M44 from Classic. Nice, but a little different.

[119er]

I ordered this rifle from classic a little while back and recently picked it up from my FFL enabler. It is by far and away the nicest M44 I've seen personally, and I'm happy with it, but there seems to be laser etched export(?) markings on the receiver and the diamond one appears on the barrel just rear of the handguard. Then there is a modern looking serial number on the chamber of the barrel. All original numbers match and none have been scrubbed or struck through. The bore is the best I have seen on any Mosin that I have and looks like it was made yesterday.

I have read a little about people speculating that these have been refurbished by the Molot factory in Russia. Mine doesn't appear to have been any different than an old arsenal refurb. Some also claim that this company serializes them to sell as sporting rifles to get around some export restriction/regulation and that the proof marks are there by requirement as a rifle sold as non-surplus.

Anyway, please don't take any of the above as fact, I don't want to circulate rumors, but it is interesting/different. If anyone knows some facts about these, please let me know! I hope to shoot it as soon as the holiday madness is past!

 

[119er]

Whole rifle.

 

[carbine85]

Very nice rifle. The etching sure looks better than the crap everyone else hammers in.

 

[119er]

Oh yeah, I forgot to add that there is still import marking but it is under the barrel just behind the muzzle. Thanks Carbine85. That is why it is weird to me that it has what I assume to be an export marking of some sort. Two different companies have marked the rifle in addition to the original arsenal that built it.

Technically it is stamped on the front sight base.

 

[LAGS]

The added srial numbers on recent surplus rifles is something I dont like.
It makes it hard to refinish the rifle or restore one to original without having to worry about polishing the new Dot Matrix numbers that are not too deep.
Some of the older guns need a lot of work to remove the original machining marks, if you want to make a Nice Custom Rifle. ( I dont mean some Garage built Bubba-ed sporter or Hack Job )

 

[119er]

I didn't really factor in collector value, but I think that may have been limited anyway as it is post war production. I don't modify the surplus rifles that I buy, especially considering the cost of a budget hunting rifle these days. In fact I buy them in sporterized form(always at a good discount too) to return them to their original state, or as close as they can get.

 

[mgkdrgn]

Yep ... thats a Molot. EXcellent excellent M44's

If you want another I have about 8 left

 

[119er]

Do you have any idea about the story behind them?

 

[mgkdrgn]

Story? Their are just an outfit overseas that refurbed a bunch of M44's, then they were imported here to the states. From the 100 or so that I had come through here, it appears they really cherry picked their rifles, and -then- cleaned them all up for you. No cosmo!

The first batch I got from them I swear must have been un-issued ... the bayonets were never attached!

 

[Shear_stress]

Short of finding an unissued Polish carbine, that's about as nice as an M44 as you're going to get.