Alpha prefix The letters preceding the serial numbers on Soviet and Eastern European Mosin Nagants. They represent a block of 9,999 rifles and were assigned at random.

Arshin An old Russian unit of measurement used on the M91 rear sights equal to 28 inches or .71 meter.

AZF Artillerie Zeugs Fabrik, an Austrian arsenal mark found on some Mosin Nagant receivers.

Böhler-Stahl The mark found on the bottom of the barrel shank of Finnish M24 barrels produced in Germany. Bohler is the type of steel and Stahl is German for steel.

CCCP Cyrillic initials for Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik or Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).

Chatellerault The French arms manufacturer that made some of the first Russian M91s.

Civil Guard A Finnish volunteer organization roughly equivalent to the US National Guard or British Home Guard. See The Suojeluskunta at Mosin Nagant Dot Net for a detailed history.

Continuation War The war between Finland and the Soviet Union from June 1941 to September 1944 that was a "continuation" of the Winter War in which Finland sought to recover lost territory.

Cossack A short rifle for mounted troops that was issued without a bayonet and marked "Ka3" on the barrel shank. Along with the Dragoon rifle, it was a forerunner of the M91/30.

Counterbore Removal of worn rifling at the muzzle by drilling it out larger than the bore diameter to improve accuracy.

DDR Deutsche Demokratische Republik, German Democratic Republic or East Germany.

Dog collar A small leather strap with a buckle that is used in pairs to attach a sling to a Mosin Nagant through the sling slots.

Dragoon The Russian short rifle produced until the early 1930s that was the forerunner for the M91/30. It differed from the Cossack in that it was issued and sighted with a bayonet.

Electropenciled A method of etching parts with a serial number often used during refurbishment.

Ex-Dragoon A Dragoon rifle (pre-1930 dated short rifle) that has been updated to M91/30 specifications.

Ex-sniper A former sniper rifle that has had the scope mount removed, mounting holes plugged and the bent bolt replaced with a straight one.

Finn matched A Finnish built or marked rifle that has had the bolt renumbered to match the barrel. Although buttplate and floorplate numbers may or may not match it would still be considered Finn matched.

Force matched A rifle that has had one or more parts renumbered to match the barrel. Evident by the presence of a lined out number, signs that a previous number has been ground off, electropenciled numbers, or numbers without an alpha prefix when applicable.

GPW Great Patriotic War, the Soviet name for World War II.

Hardwood stock A stock made of solid wood as opposed to laminated wood.

Hex The earlier Russian and Soviet receivers which have a flat top and angled sides as opposed to being round.

High wall A receiver without the machined out area to the left of the bolt. This was done to facilitate the mounting of side rail scope mounts and as an expediency during production from 1941 to 1945.

HV Häiriövapaa or jamb free. Finnish M28/30 magazines were thus marked to indicate a modification to help prevent rim jams. All M39 magazines have this modification and are not marked.

Instructie A marking found on Cold War era Romanian rifles issued to various civil organizations for use in case of an invasion from the West.

Izhevsk A Russian/Soviet city in the Ural Mountains that was a location of Mosin Nagant production from 1892 to 1948. The arsenal there produced the majority of Mosin Nagants during World War II and is now known as Izhmash.

Ka3 Russian abbreviation for Cossack.

KLP Kymenlaakson piiri or Kymenlaakson district, found on M24s from the Kymenlaakson Civil Guard district in Finland.

Laminated stock A stock made of wood sliced in thin layers and glued together for strength and resistance to changes in climate.

Lotta rifle Finnish M24s. Called this because they were funded by the Lotta Svärd, or Civil Guard women's auxiliary.

Low wall A receiver that has been machined down to the left of the bolt. The majority of Mosin production was of this type.

MO Ministry of Defense (Soviet). See the Mosin Nagant MO Marks page.

NEW Collectors' abbreviation for New England Westinghouse which made M91 rifles under contract for Russia during WWI.

NSD Nylands-Södra distrikt, found on M24s from the Nylands-Södra Civil Guard district in Finland.

OEWG Ostereichische Waffenfabrik Gesellschaft, an Austrian arsenal mark found on some Mosin Nagant receivers.

PCFCP Cyrillic initials for Russian Soviet Federated Socialist Republic (RSFSR).

PE A Soviet focus adjustable scope produced from 1932 to 1936 which was an improved version of a Zeiss design.

PEM A Soviet scope produced from 1936 to 1942 that lacked the focus adjustment of the PE.

Peter the Great Russian Tsar who founded the Tula arsenal in 1712. Firearms produced at Tula from 1912 were marked "Peter the Great" until the Bolshevik revolution of 1917.

Popsicle sticks Reinforcement of the Finnish M27 nosecap to prevent damage to the fore end of the stock when using a bayonet.

P Series M91s that have the barrel relined by the Finns and marked "P-26" or "P-27" with 26 and 27 representing the year they were relined. Many were not fully assembled until the Winter War.

PU The final Soviet Mosin Nagant scope design produced from 1942 to 1944 and intermittently to 1958. It is smaller than the previous models and is the most commonly encountered in the US.

Puolustuslaitos Defense Department, Finnish mark used for two months in 1942.

Round The later Soviet receivers without the angular shape of the earlier ones.

SA Suomen Armeija, Finnish Army, property mark used after Puolustuslaitos.

Sako Suojeluskuntain Ase-ja Konepaja Oy, Weapons and Machine Factory of Suojeluskunta (Civil Guard)

SCW Abbreviation for Spanish Civil War during which Mosins were provided to the Republican side by the Soviet Union.

Sestroryetsk A northern suburb of St. Petersburg that was a location of Mosin Nagant production from 1892 to 1918.

SIG Schweiz-Industrie Gesellschaft, the Swiss firm that produced M24 and M28 barrels for Finland.

S number The Civil Guard district number that is preceded by an S and found on receivers or barrel shanks of Civil Guard rifles.

Stepped barrel A heavier barrel found on some Finnish M24s and M91s that is stepped down near the muzzle to allow the use of a standard M91 bayonet.

Straight barrel A Finnish M24 barrel that is not heavier and therefore does not have a bayonet step at the muzzle. Much less common that the M24 stepped barrels.

SY Suojeluskuntain Yliesikunta, Finnish abbreviation for Civil Guard.

Sk.Y Suojeluskuntain Yliesikunta, Finnish abbreviation for Civil Guard used after SY.

Three piece stock A Finnish stock that is spliced forward of the magazine and at the toe.

Tikkakoski Woodpecker Falls (or Rapids), A city and firearm manufacturing company in central Finland. Often abbreviated by collectors as Tikka.

Tula A Russian/Soviet city south of Moscow that was a location of Mosin Nagant production from 1892 to 1944.

Two piece stock A Finnish stock that is spliced forward of the magazine, but not at the toe. A Soviet stock that is spliced at the toe.

V.K.T. Valtion Kirvääritehdas, Finnish abbreviation for State Firearms Factory. Now known as Valmet.

Winter War The war between Finland and the Soviet Union from November 1939 to March 1940 that was an attempt by the Soviet Union to gain a buffer zone north of St. Petersburg.