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Description: | 1. NEW ENGLAND WESTINGHOUSE COMPANY
2. Imperial crest
3. 1915G (Russian G)
4. ANGLISKII ZAKAZ'
5. PK monogram in circle
The Model 1891 rifle was the standard infantry weapon of the Russian Army during the First World War. In modified form it was to retain this role until the 1950s.
It was developed during the 1880s, as Russia, in common with the other great powers, strove to re-equip its forces with a modern, small-calibre, magazine rifle. It was designed by Captain S I Mosin of the Imperial Arsenal at Tula, but incorporated elements of a rifle offered by the Nagant arms company of Belgium. Volume production commenced in 1893.
The Mosin-Nagant was an effective rifle, but Russia faced a problem in equipping its huge army. Over 4.5 million of the new rifles had been issued by the outbreak of the First World War, but it was estimated that battlefield losses and the call-up of reservists would mean that over 17 million would eventually be required. To address this shortfall, other models of rifle were purchased from Japan and the USA, and contracts were placed for production of the Model 1891 rifle by the Remington Arms and New England Westinghouse companies in America. This rifle was produced by the latter company. Not all of the American made rifles had been despatched before the Bolshevik revolution in November 1917. Some were subsequently issued to the US troops who intervened on behalf of the 'Whites' in the Russian Civil War.
Original Image | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | New England Westinghouse Company, Springfield, MA, USA | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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