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Fresh off a defeat at the hands of Turks armed with Winchester repeating rifles, the Russian Army decided in the 1880s that it had to modernize its weaponry. Submitted for the consideration of the "Special Commission for the testing of Magazine fed Rifles" were three rifles, including a "3-line" caliber rifle from Sergei Ivanovich Mosin and a 3.5-line design by Léon Nagant.

A combination of both Mosin and Nagant's designs was created for the Russian Army and designated the "3-line rifle, Model 1891." Many exchanges and compromises between the two designs can be seen on Model 1891s. For example, in Mosin's original design the spring was not attached to the base plate and could conceivably be lost during cleaning. Thus, Nagant's more practical design – in which the magazine spring is attached to the base plate – was included. Another swap between Mosin and Nagant's designs is the "interrupter." Nagant's original design lacked an interrupter to keep two cartridges from being loaded simultaneously which caused frequent feed failures. Mosin's interrupter and a different feed mechanism design were thus included on the Model 1891. Later, when the Model 1891 was redesigned to become the M1891/30 the interrupter was changed even more drastically as it was still considered an unreliable piece of the rifle.

The Mosin-Nagant saw heavy use from its creation through World War II during which it was standard issue for Russian troops to use against the Nazi invasion. After WWII the Mosin-Nagant gave way to the SKS and then the AK-47, although it continued to be used in the Eastern bloc for some time. The Mosin-Nagant can still be found on the frontlines of countries given aid by the Soviet Union throughout the 20th century, although most Mosin-Nagants in Western countries were surplus exported from Finland when the Finnish army modernized its weapons in the 1960s.

Explore our auctions to bid on Mosin-Nagant rifles, parts and accessories today. With collectible firearms auctions that change every day you can check back if you don't find what you're looking for right away. Or, sell your own Mosin-Nagant rifle, parts and accessories. Now that you've read its history you can write a great report on your item and how it fits into the Mosin-Nagant story.