Mosin-Nagant Bayonet

[Gildwiller1918]

Here is a Mosin-Nagant socket bayonet, this one is the model 1891/30, which means bayonet design of 1891, modified in 1930. This was the bayonet the Russians used throughout WW2. This bayonet was modified with a push button stud to help secure it to the rifle. These bayonets were also used in WW1, but locked onto the rifles differently than the 1891/30 models. The bayonet itself is blued and has a flat-sided screwdriver type point on the tip of the bayonet. 

Interesting fact, during WW1, the rifles and bayonets were being manufactured abroad as the Russian production could not meet demand. France and the United States (Remington Arms and New England Westinghouse) made rifles and bayonets to support their ally. The US made over 469,000 prior to the revolution in 1917 and in 1918 along with several other nations, sent contingents of troops to Russia in support of the Czarist government. Officially these troops were supposed to be guarding the ports and supply dumps as Murmansk and Archangel, but soon were drawn into skirmishes with red forces. Since the Mosin-Nagant was being supplied to the Russians in large numbers, along with munitions, US troops were issued this rifle while in Russia instead of the M1903 Springfield rifles. 

[Fritz]

There are still many Soviet made pieces to be found, these cost around 25 Euros a piece, many probably early post-war.
A WW1 example would certainly cost more and is harder to find. These were always without a scabbard, and the bayonet
almost always remained on the rifle.

[Buster]

Here's a pic of mine with bayonet fitted & off the gun. Sorry it's not a great pic , but it's so long with the bayo attached  to get a closer pic, it's around 5"8 inch long with it fitted .

[Gildwiller1918]

Very nice Buster, Rifle is a beauty!

[Fritz]

Pictures are good - it's always difficult to photograph a rifle properly because of the length. When magnified it would be ok.

[Buster]

23 hours ago, Gildwiller1918 said:

Very nice Buster, Rifle is a beauty!

Thanks Gildwiller it is nice, a friend hand picked it for me directly from a shipping container at ryton arms . Ryton was the biggest UK importer of weapons from Russia , it came with the ammo pouches & the sling, I got the bayonet at a later date .

[Gildwiller1918]

Good deal, like all surplus, eventually it will dry up and be hard to find. 

[Buster]

11 hours ago, Gildwiller1918 said:

Good deal, like all surplus, eventually it will dry up and be hard to 

As far as I am aware, Russia no longer exports guns to the UK, so no more for the collectors market. 

[Gildwiller1918]

Well, those rifles can come from other countries as well, former communist bloc countries, or other nations they might have been sold to. But you have a nice one, keep in in good shape, who knows, it may become a very sought after item in time. 

[Fritz]

The Russian bayonet was worn almost always without a scabbard, and almost permanently on the rifle, only removed for cleaning. That was the same procedure as in the old Prussian army as long as socket bayonets were used.
I didn't know Russia had stopped selling to the collector's market. There are now enough wealthy Russians who are collectors, and want to keep their history, without selling items abroad. After the fall of the Iron Curtain - Russians were selling everything off to get currency. Russian decorations from the Tsar's times are now incredibly highly prized, Russian collectors will no longer part with these, and they are regarded as holy.
Tsar Nicolas II. was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church some years back. Kaiser Karl I. of Austria-Hungary was also canonized by the Vatican several years back, a very good deed. Nobody cares about our Kaiser! (Germany).  He would deserve more, unfortunately, Germans are no longer religious, apart from maybe a few old people in Bavaria.
N.B.: The normal bayonet goes for around 25 Euros, as already mentioned. Recently seen WW1 examples were at around 170 Euros - these had different markings. During WW1 many examples were made on contract by the American firm of Westinghouse. Many original Russian examples bore the mark Tyla (Tula) or Slatousk/Zlatoust.

[72 usmc]

 The Russin Mosin 91/30 was the most commonly found surplus rifle on the U.S. surplus market after the Iron Curtain fell. Prices ranged from $39 to $200. Every gun store, flee market, farm store, and hardware store in the United States had them for sale. Most of us would never thought they would become a hard to find item. I collected a specimen of Tula for each year of production and then ex-sniper conversions back in the day because it was the "fun of the search" to fill a rack along the basement wall. Now these common 91/ 30 rifles top out around $300-$400 for an average specimen.  In 2000, no one would have thought this possible.  They came with a bayonet, one or two ammunition pouches, a vintage Russian cleaning kit, sling, and oil bottle.    All photo sources are on line grabs. Below is what came in the box with the 91/30 rifle

 

 

A reference to a 1919 Mosin M91 Tula rifle with 46 close up photos is provided at the Milsurp Library:

https://www.milsurps.com/content.php?r=429-1919-M1891-Mosin-Nagant-Rifle

 The Russian WW I Mosin Lock ring Bayonet fits this rifle type.

Back around 2000, the more desirable and slightly more expensive Russian rifle that was also plentiful, but somewhat too long, was the  WW I Mosin M1891. Martin has defined and reviewed this jewel in great detail on SRF and now GB. His informational summary is great post about M91 rifles and the lock Ring Mosin Bayonet. Here is  the link:  

https://www.gunboards.com/threads/mosin-nagant-m91-infantry-rifle-information-and-collecting-reference.421078/

This is a great reference.  Of course my favorite is the Imperial Russian marked M91 Mosins. The WW I  M91 lock ring bayonet and its many varieties are discussed by Martin.   The WW I Mosin Lock Ring bayonet is a collectors dream due to so many variations and manufactures with each having different markings.   Like fritz indicated, the 91/30 bayonet can still be had for $20, however a WW I M91 lock ring is averaging $150 and more and is much harder to find on the current market. 

 

More detailed photos can be found in the accessory study by Claven 2 on milsurps- some great photos of Russian Mosin Rifle accessories;

https://www.milsurps.com/showthread.php?t=60837&p=409085 

 

Some photos of Lock ring bayonets

 

[Fritz]

I remember those sets (deactivated), and the rifle was very common. You can still get the bayonets as from 25 Euros a piece. The scabbard (tubular steel) shown in one of your photos is of German WW1 manufacture, as the Russians never wore scabbards, apart from the guards regiments. A great deal of these rifles were captured in WW1 along with French weapons and then issued to the Landsturm etc., therefore a scabbard was produced.

[72 usmc]

Yes, that is a hard to find metal scabbard.

https://www.usmilitariaforum.com/forums/index.php?/topic/22283-scabbard-for-the-m91-mosin-nagant/

 

Here is a find.  A German captred M91 that also went to Finland. Both a Deutches Reich stock cartouche and SA mark. 

https://www.k98kforum.com/threads/german-captured-1915-mosin-nagant.44190/

[Gildwiller1918]

Great info! I am currently looking to get a US made M91, pre-1917 as well as the accessories. 

[Gildwiller1918]

Oh, forgot to add, that I do remember when those rifles were dirt cheap, so plentiful you could almost give them away. Not anymore, they are going up in price, the SVT-40 also used to be reasonable, now its around $2500-5000.