A Russian 91/30 Mosin-Nagant ex-sniper rifle that was manufactured, in its present condition, in 1943. In the photograph on the right, the Hammer and Sickle symbol above the date and the triangle symbol under the number "22" indicate that this rifle was manufactured at or was refurbished at the Izhevsk arsenal post 1928. The rifle has all matching numbers and is in 7.62mm x .54mm caliber.

When the Soviet Union was invaded by Nazi Germany in 1941 the Mosin-Nagant was the standard issue weapon to Soviet troops. As a result, millions of these rifles were produced and used in World War II as the largest army in history mobilized.  

In the picture on the left we are looking inside the chamber. Notice how the holes for the scope mount screws have been filled in. On the other side, it is nearly impossible to see where the holes used to be. The holes are filled in and welded shut and then the receiver is reworked. The Russians removed a rifle out of sniper service for a variety of reasons including, a loss of accuracy, damage, not needed any more, and so on. To view a fully functional 91/30 sniper rifle with the scoped attached please CLICK HERE .

The picture on the right is a view of the muzzle of this 91/30 rifle. In this picture we can also see the front sight protector and the tip of the cleaning rod. The cleaning rod is stored in the stock so as to allow the bore to be cleaned while out in the field.  

The photograph on the left is a picture of the buttstock and buttplate of this 91/30 rifle.

The picture on the right is a some what important one to collectors. The stamping on the barrel was not applied by Russia, but rather it was done here in the states. This stamping is commonly called an "import marking" or "importers stamp". Now why is this stamp important? The answer is that many collectors strive to not only find a pristine specimen but also one that has not been changed or altered. Since this firearm is not like it was when it left the factory, the value of it has been diminished ever so slightly.

These import stamps originally started to appear by law in the late 1980's. Before that time, there were millions and millions of firearms imported into the U.S. that did not contain any type of import marking. This is an important fact to remember when purchasing a firearm from a seller that is claiming it is a vet bring back. All official "bring back" items will have proper documentation. With out these documents, one can never be sure of the story told by some sellers. An easy way to remember all of this is by the old saying "buy the item and not the story". What is meant by that is to evaluate the item for it's worth and to not pay extra for the story that may come along with it.  

The photograph on the left is a view of the right side of the 91/30. In this view we can see the strait bolt handle with the ball on the end and below that is the trigger and magazine assembly.

The picture on the right is of the rear sight. To adjust this sight for distance, the operator would squeeze the buttons at each end of the bar and move it in a forward direction. The numbers corresponds to 100 meters so that moving the bar to the number 3 would indicate 300 meters.

Resource:

The Mosin Nagant rifle by Terence W. Lapin

Handbook of military rifle marks 1866-1950 by Richard Hoffman & Noel Schott

Official guide to gunmarks by Robert Balderson 

The standard directory of proof marks by Gerhard Wirnsberger