Russian/Soviet M91, Dragoon, and Cossack
| Mosin Nagant Sights All content copyright © 7.62x54r.net Features Index |
Russian/Soviet M91, Dragoon, and Cossack |
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| The original rear sights on Russian M91 rifles are a flat leaf graduated in arshini (singular arshin) which is an archaic Russian unit equal to 28". The base has five notches numbered 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 representing hundreds of arshini. Chatellerault placed the numbers on the right side of the base while all other arsenals numbered the left side of the base as in the example below. The first pattern handguard on Dragoon and Cossack rifles wrapped around the sight base and the numbers were stamped in the wood itself. The rear of the leaf is marked 13 through 27 also representing hundreds of arshini with a notch in the leaf itself serving the 2700 arshini (2100 yards) range. However, the example below is not marked with the "26" or "27". The base is attached to the barrel by means of a dovetail and is soldered in place. | |||
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| With the adoption of the spitzer bullet in 1908 a new rear sight leaf designed by Konovalov was adapted to the existing base which did not change. The arshin unit was retained and most M91s were retrofitted with the new leaf. The graduations on the back side are from 13 to 32 (hundred arshini) with the notch at the end of the leaf itself being eliminated. Dragoon sight leafs are stamped "KaB" and Cossack sight leafs are stamped "Ka3" to distinguish them from M91 sight leafs which are not marked. | ||
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| The first two pictures below are a typical M91 rear sight base with the numbers on the left side while the second two pictures are a Chatellerault base with the numbers on the right side. | |||
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| The Russian M91, Dragoon, and Cossack front sights are a simple "barleycorn" blade dovetailed to a base which is integral to the barrel. | |||
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Soviet M91/30 |
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| With the adoption of the M91/30 rifle the rear sight was changed to a simple flat leaf on a tangent base. All graduations are on top of the leaf from 1 to 20 representing hundreds of meters. The base is attached to the barrel with a dovetail of the same size as the M91. There is a set screw at the rear of the base under the leaf and the base is also soldered in place. Early leaves have a deep notch which extends down to the flat of the leaf and early slides have a slope on the forward top edge. | |||
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| In 1940 Izhevsk began attaching the base to the barrel with two pins eliminating the set screw and solder. Tula continued to use the older method throughout production. Later leaves have a shallow notch and while the date of this change is uncertain, it was probably around 1940. WWII era slides are sloped both front and rear unlike the earlier ones sloped only to the front. Many rifles do not have the correct era parts due to replacement during refurbishment, often using salvaged pieces. | |||
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Most Soviet M91/30s were upgraded and had the two pins added although the set screw remained in place. Ex-Dragoons which were upgraded to M91/30 configuration during refurbishment typically have the newer type of base with no set screw and the two pins. M91/30s dated 1930 to 1932 which do not have the set screw were most likely originally built as Dragoons. Conversely, M91/30s dated 1927 to 1930 which have the set screw could be prototype M91/30s. It is also possible that an older rear sight base was used for the upgrade so that is not conclusive. Rifles without the pins were probably not in the Soviet Union post WWII with Finland and Spain being two likely alternatives. |
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The original M91/30 front sight was a simple tall blade with a step roughly midpoint in it's height. This type of front sight was only used for a few years early in M91/30 production, approximately 1930-1932. The base is identical to that found on the M91 and most of these blades were later replaced with the later post and globe. Occasionally the tall blade is found as a replacement on later era rifles. |
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The next front sight to be used on the M91/30 is a post and globe which utilized the same base. Until the early 1940s globe was milled from one piece of steel and the inner circle is round. |
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During WWII the globe was made from a stamped piece of steel and welded to the bottom section. It is recognized by the slightly flattened area at the bottom of the inner circle. Both types of globes may be found on rifles from any era due to refurbishment. |
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Soviet M38 |
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| The M38 rear sight is a shorter version of the M91/30 with the slide being interchangeable between the two models. The graduations are marked on the top of the leaf from 1 to 10 representing hundreds of meters. The base is a sleeve which fits around the barrel and is held in place with one pin at the rear. Early bases have a straight slope from the rear to a point above the leaf pin. As with M91/30 leaves an early version had a deep notch but it is uncommon to find and early slides had a slope on the forward edge. Due to replacement parts from any era may be found on rifles of any era. | |||
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| In 1942 the rear sight base was changed to a slight curve from the rear ending at a rounded area for the leaf pin similar to the M91/30 base. | |||
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| A rivet head pin was used to reinforce rear sight bases that were cracked at the weak point at the top rear of the base. This is also found on M44s. | |||
