mosin nagant markings

1 in circle marking - personal marking of the shooter who was responsible for the accuracy test. Between the adoption of the final design in 1891 and the year 1910, several variants and modifications to the existing rifles were made. The main disadvantages of Mosin's rifle were a more complicated mechanism and a long and tiresome procedure of disassembling (which required special instrumentsit was necessary to unscrew two fasteners). Reserve office school equipment post WW2 RUK-museo 2.JPG. Onthe left - pre 1934 single letter/number marking, the rest are 1934 and later proofmarks. Numbers on receiver, bolt, butt plate and floor plate all match. Russian and Soviet Mosin Nagant MarksIncluding These workers also had their own personal markings, completion of some production operations were also stamped on certain rifleparts. and SKY (Sako), M28/30 1933 - the various serial numbering patterns of different countries, SA Marked Finnish Mosin Nagants Sizes, The rifling of the Mosin barrel is right turning (clockwise looking down the rifle) 4-groove with a twist of 1:9.5" or 1:10". The others will be unknown maker and inspector markings. Make: WWII Finnish Sako, Model: M39 Mosin Nagant, Serial # - Firearms: 254216, Caliber: 7.62x54r, Barrel Length: 27" round, Condition: Very Good, Other: bolt action rifle. The old range Russian range markings had been marked in left side of the rear sight and have markings 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 (indicating hundreds of arschen / arsin) - often these markings were tooled over to cancel them. In Mosin's original design the spring was not attached to the base plate and, according to the Commission, could be lost during maintenance, rifle cleaning. It is interesting to note that before 1943, these markings were stamped this way only on Izhevsk rifles/carbines, Tula rifles had stamps only on stocks. In 1926 a "big hammer" markingon the front of the receiver was changed to a "wheat with hammer and sickle" marking, quite similar to the Izhevsk "wheat with hammer and sickle". Some rifles have different dates on the barrel shank because the receiver was attached to the barrel when it was not dated. On the left - Izhevsk bigger size " in circle" marking, on the right - smaller Tula marking, On the left - early VD cartridge test "Y in circle" marking, in the middle - marking stamped onthe bottom of the barrel shank, onthe right - 1941 and later bigger size marking, Assembled rifles passed through two further tests. This location for these kind of markings was used in the late 1930's by Izhevsk. Jessica Bay. photo courtesy of 7.62x54r.net Rifle with accessories- Mosin-Nagant Model 1891, Bayonet, and Ammunition . They are: 1) Main markings that were present in production drawings. ) letters are initials of chied military representative . (I.Litichevskiy). I believe the [\] mark is the only one that we know anything about. Model 1944 Mosin Nagant - Manufactured by Russia during and after WWII, Hungary, Poland, and Romania after the war. It is not interchangeable with other Mosins. This was done so that quality control department workers and military representatives were able to find out who was responsible for a defective part or incorrect assembly. [citation needed]. Overall length is 40.4 inches, barrel length is 20.47 inches, front sights are wire pin post, rear sights are graduated 100 to 1000 meters. Despite the failure of Nagant's rifle, he filed a patent suit, claiming he was entitled to the sum the winner was to receive. The Mosin-Nagant is a five-shot, bolt-action, internal magazine-fed military rifle.Known officially as the 3-line rifle M1891 [citation needed] and informally in Russia and former Soviet Union as Mosin's rifle (Russian: , ISO 9: vintovka Mosina), it is primarily found chambered for its original 7.6254mmR cartridge. Serial Number: 63270 Design: Ex Dragoon M91/30 Mosin Nagant bolt action rifle. claims resulting from loss as a result of the accuracy Non refurbished factory original condition rifle. - M . The more found on this site. Reserve office school equipment post WW2 RUK-museo 1.JPG. Tula factory (1940 and earlier period) barrel shank markings. In 1941 Izhevsk switched to mass production of barrels with button rifling (mainly for carbines), so in 1941 made carbines this marking is very common. uncertain meanings but obvious Finnish origin, Other Country's Mosin Nagant MarksPoland, Hungary, in circle is a relatively earlier mark than O in circle, which was adopted according to the letter "B" drawings and should replace markings. These CH letterscan be seen in two sizes - smaller and bigger (smaller size is typical for 1944). Small factory emblems were star without an arrow for Tula, and triangle with arrow for Izhevsk. Quality control markings at both factories are quite varied and were different in different production years. During