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| Russian 1891/30 PU 7.62x54R Mosin Nagant Sniper Rifle |
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SOURCE: http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=F3MOSIN9130pu
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Russian
1891/30 PU 7.62x54R Mosin Nagant Sniper Rifle
[PHOTO
SOURCE: http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=F3MOSIN9130pu]
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INTRODUCTION
“The principal task of the sniper
is the destruction of the most important enemy targets he can find. Officers,
observers, scouts, liaison officers, enemy snipers, gun crews, trench mortars
and machine guns, anti-tank rifleman and motorcycle skirmishers are to be his
primary targets. He shall “blind” enemy armored car and tank drivers by firing
at their vision visors. He is capable of independent action under the most
difficult conditions of battle.”
This statement was from an
official Soviet military publication dated October of 1943. It clearly shows
the importance the Red Army gave to the sniper in its ranks. The Soviet Union
more so than any other combatant in W.W.II, used the sniper in the greatest
numbers and capacities. The sniper was a key element in the doctrine and
actions taken by the Red Army on a platoon or company basis. He served as the
eyes and ears as well as the unseen soldier that bogged down and created fear
amongst the enemy. No other nation involved in W.W.II fielded as many snipers
as the USSR. Both men and women served in this capacity to a devastating
effect.
Orders were often given on the
platoon or company level to directly support the actions of the group. Whether
it is for scouting or the elimination of key enemy personal in preparation of
an attack or in defense, the sniper was always involved. In a defensive
position, as the Soviets found themselves so often in the early portion of
Operation Barbarosa, the sniper served as an observer to enemy movements. These
observations were quickly relayed back to the company commander and up the
chain of command. When need be the sniper used his hidden position to slow the
enemy advance and to hamper armored vehicles with aimed fire at the driver’s
slits with 7.62mm AP rounds. The Soviet policy was to operate the sniper
in pairs or teams, a shooter and an observer to record necessary data or scout
for targets. Many times the snipers formed small groups of 3-5 to bring
concentrated fire upon advancing troops, resulting in slowing the advance with
a devastating effect on morale not to mention manpower. Often times the Soviet
sniper allowed the advance to pass by his concealed position in order to bring
fire upon the officers directing the attack from the rear. When operating in
these groups it was not uncommon for the observer or other team members to be
armed with a sub- machine-gun to provide close quarters support should they be
detected.
m/91-30 PE and PEM
(1932-1940,1942)
The Soviet Union took the task of
telescopically aimed riflemen very seriously early on. The use of snipers to
“tie down” enemy troop concentrations was not lost on the Soviets in their
brief experiences in the First World War. In response to the use of snipers by
both sides in the conflict, the Soviets began testing and obtaining optical
sights from aboard, primarily from the Carl Zeiss company in Germany. The
serious experimentation with telescopically sighted rifles began in the mid
1920’s. Initial experimentation began by mounting commercial scopes then
military contracted optics upon the m/91 Dragoon.
During those early years of the
Russian sniper program, the Soviets did not have the ability or equipment to
mass produce optical lens's and so forth. Partly due to money nd partly due to
facilities. So in the infancy of the Soviet sniper program of the early 1920's
the Red Army had to look elsewhere for optical equipment and mounts. The
primary source of fine optics in that day was Germany. So orders were placed
for several different optical sights from makers such as Zeiss, Busch, Hensoldt
and Voightlander to name a few.
The purpose of these scopes was
to conduct trials with various mounting systems provided. The spit bridge tube
by Zeiss was tried but found to be over complicated. The version that drew the
most attention was a side mounted bracket with base developed by the Gustav
Genschow company known as "GECO" commercially by the logo for
"Genschow Company". This mounting system was a large dovetailed base
that allowed a mating split ring one piece mount to be slid on and affixed with
a large thumb screw. The rings were solid and required the scope to be silver
soldered in place. After many trials and errors the decision was to proceed
with roughly 170 of these types of mounts fit to Mosin Nagant rifles model 1891
(dragoon length as this was the standard length in 1926). Two types were used.
The first had no provision for the range plate on the side of the mount. That
was because the scopes were made with range graduations that were not based
upon the 1907 cartridge in 7.62x54r. The shooter was supposed to
"memorize" the correct adjustments. This style of scope and mount was
known as the Dynamo 2. This system used a large thumb screw that was attached
to the base by use of a small chain attached to the front of the mount and to
the thumb screw itself so it would not be lost. This system was used on rifles
assembled at the "Dynamo" shooting facility run by the NKVD at the
time and became known as the D-2 system. The scopes used were the Zeiss
manufactured optics whose components were made in Germany and assembled then
shipped to the Zeiss affiliate Nedinsco located in the Netherlands. This
allowed Germany to circumvent the restrictions placed upon them by the
Versailles treaty that ended WW1. The scopes sold through this outlet are
marked with the Nedinsco logo and such a marking was to indicate
that they were purchased "commercially" and not under a militray
contract.