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The M38 front sight base is a short sleeve which is held to the barrel by a single pin at the rear. The forward section of the barrel is smaller in diameter forming a shoulder at the rear of the sleeve. It has a dovetail of the same size as the M91 and M91/30. The post and globe assembly is identical to the M91/30 and can also be found in milled and stamped versions. |
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Soviet M44 |
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| The M44 rear sight is identical to the later pattern M38 with a slight curve from the rear ending at a rounded area for the leaf pin. The graduations are marked on the top of the leaf from 1 to 10 representing hundreds of meters. The base is a sleeve which fits around the barrel and is held in place with one pin at the rear. Due to replacement during refurbishment earlier pattern parts from M38s may be found on M44s although no early M38 pattern bases have been reported. | |||
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The M44 front sight base is a long sleeve which also incorporates the folding bayonet lug and is held in place with two pins, one at the rear of the sight base itself and one vertically at the bayonet lug. The forward section of the barrel is smaller in diameter forming a shoulder at the rear of the sleeve. It has a dovetail of the same size as the M91 and M91/30. The post and globe assembly is identical to the M91/30 and can also be found in milled and stamped versions. |
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In 1946 the sight base was changed to a wider configuration with a longer dovetail. The post and globe assembly was also widened and was only milled and never stamped and welded. Occasionally the narrower post and globe assembly is found on the wider base as an expedient replacement. |
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Soviet/Czech M91/38 |
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| The M38 rear sight is identical to the later pattern M38 with a slight curve from the rear ending at a rounded area for the leaf pin. The graduations are marked on the top of the leaf from 1 to 10 representing hundreds of meters. The base is a sleeve which fits around the barrel and is held in place with one pin at the rear. | |||
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| The M91/38 front sight base is made from a later wide M44 type with the bayonet lug removed. The original pin at the bayonet lug can be seen as an hourglass shape to the left of the first picture. A few M91/38s with bayonet lugs and bayonets still intact have been reported and it is likely that the original intent was for the M91/38 to have an M44 style folding bayonet. The post and globe assembly is the same as the later wide M44 type. | |||
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Soviet M91/59 |
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| Soviet M91/59s are cut down from M91/30s and utilize the same rear sight base and leaf. The primary difference is all graduation marks above 10 (1,000 meters) are milled off. | |||
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| Occasionally rear sight bases without the later retrofitted pins holding them to the barrel are found on M91/59s. | |||
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| The front sight base is similar to the M38 but has a flat area at the top rear as opposed to a bevel. The sides are gently curved whereas the M38 has a sharp transition to from the sleeve to the riser (see above). Post and globes are identical to M91/30s and may be found in either the milled or stamped versions. | |||
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Finnish M24, P-Series, M91 (Russian/Soviet and Finnish made 1920s and 1940s), Cossack, and Dragoon |
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| These models are essentially copies of the Russian design with new or relined (P-series) barrels or captured/purchased Russian/Soviet rifles with Finnish repairs and modifications. As such they use the same type sights as the Russian Konovalov design of 1908. The primary difference is the Finns remarked the rear sight bases in meters utilizing the existing notches. Occasionally an extra notch is cut at the rear of the base and is marked 2 (200 meters). Typically the numbers are placed on the right side of the base which was left blank by the Russians. There are lots of variations in the manner of the numbering and how the existing Russian numbers were treated which will be covered later on this page. | |
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| Finnish M91 front sight bases are integral to the barrel and identical to the Russian version. However, the variation in blades is tremendous. Many of them are pictured below with brief descriptions. Any of these types may be found on any of the varieties of Finnish M91 pattern rifles. | ||
Russian barleycorn |
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| Curved base, flat top |  |
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| Curved base, flat top, notched rear |  |
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| Curved base, curved top |  |
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| Curved base, curved top, notched rear |  |
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| No base, flat top |  |
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| No base, flat top, notched rear |  |
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| No base, curved top, notched rear |  |
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| No base, untapered blade Uncommon |
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| Semi-curved base with wider dovetail, flat top Uncommon |
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| In 1942/43 Finland modified approximately 2,000 Russian Dragoon rifles by "wrapping" the existing front sight base and blade with protective ears which were riveted in place. Surviving examples are difficult to find. |  |
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Finnish M27 |
