Mosin w/out importer mark??

[Sophicles]

Is it possible? I got together with some shooting friends of mine last Sunday. One of them had a Mosin carbine, and for the life of me I couldnt find an importer's mark anywhere. He said he got the rifle from his grandfather and he had it forever as he recalls.

['TUDE]

Might be lucky enough to have been a wartime bring back. They are around, but few of them.

I know this is a stupid question, but did you also look on the underside of the barrel under the front sight for an import mark?

[Sophicles]

Sure did...thats where my Persian is stamped. I tell ya this thing could be a 'vet bring home'...a real beater.

[ February 13, 2002: Message edited by: Sophicles ]

[LarryR]

I don't recall the year they started, but importer marks weren't required for a long time. (I have a couple of US-made long guns from the 1940's and 1950's that don't even have serial numbers.) Even on recent imports, it's not unusual to find one that missed getting marked. Also, quite a few carbines were brought back from the Korean War, so there's a good chance it's one of those.

[law4fun]

Likewise, several were liberated from Vietnam and returned to the states. Sounds like a neat, original old rifle.

[runnin an gunnin]

Importer marks & SNs were not required until GCA of 68 IIRC.

Actually the govt. if not the CMP sold these at one time. Back then ammo was scarce and you could buy the gun and 100 rds of ammo for $2-3 IIRC. They wanted to blow them out!!! :)

[RossD]

I have a 1936 date Mosin that I bought a few years ago at an antique arms show from a guy who said that he swapped a USGI 1911 .45 for it when his unit met a Russian unit in Germany in 1945.

I said: "Wow...that was kind of a one-sided trade, wasn't it?"

He said: "Nah. the .45 wasn't mine anyway."

He was asking $50.00 for the Mosin and I got it. Shoots nice and no import stamp or Finnish markings.

[Sophicles]

So it looks like this may be a vet bring home after all.

[G_FAL]

I have one of these that belonged to my
grandfather.No import marks.
No manufacturer stamp that I can find on it,
have not removed the action from the stock
to look for one.
It appears that the original stock has been
cut down in the front to sporterize it, no
front sling attachment point.
No matching numbers on the barrel, bolt, or
magazine base.
The finish is kind of rough from being in
storage for a long time.