The second system produced at
Dynamo had an improved scope that allowed lateral adjustment for windage on the
side of the tube and a slightly modified mount. The mount now had a ballistic
plate attached to the side that allowed the shooter a quick reference as to the
proper setting of the range on the elevation dial for the 54r cartridge. Also
the chain was removed from the mount as it proved bothersome in snagging on
clothing and items..
By the 1930’s the Soviets had
adopted a style of mount and scope based upon Zeiss designs, and had begun
production. The adoption of the model 91/30 fitted with a telescopic sight of
Soviet manufacture but based upon Zeiss designs, and reportedly manufactured
with machinery purchased from Zeiss, was in 1931. By the following year of 1932
the first rifles were in production and being distributed to the Army. The
rifles were fitted with a unique over the bore mounting system that
incorporated a base that mimicked the hexagonal shape of the receiver. The base
was retained on the rifle with 6 screws, 3 per side and often time’s silver
soldered as well. The mount was a uniquely Soviet design. It was a two-ring
set up with a rectangular shape. The center being open to allow use of the
rifles iron sights should the need arise. It was retained upon the base by two
large thumbscrews. These screws when tightened forced a triangular wedge
against the angled rail of the base. A block retained in the rear of the mount
provided the correct placement in regard for forward seating of the mount.
This system was fairly effective
in providing a reasonable self-zeroing effect. The scope was of a 30mm tube
diameter and initially was focus adjustable by means of a knurled focus ring on
the rear ocular. Some transitional versions are known and have been examined
that use a focus ring set in front of the rear lens housing. These examples are
dated between 1935 and 1937 and seem to bridge the gap in PE production changes
between the PE and the PEM. A standard European three-post reticule was
used.
This system was fairly effective
in providing a reasonable self-zeroing effect. The scope was of a 30mm tube
diameter and initially was focus adjustable by means of a knurled focus ring on
the rear ocular. Some transitional versions are known and have been examined
that use a focus ring set in front of the rear lens housing. These examples are
dated between 1935 and 1937 and seem to bridge the gap in PE production changes
between the PE and the PEM. A standard European three-post reticule was
used.
Also at this time the base for
mounting the scope was changed as well to correspond to the newly modified
receiver shape of the Mosin Nagant m/91-30 in the later half of 1936. This new
base was changed from the earlier hexagonal shape to the round interior needed
to fit upon the new round receivers.
It was retained in the identical
fashion as earlier and the mount was not changed at all. This version of the
rifle, top mounted scope and round receiver remained in production for
approximately 1.5 years, until 1938. Another version of the round receiver base
also appeared at this time, 1936-1937, in extremely limited numbers. This base
utilized only two screws-front and rear of the base on each side. This base was
used with the transitional version of the PE/PEM scope with the tube mounted
focus ring. This base and configuration is the rarest of the PE/PEM styles and
only a few are known. It was produced in extremely limited numbers prior to the
return of the six screw version as reported by my friend and colleague
Karl-Heinz Wrobel, author of Drei Linien Die Gewehre Mosin Nagant.
In 1938 the PEM was again
modified to a newly adopted mounting system. This system moved the base and the
optical mount to the left side of the receiver in a “long side rail”
configuration. This new system used a raised wedge shaped rail upon the base
to retain the mount. A protruding pin mated to a slot in the mount indicated
full seating of the mounted optics. The mount itself was retained in place by a
lone thumb screw that was conically shaped at the tip to provide a self seating
capability when screwed into the corresponding hole in the base. Again a “self
zeroing” system was attained. The new mounting system incorporated the PEM
scope again and was used until the rifle was discontinued as a sniper in the
spring of 1940. The rifle was discontinued in favor of the self-loading SVT 40
fitted with optical sights that were specifically produced for the rifle. These
short optics would later be redesigned and fitted to the venerable Mosin Nagant
in a sniping role only two short years later. The “side mount” PEM is a
respectable sniper but its weight was increased dramatically by the large base
and mounting system. It is the heaviest of the Mosin Nagant snipers at 10.5lbs
compared to 9.5lbs for the earlier versions using the “top mount” system.
