MO marks

[elkhunter]

what does the mo stamp on my m38 mean ?

[Marauder 1]

MO usually means it was a Ministry Of Defense rifle, is it double dated?

Thanks
Mark

[elkhunter]

Well after looking for the date stamp...the MO mark seems to be missing ? I was also looking at a m44 when I bought this gun and one of them was stamped MO... must have been the m44... is a gun with the MO stamp good?
Lee

[Marauder 1]

Hi Lee:
OK first off the MO stamping stands for "Ministerstvo Oborony", The Defense Ministry was established on March 15th, 1953, This was the result of a merger of the Military and Naval Ministries. The markings are found on M91/30, M38, M44, and M91/59 Mosin Nagants. Are they worth more? to some. The fact that it is a M38 makes it worth more off the bat. The Mosin carbines are very collectable at the moment. The M59 is another awesome rifle. They were for a while the best kept secret in the Mosin Nagant community. Once word got out about them however they were snapped up by collectors just like the M38's. I don't believe I've ever seen a M38 MO stamped rifle. I had my eye on a triple stamped MO M91/30 at Cabella's in Idaho, but they would not sell it to me because I was a CA resident.

Seeya
Mark

[elkhunter]

Thanks Mark,
I almost bought the M44 but the m38 just looked and felt better
I always seem to buy with that mindset... was looking for a shorter gun for hunting and didn't like the bayonet on the m44

[elkhunter]

FOUND THE MISSING MO MARK... ITS ON MY 91/30... DATED 1943/1954
CAN THAT BE RIGHT?

[Marauder 1]

yep that's perfect, 1953 would have been the first year. Nice find there buddy..
seeya
Mark

[kjohn]

I have a 91/30 stamped "MO". Dates are 1942r/48. Go figure.

[kjohn]

I recall reading something about the double date matter, to effect that it hasn't been firmly established that the second date is necessarily always the date the rifle was transferred to the MO. It does sort of seem to apply to the one I have. There are also "triple date" MO's floating around.

Don't shoot the messenger!