So, I just couldn't handle the thought of the Mosin sniper rifle I bought not having the original finish, so I sold it off and bought a different one from a different supplier. This time I went with a 1942 Izhevsk, since this was the first year of production with the PU scope. So, I get the rifle on Saturday, and it looks great! Excellent finish, excellent bore, all-matching numbers, clear optics...





But wait, what this? The date and national insignia was scrubbed by the Soviets from the barrel!



"No worries," I tell myself. "The date is usually stamped on the underside of the receiver." Except that starting in late '41 and ending sometime in '42, the date was typically not stamped here. And yep, just as I thought, no date here either.



LOL, I tell you, it's driving me crazy. It surely is confusing people on the Gunboards forums right now. Best theory I've heard yet so far is that this was a rifle loaned to the East Germans, who would add their own mark typically right in the middle of where the barrel date would be. And so, when it was returned to the Russians, they just buffed off the marking and the date to save time. But really, who knows?

I've already sent off an e-mail to the importer, hoping they have more info to share on this one. Someone, somewhere judged this to be a '42, and it'd be nice to know why.

Luke, I just don't have the affinity for mosins that you have.

I guess I am the same way about ARs.

Yeah, my AR has been sitting in pieces for almost two years now. I have everything except the upper receiver assembly. One of these days I'll get around to completing it.

The new sniper will be going to the range this weekend.

OG, file this one under the "crazy yet true" stories:

This past Friday morning, I was expecting a UPS package from Southern Ohio Gun with the M24/47 I had bought. That came as expected, but after the deliveryman walked away I noticed he'd also delivered a second box that was also about the same size as the one from SOG. To my surprise, it was a package from American Tactical Imports and inside was a (properly marked) 1942 Izhevsk PU sniper. Checked the packing list, and it turns out the serial number on the sheet was for the gun shown up above here. So, I give ATI a call and let them know what's going on. He reasoned that it was probably an inventory control goof on their part. Best of all, he told me it was totally up to me which one I wanted to return and that of course they'd pay for the return shipping.

So, in the end I'll be keeping this one they sent by mistake and sending back the other one. Not only is it in great shape, but now I know for sure I have a genuine, first-year PU sniper marked as such.

Man, I never thought I'd own three different PU sniper rifles in the span of one month.

And people say there is no God. Now you have proof.

Glad that you now have just what you wanted.

What condition is the bore and bolt face ?

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR MONEY. PLEASE SEND SOME KTHXBAI

Side note: Awesome rifles .

It is nice to have the doubt removed.



Excellent on both counts. The bore doesn't show any sign of frost or pitting. Given that it's a 1942 barrel, that's even more impressive. But, as someone on another forum commented, it was in the sniper's best interest to keep his (or her) rifle in the best shape possible in the field. That, and no doubt snipers didn't take as nearly as many shots as an average infantryman.

Whatever the case, it's becoming apparent to me that, when these things were refurbished after WWII, they had to have a bore in excellent shape, or else the Soviets would decommission them as sniper rifles.