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| The Finnish Army M27 rear sight utilizes a Russian M91 base and leaf assembly with modifications. The base has an extra notch cut at the rear for a total of 6 which are numbered 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8, representing hundreds of meters, on both sides of the base. The notch is in a V shape which is a separate piece screwed to the rear of the leaf. The original Russian marks in arshini remain on the rear of the blade. The slide itself has "ears" which project down on each side of the base to help prevent damage to the leaf it is struck from the side. | |||||
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| The front sight base has integral ears to protect the blade and is soldered to the barrel. The blade is dovetailed across the bore axis into a secondary base which is dovetailed the length of the bore into the primary base and held in place with a set screw behind the blade. | |||||
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Finnish M28 |
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| The Finnish Army M28 rear sight is similar to the M27 and also utilizes a Russian M91 base and leaf assembly with modifications. The base does not have an extra notch cut at the rear, retaining the standard five. They are numbered 3, 4, 5 1/2, 7, and 8 1/2, representing hundreds of meters, on the right side of the base only. An "M" is typically stamped at the extreme rear of the right side representing meters. The left side may or may not have the original Russian numbers struck through. The notch is a shallow U shape which is a separate piece screwed to the bottom of the leaf. The original Russian marks in arshini remain on the rear of the blade. The slide itself is a standard Russian M91. | |||||
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| The front sight base has integral ears to protect the blade and is soldered to the barrel. The blade is dovetailed across the bore axis into a secondary base which is dovetailed the length of the bore into the primary base and held in place with a set screw in front of the blade. | |||||
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Finnish M28/30 |
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| The Finnish Civil Guard M28/30 rear sight is a completely new design specifically for this model. The base is a sleeve around the barrel and soldered in place with ears at the rear to protect the leaf from damage. It is numbered 2, 4, 6, and 8 on the left side representing hundreds of meters. The leaf is numbered on top with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10; on the back with 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20; and has a slot down the middle to untilize the back sight notch. The rear notch is a shallow U shape which is a separate piece screwed to the bottom of the leaf. | |||||
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| The front sight base has integral ears to protect the blade and is soldered to the barrel. The blade has a tail that fits inside the base and is held there by two screws which are also used for adjusting windage. A set screw behind the blade holds the base on the barrel during the soldering process and a notch in front of the blade accepts the hook of the muzzle cover. | |||||
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Finnish M39 |
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| The Finnish M39 was a joint effort between the Army and the Civil Guard. The rear sight is very similar to the M28/30 with the a few minor changes. The base is a sleeve around the barrel and soldered in place with ears at the rear to protect the leaf from damage and also has a bushing at the front to retain the upper handguard. It is numbered 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 on the left side representing hundreds of meters. The leaf is numbered on top with 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10; on the back with 12, 14, 16, 18, and 20; and has a slot down the middle to untilize the back sight notch. The spacing of the numbers varies slightly from the M28/30 leaf. The rear notch is a deeper U shape with a recess around it and is a separate piece screwed to the bottom of the leaf. | |||||
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| The front sight is essentially identical to the M28/30 but is mounted approximately one inch from the muzzle as opposed to the M28/30's one half inch. The base has integral ears to protect the blade and is soldered to the barrel. The blade has a tail that fits inside the base and is held there by two screws which are also used for adjusting windage. A set screw behind the blade holds the base on the barrel during the soldering process and a notch in front of the blade accepts the hook of the muzzle cover. | |||||
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Finnish M91/30 |
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| The Finnish M91/30 is a direct copy of the Soviet model utilizing primarily captured parts. The rear sight is identical to the earlier Soviet version. All graduations are on top of the leaf from 1 to 20 representing hundreds of meters. The base is attached to the barrel with a dovetail of the same size as the M91. There is a set screw at the rear of the base under the leaf and the base is also soldered in place. Early leaves have a deep notch which extends down to the flat of the leaf and early slides have a slope on the forward top edge. Later parts may also be found on Finnish M91/30s. | |||
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The front sight base is integral with the barrel and the same size as the Soviet version. The Finns preferred blade front sights over the post and globe so a spacer was utilized to raise a standard M91 type blade to the correct height for the M91/30 rear sight. This is know among US collectors as a "Finnish stacked blade". This type of sight is also found on some Soviet M91/30 rifles captured or purchased by Finland. |
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While it is less common, the Soviet post and globe can also be found on Finnish made M91/30s. |
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Polish, Hungarian, Romanian M44s, and Chinese T53 |