further machining, the powder test marking, which was a " in a circle", was machined off, and stamped again after barrel machining was complete. locations, and orientations of the SA mark, Finnish Marked Russian and Soviet One such detail is the attachment of the magazine spring to the magazine base plate. Diamond 27 -- This mark is found on Finnish M27 rifles and indicated year the barrel made manufactured. According to the existinginstructions, it was prohibited to disassemble the barrel and receiver, all rifles that required barrel replacement were sent to the factories. All rifles before 1938 had serial numbers consisting only of numbers, no letters. In 1936 the Finnish Army fielded a new standard service cartridge intended for both machine guns and rifles. ; Triangle T -- Tikkakoski (Tika") factory marks, Finland. At first the markingwas quite small compared to the older" in circle", sometimes it was stamped atthe bottom of the barrel shank. Tested rifles were marked with a "OO" marking, these markings were only used byIzhevsk. 1918, M91 1918 - However, there are at least a few markings that can provide additional information even today. If a part of your rifle has an"H" proofmark, it was originally issued as spare part. you feel there is use of a copyrighted photo, contact the owner and Various weapons were acquired and tested by GAU of the Ministry of Defense of Russian Empire, and in 1889 the Lebel M1886 was obtained through semi-official channels from France. - Free Online Library", "Current MosinNagant rifles being produced", Schiebecher as 43M rifle-grenade launcher, List of equipment used in the World War II era, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MosinNagant&oldid=1142561834, Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1891, World War II infantry weapons of the Soviet Union, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from January 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2022, Articles containing Russian-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2023, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from November 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2011, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2020, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2023, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2021, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, 500 metres (550yd), 800+ m (875+ yards) with optics, 5-round non-detachable magazine, loaded individually or with 5-round, Rear: ladder, graduated from 100 m to 2,000 m (M91/30) and from 100 m to 1,000 m (M38 and M44); Front: hooded fixed post (drift adjustable) PU 3.5 and PEM scope also mounted. Significantly, the front sight of the M38 was positioned in such a way that the Model 91/30's cruciform bayonet could not be mounted to the muzzle even if a soldier obtained one. ST. ALB. for the use or application of material found on this site. [10], From a technical point of view the rifle that came to be called "MosinNagant" is the design proposed by Mosin as further amended by Mosin with some details borrowed from Nagant's design. *For example, quality control markings on bayonets were on the side oppositeto where thestamped factory marking was. International copyright laws. It is functionally identical to the more ubiquitous 91/30, but due to a reduced barrel length of 8 inches, its accuracy is lacking in comparison to its older counterpart. The arsenal marks of In spite of its age, it has been used in various conflicts around the world up to the present day. [citation needed] Mosin could not apply for a patent since he was an officer of the Russian army, and the design of the rifle was owned by the Government and had the status of a military secret. However, in spite of the payment, Nagant attempted to use the situation for publicity, resulting in the name "MosinNagant" appearing in the Western press. It is highly probable thatthis marking indicates that rifle had a barrel with button made rifling (not cut rifling). barrels, Sako Bore is bright. If a rifle successfully passed it, it was stamped with an "O in circle" marking onthe front right side of the barrel shank. During fieldtests, shooting was done at a 100 meter distance, with the rear sightset to 300 meters. [49][50] Also available are bolt on muzzle brakes that reduce recoil and counter muzzle rise. Thishelps to verify if a particular rifle has the original bluing. Due to the desperate shortage of arms and the shortcomings of a still-developing domestic industry, the Russian government ordered 1.5 million M1891 infantry rifles from Remington Arms and another 1.8 million from New England Westinghouse Company in the United States in 1915. Add to Compare. The used value of a MOSIN NAGANT rifle has risen $12.61 dollars over the past 12 months to a price of $456.48 . marking - initials of the worker who was responsible for assembly and adjustment of the barreled receiver and stock. 