After having recently been shown a neighbors collection if firearms, I've had a renewed interest in obtaining military surplus rifles. Granted, I've always had a particular interest in military surplus weapons since before I turned 18 and could start buying. However after looking at my neighbors collection of over 15 German K98s and assorted other firearms, I was starting to get an itch that needed to be scratched. I decided to start checking around d and seeing if I could locate anything with no particular attention being paid to what type of military surplus weapon it was.

After looking through my local gun shops and Armslist, I had almost given up hope of finding anything of particular interest. Found a few Spanish Mausers but all had been sporterized. Finally, while on break the other day at work I decided to check Armslist. Luck shined on me, as there was an ad what was described as a "Mosin" with no further description other than the owners father had purchased it from Roses sometime in the 1960s-1980s.

I have a fondness for Mosin Nagants, having always admired them and appreciated their simplistic design. I remember when I first got into collecting 12 years ago, they could be bought for $69.95 and you got to pick through crates to find the one you wanted. Could buy the empty crate for $5 or be given it for free if lucky.

I messaged the guy, asked for some more pictures and see what all came with it. Guy sent me a picture of the receiver, which showed it was be a 1916 dated Izhevsk, possible an ex-dragoon rifle, that was also Finn marked SA. Being that he was only asking $250 for the rifle, and considering no M91/30 could be had in my area for less than $300 I immediately jumped on it.

Guy said his father had bought it from Roses sometime in 1960-1980s, shot it maybe once or twice and put away. Guy had just shot it the other week, but mentioned he didn't clean it due to not knowing how. Guy had no interest in keeping it, saying he had recently sold his father's Winchester 3030, Itchaca 37, and assorted other rifles so he could buy a new AR.

Got it home and all I've had time for is to take a few pictures and put in the safe. Bolt body and received match, everything else doesn't. Bore looks okay, but very filthy and some rust at the end in groves. Need to find my headspace gauges so I can check it after I clean it. Plan on taking it apart tomorrow for a thorough cleaning and more pictures.

Excited cause this is my first Finn SA Mosin. Had a Finn M24 but had to sell a few years back when I bought my house. Also can't wait to show my neighbor, who can't stand Mosins even though he owns one. Granted, I blame him being from Germany and growing up there at the tail end of WWII for his dislike of the Mosin.

Any and all information is greatly appreciated

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Looks good so far.  Take the wood off and see what marks are on the bottom of the receiver tang.

Matt

That is a nice score, Finned, so extra nice, turned on its former Commie owners!

It isn't an ex-Dragoon, as it is M91 length....Ex-Dragoons were Dragoons converted to 91/30 specs with new rear sights and front sights, and usually the original unique to Dragoons barrel bands replaced too...

BUT this M91 is in either a cut down 91 stock, or a 91/30 stock, too much barrel sticking out...

Might have had a damaged stock replaced by Finns with a 91/30 stock...

Regardless, cool rifle, with interesting history, and at a bargain price for a 91....

ETA Plus, as a bonus, the original Imperial Czarist markings are intact...usually any Imperial era guns retained after the revolution had the Czarist markings scrubbed...

That was a good buy.

Very nice! For $250 I'd have jumped on it, too! Something interesting I noticed. Looks like it might have been a Civil Guard rifle at one time. The  crossed out number on the left side of the receiver would be from the Etala-Pohjanmaan district in west-central Finland. Since that number had been defaced most likely the importer used the barrel number for the "official" U.S. serial. I've got a couple myself that have the same thing done to the numbers then stamped to match the barrel.  
Also I've heard and seen a couple of instances of M91s having 91/30 stocks. IIRC the consensus was after the war if a rifle had a stock that needed replaced if there wasn't an exact match available then they used whatever they had that would work. By that time the M91s had been relegated to 2nd and 3rd line troops and training purposes so there wasn't the need for them to in perfect condition.
Again, very nice Finn you got there!

Nice score!

I love M91s and this one looks like a nice one.

Looks nice.

You are missing the screw on the rear sight though.

Finn Mosin are best Mosin

Good score.
Try Liberty Tree for spares & accessories

Congrats OP! I've lusted after a Finn rifle myself.

Mine is missing one also...never been able to find a replacement, so if anyone has a suggestion please advise

Got a busted up 1891 Dragoon made by Izhevsk in 1922 sitting here.  You can get a feel for the type of stock you need.  Tape is holding the splintered stock together.  Its missing the buttplate, broken cocking piece on bolt, rear sight broken, magazine spring broken, etc.  Still will fire however and recovered in a cache couple months ago.

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ETA Broke the tip of the P14 firing pin last week

CD

Hey, maybe you can pull the sight screw for him...

No one will question a screw....

Can you even send back parts, like stocks? Good stocks are like gold....

How about the P-14 wood? Or maybe the volley sight pointer, screw and spring even?

I'll see if I can get the screw out later, right now its being stubborn.  Can't hide a stock when I fly commercial.  P14 I'm keeping whole.

CD

So they wouldn't even allow you to take a piece of wood home?

That sucks...In WWII guys were shipping anything not permanently affixed home, now you can't bring home anything...

I blame ol' Stormin Norman, he really cracked down on bring back stuff...what did he say "we are liberators, not thieves" or some shit...BS, to the victors go the spoils, in the end he was just a turd politician in a uniform, like most who get star rank...

I'm laughing over here..

You don't get star unless you play the political game.

Got the screw out (penetrating oil and heat) and IM sent.  I've sent home two small set screws twice.  Customs took them out of the letters each time.  

CD

I want the taped up Mosin for my collection. That is a nice piece of equipment.

True Dat....there may be one here and there who isn't a political lacky, but, yeah, to get the star, they are almost all political sycophants...I am sure the General/Flag ranks are chock full of real turds who got promoted during the 0 reign...I have heard stories...

Message received and replied!!! @Combat_Diver is the man!!

It's true, it does suck not being able to bring anything home. My 1SG found a British No1 MK III on patrol and brought back to base to hang in his office. I took it and cleaned it, mainly cause I am a huge Enfield fan but also because I wanted to see how dirty it really was. A pack of patches later, it was finally presentable. We tried everything possible to get upper echelons to let us bring it home. Didn't meet the date requirement they said, so we offered to make it inoperatable cause our CRT had the tools. No go. Asked if we could being the stock home in a connex, no go.

Buddy of mine who was going home when I was flying into Afghanistan had the same issues with a M91/30 PU he found on patrol and had with him majority of the  tour.

We mainly wanted to bring them back as memories of our service, not to try to make a profit from selling them on our return.

Guess I'll just fondle the Italian Carcano M91 my wife's grandfather brought back in his duffel..

Though at least I didn't do like the guys in my sister company, who were told no but built a false bottom to a wooden crate to hide a British Enfield (unk which model). They made it all the way back to Fort Lewis, WA before it was found out. MPs became involved, court martials occured, and I had all my crates (I was unit armorer at the time for my company) thorough inspected.