it turned out that Mosin himself received only 30 thousand rubles as gratitude. While Nagan, whose clip was added to the rifle, the Russian side paid 200 thousand.

They say that this fact greatly upset the Russian designer. He even wrote letters to management in the hope of receiving at least a commensurate reward, but everything turned out to be in vain.

Conclusion

The Mosin rifle is a wonderful example of a simple and reliable weapon for a Russian soldier. It surprisingly intertwines light but very original ideas.

Of course, not everything about it turned out to be ideal. The legendary “three-line” can hardly be called an impeccable small arms. But one thing is clear - its ease of use has allowed the country to protect its borders and interests more than once.

The importance of the Mosin rifle is easy to understand by the fact that it is still used by private collectors and hunters. Few weapons can boast of more than a century-long history of use, but the “three-line” is certainly one of them.

Video

The Mosin rifle, also known as the famous "three-line rifle", was the main weapon of the 1917 revolution, as well as the Great Patriotic War. It is the Mosin rifle of the 1891 model that is rightfully considered one of the most famous examples of Russian weapons. The Tsar's "three-line" took part in the Russian-Japanese war, and then in the First World War.

The Russian “three-line”, created at the end of the 19th century, remained an effective and reliable weapon for a soldier for many decades. It became one of the first domestic models adopted by the army. Today, Mosin rifles can often be seen in museums and private collections. There are not only Russian modifications of the rifle, but also those made abroad. The design and technical characteristics have changed a little, but the principle of the weapon remains the same.

The Mosin rifle was developed during the rise of technology and science, when the advent of smokeless powder made it possible to switch to smaller calibers. And thanks to the development of weapons technology, it became possible to create a replacement for the single-shot system - a magazine-fed system.

Naturally, Russia also participated in the process of weapons development.

• As a result, the Russian army was presented with two magazine-type rifle systems to choose from - the Belgian Leon Nagant, as well as the domestic one by Captain S.I. Mosin. Tests demonstrated that the Belgian rifle was generally better than the Russian one. But senior management took into account that:
• the Belgian rifle had twice as many misfires;

the Russian rifle was cheaper and easier to produce. The generals ultimately compromised: the Mosin rifle was adopted by the Russian army in 1891, but it was equipped with a 5-round Nagant magazine. Along with the rifle, a new three-line cartridge (7.62 mm) was also adopted. The rifle was designated “three-line,” and the soldiers nicknamed the weapon “three-line.” Name three-ruler

comes from the caliber of a rifle barrel, which is three lines (an obsolete measure of length equal to one tenth of an inch or 2.54 mm) This weapon was renamed Mosin only in Soviet times after modernization in 1930.

The Russian three-line rifle has always been called “Mosin-Nagan” abroad.

Inventor of the “three-line”

Sergei Mosin was born in the village of Ramon, Voronezh region. He graduated from the military and artillery school, artillery academy. In 1875, Mosin became the head of the tool workshop of the arms factory in Tula. By 1880, he was already developing single-shot rifles and was an expert in gunsmithing. In 1894, Mosin became the head of the Sestroretsk arms factory.

Cartridges for Mosin carbine

The cartridge was created by the Russian designer Veltishchev by analogy with the French cartridge from the Lebel rifle, caliber 8x56 mm R. It used:

1. blunt-pointed jacket bullets;
2. smokeless powder charge;
3. a sleeve with a protruding bottle-shaped rim.

The mechanism of a sleeve with a rim, which is already outdated, was adopted due to the low level of development of Russian industry - the applied tolerances in this case are less strict.

Adoption of the Mosin rifle into service

Weapons of the 1891 model (caliber 7.62)wasacceptedfor service in three versions (in fact, they were distinguished only by the barrel length):

1. Infantry rifle - the longest bayonet and barrel.

2. Dragoon (cavalry) rifle - the barrel length is shorter, and the method of attaching the belt has been changed.

3. Cossack rifle – there was no bayonet and a shorter barrel.

The bayonet for the rifle was adopted from a model that was already slightly outdated by that time - tetrahedral needle-shaped, with a tubular coupling attached to the barrel. The bayonet had a square cross-section with small fullers on the sides; when disassembling the weapon, the tip, sharpened to a plane, could be used as a screwdriver.

