Finnish AV1 M/91 Mosin Nagant 7.62x54R Bolt Action Rifle C&R 1926
SOLD FOR: $1,831
WOA#: WY240126MC003
Make: AV1 (Arsenal 1), Tikka made barrel
Model: M/91
Serial Number: 1357
Year of Manufacture: 1926
Caliber: 7.62x54R
Action Type: Bolt action, internal 5 round magazine
Markings: The left side of the receiver is marked “1357”. The top of the receiver is marked with a Finnish stamp and the “AV1” arsenal mark. The left side of the barrel shank is marked with the boxed “SA” mark. The top of the barrel shank is marked with the Tikka “T” mark, “1357”, “C”, and “1926”. The bolt knob is marked “1357”. The bolt body is marked with a crossed out “109013”. The safety has a faint Tula star mark. The underside of the magazine floor plate is marked “5241”. The underside of the barrel is marked with an import mark. There are small proof and acceptance marks scattered throughout.
Barrel Length: 31”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a fixed blade dovetailed into a small barrel mounted base. The rear sight is a v-notch sight escalator in the down position. When flipped up it is a sight ladder that uses a sliding v-notch blade.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The two piece wood stock has a straight grip, finger grooves, metal nose cap, cut out for the including cleaning rod, two barrel bands, two sling loops, through bolt, and a metal buttplate. The buttplate is scratched with wear along the edges. There are compression marks, scuffs, and scratches throughout the wood. The forend has more wear than the rest of the stock, with gouges along the sides and wear along the cleaning rod channel. There is a stock repair at the toe of the buttstock. The LOP measures 14” from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The stock rates in about Good overall condition as arsenal refurbished.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original to arsenal refurbishment
Bore Condition: The bore is semi-bright and the rifling is sharp. There is light erosion in the bore.
In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates 8 out of 10.
Many military and C&R eligible weapons have bores that will show erosion. This is not only due to age but to the fact that corrosive primers were commonly used in ammunition worldwide. For example, the U.S. used corrosive ammunition throughout WWII. The U.S. military did not begin to phase out corrosive-primed ammunition until the 1950s.
Overall Condition: This rifle retains about 75% of its metal finish as arsenal refurbished. There are scuffs and scratches throughout the metal surfaces. The edges of the receiver have wear to their finish. There is pitting on the sides of the magazine, the underside of the magazine floor plate, the sling loops, and the barrel bands beneath the newer finish. There is also pitting on the bolt body and knob. There are impact marks along the bottom edge of the magazine. The action and bolt show light operational wear. The screw heads show light use. The markings are clear. Overall, this rifle rates in about Very Good condition as arsenal refurbished.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. We did not fire this rifle. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance requirements.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This rifle comes with an “SA” marked leather sling.
Our Assessment: Following the First World War and subsequent Finnish Civil War, the newly formed military of the Republic of Finland had scores of Russian M/91 rifles in their inventory. To supplement this, Finland began to domestically produce M/91 pattern rifles. Nearly visually identical to the Russian version, the Finnish M/91 would initially be made in relatively small numbers, utilizing barrels made by three companies. One of the companies was Tikka. This example was made by the AV1 arsenal using a Tikka barrel in 1926. The stock has some wear, as well as repairs to the buttstock. It features the distinctive underside finger splices. The metal retains most of its finish and there are areas of pitting that were present prior to the rifle being arsenal refurbished. The markings are clear. The bore is in very good shape and should make for a great shooter. The rifle also comes with a Finnish Army (“SA”) leather sling. This is a good example of an M/91 from the first year that Tikka began making barrels for these rifles. It would fit into any Finnish or Mosin collection. Please see our photos.
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