1930 Izhevsk Dragoon with Finnish Modified Front Sight

This unique rifle is a 1930 Izhevsk Dragoon owned by "GoShoot" of Gunboards.com who was kind enough to take the pictures and allow them to be used here. Although the M91/30 was adopted in 1930 and early prototypes had been built in the late 1920s, Dragoon production continued at the same time until 1932. Most of these late Dragoons were subsequently updated by the Soviets post-WWII and it is impossible to distinguish them from a rifle that was originally built as an M91/30. This one retains the Dragoon features because it was captured by Finland and escaped the Soviet upgrades. However, the blade front sight was modified by the Finns with the addition of protective "ears". These are similar to the M27/M28 front sights, but are stamped from sheet metal and pinned in place rather than being milled from a solid piece of steel. Tuco of Mosin-Nagant.net questioned the leading Finnish arms historian Markku Palokangas about these and was told that approximately 2,000 rifles were modified in this manner on a trial basis in late 1942 and early 1943. Few have survived and only a handful are known in Finnish and US collections. This rifle is most likely in it's original stock as the buttplate serial number matches the barrel.

The original solid Dragoon style barrel bands are still present and the magazine floorplate is also matching.

The rear sight base has been remvarked by the Finns in meters and the leaf has been replaced with one from a Cossack rifle. This is evident from the "KAB" mark on the leaf. The handgaurd is a "second Dragoon type".

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