The main drawback of the system, which was corrected only in 1938, was that the bayonet had to always be worn in a combat position, attached to the rifle; disassembly was not intended. "Three-line" guns (except for the Cossack one) were aimed with a fixed bayonet. If the bayonet was disassembled and removed, the balance of the weapon was upset - the bullets flew past the target. In addition, over time, the fastenings of the bayonets led to loosening, and shooting accuracy deteriorated.

Early weapons were distinguished by the absence of barrel linings, as well as by a barrel that was open at the top along its entire length. Since 1894, wooden top pads have been used to protect the shooter’s hands from burns. At the time the weapons were put into service, Russian enterprises could not yet begin producing new rifles, so the initial order was placed in France, in the city of Chatellerault.

Only in 1893-94 the rifle went into mass production at the Sestroretsk arms factory near St. Petersburg, and a little later - in Izhevsk and Tula. During the First World War, rifles had to be ordered from the United States to make up for front-line losses.

Technical characteristics of the Mosin rifle

Mosin rifle model 1891/1930. is a bolt action repeating rifle with a twist lock.

Specifications:

• Caliber - 7.62 mm
• Total weight without cartridges with bayonet - 4.5 kg
• The total length without bayonet is 114 cm
• Total length with bayonet is 166 cm
• The shape of the rifling is rectangular
• Number of grooves - 4
• Magazine capacity - 5 rounds
• The weight of the clip including cartridges is 122-132 g.

Shooting can be carried out with standard cartridges with heavy and light bullets, as well as with incendiary, tracer and armor-piercing bullets.

Device

The operation scheme of the Mosin rifle is based on the following design solutions:

1. The barrel is locked onto two lugs by a longitudinally sliding rotary bolt behind the receiver. The stops are located in the front part of the bolt; when locked, they are located in a horizontal plane.
2. The firing pin is cocked, as well as cocked, when the bolt is opened.
3. The shutter mechanism is simple in design. The reloading handle is located in the middle of the bolt.
4. Instead of a fuse, a trigger head (striker) is used, located behind the bolt.
5. The bolt is easily removed from the receiver without tools.
6. The magazine is box-shaped, with a single-row arrangement of cartridges, integral. Due to the fact that the lower cover of the magazine is hinged, cleaning the magazine and quick unloading is simplified. The magazine is loaded with one cartridge at a time when the bolt is open through the upper window of the receiver or from plate clips for 5 rounds.
7. Due to the peculiarities of the magazine, the design has a special part - a cut-off, which blocks the second and lower cartridges in the magazine when the upper one is fed into the barrel.
8. The mechanism involves turning off the cutoff if the bolt is completely closed, this makes it possible for the next cartridge to rise to the feed line.

Disassembling the rifle due to its manufacturability was not difficult.

The sniper rifle was adopted by the Red Army in 1931. Only the best fighters who had undergone special training were allowed to shoot from it.

The Mosin sniper rifle is perfect for precision shots at long-range single targets. Firing accuracy with an optical sight was ensured at a range of 100-1300 meters. However, due to the optical sight, it was impossible to design the rifle for loading with a clip—you had to insert one cartridge at a time.

The visibility was acceptable, the scope provided 3.5x magnification. Accuracy was ensured with the help of an aiming stump, as well as an aiming thread perpendicular to it.

The bolt handle was modernized; it was lengthened and bent down so that when reloading the bolt handle would not rest against the sight. For this reason, the rifle was loaded only with single cartridges, since the clip could no longer be inserted into the grooves. The rifle also has mounts for optical sights. Trigger sensitivity was reduced from 2.4 to 2 kg. The sniper rifle did not provide for the use of a bayonet. Its trunk narrowed at the exit cut by 2-3% (the so-called “choke”). The bullet in such a barrel was better centered and the bullet was “spitted out” rather than ejected.