1926, Cossack 1894 - The M1891/30 bayonet has a press stud to secure the bayonet in place, rather than the locking ring of the M1891. In 1917, 50,000 rifles were sent via Vladivostok to the Czechoslovak Legions in Siberia to aid in their attempt to secure passage to France. Make: Mosin Nagant by Sako of Finland. Marking on aTula rifle built with use of recycled parts. No sections, articles, M1891/30 Mosin-Nagant rifle. It really is full of wisdom and knowledge You wont sense monotony at anytime of the time (that's what catalogs are for relating to in the event . Tkiv 85. Towards the end of 1943, the majority of barrels already were beingproduced with button rifling, but a small quantity of them still had cut rifling. The other is a very clear star with a capital letter A. I'll get a better picture in a day or two. [23], Virtually every country that received military aid from the Soviet Union, China, and Eastern Europe during the Cold War used MosinNagants at various times. They have a reputation for being reliable, hard hitting, and extremely accurate. Developed from 1882 to 1891, it was used by the armed forces of the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union and various other states. inspectors used their own unique stamps in 29" barrel. The Mauser bolt handle is at the rear of the bolt body and locks behind the solid rear receiver ring. Finnish MosinNagants were produced by SAKO, Tikkakoski, and VKT, with some using barrels imported from Switzerland and Germany. When the newly created factory #536 in Tula started production in 1942they continued to use the prewar pattern " in circle" marking, but in fact, the rifles were tested using the VD cartridge. The left side of the receiver is . Mosin-Nagant five-shot, bolt-action, internal magazine-fed, military rifle . 1943, M39 From M91 Notably, Russia has issued the rifle to conscripts from both occupied regions of the Donbas, and to conscripted Russian civilians as part of Vladimir Putin's wider general mobilization during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[25]. The telescopes were somewhat similar to those used on US hunting rifles at that time. The demand of used MOSIN NAGANT rifle's has fallen 98 units over the past 12 months. Not all rifles and carbinesissued by factories were just standard firearms produced with accepted drawings and technology. It served quite prominently in the brutal urban battles on the Eastern Front, such as the Battle of Stalingrad, which made heroes of such snipers as Vasily Zaitsev, Lyudmila Pavlichenko, Ivan Sidorenko, and Roza Shanina. Onbarrels, initially it was stamped in the rear sight base area or further to the front sight area (onthe bottom). Mosin Nagant M44/ M38 Handguard, *Good* All barrels that were produced in. The most modern version of the Mosin is the 7.62 Tkiv 85 Sniper rifle. It was an improvement on the Model 91/30, particularly for urban warfare; but few M44s saw combat on the Eastern Front. Finnish rifles are characterized by Russian, French or American-made receivers stamped with a boxed SA, as well as many other parts produced in those countries and barrels produced in Finland, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium and Germany. This site is protected under US and Production yearstamp can alsohave some differences - sometimes a shortened abbreviation for year "" ("") was stamped, sometimes not, sometimes it had the dot after, sometimes not. Sight adjustment for windage was made by the armory before issue by drifting the sight left or right in its dovetail. MosinNagant rifles and carbines saw service on many fronts of the Cold War, from Korea and Vietnam to Afghanistan and along the Iron Curtain in Europe. Barrels were stamped with "sniper" marking before first shot was made from them, marking indicates only higher accuracy during production. $10.00 As low as $6.50. Only since 1924 the rifle was officially named "Mosin's rifle" in the USSR, although some variants were still known only by their year of origin.[10]. Often the meaning is unknown even to the most knowledgeable researchers. All factories always produced a certain quantity of training rifles. site, the persons that submitted them, or are in the public domain. This simple and quick replacement can be made by removing two screws and sliding off the barrel bands to disassemble your Mosin Nagant. In 1928 the receiver stamp was eliminated, Imperial pattern small hammermarkings on smaller parts and big hammer marking onthe stock were changed to "star" (smaller parts) & "arrow in star" (stock and barrel) markings. At the moment documents that verify this for sure havenot been discovered. # Box symbol 554. In 1936, Location for : Izhevsk - post 1935/1936 period, Tula -, The serial number is a combination of letters and numbersthat was used as the main ID for a