The Difference Between the Mosin Nagant 91/30 and the Sniper

Prior to 1930, there were four rifles used by Russian military forces: the infantry rifle, the dragoon, the Cossack and the carbine. In 1922, the Soviet military decided to discontinue use of four different rifles in favor of a single rifle, based on the M1891 dragoon. (This rifle would take eight years, though, to make it into production.) This is the rifle that would become the M91/30 Mosin Nagant. The M91/30 was also made into a sniper rifle, and there are differences.

  1. The M91/30

    • While the decision to produce a single military rifle was made in 1922, it was not until 1930 that the variant of the M1891 dragoon went into production. Hence the name used in the west; M91/30. In Russia it was called "7.62 mm Rifle, Model of the Year 1891-30." The M91/30 is a bolt-action, five-shot rifle with internal magazine. It fires the 7.62 X 54 mm cartridge. Changes and modifications to the M91/30 are numerous, but center mainly on the receiver, sights and stock.

    The Sniper

    • The M91/31 Sniper is actually a modified M91/30. In the mid-1930s, the finest, most accurate examples of the M91/30 were chosen to be made into the sniper version, and while production of the M91/30 generally ended in 1944, the sniper was produced beyond this date.

    The Bolt

    • Standard M91/30 rifles had a straight horizontal bolt that sticks out at the 3 o'clock position when closed. When the bolt is cycled to eject a spent shell casing, the bolt is thrown up, almost to the 12 o'clock position, in order to be pulled back to eject the casing. Sniper versions were fitted with a "bent" bolt that moved the handle down to about the 5 o'clock position. This puts the bolt in a more favorable position and allows the shooter to keep his eye on the scope.

    The Scope

    • The sniper candidate was then drilled and tapped for a scope mount. This was not standardized, and there are many different mounts and scopes. The most common is the 1942 PU model. Many sniper versions were changed back to regular infantry rifles by changing the bolt, removing the scope mount and welding up the mounting holes.