Rifle specifications:

• caliber 7.62 mm;
• weight 4.27 kg;
• initial bullet speed 865 m/s;
• length 1230 mm;
• magazine capacity 5 rounds;
• sighting range 1300-2000 m;
• rate of fire 10 rounds per minute;
• manual loading type.

Sight characteristics:

• magnification 3.5x;
• exit pupil diameter 6 mm;
• field of view 4° 30′;
• the exit pupil distance from the surface of the eyepiece lens is 72 mm;
• resolving power 17″;
• sight length 169 mm;
• sight weight 0.270 kg.

Advantages and disadvantages of the rifle

For decades, the Mosin rifle was praised by Soviet propaganda as the best weapon, superior to other examples of its class. But it must be admitted that she was not ideal in all respects.

Advantages of the rifle:

1. cheap and easy to manufacture and maintain;
2. accessible to poorly trained and illiterate soldiers;
3. durable and reliable;
4. had good ballistic qualities for its time.

Disadvantages of the rifle:

1. a bayonet of an outdated design, permanently attached to the rifle;
2. the horizontal bolt handle was not very convenient when reloading and carrying weapons;
3. The bolt handle is located far from the neck of the butt - this contributed to the confusion of the sight and slowed down reloading.

In general, the Mosin rifle is a typical example of the Russian weapons idea, when ergonomics and ease of use were sacrificed for ease of use and production, reliability and low cost.

Video about the Mosin rifle

Shooting from a Mosin sniper rifle

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The Mosin rifle, also known as the “Three-Ruler”, has been the main light small arms of the Russian army since 1891, and throughout the first half of the 19th century, until 1965. Considered one of the "weapons of victory" of World War II.

Despite the fact that this rifle was invented more than a century ago, it is still in use today. The well-thought-out design allows it to be widely used not only in sporting competitions, but also for purely practical purposes: for the harshest realities of hunting in Russia.

“Three-ruler” was named for its caliber. The length of the cartridge used in the weapon is 7.62 mm, or three “lines” - the old length measures, one tenth of an inch (2.54 mm).

Three lines = 3*0.1 inches = 3*1 “line” = 7.62mm.

She became famous because of three important indicators:

1. Reliability. The rifle's bolt is simple and easy to handle; it can be disassembled in a few minutes using the key supplied with the rifle. Does not require special knowledge or skills. At its core, the bolt part of the Mosin Rifle is a real work of military art, one of the prides of the Russian military industry. Simple - even a beginner can handle it. Reliable – works smoothly in dust, cold and even after dipping into a swamp. All you need to do is remove the bolt, shake off large particles of dirt, and you can continue shooting.
2. Range. The long barrel (800mm) allows you to hit a target with high accuracy, being two kilometers away from it.
3. High armor-piercing power. Sent directly to the enemy's protective helmet, the 7.62mm armor-piercing cartridge pierced it right through, leaving the enemy no chance of survival.

Characteristics

1. Weight: 4.5 kg.
2. Length:
   1. Infantry: 1736mm (with bayonet), 1306mm (without bayonet).
   2. Dragoon: 1500mm (with bayonet), 1232mm (without bayonet).
   3. Carabiner: 1020mm.
3. Barrel length:
   1. Infantry: 800mm.
   2. Dragunskaya: 729mm.
   3. Carabiner: 510mm.
4. Cartridge: 7.62x54mm R.
5. Caliber: 7.62mm.
6. Magazine capacity: 4+1 cartridges.
7. Rate of fire: 10 shots/1 minute.
8. Sighting range: 2200m.
9. Initial bullet speed: 880 m/s.