By the 1930’s the Soviet
Union possessed a considerable number of sniper rifles. A Soviet document
indicates that 54,160 rifles were produced in the PE form between 1932 and
1938. Production of the PE was very slow at first due to the complicated and
time consuming nature of machining the mounts. Production in the first year of
1932 was only 749. In subsequent years, recorded numbers are as follows. 1,347
in 1933, 6,637 in 1934 and 12,752 top mount hex and round receiver PE/PEM’s in
1936. No data is given for production in 1935 as all Mosin production was
slowed considerably that year. 13,130 top mount round receiver PEM’s were
produced in 1937 and 19,545 of the new long side rail mounted PEM’s were made
in 1938. No production numbers are available for the final two years of PEM
production. (1) While many rifles were randomly selected for accuracy
potential, there is an indication from my research and that of a
friend/colleague (4) that “blocks” of snipers were produced at Tula. This is
supported by a sampling of PE snipers all in the same letter prefix and serial
number block indicating a planned production and not a random pull of rifles
off the line. All Tula produced snipers, including the later version produced
during wartime in 1943 and 1944, bear an accuracy mark above the five-pointed
star logo of the factory. This proof is a “C” and an upside down “U” for lack
of a better description of Cyrillic letters. This marking is the designation of
“sniper” on Tula produced guns. The marking literally translates to " Snayperskaya
Provernnaya" meaning tested for use as a sniper. .
Ishevsk did not mark their rifles
in this unique way to differentiate them from standard rifles. The production
of Mosin Nagant snipers was halted at Tula in 1940. By October of 1942, the
SVT40 proved to be a failure as a consistently accurate sniper rifle.
Manufacture of the Mosin Nagant m/91-30 was again ordered back to full
production capacity at both Ishevsk and Tula. The need for a capable, accurate
sniper’s rifle was urgently needed. Ishevsk began production of the Mosin
Nagant “side mount” PEM in early 1942. This production was a stopgap to provide
optically sighted rifles for the front until the newly designed and still in
it’s infancy, m/91-30 PU, could be swung into full production. A 1942 dated PEM
is an extremely rare rifle. Only one is reported in US collections. Tula did
not produce any snipers of Mosin Nagant configuration from it’s last PEM in
1940 until it’s resumption of production with the PU in 1943.
Another use of the PE/PEM scope
was the Finnish army during W.W.II. On every occasion that presented itself the
Finnish army captured and reissued any m/91-30 sniper rifles they had. Most
were returned to front line service immediately upon capture but those that
suffered damage were returned to the arms depots for either repair or
cannibalization of the optical components and mounting hardware. The rifles
captured by Finland and in use were given a special code designation of TJ34 to
hide the use from enemy spies (4). The number of rifles that were captured
during the Winter War was rather small due to the Soviets doctrine trained
snipers. These soldiers were not “normal” conscripts but highly trained
professional soldiers and thus they did not tend to surrender easily. The bulk
of Finnish captured sniper rifles came from positions quickly overrun. Soviet
snipers were trained to damage or destroy their equipment in the event of
defeat or imminent capture. The other problem encountered was the propensity of
Finnish soldiers to keep the captured rifles as war booty and not report them.
An inventory in June of 1940 indicated that 213 sniper rifles of almost
exclusively the top mount PE design was in store.
The order was also given to begin
production of 2000 telescopic sights and parts were obtained from abroad to
begin this project but it was never realized and abandoned. The bolts of the
m/39 were elongated and turned down to provide clearance of the mounted optics
and some minor stock relief was done to accommodate the mounting of the base.
Only 200 or so rifles were produced during the war. This rifle is one of the
rarest snipers of W.W.II, as well as all Finnish used sniper rifles owing to
the extremely small numbers produced and or captured.
m/91-30 PU (1942-1963)
The new model 91-30 PU sniper was
hurried into production in 1942 as the field reports regarding the SVT40 sniper
were not promising. Even after various attempts to remedy it’s first shot
inaccuracy; they were not corrected sufficiently for the SVT40 to remain the primary
sniper rifle of the Red Army. In October of 1942 the SVT 40 was no longer
produced in a configuration that would mount an optical sight. The PU sniper
rifle was an attempt to update and lighten the earlier PE/PEM and restore to
the sniper the first shot accuracy that is so crucial . The Red Army was
pleased with the new 3.5x short scope that was designed for the SVT series of
rifles and decided to continue it’s use with the new PU in a slightly altered
form. The new scope was to do away with the raised seating portion of the scope
in its center that allowed proper placement in the SVT mount. It also
streamlined the tube to a consistent diameter from front to back to simplify
manufacture. The initial PU scopes though did however have some design features
of the earlier PE/PEM scope. These early scopes were constructed using some
prototype patterns, materials and design. The earliest of the scopes produced
for use in 1942 had an elevation and windage housing very much like the earlier
PE scopes.
