Westinghouse Mosin . . .

glassparman

glassparman

"OK, OK, I'm going as fast as I don't want to go!"
Thanks Josh. I actually started the DROS but I wanted to make sure that this more rare version was a good deal. I'm not much of a Mosin guy but I do have the book that covers all the data, cartouches and such.

Isn't it funny how the prices go? I remember when they were like $60 and everyone had them. How high can prices go on Milsurps??
 
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Josh

Josh

Well-Known Member
glassparman said:
Thanks Josh. I actually started the DROS but I wanted to make sure that this more rare version was a good deal. I'm not much of a Mosin guy but I do have the book that covers all the data, cartouches and such.

Isn't it funny how the prices go? I remember when they were like $60 and everyone had them. How high can prices go on Milsurps??
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They'll go a high as the market allows, give it 10 years and I'll say that mosin could be 1,500 bucks. My Finn m39 was $350 back in the day and that was when regulars were $80-100 bucks, now it's an easy $1,200.

I could have bought a Westinghouse M91 for the exorbitant price of $300 back in 2010, sure wish I did now!
 
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Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
The Westinghouse Mosin's were all marked 1915 but were made up until the Russian revolution in late 1917. So, the year on the receiver isn't necessarily the year of manufacture (although it will be within those few years).

Inspect the bore VERY carefully. Corrosive ammunition was the rule for most of the available ammo for those rifles for decades. Because surplus ammo was so common and so cheap, most of those rifles were shot with that surplus corrosive ammo. There’s nothing wrong with corrosive ammo as long as the weapon is properly cleaned after use, but we all know the problem there. If the seller tries to give you some BS about the bore just being dirty because it wasn’t cleaned the last time it was shot, WALK AWAY.

A nice, unmodified, complete, Westinghouse made Mosin is worth $450. It is NOT worth $450 if the bore is trashed, it’s missing parts or has been sporterized.

Also make sure it hasn’t been re-chambered.

Otherwise, a nice, U.S. made Mosin is a cool piece of history.
 
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MW65

Wetside, Oregon
Petrol & Powder said:
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Inspect the bore VERY carefully. Corrosive ammunition was the rule for most of the available ammo for those rifles for decades. ...

A nice, unmodified, complete, Westinghouse made Mosin is worth $450. It is NOT worth $450 if the bore is trashed, it’s missing parts or has been sporterized.

Also make sure it hasn’t been re-chambered.

Otherwise, a nice, U.S. made Mosin is a cool piece of history.
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This right here....
 
glassparman

glassparman

"OK, OK, I'm going as fast as I don't want to go!"
The Savage Enfields for the lend lease were WW2. The only one I don't have in my Enfield collection sadly.

I did check the bore on the Mosin and it looked clean and crisp. The entire rifle is complete and not sporterized.
 
RicinYakima

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
Mosin's. Had many when they were $69 and sold all but one when they got up to $100. Had a Westinghouse that was captured by the Germans in WW1, recaptured by the Russians in WW2 and then captured by the Finns. Mostly a relic, but very interesting.

The only one I have today was a Westinghouse captured by the Finns in their war of independence in 1918-1920. It was remade as a 28/30 and then had a new barrel put on that was made in 1936. It is a most accurate rifle, but hard to shoot with their sights.

Hope you have the rifle home by now!
 
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richhodg66

Well-Known Member
I have a Remington manufactured one which w as, unfortunately, sporterized probably in the 1930s. I have never shot it as it needs a new stock rather badly, but it has a very good bore and someone did a good trigger job on it. I have an unmolested Finn one which will give my 1903A3 a real run for its money accuracy wise. I'd get an original American made Mosine for $450 in a heart beat. Mine like the 311284 just like an '06 would.
 
RicinYakima

RicinYakima

High Steppes of Eastern Washington
"The remaining Stevens firearms facility was renamed the J Stevens Arms Company and its machinery was retooled to meet the Mosin–Nagant contract. After some 770,000 rifles had been produced, the Czar was deposed in March 1917."

"It was made in the US for Russia to be used in WW1. Russia ended up defaulting on the contract due to internal conflict and not all of the US made M91's were delivered. Your rifle was one of the ones that was delivered to Russia. It was later purchased or captured by Finland at some point. The stock it is in is a Finnish made stock and the SA in a box on the left rear of the barrel shank is a Finnish Army property mark."

Reliable sources say that some made it to Russia, especially the "White" army fighting the "Reds".
 
Tomme boy

Tomme boy

Well-Known Member
If the rifle is NOT SA Finn stamp it is worth more $. If it is truly a gun that did not leave the US then you are looking at $1500+ depending on condition. Even if it left the country it is still worth $1000+. Most all M91 rifles were sold to Finland so most will be marked with the SA and the D chamber. Pretty sure when we made these thet were made with a 0.308"x0.300" bore and grove. Even if the barrel is trashed it is still worth every penny they are asking for it. I had a 1917 Remington that the barrel looked like a smooth barrel. It was bad on the inside, but the outside was very well kept. I sold that for $750 over 10 years ago so that will give you an idea on price.
 
glassparman

glassparman

"OK, OK, I'm going as fast as I don't want to go!"
Tomme, it is NOT stamped Finn which is why I was happy. I did DROS it so it is mine. But you know, this is Commiefornia and even though I own guns already, I still have to wait the 10 days. Go figure.
 
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Petrol & Powder

Well-Known Member
There is a tremendous amount of history surrounding the Mosin-Nagant rifles. The history of just the American made Remington/Westinghouse models is significant in its own right.

There’s some dispute concerning how many Mosin-Nagant rifles were delivered to Russia because, “Delivered to Russia” can mean different things. Delivered to the Czar’s government? Delivered directly to the White army fighting the Red army? Indirectly delivered to Archangel in the hands of foreign forces? It’s safe to say that a large portion of the American made Mosin-Nagant’s (Remington and Westinghouse contracts) remained in the U.S.A. It’s a bit more difficult to say exactly how many remained.

Of the American made rifles that did not go across the pond, there were different fates. Ultimately most were sold as surplus either via the CMP or to private buyers such as Bannerman. They were not all sold as surplus by the same route at the same time.

Many of these rifles then suffered the fate of being modified. They were extremely inexpensive, even by the economic standards of the day. So, while thousands of American made Mosin’s from the Remington & Westinghouse contracts eventually made it into civilian circulation, very few remained unmolested.

Add the incredible number of the non-American contract Mosin-Nagant rifles that made their way into the U.S.A. and the un-molested Remington/Westinghouse contract models seem even more rare.

By the way, the total production numbers for the Mosin-Nagant pattern rifles is estimated to be in the range of 37 million! The WWI American contract variants make up a very small portion of that staggering number.
 
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Josh

Josh

Well-Known Member
Lots of thoughts on bore condition here, obviously OP looked already, but even if it's garbage use that to get $50 off. Once it's home, send it to JES have have it popped to 338 or 358. There's ways to keep that old rifle running with the original goodies even if the bore is toast.

Would it be as nice as if original? No. Would you still be money ahead? Yes.
 
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