Since its creation, the design has not undergone any fundamental changes, remaining the same easy-to-use and trouble-free combat mechanism. Originally appeared in three versions, which even differed little from each other:

1. Infantry rifle. Classic design, with a long barrel and bayonet. It is worth noting that it was the most accurate, but the least convenient in some conditions, precisely because of the long barrel, at the end of which there was also a bayonet. Since each barrel was sighted with a bayonet, it was impossible to remove it without hopelessly losing the accuracy of the shot. Because of this, fighting in trenches, dense forested areas and buildings was inconvenient.
2. Dragunskaya. She is also a cavalry soldier. A slightly shorter barrel and bayonet - the dragoons fought as part of the cavalry, shots were fired at a closer distance. And the requirements for accuracy were lower - which affected the length. Also in this version the belt was attached differently.
3. Cossack. Similar to the dragoon, but without a bayonet. The melee weapon for the Cossacks was traditionally the saber; a bayonet on a rifle is not so necessary.

We can say that the three-line gun became the starting point in the production of even more advanced weapons and proves its reliability to this day. The sniper rifle also has such excellent characteristics. If you want to compare rifles, then you should read the material about which air rifle is better. One of the domestic brands that has earned honor and respect is.

A 7.62mm cartridge fired from a VM penetrates right through:

1. 12mm iron layer.
2. A layer of gravel of 1.2 meters.
3. A 0.7 meter oak wall.
4. Shelters made of 0.7 meter sandbags.
5. Helmets, body armor - right through. If a person is wearing heavy body armor, he will “get off” with severe damage to internal organs in the area of ​​impact.

There are reliably known cases from the Second World War when airplanes were shot down with rifles.

1. Outdated cartridge. The edge in the device makes it very difficult to feed it from the magazine, which at one time was solved simply: they introduced a cut-off reflector into the design of the rifle, which is difficult to manufacture and quickly becomes unusable.
2. The rifle's trigger is quite heavy and long, interfering with convenient target shooting.
3. Fuse– quickly breaks down and is inconvenient to use.

See the price of the Gamo Hunter 1250 air rifle.

1. At the end of the “dashing 90s,” a huge selection of foreign weapons appeared on the Russian market. A group of hunters, going on their next hunt in Yakutia, decided to “update their wardrobe” and instead of Mosin rifles, they purchased several models of the latest foreign rifles and carbines at that time. However, during a serious hunt, NOT ONE barrel fired - simply unable to work in the harsh conditions in which hunters usually hunted: cold, dirt, dust– mechanisms that were filigree in “clean” conditions gave up their positions in disgrace.
2. For now 26 million produced Mosin rifles.
3. Soviet sniper Semyon Nomokonov killed a general of the German army from a distance of 1.5 km from a VM.
4. The most “effective” VM in history belonged to Finnish Army sniper Simo Häyhä. During the 100-day Soviet-Finnish war from it 742 soldiers were killed. By the way, Simo was wielding a rifle without an optical sight.

Conclusion

What conclusion can be drawn when talking about a weapon model that, without significant changes since the release of the first copy, is still used today, having large numbers of fans in hunting and other circles?

Low cost, high reliability and lethality- all the main components of a weapon, the last shot of which will not be fired very soon. Both in forests and in combat zones: according to reliable information, the Mosin rifle is used in the sad events taking place right now in Syria and Libya. Whatever it is, do not forget about safety precautions when handling weapons, about it.

Since ancient times, man and weapons have been inseparable, and this is not strange, because wars always go on - both thousands of years ago and today. With the growth of progress and technology, people invented more and more new weapons of defense and attack. Analyzing history, we understand that there were not so many talented inventors of firearms, but they did exist. One of these legendary designers is Sergei Ivanovich Mosin, the inventor of the legendary three-ruler.

