M91rv Cavalry Rifle

Many Mosin Nagant collectors are familiar with the M27rv which is a rare variation designed for use by mounted troops.  The M91rv is a less well known model which preceded it.  The letters "rv" are the abbreviation for the Finnish word "ratsuväki" which means "cavalry".¹  The basis for this model is captured or purchased Russian Dragoon rifles, which are predecessors to the M91/30.  A Dragoon is essentially a shorter M91 with a different pattern handguard and sling slots instead of swivels.  This example was made in 1896 at Izhevsk and still retains the Tsarist eagles on the barrel and receiver.  The bolt is from a New England Westinghouse M91 as indicated by the "E with arrows" near the root of the handle.  It has two numbers on it, one of which is lined out and neither of which match the barrel number.

The barrel shank carries the "boxed SA" Finnish Army property mark which indicates that the rifle was still in service in 1942 when the mark was adopted.

The floorplate and buttplate are not numbered.

The primary modification to the rifle, which makes it an M91rv rather than a Dragoon, is the sling attachment configuration.  At the butt there is a slot similar to the type found on Mauser rifles and at the fore-end there is a swivel on the left side similar to the type used later on the M27 "ski trooper" rifles.  Rather than fitting through the existing slot as those did, this one is bolted through the stock slightly to the rear of the slot.  Unfortunately this example was missing the backing plate for the front swivel and a replacement was fabricated from a spare buttplate.  The original slots also have the the typical bolted sling hanger in the rear and a bent wire hanger in the front.  These were probably added at a later date and not part of the original M91rv configuration.

The rear sight is renumbered in meters on the right side with the original Russian arshins simply struck through on the right.

The handguard is of the second patter with the ears cut short just behind the front of the rear sight base.  It has a metal reinforcing piece under the rear area and a cap on the front.

The front sight of this example is also modified, but it should be stressed that this is not typical of M91rvs.  A stamped sheet metal protector resembling the "ears" found on M27 and M28 front sights has been placed around the original blade front sight.  This rare modification was done on a trial basis by Finland around 1942 but was not adopted on a wide scale.  To find this modification on an already rare model is certainly unusual.

1  Vic Thomas of Gunboards.com  (return to text)

Thank you to "SlimTim" of Gunboards.com for the opportunity to acquire this rifle.