The lens fittings were also made
using the earlier brass fittings. Some tubes were manufactured using a
lightweight alloy, presumably aluminum, to lighten the weight. These
scopes are extremely rare. These features were quickly abandoned in favor of
the final result that emerged in late 1942-early 1943. These scopes utilized a
steel tube and fittings. The tube was now streamlined to an even diameter from
front to back. The windage and elevation knobs now protruded directly from the
tube. A new mount and base was also developed for the rifle. A side-mounted
base on the left of the receiver was agreed upon as the last previously
produced PEM was. This mount was again simplified to provide a basic “self
zeroing” feature. A small knob in the anterior acted as a “ball and socket” for
the mount and the rear of the mount was held in place by a large knurled
thumbscrew through pressure. Vertical rough elevation was done with the use of
an upper and lower set screw on the base as well.
The base was affixed to the left
side of the receiver by means of two locating pins and two screws. The screws
were retained and prevented from loosening by two setscrews. (see above photo)
The receiver of the new rifle also was different. The left wall of the receiver
was not milled out to an angle sloping towards the wood line as in previous
standard infantry rifles to reduce weight. It remained “high” to provide a
“high wall” to affix and support the scope base. This feature was also used in
the lean mid-war years as a time saving production procedure. This feature can
also be observed on the carbine variants. After rough elevation was attained
the screws were either staked or noted in a notebook of their position and not
touched again and conventional zeroing was undertaken. The earliest versions of
the new mount, which rose vertically then at a right angle to place the scope
over the bore, utilized two small cutouts in the center portion to reduce
weight and bulk.
This proved to time consuming and
the feature was dropped in favor of two dished out slots and one large cutout.
The mount incorporated two split rings that allowed the scope to be slid into
the mount from the rear and then tightened by four screws, two in each ring. It
was a simple and effective design. The snipers were initially not impressed
with the new rifle and scope. They favored the earlier 4x scope, which provided
a larger field of view and an easier eye relief. The new rifle’s scope is
placed higher up so slight adjustments needed to be done before becoming
comfortable with the arraignments. The rifle soon won over it’s users and
became a favorite owing to it’s smaller scope which eased handling and the
reduced weight from the earlier PEM. The rifle proved to be deadly accurate.
Range estimation was taught by placing and measuring the amount of target mass
between the horizontal cross hairs which were as before on the PE, a typical
European three post design. Typical target engagements were 200-400 meters but
many were undertaken at its extreme range of 900 meters.
Scope production was undertaken
at five different optical firms. Each of these firms stamped the logo of the
factory on the scope tube as well as the date of production and the serial
number. Many scopes do not exhibit a date and it is not known as of yet why this
is so. It is possible that these scopes are replacement or inventory models.
One maker did not use a traditional date as the others did. They incorporated
the year of production into the serial number of the scope. The first two
digits identified the year of manufacture. An example of this would be the
traditional marking of 1943 - 23455, while the other maker would mark this
scope as 4323455. The dating of the scopes began in 1932 and ended in 1945 with
the close of the war. PE scopes were initially dated on the rear inside the
optical maker’s rectangular logo. Later PEM scopes were dated on the side of
the elevation turret with the maker’s logo appearing on the rear bell.
Many PU scopes exhibit an "inspection/refurbishment” date upon the tube
below the optical maker’s logo. The diagonal slashed box proof of the
refurbishment often splits these. Dates observed are often in the 50’s through
late 60’s. Some are marked POM 59 indicating an inspection repair in 1959. The
PU remained the Red Army’s primary sniper scope through 1962 when the
self-loading SVD or Dragunov replaced it.
Vic Thomas
www.mosin-nagant.net
www.gunboards.com
References
Soviet Small Arms and Ammunition
(Both Russian and English versions)-D.N. Bolotin
The German Sniper-P.R. Senich
Drei Linien Die Gewehre
Mosin-Nagant Vol 1 and 2 -K.H. Wrobel with some personal additions from this
fine author
Soltiaskäsiaseet Suomessa
1918-1988-M. Palokanagas
Lt. Umro “Al”
Lehikihoinen-Veteran of both Finnish wars and an invaluable asset in transcribing
and translating of Finnish documents as well as personal insight
Brian Johnston- Advanced Mosin
collector
International Armaments by George
B Johnson and Hans B Lockhoven Vol 1-2
Guns of the World by Ed Ezell
-first edition
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