Dirty old Westinghouse M91

[GunnyUSMC]

I picked up a dirty old New England Westinghouse M91 at a gun show on November 17th 2007 .
It was only my 2nd or 3rd Mosin at the time and I really didn't know much about them. This old rifle really got me to start doing some resarch on Mosins and now I have many Mosins, 10 of which are M91's.

When I bough the dirty old Westinghouse, I didn't know how hard and long the search for a replacement stock would be.

I did get a Bulgarian marked stock from a friend about a year later. It was a pertty good stock but I was just not happy with the look of the rifle. Then back in Octber of 2009, on the way home from one of the SRF shoots in Ohio, My friend and I stopped in at a little shop in Alabama. We stopped at the little shop to look at some old Mosins we were told they had. Well while looking through the rifles, I found a M91 that had spent some time in Bulgaria. It had a Walnut stock I needed for my dirty old Westinghouse. I also found another rifle that I liked.
I am happy with the look of the rifle now.
It took me 2 years and 3 months to restore the Westinghouse, but it was worth it.

 

[Pat M]

Interesting rifle. I don't know anything about Mosins, but I like U.S. milsurps. What is it's history? Made in the U.S. for export?

 

[headoftheholler]

Nice Mosin. Been looking in pawn shops and gun shops around here for years for a Westinghouse or Remington, very cool history behind this gun too.

 

[airedaleman]

Pat, made on contract for the Czarist government WWI. Remington also manufactured a slew of them. Many rifles were never shipped when the Russian Revolution broke out. Our troops were armed with Mosins during the 1919 Intervention.

Thirty-odd years ago, I bought an unissued Remington for $15 at a small gun shop in northeastern Connecticut. Times sure change.

 

[Murphy4570]

Interesting rifle. I don't know anything about Mosins, but I like U.S. milsurps. What is it's history? Made in the U.S. for export?

Imperial Russia ordered a very large quantity of Mosin-Nagant M1891s with Westinghouse and Remington during World War 1. When the Russian Revolution of October 1917 occurred (really November, as the Russians were still on the old Julian calendar), those contracts were nullified as severely and swiftly as Lenin had Tsar Nicholas II shot dead. So these American manufacturers had a slew of Russian design weapons just sitting around. A lot were given to American soldiers on an ill-fated multi-national campaign into far-eastern Russia in support of the White Russians in 1918, where the weapons were abandoned. Many others remained in America, but were of little to no value, as the cartridge they were designed for wasn't available in this country until the Soviets started selling their surplus 7.62x54R to the U.S.A., mostly after the dissolution of the U.S.S.R. in 1990-1.

 

[airedaleman]

Gunny, you find some really interesting guns...

Murphy4570, the 7.62 Russian was a commercial loading here between the wars. Both Winchester and Remington offered it, mainly because of those contract guns floating around. I think they were available at one time through the DCM for $1.50, or maybe it was Bannerman's... I can remember the commercial ammunition being shown in the 1947 Stoeger's catalog. (I"m dating myself, I guess.)

 

[fpgt72]

I passed on a westinghouse just this last weekend, mis matched bolt as well as a bunch of other parts. pretty pitted up, just had to pass...looking for a better example.

 

[fpgt72]

Gunny, you find some really interesting guns...

Murphy4570, the 7.62 Russian was a commercial loading here between the wars. Both Winchester and Remington offered it, mainly because of those contract guns floating around. I think they were available at one time through the DCM for $1.50, or maybe it was Bannerman's... I can remember the commercial ammunition being shown in the 1947 Stoeger's catalog. (I"m dating myself, I guess.)

Very true...it fell off the planet (in the north america anyway) in the 60's-about early 80's this is true for our neighbors to the north as well. They converted at this same time thousands of SVT-40's to sporting guns shooting the 303 british cartridge. I keep forgetting what they called those things....but they are a little...ah...questionable to say the least.

Funny now you can find the russian cartridge everywhere and the 303 is a little harder to find.

 

[Semperfibob]

Dirty old Westinghouse

I, too, have recently purchased an old Westinghouse M91, but mine has an interesting bit of history attached. It was captured by Marines under the command of Major Roger Peard during an attack on Sandino's stronghold, El Chipote, in Nicaragua in February 1928. The rifle was blackened, making it difficult to read its markings, but its serial number is 598057. It has the bursting bomb stamp which means, based on what I've learned by reading other posts, that it was one of the NEW's acquired by the U. S. Army Ordnance Department. My NEW 91 is missing its cleaning rod; has no sling nor bayonet and has both, sling swivel and slot at both ends if the stock.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

When Mosins made in the USA were "drafted" for WWI (training, National Guard, ROTC, etc) they were designated "U.S. Rifle, 7.62mm, Model of 1916", although I don't recall reading if they were actually stamped with any special designation.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

The ones used by the US didn't get any special marking other then US property stamps. I have one of the US stamped NEWs. I'll have to dig up the pics and post them.

 

[Semperfibob]

Would love to see your photos, Gunny.

 

[krinko]

Gunny,

Yours is the third rifle I have seen with the five punch marks on the left side of the barrel.
Here's mine...


Mine is a 1924 Tula that I suspect came out of the Spanish Civil War---the stock it came in is generally considered to be a Spanish replacement.
Nobody knows what the mark means and I won't speculate, but three is a trend, so it meant something once.
Nice rifle.
-----krinko

 

[hang fire]

Imperial Russia also bought hundreds of thousands of Model 95 lever action Winchesters in 7.62x54.

If they were kept in decent shape and storage by the Russians, a real treasure trove resides there. I keep waiting for their release as surplus, but have read an agreement cannot be reached.

 

[paintballdude902]

very nice. ive got one that was my first mosin

 

[Semperfibob]

Hey, Gunny: What camera do you use?

 

[VT Deer Hunter]

Nice rifles!

 

[GunnyUSMC]

krinko
I have two or three with the five dice punch mark. And I have a feeling if has something to do with rifles that were used during the SCW.

Semperfibob
The camera I use is a 4 year old Fuji that I bought for $175.
I did buy a very nice kodak last year but didn't care much for it and went back to the fuji.

 

[jpwilly]

Congrats on rebuilding it, looks well worn! Like some that way from time to time.

 

[Semperfibob]

Dirty old Mosin

I got a cleaning rod for my Mosin and discovered that the forward sling swivel blocks the cleaning rod channel. Any one else ever face this problem. My NEW M91 has both, sling swivels and slots at both ends of the stock.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

It should only have the slots cut into the stock for the sling dog collers. I don't remember the date, 1905 or 1912 stocks did not have the slot in the butt of the stock, but had a swivle at the front of the magazine.

 

[Semperfibob]

Dirty old Mosin

Gunny: This is the Mosin given to my friend's father in 1932 by the USMC Major described earlier. It is as it was when captured in 1928. Slots and swivels on both ends of the stock. If the rifle arrived in Nicragua via Mexico after being made in the good old USA, perhaps it was modified by the Mexican government. The metal parts were blackened, making it difficult to read the markings, i.e. maker, serial numbers and inspector marks. Perhaps Mexico did that as well. Just speculating..... The serial number on bolt, receiver and butt plate is 598057.

 

[303tom]

Way to go Gunny................

 

[Semperfibob]

Dirty old Mosin

Took some photos of my NEW M91 this morning. The photos show rust at an early stage. Surprise. Surprise. I guess my Dirty old Mosin really is dirty. I should have expected it. It hasn't been fired since 1928 and has been sitting in a corner since 1932. Now to work on the rust before it expands. More photos follow.

 

[Semperfibob]

More photos M91 # 598057