The history of the Mosin rifle

At the end of the 19th century, many European countries were armed with repeating rifles, which allowed their soldiers to fight much more effectively. At that time, the Russian army still used single-shot weapons using a large-caliber cartridge and black powder. Based on the experience of the Russian-Turkish war, during which soldiers used a single-shot Berdan rifle, the Russian authorities announced a competition to create the latest type of weapon. The event was held in 1890 and featured approximately 20 examples of repeating weapons. After testing, two finalists were selected: the rifle of Captain Mosin and the rifle of the Belgian Leon Nagant. After all the necessary tests, already in 1891, a vote was held, as a result of which the Belgian development won (14 votes against 10), but influential Russian officers insisted on the approval of the domestic model. As a result, it was the Mosin rifle that was adopted, but slightly improved by Nagan’s ideas, namely the cartridge feeding mechanism. This weapon was in service with Russia for many years; the army went through many wars with it: two world wars, the Russian-Japanese and the Finnish. The caliber of the Mosin rifle is 7.62 mm (three lines of 2.54 mm).

Rifle production

At the end of the 19th century, most armies of the world had already rearmed and had magazine weapons in their arsenal. The Russian army needed to carry out a large-scale update of its firearms arsenal as soon as possible. That is why, after all the tests were carried out and the sample was approved for mass production, Mosin rifles began to be mass produced in 1892. Three arms factories were engaged in this simultaneously: Sestroretsk, Izhevsk and Tula. But they did not have enough power to quickly provide a huge army, so it was decided to place an order in the amount of 500 thousand rifles from France. The weapons were manufactured by the military factories Manufacture Nationale d’Armes. Before the start of the Russo-Japanese War, the army received more than 3,800,000 guns. After the start of mass production - according to some sources - already in 1893 the rifle was tested in battle against the Afghans in the Pamirs, according to others - in China only in 1900-1901. One thing is certain: already in the early years, designers began to make small changes to the design of the Mosin rifle. A wooden barrel guard was added to the basic configuration, which protected the soldier’s hands from burns; in 1896, for more convenient cleaning of the weapon, the design of the cleaning rod was changed, and in 1910, after the transition to pointed cartridges, the sight was changed.

At the time of Russia's entry into the war, the army had more than 4,500,000 rifles in its arsenal. They were produced in four types: carbine, Cossack, dragoon and infantry. Throughout the war, the country produced more than 3,000,000 more guns and repaired more than 200,000. During these difficult times, there was a huge shortage of weapons, and industrial capabilities did not allow them to produce the required quantity, so the government was forced to buy weapons from foreign companies. The United States ordered the production of 1.5 million Mosin rifles of the 1891-1910 model, but not all of them ended up in Russia, since the US government confiscated some of the weapons after the revolution.

Mosin rifle design

The Mosin rifle is a weapon that has a manual reloader and a clip. The barrel of the rifle is locked by a sliding, rotating bolt with stops. Mosin rifles are equipped with a bolt with two stops, which are located in different places, the first in the front of the bolt, the second in the horizontal plane. The bolt of the rifle houses a cylindrical combat spring and a firing pin, which has a very simple design. As for the reloading handle, it is located in the middle of the bolt. The fuse was not provided; its role is played by the drummer. The Mosin rifle has a box magazine, the cartridges in which are arranged in one row. It holds a maximum of five cartridges - they can be inserted either with a clip from below, or one at a time through the hole when the bolt is open. It is worth noting that the magazine has in its design such a part as a cut-off, which is designed to block the lower cartridges while the upper cartridge is fed into the barrel. The stock is made of wood, usually birch. In 1891, three variants of the Mosin rifle were adopted by the army: infantry, dragoon and Cossack.

Rifle Specifications

The Mosin rifles that entered service with the Russian army had a huge advantage over their predecessors. The new weapon had a three-line cartridge (7.62 mm) that used smokeless powder. The old single-shot rifles had a caliber of 10.67 mm and used black powder. Over the years, the three-ruler (as the Mosin rifle was popularly called) was modernized several times to improve its use and production. Let's look at the two main variants of this weapon.