rifle during its service life. Finland. letters are initials of chied military representative . (G.Vaullin). owner and action will be taken. Here are two views of a wooden crate containing 7.62x54mmR ammunition. Each part of the rifle, and the assembled rifle itself, passed through multiply quality control inspections. A number of the Model 1891s produced by New England Westinghouse and Remington were sold to private citizens in the United States by the U.S. government through the Director of Civilian Marksmanship Program between the two World Wars. submitted them, or are in the public domain. Later, after changes to the production instructions were introduced in 1939. Caliber: 7.62x54R (Rimmed) Action Type: Bolt Action, Fixed Magazine. However, the Mosin's lugs lock in the horizontal position, whereas the Mauser locks vertically. SKY -- Finland Civil Guard mark. The demand of new MOSIN NAGANT rifle's has risen 39 units over the past 12 months. Regardless of the conversion, a qualified gunsmith should examine the rifle before firing, and owners should use caution before firing commercial ammunition. Generally, all these replacementparts were marked with the letter "H" . A scandal was about to burst out, with Nagant threatening he would not participate in trials held in Russia ever again and some officials proposing to expel Nagant from any further trials, as he borrowed the design of the interrupter after it was covered by the secrecy status given in Russia of that time to military inventions and therefore violated Russian law. The Mosin bolt handle is similar to the Mannlicher: it is attached to a protrusion on the middle of the bolt body, which serves as a bolt guide, and it locks protruding out of the ejection/loading port in front of a split rear receiver ring, also serving a similar function to Mauser's "third" or "safety" lug. There is a rumor that there were a few 1943 Tula made M44's but I have never seen one in person. More details will be provided in a future M91 reference section. [13], The Russo-Japanese War (19041905) was the rifle's first major conflict. Barrel behind front sight and top of sight bladeM39. Add to Compare. [18] Spanish Civil War Mosins can be readily identified by the wire sling hangers inserted in the slots in the forearm and buttstock meant to take the Russian "dog collars" for Russian-style slings, so the rifles could accept Western Europeanstyle rifle slings. The font of the production year stamp was also different in different years. But these markings do not indicate a complete sniper rifle (which obviously looks different from a regular rifle), they are related only to the barrel, which was produced with higher accuracy than for a regular rifle. Dec 14, 2013. Shape of the wheat, hammer and sickle can be little different. By the end of the war, approximately 19.8 million MosinNagant rifles had been produced. SA Marked Finnish Mosin Nagants Sizes, locations, and orientations of the SA mark. At this time, the Tula factory already stopped M91/30 production (in 1942 it was restrored at another factory, more details in "Manufacturers and production numbers" section) whileIzhevsk replaced " in circle" black powder test marking with a "Y in circle" marking. Sources: The Mosin-Nagant Rifle by Terrence Lapin, ISBN: 1882391217, mosinnagant.net 1944 M44 Mosin Nagant Carbine (19 picture virtual tour) Observations: (by "Claven2") . In addition to the overhaul of used rifles, factories used some recycled parts in production. Mother Russia's most historically proven early battle rifle and the most popular selling rifle by far in the 25 year history of our company. Onthe left - pressure test marking on the receiver, on the right - test marking on a bayonet (previously a in circle marking was used). reasons for this can vary and many possibilities are covered on "7.62x54r.net" and in Terence Lapin's book "The Mosin-Nagant Rifle", both excellent resources for further information on the vagaries and . The Izhevsk factory used another marking - capital C in a circle, which was stamped on the front part of the barrel shank. Typically, the Model 1891/30 is the most prevalent, and it has earned the nickname of being a "poor man's sniper rifle . Some marks The sight measurements were converted from arshins to meters; and the front sight blade was replaced by a hooded post front sight less susceptible to being knocked out of alignment. Third, Look at the markings. 1938 Izhevsk M91/30, photo courtesy of Ryan Elliott. Elimination of the steel finger rest behind the trigger guard. These rifles were used at ammunition factories. Commonly these marks can be seen onbolt heads, receivers, bayonets. . 