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M24 Italia!
"Lotta" with Latte?
A close up look at an Italian collector's M24
Imagine my surprise when I got a mail note from from Italy sent by a Mosin Nagant owner! I don't know why, but I just didn't think about our Italian friends as being Mosin Nagant collectors. At any rate, attached to the note was a picture of a big guy holding on to a beautiful M24 that he described initially as his "Swiss Mosin Nagant".
 Geppo and his "Swiss Mosin Nagant" Geppo's description of the rifle intrigued me so I asked him if he could provide some additional information. Apparently Geppo bought this rifle a few years ago for the vast sum of the equivalent to $60 US! Not being a Mosin Nagant collector specifically, he hadn't really paid that much attention to it until he saw one on the web site.
 The wood on this weapons appears to be in very good condition. Note what appears to be a wedge splice on the butt stock.
The M24 Civil Guard Rifle was produced as a result of replacing
the deteriorated barrels of Russian M91's in Civil Guard armories. They were originally produced at the SAT works, which was later moved and renamed SAKO. The M24 is a M91 that has been upgraded with a new barrel, a slight alteration of the stock, an adjustment to the rear sight, and a new front sight added.
 Front band and blade front site on the stepped barrel.
The early Civil Guard marking on the barrel. Production numbers for the M24 from 1923 to 1927 were about 25,000 -38,000 according to Lapin.
 Civil Guard numbers on the left side of the barrel.
The Finns named the M24 the "Lotta-Kivävääri" or Lotta Rifle. This was because the initial lot of barrels were purchased from funds raised by the women's auxiliary of the Civil Guard, the Lotta Svärd.
Bohler-Stahl Marking under the barrel. The Swiss company Schweizerische Industrie Gesellschaft, or SIG, supplied 8,000 barrels for the M24. Additionally 18,000 barrels obtained from three German companies. The German barrels have Bohler-Stahl stamped on the bottom of the barrel where it meets the
receiver. All in all this is a fine example of a M24 in very good condition. I am surprised at the condition of the metal on the barrel as there is very little evidence of pitting. My friend Geppo should be very proud of his "Swiss Mosin Nagant".
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