M44 stamped "RWD" - never seen one before

[7x57]

Gentlemen, during my regular surveys of the market/auctions here in Germany I stumbled across this M44. It is stamped "RWD". Admittedly I have never seen one before, nor read or heard about. Also no idea which country or maker made it. But maybe the experts here know more?

M44_RWD_01.jpg

M44_RWD_02.jpg

M44_RWD_03.jpg

M44_RWD_04.jpg

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M44_RWD_06.jpg

[Miller Tyme]

New one on me, Russian laminate stock, but the s/n font looks to be Hungarian, or Polish. Have you pulled it from the stock to check the tang.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Nothing about the markings on that one look like anything I have seen before. Something from the former DDR perhaps?

[qz2026]

Font looks Hungarian to me too but I've never seen anything like this before. If you can contact whoever is selling it, it might be fruitful to ask about the other stamping, are the other parts matching and if the butt plate or magazine have (Romanian/Hungarian/Russian) stamps on them? Can't even tell if it's Russian or EEuro. Could have been scrubbed and restamped at Cugir but that's a stretch. I know they have restamped bolts but nothing like what occurred on the shank. The Romanians also like to stamp the s/n on the stock sometimes. Very interesting carbine...

[NLMosin]

Previously owned by a member of another forum....Blighty

[steelbuttplate]

Has the '44 early '45 bayonet lug. A '43 prototype? Date on the tang? Whatch U talkin bout NL ? A Bubba

[Junk Yard Dog]

Previously owned by a member of another forum....Blighty

7x57 is in Germany, not the US, you know someone on another board who used to own something like this? Can you question them as to it's origin? Were they got it, anything they were told about it?

[Greasemonkey]

I've seen "RWD" is associated with Egypt, Syria and the middle east. viewtopic.php?t=25322

After Egypt got closer to the Soviet Union during the cold war, a large amount of M. 1891/30 rifles, among them many from Hungary, and many M. 1944 from various (manufacturing) countries made their way to Egypt. They were used without alteration, although Arabic numbers were written on the right side of the butt with white or yellowish lacquer. The - in a very British way - “Railway Works Department” (RWD) named factory manufactures replacement barrels. Large quantities of ammunition of the 7.62x54R calibre were manufactured in Egypt. The arms were sold in the 80s after Egypt got closer to the United States.

If the Middle East treated their Mosins like they did their SKSs, the replacement laminate stock would be like getting a Chinese SKS from the Middle East in a laminate stock.

[TulaTom]

Interesting. Never seen that before.

[NLMosin]

I've seen "RWD" is associated with Egypt, Syria and the middle east. viewtopic.php?t=25322

After Egypt got closer to the Soviet Union during the cold war, a large amount of M. 1891/30 rifles, among them many from Hungary, and many M. 1944 from various (manufacturing) countries made their way to Egypt. They were used without alteration, although Arabic numbers were written on the right side of the butt with white or yellowish lacquer. The - in a very British way - “Railway Works Department” (RWD) named factory manufactures replacement barrels. Large quantities of ammunition of the 7.62x54R calibre were manufactured in Egypt. The arms were sold in the 80s after Egypt got closer to the United States.

If the Middle East treated their Mosins like they did their SKSs, the replacement laminate stock would be like getting a Chinese SKS from the Middle East in a laminate stock.

[7x57]

Thanks, gentlemen. Yes, according to the (scarce) available Information this rifle indeed seems to come from Egypt.

[capt14k]

Thanks, gentlemen. Yes, according to the (scarce) available Information this rifle indeed seems to come from Egypt.

Translated From Karl-Heinz Wrobel’s book, Volume 2


"After Egypt got closer to the Soviet Union during the cold war, a large amount of M. 1891/30 rifles, among them many from Hungary, and many M. 1944 from various (manufacturing) countries made their way to Egypt. They were used without alteration, although Arabic numbers were written on the right side of the butt with white or yellowish lacquer. The - in a very British way - “Railway Works Department” (RWD) named factory manufactures replacement barrels. Large quantities of ammunition of the 7.62x54R calibre were manufactured in Egypt. The arms were sold in the 80s after Egypt got closer to the United States."

Found the above with some google-fu

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread. ... n-Markings


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[7x57]

I just checked that entry in my copy of KH's book - the information stated above is correct. Somehow I missed this information there, despite the fact that KH's books are always in convenient reach to me on my book shelf...

[capt14k]

I just checked that entry in my copy of KH's book - the information stated above is correct. Somehow I missed this information there, despite the fact that KH's books are always in convenient reach to me on my book shelf...

I assume they were only printed in German? I also assume title in English is Three Line? Which my last assumption is both volumes deal with Mosins? Does one vol deal with Finns and Hungarians? If so which one? It may be worth getting it. Plus I can brush up on my 8 years of German in School that I have forgotten much of. Has to be easier than trying to read Finnish.

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[7x57]

These books are only available in German language and especially vol. I is very hard to find now and pretty expensive (the last set of both volumes I saw for sale here went for 202 euros a couple of days ago). Vol. II is a mere addenda to a number of chapters of vol. I and not really useful as "stand-alone".
I once translated the tables of contents of both volumes and posted them here:
http://www.russian-mosin-nagant-forum.c ... A6#p317036