1. Model 1891 - Mosin rifle, the characteristics of which are as follows:

• caliber - 7.62 mm (3 lines);
• cartridge - 7.62x54 R;
• length of the rifle with and without a bayonet, respectively, mm - 1734/1306;
• barrel length, mm - 800;
• weight of the rifle with/without bayonet, g - 4300/3990;
• sighting range, in steps - 2700 (about 1900 m);
• initial bullet speed, m/s - 620;
• magazine, cartridges - 5.

2. Model 1944 - Mosin carbine, its characteristics are as follows:

• caliber, mm - 7.62;
• cartridge - 7.62x54 R;
• weapon length, mm - 1020;
• rifle barrel length, mm - 510;
• rifle weight, g - 3900 (with fixed bayonet);
• sighting range, m - 2000;
• initial bullet speed, m/s - 810;
• rate of fire, v/m - 20-35;
• magazine, cartridges - 5.

Rifle upgrade options

As mentioned earlier, the Mosin rifle (its photo can be seen below) was adopted for service in 1891. Its main feature was its simplicity and ease of use; it could be disassembled easily and without any tools. The bayonet of the Mosin rifle served as a good and reliable weapon in close combat. In 1910, it had a new sighting frame (suggested by V.P. Konovalov). This change was caused by the earlier transition to pointed bullets, the trajectory of which was slightly different from the trajectory of blunt bullets.

The Red Army used only one type of rifle - the dragoon. After several changes, already in 1930, it began to be called the model of 1891-1930. The rifle has become more convenient, and its production has become much simpler. Firstly, a front sight appeared, and secondly, the shape of the front sight itself changed, which facilitated the process of aimed shooting. Due to the fact that the receiver began to be produced round (previously it was faceted), and the cut-off reflector was assembled from two parts, the production technology was simplified.

In 1931, Soviet snipers also received the Mosin rifle. It was distinguished, naturally, by the presence of an optical sight, a bent bolt handle, and improved processing of the barrel bore. The latest modification of this weapon is the 1944 carbine. But even today, the rifle designed by Mosin has not left the stage: many designers both in Russia and abroad continue to modify this weapon. For example, in the 90s of the twentieth century, the Finns released the SSG-96 sniper rifle, which was based on the three-line rifle. By the way, some versions of these weapons are still considered one of the best in the world today.

Sawed-off Mosin rifle

During excavations in the battlefields of the Red Army, weapons are often found, but one of the unusual, at first glance, finds is a sawn-off shotgun of a Mosin rifle. Similar weapons are also found in our time, because they were one of the most common in the first half of the twentieth century; many people kept a rifle at home. As for the sawn-off shotgun, we can say that many people made it - both soldiers and ordinary people. Unlike a long and not very convenient rifle, it had many advantages, as it was simple and easy to use. This weapon was most popular among peasants, bandits and even partisans. The people called the sawn-off shotgun “kulak”. Almost every man at that time knew how to make a Mosin rifle, or rather a sawn-off shotgun, especially since it is not difficult - you just need to cut off part of the barrel and butt. The shortened Mosin rifle also had disadvantages - the sighting characteristics and firing range were much reduced.

Mosin carbine: model 1944

In 1944, the last modernization of the invention of the designer Mosin was made: the carbine was equipped with a bayonet, which was not removable, but was folding. During the Great Patriotic War, the new improved rifle received its name - “Carbine of the 1944 model”. The weapon was a shortened version of the dragoon version of the Mosin. This carbine was released based on many years of experience in warfare. After the start of production of the 1944 model carbine, the previous version of the rifle was discontinued.

Thanks to its design, the new weapon allowed the infantry to fight better, because in the trenches and thickets it was much more convenient for a soldier with a shortened carbine. Despite some changes, the rifle's firing qualities remained virtually unchanged.

1944 was the last year in the history of improvement of the famous rifle, which went through many wars and conflicts. At the end of World War II, Mosin's inventions were no longer in service with the Soviet Army. They were replaced by SKS carbines and AK-47 assault rifles - you will agree, a more advanced weapon. The Mosin rifle, however, continued to be in service with several countries of the PRC and the DPRK, Montenegro and Finland.

