Mosin Nagant M44 - chrome lined barrel?

[Moloch]

Hi!

Quick question, I just bought a Mosin Nagant M44 1945 izhevsk arsenal, checked the gun, its like new, 100% bluing, very nice. Checked the bore & muzzle, its so shiney, its unreal.

Could it be possible that this specimen has a chrome lined barrel? Did the russian chrome line barrels?
Is there a trick to find out if the barrel is chrome lined or not?

If I compare it to my FR-8 which has a chrome lined barrel it looks very similar.

 

[HvyMtl]

um...

Ok, I have not heard of a chrome lined barrel in a M44...

Place to find more info on the Mosin-Nagant: www.7.62x54r.net

Perhaps you can find your answer there...

You may have an excellent example, little fired, that may just look chromed...

 

[qwman68]

no, not unless its an aftermarket barrel..didnt come standard on the M-44..

 

[5whiskey]

You, my friend, are one of the blessed ones who bought a very good condition Mosin. It's not chromed, just in very good condition.

 

[tater134]

No mosins were produced with chrome lined barrels.Yours is just in very good condition.

 

[buymore]

I have a Chinese Type 53 that does have a chromed barrel. Some of the Type 53's are chromed, some are not. I got two from Omega a few years back and one was junk....non chromed and the other was good. Less than $76 shipped for the two, I can't complain, but it did have me wondering why one was chrome and the other not?

 

[Moloch]

Thanks so far, probably not a chrome lined barrel.
But still cool having a ''new barrel'' on my mosin, the muzzle is also sharp and nice.
Thought all 45' mosins were still issued to troops to battle germany but this one looks like unissued, I dont think this specimen ever fired a single corrosive cartridge.

I also couldnt find any aresnal refurbish stamps on the rifle.

 

[essohbe]

Thought all 45' mosins were still issued to troops to battle germany...

Yes, and it took a dozen men to carry the 45 foot rifle.

Lol. Just kidding, I know what you mean.

My M44 is also mirror bright, it is not chromed. I guess there are some good ones out there.

 

[B. Lahey]

all 45' mosins were still issued to troops to battle germany

The war in Europe was over in May of '45. Very few M44s saw use in WWII, except for the first experimental lot made in 1943 they are almost entirely postwar rifles.

 

[Moloch]

Yes, and it took a dozen men to carry the 45 foot rifle.

And even more dispensable men to fire the 7.62x54 inch cartridge.

Very few if any M44s saw use in WWII, they are almost entirely postwar rifles.

I've seen many photos of russian infantrymen carrying and firing m44's!

As example:

 

[B. Lahey]

Then those are some of the very few.

They just didn't make as many before the war ended as they did between 45 and 48.

But you can tell if yours was a wartime rifle or not...

Does your receiver look like this?

Or this?

Does your stock look like this?

Or this?

 

[Moloch]

Yes, like this one, very dark color, no escutcheons on the sling cut-throughs.

I am to lazy to get the thing out of the stock, but I am pretty sure the receiver looks like on pic #1 as far as I can remember.

 

[B. Lahey]

You don't have to pull it out of the stock, just look at the contour of the receiver. One has a dip in it, one is straight.

Neat photos, though. I have an Iz '44 that I didn't figure had seen any use, but I guess it could have.

 

[Moloch]

Well just took a look at it, the receiver end is straight, no cut outs/no dip.

It does NOT look like this:

 

[FALPhil]

Here is mine. Is it a post-war? What are the indicators of wartime production vs post-war?

 

[B. Lahey]

Looks like a wartime receiver in a postwar stock, Phil. Either it's a wartime gun restocked postwar or a transitional rifle, I would guess.

Here's one of the places we have been scarfing photos and info from:
http://7.62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinM44S.htm

I was talking about the other side of the receiver, Moloch.

The dip scalloped out runs along the top of the mag/ejection/loading area on the port side (circled).

 

[Moloch]

Ah sorry, I thought you are talking about the ''Cut'' at the receiver rear.

Well, it looks like this:

 

[B. Lahey]

Sounds like an earlier '45 from the info I've run across. If they managed to throw it together, inspect and ship it from Izhevsk to the heart of Germany before May of that year, it could have possibly been around for the battle of Berlin and the very end of the war. From the condition of the rifle it's far more likely it's only action was getting dipped in cosmoline and stored in a dusty warehouse for 50+ years, but it's not impossible.

 

[Moloch]

Well, I am from Austria and got the m44 from Germany, maybe it really was issued to troops fighting for berlin? I thing its quiet possible.