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Using The Terms -
Non Matching - Forced Matching - All
Matching - Original Matching
For
Russian (Soviet) Mosin Nagant
Only.
Recently there have been many posts and questions asked about "all
matching" or "numbers matching" Mosin Nagants. This can be a confusing
topic both to those new to Mosins and more experienced collectors
alike. Let's dig a little deeper and see if we can clear some of that
up, and see if that numbers matching Mosin that you recently acquired
is truly an original numbers matching example or not.
First order of business is to
determine what type of mosin you are dealing with. Each country that
produced or used the Mosin rifle used their own method for numbering
the rifle and its parts. Although their particular method may be
similar to the Soviet and earlier Russian method, it is the latter that
were are discussing here. Their are several outstanding online
resources that will help you to determine what you have, including this
forum and website. The vast majority of mosins available from retailers
and on the secondary market today are known a "refurbs". They are just
that, rifles and carbines refurbished by the USSR and stored away for
possible future use. These rifles became very plentiful in the last
decade and were imported mostly from Ukraine and Russia itself. A great
explanation of the refurb process itself is available here:
http://www.russian-mosin-nagant-forum.com/information/refurbishment/index.html
Although this thread will
mostly deal with these refurb rifles, the same info can be applied to
other non-refurb or issued Soviet and older Russian mosins as well.
There are three basic serial
number descriptions that are thrown about when discussing Mosin
Nagants. Although they may seem self-explanatory at first, lately there
has been confusion as to what the terms actually mean.
NON-MATCHING:
This seems like an easy one.
It is simply what you have when one or more of the numbered parts'
serial numbers is different from that on the barrel. The confusion
usually arises when people apply this term to Mosins that have been
force-matched during refurb.
FORCE-MATCHED
(matched by arsenals - ARSENAL-MATCHED):
As explained in the above
link, during the refurb process the various parts were numbered to
match the barrel's serial number. Old numbers were either voided by
line-outs or removed entirely in most cases. New numbers were either
re-stamped or etched on using an electro-pencil tool. The numbers
applied using this process are known as EP'd numbers. Although just as
correct on refurbished rifles as re-stamped numbers, they can be less
aesthetically appealing to many. It is these particular rifles that are
most commonly and incorrectly described as non-matching. I have seen
dealers separate re-stamped refurbished rifles with no visible older
numbers from EP'd rifles and/or those having line-outs and sell them as
"all-matching" for a premium. It is also common to encounter sellers on
the secondary market selling re-stamped "all matching" refurbs at a
hefty premium believing that they are "original matching" which is
incorrect.
ALL MATCHING or TOTALLY MATCHING:
It needs to be broken down
even further. It can be used to describe both the force-matched rifles
described above, or true, factory-original matching examples. Due to
the huge difference in value between the two, care must be taken in
clarifying which term actually applies.
ORIGINAL, TRUE, or
FACTORY MATCHED:
This term applies to rifles
that have their original numbered parts that were present during their
manufacture and assembly. Examples of these are very uncommon and
usually bring a hefty premium on the market. Most are either rifles
that never went through the refurbishment process after being issued,
only received a light refurb, or in some cases are post-WW2 examples
that saw little use.
There are a couple of ways to
determine if the rifle is a true-matching example or not. Sometimes on
parts re-stamped during refurb, the original number that was present
was ground off. The tell-tale grind marks may still be visible. In some
cases, the parts were polished after grinding so the marks have
disappeared. In those cases a good indicator of force-matching could be
the presence of markings older than the rifle itself or originating
from a different arsenal altogether. A Remington marked bolt body on a
wartime Tula is an example of this. Although it is possible that older
small parts were re-used during the building of new rifles as was the
case with some receivers, I don't recall having ever seen a truly
matching Mosin using older numbered parts. As with everything mosin
though, there may be an exception floating around out there.
Another indicator may be the
lack of an alpha-numeric prefix on serial numbers on a post-1937
rifle's parts. These serial number prefixes were used, again with a few
exceptions, on rifles beginning in '38 and were applied to all of the
numbered parts during the original manufacture. If a bolt, magazine or
butt plate are lacking these prefixes when they are present on the
barrel, it is a very good bet that the part was renumbered at some
point.
Lastly, the most accepted and
decisive way of determining the serial numbers' originality is the font
of the numbers themselves. On Soviet and Russian Mosins, the numbers on
all of the parts matched each other EXACTLY at production. This
included the font of the numbers and letters themselves. Every line,
curve, and whirl on the numerals on the butt plate, bolt and magazine
would be a precise match for those on the barrel. Sometimes this is not
an obvious difference. Examine each number individually with its
counterpart on the barrel. If there are any differences, then the part
has most likely been force-matched.
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