Presenting the U.S. Surcharged New England Westinghouse (NEW) Mosin Nagant M91 Three Line Rifle in 7.62X54R.
Although date stamped as 1915, this one falls into the serial number range of the final 200,000 units that were built in 1918. Long after the government of Tsar Nicholas of Russia defaulted on payment in early 1917, the US Government contracted NEW for the additional surcharged rifles to keep the workforce intact while the arsenal transitioned to the production of Browning machine guns. Mine is serial numbered in the 1.3mil range, and some have been noted to go up through the 1.5mil serial range. Units with much earlier serial numbers (1.1mil) have also been noted to be stamped with US markings, but may have still been produced under the old Russian Contract, and not shipped to the Tsar.
The US Surcharged Mosins that were produced were stamped with the US Eagle and Flaming Ordnance Bomb stamps in the metal and stock, and the English Contract cartouche in the left side buttstock. While a great many of these guns were sent to England and supplied as secondary arms for the Polar Bear Expedition (American and Allied intervention of the Russian Civil War, also known as the Archangel Expedition), or were commissioned in the Spanish Civil War, many of these guns remained in the US to be used as police, National Guard, or military drill/training guns. In the early 1920's, the NRA also bought a large percentage of the Mosins. These were mostly sporterized and converted to 30-06 caliber. Some of the markings of this final production run are as follows.
The English Contract cartouche.
A good link for a little historical perspective.
http://www.texastradingpost.com/militaria/usmosin.html
The NEW is one of the few, if not the only Mosin Nagant, to be originally manufactured without matching fonts on its serial numbered parts. Though unusual for its Russian manufactured cousins, it is consistent to find all original matching NEW's with the following font variations on the barrel shank, bolt, and buttplate. Magazine floorplates were not numbered at the factory.
While large amount of NEW's were sent overseas or sporterized, a number of these guns stayed intact. And a few, a very select few, got packed away in cosmoline, stored, or forgotten in the dark closet. One of them popped up on Gunbroker in mid-December 2011, and was very poorly labeled as a "Westinghouse 91/30" with no mention of Mosin Nagant at all. I happened to spy it, and stayed on the bid until it was mine. $710 was not too much to pay. I don't know what it would have brought if it was properly presented, but needless to say, this gun has become the envy of Mosin Nagant buffs with what is unanimously referred to as, "The freaking nicest Mosin Nagant I've ever seen!" I still gaze upon it in awe, and there are many other nice Mosins in the vault.
The words "unissued", "original matching", "non-refurbished", or "as built" are ones that can't often apply - wiped of outside cosmoline, and now in my collection. And more words won't add anything to the presentation of this New England Westinghouse Mosin Nagant M91. So, here are the pics.
Enjoy them thoroughly, Gentlemen. Thanks for looking.
Left side.
Right side.
Some random shots.