3500 -- Finish high pressure proof mark. Those from Tula were stamped CH (or CU) on their barrels along with Tula's standard Mosin markings to designate them as specially built snipers. It is one of the most mass-produced military bolt-action rifles in history, with over 37 million units produced since 1891. Although the odds of your old Mosin Nagant being worth a significant amount of money are very low, there is a small chance that your specific rifle is worth at least a little more than the average. It shows the ID of each marking (how it was marked in the parts drawings) and a sample of how the marking should look. Often the meaning is unknown even to the most, knowledgeable researchers. Mosin Nagant 91/30 serial, markings and other things of interest. [22], In the years after World War II, the Soviet Union ceased production of all MosinNagants and withdrew them from service in favor of the SKS series carbines and eventually the AK series rifles. Turkey, United States, Yugoslavia, Unknown Mosin Nagant MarksMarks of varying rarity, With the Finnish M39 Mosin Nagant craze sweeping many new collectors and reinvigorated with established collectors in the US, I jumped on the bandwagon and added these two M39s to the M39 Wing of the Mosin Nagant Annex at the Gear Report secure gun storage facility. The markings are found on M91/30, M38, M44, and M91/59 Mosin Nagants and M1895 Nagant revolvers. Import marked "C.A.I., Georgia, VT" on left of receiver. Countries, Empire These are all of the remaining M39 rifles that we had in our warehouse. 1919, M91 1919 - This system of numbering did not allow estimating (even roughly) a particular weapon's production period. The link between the production period to the letter prefix was established by special directives, issued by Main Artillery Directorate. 29" barrel. The Mosin-Nagant Model 91/30 was adopted and modified to be a sniper rifle in 1932. This version of the marking was used by both factories. Henceforth, the new Bolshevik government of Vladimir Lenin cancelled payments to the American companies manufacturing the MosinNagant (Russia had not paid for the order at any time throughout the Great War). Russia/USSR Mosin Nagant. The miscellaneous markings on mosins are usually location of manufacture of the individual part, proof markings, inspection markings and acceptance markings for various reasons. They were kept not only as reserve stockpiles, but front-line infantry weapons as well. Circle U -- unknown Russian mark. Nagant's rifle was mainly criticized for its lower quality of manufacture and materials, due to "artisan pre-production" of his 300 rifles. On the left - prewar Tula marking, in the middle - smaller and bigger factory #536 Tula marking, onthe right - 1942 and later Izhevsk marking. Unlike the 07, 38, 91/38 and 91/59 this carbine is fitted with a side folding bayonet. obsolete weapons and non-standard weapons were used to fill these roles. These include the date, serial The Mosin PU sniper rifle was built by two primary Russian arsenals, Tula and Izhevsk, and most true World War II-era PU sniper rifles were turned out from 1942 to 1944. * Accuracy test shooting done at factories was different from the way it was done during field tests. This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 03:26. During the Russo-Ottoman War of 1877-1878, Russian troops armed mostly with Berdan single-shot rifles . Serial Number: 42952 Design: Ex Dragoon Russian M91/30 Mosin Nagant bolt action rifle. Each steel lotthat was used in production was assigned its own unique lot number. . Each factory had their own locations for the majority of operational markings, they were not the same. The Model 1891/30 PU was issued with 3.5-power fixed focus scope to what the Soviets then . Only light ball ammo was used for accuracy tests, rear sight settings were counted also for light ball ammo. The arsenal marks of Mosin Nagants are found on the barrel just forward of the top of the receiver and right behind the rear sight. Quality control markings were explained in the previous section. Before quality control markings were changed in 1934-1936, operational markings and quality control markings had the same style - single number or letter. ], Tsypkin G. V. Ethiopia in the anti-colonial wars. For example, Simo Hyh is credited with having killed 505 Soviet soldiers, many of whom fell victim to his Finnish M/28-30 MosinNagant rifle. This marking was used in. Those problems were solved by Russian scientists and engineers (the smokeless powder, for instance, was produced by Dmitri Mendeleev himself). Many of the New England Westinghouse and Remington MosinNagants were sold to private citizens in the United States before World War II through the office of the Director of Civilian Marksmanship, the predecessor to the federal government's current Civilian Marksmanship Program. There are no markings or numbers on or under the steel butt plate. However, some 1929 rifles can still have the old pattern logo. 22/216. Such rifles were marked with ""letters ( ". In 1942, when production of sniper rifles started at factory #536 in