The inscription identifies it as a Mosin-Nagant M91 made under contract by New England Westinghouse. Due to the revolution in Russia, most of them didn't get delivered to the Russians and the US government bought them to keep Westinghouse and Remington from going under. They were used as troop training rifles and a few were sent with the American troops dispatched to Siberia to fight the Communists. The bulk of them got sold to Americans in the 1920s at very low prices, $2-3. Some were sporterized by Bannerman's, and they have a bit of collector value but aren't in great demand. Many of these were converted by Bannerman's to .30-06. There are warnings all over the Web that these are considered extremely dangerous to fire. I don't know why, as the 7.62x54R works at similar pressures to the .30-06, and though the case head diameter of the original cartridge is enough larger than the .30-06 to pose some risk of a case rupture if it were simply reamed out for the .30-06, I've been told that Bannerman's set the barrels back before rechambering them. The hazard may be more myth than fact. I'd certainly check out that rifle thoroughly before shooting it, in any case.



I'd like to have a nice original NEW or Remington M91, if I could find one at a reasonable price. I have no interest in any sporterized military rifles, though.

Oh, yeah: The barrel's not one piece with the receiver. The part that looks like the top of an octagon barrel at the breech is the receiver ring, and the tapered round part in front is the shank of the barrel. The Russian system was to mark the date, serial number and most of the other ID stuff on the barrel. The receivers generally have a manufacture date stamped on the bottom side of the tang. The sights are marked in arshins, an old Russian unit that roughly corresponded to a man's marching step, something around 28".

Well, duh, Herter's sporterized this one, it sounds like. Overlooked that inscription on the buttplate. Could've just been a part that came from them, though. I'd still check what that thing's chambered for. If it's got the original barrel markings (it does), it's still got the original bore diameter unless bored out and rerifled or relined, both of which are exceedingly unlikely.

Herters sold gunstocks by the ton. The 1969 catalog has 47 pages devoted to stocks and inlays. They offered bedding, five classes of checkering. They showed at least five grades of American walnut, three of French, four California claro, South American mahogany, cherry, laminates four grades of myrtlewood, birdseye maple woods from planks to fully finished stocks. They all were the Famous Model Perfect, of course. Herter stocks show up nearly everywhere.
Cheers from Darkest California,
Ross

Re arshins, last night I saw a mention on one of the milsurp boards that the arshin was based on one of the Czars' pace. Figures.