Rifleman Q & A: French-Made Mosin-Nagant?

posted on January 7, 2020
madmois.jpg

Q: I have a Mosin-Nagant rifle with a date of 1894. All of the stampings are in Russian. I’m not able to find any information on this model of Mosin, can you please help?

A: You have a relatively rare variant of the Russian Model 1891 rifle in that yours was made under contract for the Russian government by the French government armory Manufacture d’armes de Châtellerault in 1894.

The words in the Russian Cyrillic script on the receiver of your rifle translate to “Ordnance Factory Chatellerault 1894.” Your serial number below those words is N3281XX. The Russian alphabet does not contain the letter “N,” so we know the French used the abbreviation N for the French word for number.


The French delivered about 503,000 rifles during the period of 1892 to 1895. At least 9,350,000 were made by the Russian armories from 1892 to 1922. So you can see by comparison that the half-million French-made rifles are pretty rare. If you compare your rifle to the Russian-made rifles, the most noticeable feature you can see is that your rifle has sling swivels.

In 1910, the Russians eliminated standard sling swivels and substituted two rectangular holes in the stock through which they attached a sling with short leather straps.
There are other minor difference in the French-contract rifles, as well.

⁠—Michael F. Carrick, Contributing Editor

In his 2018 article, "A Look Back at the Mosin-Nagant 91/30," Dave Campbell highlights the rich history of this ubiquitous rifle. As with many of its firearms, the Soviet Union used the Model 1891 as a sort of currency to help pay for its ambitious desire to acquire more nations under its fold. Many such as Tula, Izhevsk, Sestroryetsk, Manufacture Nationale d’Armes de Châtellerault, Remington and New England Westinghouse, alongside others, have produced some 37 million-plus copies of the Model 1891 during its 129-year existence.

With that many produced and the number of companies building it, the Model 1891 has had numerous variations. In the Soviet Union alone, no less than 10 variations are known. Estonia has cataloged another four, and Finland added an additional fourteen. The Czechs had three variations, and the Chinese, Hungarians, Romanians, Polish, and even the American added another fourteen variants, all told. The most common variation seen is the 1891/30, produced in the Soviet Union from 1930 to 1945. It has seen service in no less than 38 wars and conflicts, dating from its origin to today.

Here in the U.S., the Mosin-Nagant has been a popular surplus rifle. Typically, the Model 1891/30 is the most prevalent, and it has earned the nickname of being a “poor man’s sniper rifle.” After World War II, examples could be found stacked in barrels at surplus outlets for less than 20 bucks. Today however, a shooter grade will lighten your wallet by at least $250, and pristine collector examples can fetch more than a grand. The Mosin-Nagant is like a lot of Russian firearms: somewhat crude in design, but very well made—especially those made in Tula and Izhevsk—and very dependable. If you are a beginning collector looking for a relatively easy way to get into collecting, a Mosin-Nagant is worth considering.

 

Latest

M1917 Carbine
M1917 Carbine

The “M1917 Carbine”

Overshadowed in history by the Springfield M1903, the U.S. Model 1917 was nonetheless an important infantry rifle beginning in World War I—and a little-known “Carbine” variant would, much later, arm Chinese, North Korean and North Vietnamese troops.

The Armed Citizen® March 10, 2025

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Bersa Follows Trend, Begins American Manufacturing

Bersa USA’s announcement that it was exhibiting at the IWA Outdoor Classic Exhibition in Nuremberg, signals yet another step forward for a company following a path other famed firearm firms have taken to find success—moving some or all manufacturing to the United States.

Preview: FOXPRO X24

This compact system, controlled by the TX-1000 wireless remote (three AAAs), features Xtreme High Definition speakers with improved frequency response with 24-bit audio for realistic sound clarity and comes loaded with more than 200 animal sounds.

Review: Bear Creek Arsenal BC-202

This handy Bear Creek Arsenal BC-202 carbine is based on the now-discontinued Ruger 10/22 Magnum.

New For 2025: Century Arms AP5-SD & AP5-L

Century Arms has expanded its AP5 family of MP5 clones with two unique options, both equipped with faux suppressors designed to preserve the original look of the MP5 design without running afoul of NFA laws.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.