Tula, the letters were replaced by CH letters,. On the bottom - reblued rifle. Tikkakoski produced new barrels and the front sights were usually improved. Valtion Kivritehdas (VKT), State Rifle Factory in English, was a Finnish government-owned firearms manufacturer that existed independently in the Tourula district of . Download Free PDF. VT." and "M39 FINLAND 7.62X54R". Like the markings of the Izhevsk factory, Tula markings also have some variety. Button rifling technology made production of the barrels much faster, up to 10 times. The Russian Imperial Army adopted the Mosin-Nagant bolt action rifle in 1891 under the designation 3-Line Rifle Model 1891.It was developed by Captain Ivanovich Mosin of the Russian Imperial Army with design improvements made by firearms designer Leon Nagant of Belgium. Serial numbers werestamped onthe barrel shank, and with the same font, were also stamped onthe bolt body, magazine floorplate and the stock buttplate. The limited sight adjustment leaves some hunters with the desire to add a scope, leading two companies to make adjustable sights for the Russian version of this rifle, Mojo and Smith-Sights. Mosin Nagant Rifle Two Pocket Ammunition Pouch, 7.62X54R, *Good* Rating: 100%. Use ofrecycled receivers is widely known, but other parts were reused as well. These are Russian made M91/30 Mosin Nagant Rifle 7.62x54r caliber, 5 round Bolt Action. In the 1920's Tula used the fullname of the factory (Tula Foremost Ordnance Factory) with a star above as a part of the main logo onthe barrel shank, while the receiver was stamped with big hammer (used since 1918). The more commonly encountered, Including marks from Chatellerault, Remington, and New England Westinghouse, Including a few with uncertain meanings but obvious Finnish origin. The big emblem of the Tula factory was star with an arrow inside, thebig emblems of the Izhevsk factory was a wreath with a hammer and sickle inside, and a triangle with an arrow inside (triangle with arrow was not used on stocks). With the fall of the Iron Curtain, a large quantity of MosinNagants have found their way onto markets outside of Russia as collectibles and hunting rifles. In addition, scopes tended to reflect sunlight when moved side to side, which gave away a sniper's position.[20]. The wartime Mosins are easily identified by the presence of tool marks and rough finishing that never would have passed the inspectors in peacetime. All photos that are not credited are property of this Its relative rarity compared to the more common M39 and M91 models is well reflected in the ever-rising prices associated with these arms. Its purpose is to aid shooting the Mosin-Nagant M91/30 rifles and carbines (M38, M44). action will be taken. arsenal marks, you will find other marks or All other makers had ceased operation by 1918. Special thanks to Empire In 1942 and early 1943 it was stamped onthe left side, later - on the right side. If you Onbolts, the location was near the beginning of the bolt handle, also on the opposite to the side where afactory marking was stamped. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 1926, M91 1926 - 8/13/2019 Mosin Nagant Rifle Guide to Proofs and Markings. According to 1930 M91 production standard, the final military representative acceptance marking was stamped intwo locations - on the front left side of the barrel shank, above the wood line, and on the right side of the buttstock, near the factory emblem. sections, articles, photos, or information from this site may be used 1944, M27 1927 - collector. This lot numberwas stamped onboth the barrels and receiversat least since 1930 (the earlier period will require more detailed research). Nagant's legal dispute. It is known that Tula used many parts from Izhevsk and . it appears, that individual armorers and Numbers. It has six "sides" but is neither hexagonal nor octagonal in normal use of those terms). The other was an accuracy test, after which the rifle was stamped with "K in circle" marking in the same area.*. A hooded post front sight, replacing the blade on previous weapons. authenticity or misuse of the site content or material found on the Due to the large surplus created by the Soviet small arms industry during World War II and the tendency of the former Soviet Union to retain and store large quantities of old but well-preserved surplus (long after other nations' militaries divested themselves of similar vintage materials), these rifles (mostly M1891/30 rifles and M1944 carbines) are inexpensive compared to other surplus arms of the same era. The Mosin-Nagant bolt action rifle was the first small-bore rifle adopted by the Russian Imperial Army using the 7.62X54R . Those markings are O and letters in a circle (but not those that are stamped on the barrel shank), these markingsmean "" (tested) and "" (pressure). Flat rear sights and restamping of sights in metres, instead of.