Pneumatic version of the Mosin rifle

With the development of technology, a pneumatic model was created on the basis of the Mosin rifle. It is quite popular these days, just as the Mosin rifle was popular in its time. The pneumatic copy is mainly produced as a sawn-off shotgun of the Mosin rifle; it is also called an air pistol. According to the manufacturers, you just need to take this barrel in your hand, and you will not want to part with it, because this is a legend - the Mosin rifle. You can see a photo of the cut-off just below. Such weapons are much easier to acquire than firearms, they are easy to handle and easy to store. There are various modifications of the rifle. Some are capable of shooting only small balls, others are intended for a more serious cartridge, for example, with shot, which is used for hunting. There are also air rifle versions for sport shooting. Each type of weapon is interesting in its own way, but we can say with confidence that they are all often used these days, since they have a simple and very easy-to-use design.

Weight and size mockup of the Mosin rifle

A rifle dummy is a product that is produced for collectible souvenirs, museum exhibits and props for theater and cinema. It is produced without a bayonet, but is externally identical to the original. The mockup provides the ability to cock and lower the hammer, but does not have the properties of a military weapon. The MMG Mosin rifle is often used in theatrical productions and historical films, because it was in service with the army for almost half of the twentieth century. It is also worth remembering that changing the design of the model or converting it into a military weapon is punishable by law! MMG is not a souvenir that looks like a weapon, it is a weapon converted into a souvenir. MMGs are practically irreplaceable in modern cinema - films about the war and the first part of the 19th century have always been popular and are often shot by directors. The Mosin rifle was the most common and accessible weapon for ordinary citizens at that time. A large-scale model of a rifle can serve as a wonderful gift for people who are interested in history. It must be cared for and stored just like a real firearm. The rifle is subject to constant inspection, cleaning and lubricating with special oil, and although this is a little troublesome, a true connoisseur should always take care of his exhibits. It is not very difficult to get MMG Mosin rifles - they are sold without special permission. In addition, compared to real weapons, the mockup is inexpensive.

Interesting facts about the designer Mosin and his rifle

The rifle of Sergei Ivanovich Mosin, despite some of its shortcomings, went down in history as a reliable and inexpensive weapon. But few people know about the many interesting cases associated with its creation. For example, when foreigners learned about the invention, or rather about the rack and pinion magazine, they really wanted to buy this new product. Employees of the Richter company, which was located in France, offered to sell the invention to Mosin for 600,000 francs, and after refusal they gave 1,000,000. But Sergei Ivanovich was a true patriot and refused a huge amount of money. As for Mosin himself, he was interested in weapons since childhood, and in 1875 he headed a tool workshop at the Tula Arms Factory. The designer often participated in various competitions and came up with more and more new inventions. Unfortunately, not all weapons from that time have survived, so much is simply unknown to us. Few people know that the main competition in 1891 for a prototype repeating rifle in Russia was between Mosin and Nagan - two brilliant designers. There are many stories about the victory of our designer, but one thing is known for sure - the Mosin rifle was improved by some of Nagan's developments. The designer wrote to Minister Alexei Kuropatkin that his rifle was taken into service, and his competitor received a large sum of money for the design of the clip - as much as 200,000 rubles, while Mosin was given only 30,000 rubles for all the work. But, despite all the rumors and stories that circulate around the creation of the legendary three-line, it was precisely this model that was manufactured by the Russian designer Mosin, adopted by the government and remained in service for a very long time. Only new models of magazine weapons, which were invented by no less famous designers, for example, Mikhail Kalashnikov, were able to replace it.

The world continues to develop, technologies become more and more accurate. Today there are a large number of automatic weapons, but many believe that it was the Mosin rifle that marked the beginning of many modern inventions. One thing is for sure, Sergei Ivanovich himself and his famous three-ruler have taken an honorable place in history. And this is not surprising, because the designer’s rifle went through several wars and a revolution with our army. Today it is used mainly by hunters because it is inexpensive and quite simple to use.