Ok. Here's the plan. All of us purists are gonna filibuster this thread.
I'll start.
Cut Down Mosin Nagants
While some Mosin Nagants did have the barrels cut down at various times to upgrade them to a newer model, or to create a new model, this was not typical until after WWII. The original M91 Infantry rifle has a 31.5" (including the threaded portion inside the receiver) barrel and these are still relatively common in spite of wartime losses over decades of combat service. Understandably some confusion results from the fact that the less common M91 Dragoon and M91 Cossack rifles were built at some of the same arsenals during some of the same years. They are also very similar with the primary difference being a shorter barrel at 28.75". However, M91 Infantry rifles were not cut down to create the M91 Dragoon and M91 Cossack rifles. They were intended for two different types of troops, infantry and mounted, and there was a need for both. While the shorter rifles did begin production a few years after the Infantry model and continued in production for several years after Infantry production ended, it was not considered an "improvement" as that term is typically understood.
The M91 Cossack was phased out relatively early but the M91 Dragoon evolved into the M91/30 rifle which became the standard infantry rifle. The barrels of the two models are the same length (28.75") and this reflected the worldwide tendency toward shorter rifles for infantry. While many Dragoon rifles were upgraded to M91/30 specifications this involved little more than replacing the front and rear sights. It did not require the barrel to be cut down because they were already the same length. M91 infantry rifles were not typically cut down and upgraded to M91/30 specifications. If an M91/30 is dated prior to 1926 when M91 Infantry rifle production ended then it most likely was once a Dragoon rifle. There are rare exceptions and the only way to know is if the rifle is from an arsenal that did not produce Dragoon rifles. For more information on the Dragoon upgrades see the Ex-Dragoon or Prototype M91/30? article below.
The next evolution of the Mosin Nagant rifle in the Soviet Union was the M38 carbine which has a barrel length of 20.25". These were produced concurrently with the M91/30 and were intended for rear echelon forces and those who didn't typically fight with a rifle, but needed one for defensive situations, such as artillerymen. M38 carbines were not cut down from M91/30s and certainly not M91 Infantry or Dragoon rifles. Virtually all M38 production was during WWII and if there were a shortage of carbines then Infantry rifles would have been issued in their place rather than wasting precious manpower cutting them down. In 1943 a need developed for a short handy carbine that accepted a bayonet for urban fighting as the Soviets forced the Germans to retreat. The M44 evolved from the M38 and is essentially the same but with an attached folding bayonet. These were new production and not cut down from earlier rifles either. Occasionally M44s, and even less commonly M38s, are found with older hexagonal style receivers which were not produced after 1936. In these cases the carbines were not cut down from the older rifles, but rather the older receiver was fitted with a new barrel and used to build a carbine. There are also M91/30s built in this manner with new barrels on older receivers.
During the Cold War Mosin Nagant rifles were cut down in two different operations. The first was done in Czechoslovakia where M91 rifles were shortened to carbine length with a 20.25" barrel. These are known as the M91/38 among US collectors and as the M91/44 in Europe. It is known that M91 Infantry and M91 Cossack rifles were used because there are examples from arsenals that only produced the Infantry rifle and others with the Cossack "Ka3" mark still on the barrel. It is assumed that Dragoon rifles were also cut down, but there is no way to be sure unless one surfaces that is dated after the end of M91 Infantry rifle production. It is also possible that some M91/30s were used in this project, but none have been verified. The M91/38 has the original M91 rear sight removed and it is replaced with a carbine rear sight of the same type as M38s and M44s. The front sight is mounted to a sleeve over the barrel that is made from an M44 front sight/bayonet lug sleeve with the bayonet lug turned off. These are easily identifiable by the older barrel markings and the Czech arsenal marks on the receiver and barrel.
The second instance where Mosin Nagants were shortened involved M91/30s but the location of the arsenal that performed the work is not known. The project was presumably done, or at least begun, in 1959 as the barrels have "1891/59" added to the typical marks. Because of this the model is known as the M91/59 among US collectors. The majority of the rifles used were M91/30s although M91/59s dated prior to 1930 are known. It is presumed that these were Dragoons that were upgraded to M91/30 specifications and later cut down. However, it's certainly possible that they went straight from Dragoon configuration to M91/59 configuration. The M91/59 is the same length as the M38 and M44 carbines with a 20.25" barrel and retains the longer M91/30 rear sight base and leaf with the graduations above 10 (1,000 meters) removed.
In summary, with the exception of M91/38s and M91/59s, Mosin Nagant rifles were not typically cut down to create other models. Many were upgraded and improved over the years, but shortening the barrel was not part of the process with rare exceptions.
- Borrowed from
here.
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