Mosin Nagant M91Izhevsk Bulgarian Capture/Use

J

johnm1

New member
I have the opportunity to buy a M91. It is at a show so no pictures are available. Barrell and receiver match. No other parts match/have numbers. Bore is dark but rifling is strong and it is not counter bored. Imperial markings are present plus an added B I am told indicates Bulgarian use. One small stamping has been ground and restamped but was too small to see. Newer of the two stock variants with hand guard and sling slots. Decent amount of finish on the barrel and receiver. No finish on the magazine. Magazine did not have a number. Bolt did not appear to have a number. The rifle is in overall good shape and I like it and think it will shoot well. No import marks visible.

The asking price is $230.00. What are your thoughts on the price? It sounds pretty good to me. This is from another collector no a retail dealer. I forgot. The year is 1916 so it would fit into the collection of other WW 1 Rifles.

EDIT: The stamp on the receiver that has been ground off and replaced is the imperial eagle. I could not see what it was replaced with.
 
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$200 and a bit seems to be about the going price for a $150 Mosin with uncommon markings or features.

If you like it and want it, go ahead and get it. You won't make any money on it later on, but buy it to enjoy it.

I paid $300 for a nice all-matching 1929 Tula a few weeks ago, I know I could have found one for less, but there it was, and I had to have it.

There's a 1917, finish about gone, not matching, at a local shop here, for $200, it seems high to me, but I may buy it next month if it's still there because I like the Czarist stamping on the receiver.
 
I have yet to find a sold for price for an 1891 on the internet. I'm thinking the loss of the imperial eagle would have a pretty significant impact on the price. Though it isn't that big a deal for me. This one isn't a need. I just thought an 1891 would be a nice addition. 7.62x54.net lists it as a 3 out of 10 as far as rarity goes. With 10 being the rarest.
 
Odd. I thought the 1891's would be significantly higher than a typical 91/30. But thanks for the reply.
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They are! $230 is not a bad price even with the ground markings. I would see if you could use the missing markings as leverage to get a few bucks knocked off.
 
That was a thought. I went back and tried to talk with the guy again but he had a line of people he was dealing with. He seemed to believe it was Bulgarian but I can't for the life of me see why. His example of a circled B on the side of the barrel didn't really pan out as correct. Though for all we know, he may have some better information than is published.

The scrubbed eagle was replaced by another eagle close to what the Russian Eagle looked like. But not quite. I have tried to find a photograph of the eagle that was put on the rifle but to no avail. Had he not been so busy I was going to ask if he knew what eagle was stamped over the Russian imperial eagle. I would need some additional research time to figure this one out and just can't expend the time right now. (I am actually back at work and should have been since early this morning)

I'm going to let this one pass. It was a decent example of a 1916 M1891 that has had the imperial eagle scrubbed and replaced by an unknown entity. And it was probably worth what he was asking.

Thanks for all the help.
 
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