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| These countries' M44 copies utilized sights identical to the later pattern Soviet M44. The rear sight base has a slight curve from the rear ending at a rounded area for the leaf pin and is a sleeve which fits around the barrel and is held in place with one pin at the rear. The graduations are marked on the top of the leaf from 1 to 10 representing hundreds of meters. Polish M44s from 1951 and 1952 have a deep notch in the leaf while 1953-1955 Polish and all other countries production have the shallow notch. | |||
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The front sight base is a long sleeve which also incorporates the folding bayonet lug and is held in place with two pins, one at the rear of the sight base itself and one vertically at the bayonet lug. The forward section of the barrel is smaller in diameter forming a shoulder at the rear of the sleeve. The post and globe is the same type as the later wide Soviet assembly. |
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Romanian M91/30 |
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| The Romanian M91/30 is a close copy of the Soviet model with some unique features. The rear sight base is identical to the later Soviet version and is held to the dovetail with two pins. All graduations are on top of the leaf from 1 to 20 representing hundreds of meters. The sight notch is a pattern unique to the Romanian M91/30. Another variation of leaf has been observed with finer graduations is known as a "target sight" among collectors. | |||
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The front sight base is integral with the barrel but taller than the typical M91/30 base. It has grooves on the side which appear to be designed to accept a removable sight hood. The blade itself is attached to the base with a dovetail and is curved out at the bottom and bacc on the top. |
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Albanian M91/30 |
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| The Albanian M91/30 is very similar to the Soviet model with a notable exception. The rear sight base is a sleeve held in place with one pin at the rear. This is much like the M38/M44 rear sight base only longer and is understandable since Albania received the design from China rather than the Soviet Union and China only produced T53s with this type of base. The leaf and slide are the same type as the Soviet M91/30 with graduations on top of the leaf from 1 to 20 reprsenting 100s of meters. | |||
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The front sight base is integral with the barrel and the same size as the Soviet version. The post and globe is the milled type and also matches the Soviet M91/30. |
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| Unique sight variations | ||
| This unique M91/38 front sight has a square post
and no hole in the top of the globe. (picture courtesy of "rmeron") |
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| Finnish modified P26 sight with rear notch milled
flush (pictures courtesy of "AWO425") |
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| Finnish M91/30 rear sight "in the white" (picture courtesy of JMKDEVCO) |
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| M91/30, M38 and M44 rear sight number
variations These changed over time and it's difficult to determine exact dates or even eras for the different types. Below are some representative examples. |
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| Plain font, no serifs |  |
| Serifs at the bottom of the 4s and 2s and the top of the 7s |  |
| Serifs at the top of the 1s |  |
| Serifs on 1s, 2s, 4s, and 7s |  |
| Carbine, small numbers |  |
| Carbine, large numbers |  |
| M91/30, M38, M44, and T53 rear sight
button variations As with all Mosin parts, these buttons have been mixed up over time but a general pattern of use is apparent. Actual use on individual rifles will vary and it is not uncommon to find two types on one rifle. |
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| Crosshatched Early Soviet M91/30s |
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| Coarser version, less common |  |
| Steeper angle, less common |  |
| Fine vertical lines Later Soviet M91/30s, M38s, M44s, and Polish M44s |
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| Coarse vertical lines Hungarian and Romanian M44s and M91/30s and Chinese T53s |
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Renumbered M91 sights |
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| Russian arshins struck through and renumbered in meters by the Finns. |  |
| Russian arshins scrubbed and renumbered in meters by the Finns. |  |
| Russian arshins milled off leaving a "window" and renumbered in meters by the Finns. |
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| No notch cut for 200 meters and "M" for meters by the Finns. |  |
| Renumbered in decimals instead of fractions by the Finns. |  |
| Renumbered by the Finns and later "1/2" at
"5" and "8" struck out and "7" struck out and remarked as "6" by the Finns. |
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| Renumbered by the Finns with the old numbers struck through
using a "0". (picture courtesy of "finnmn") |
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| Numbers struck through by the Finns using a "0".
Reverse of the above sight. (picture courtesy of "finnmn") |
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| Numbered in Arabic by Turkey and later numbered in meters
by the Finns. (picture courtesy of Eric Johnson) |
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| Numbered in Arabic by Turkey and later struck through by
the Finns. (picture courtesy of Arlon) |
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| Rear sight leaf elevations renumbered in Arabic by Turkey. (picture courtesy of "Mitch Stevens collection") |
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| Renumbered by Austria and struck through by the Finns. Numbered in meters on the opposite side. |  |
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