The Major Izhevsk 91/30 receiver variations

[Claven2]

I thought about posting this in Red Rifles, but since I'm not posting about fitting a Tapco stock or adding an NC-Star optic, I decided to post here instead where the collectibility of these guns can be understood and appreciated.

I went through my Izhevsk Mosins and pieced together examples of the major receiver variations. This does not cover minutia like how the charger clip guides were machined or the bolt lug raceway at the breeching Face. There are a few sub-variations that cover that stuff, but you need to be really observant to notice those minor variants.

The major variants, chronologically and from left to right, of the 91/30 infantry rifle (not including sniper-specific variants) is:

1) Hex receiver, low wall, stepped tang, machined rear shelf
2) Round receiver, low wall, stepped tang, machined rear shelf
3) Round receiver, high wall, unstepped tang, unmachined rear shelf (in this case, it's a 1942 receiver with no external finishing operations - i.e. "beaver chewed")
4) Round receiver, high wall, unstepped tang, machined rear shelf

After these variants, M44 production reverted to a further variant that never appeared on the 91/30 infantry rifle: Round receiver, low wall, unstepped tang, machined rear shelf. I didn;t picture one because this is a 91/30 thread

For interest's sake, the rifle years are: 1933, 1937, 1942 and 1944.

 

[donor]

Nice lineup.
Personally I'm intrigued by "beaver chewed" version of Mosins.Every one I have ever seen looks a bit different that previous.
They always show incredible haste and pressure to make quota rather than quality.
I wonder how they did look like when they were made-those we see today were restocked and refurbed along the way so we don't see the whole effect.They must have been as bad as any "last ditch" rifles made.

 

[Claven2]

Nice lineup.
Personally I'm intrigued by "beaver chewed" version of Mosins.Every one I have ever seen looks a bit different that previous.
They always show incredible haste and pressure to make quota rather than quality.
I wonder how they did look like when they were made-those we see today were restocked and refurbed along the way so we don't see the whole effect.They must have been as bad as any "last ditch" rifles made.

Not really. They simply didn't surface grind and polish the outside of the action. Lots of wartime stocks are around on refurbs and other than unlined sling slots they don't look bad at all.

 

[EL34/6L6]

Nice layout of the rifles for the photo Claven2. I'll have pull all my Mosins out and line them up for similar photo op.

 

[Claven2]

Nice layout of the rifles for the photo Claven2. I'll have pull all my Mosins out and line them up for similar photo op.

I need to think about how to photograph them all, these ones are all from September acquisitions and happened to cover all the main receiver variations. I have a really nice 36 with a proper pre-war stock en route this week also.

I'm now on the hunt for 45, a 46, a 47 and a 50 dated Izhevsk 91/30 infantry rifles that were never snipers.

now is the golden age for putting together a nice 91/30 collection. In 10 years people will remember these as the golden years of Mosin collecting

 

[EL34/6L6]

I believe all my pre 1930 91/30s are Izhevsk. I think all my carbines are as well. Not by my design, just how it worked out I guess.

 

[Claven2]

I believe all my pre 1930 91/30s are Izhevsk. I think all my carbines are as well. Not by my design, just how it worked out I guess.

For most years, Izhevsk is the most common make, so that makes sense. That said, ANY pre-war Mosin in nice shape is uncommon after WW2. Personally, I prefer and collect Izhevsk because they are usually better made rifles. Izhevsk was the primary factory and was, in effect, the "pattern holder" for the Mosin.

I don't currently have any pre-1930 91/30's. If I did, they would all be ex-dragoons. I'm concentrating on 91/30's that were made as, at the least, transitional 91/30's from 1931 through 1950. There might be a 1930 Izhevsk that was not a dragoon, but I've never seen one.

I'd also assess - for reasons unknown - that 1933 is the most commonly encountered "hex year" for 91/30's. Not a scientific conclusion, but I see more 33's than any other year from both Tula and Izhevsk.

 

[SA85M1]

Hmmmm,I generally tend to go for Tula as I found prewar rifles to be better...Have to look and see what's there..i should have an example or two of every reciever variation..

 

[EHG]

...now is the golden age for putting together a nice 91/30 collection. In 10 years people will remember these as the golden years of Mosin collecting

My thinking also and why I've been hunting for them.
Thanks for this thread. Interesting seeing the different variations over the years.
I particularly love the 42-43 Izzy's. Gems in the rough and still looking for a donor action in that era for a custom rebuild, but Bubba has been holding back.