Mosin-Nagant Cossack
Tula Arms Plant · Rifle · Discontinued · 1891
Also known as: Cossack Rifle M1891, Kazach'ya vintovka, Mosin-Nagant Kazak
Overview
The Mosin-Nagant Cossack is a bolt-action rifle, a cavalry variant of the Russian Mosin-Nagant Model 1891 service rifle. Issued to Cossack horsemen, it shared the shortened 731 mm barrel and trimmed forend of the Dragoon model but, unlike the infantry and Dragoon patterns, was issued and sighted to be fired without a bayonet fixed, making it lighter and handier for mounted troops. It fed the rimmed 7.62x54mmR cartridge from a five-round integral magazine charged with stripper clips.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3900 g (137.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1238 mm (48.74") |
| Barrel Length | 731 mm (28.78") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Striker Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 840 m/s (2756 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3387 J (2498 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1900 m (2078 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 10 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Rifling Twist | 240 mm (9.45") |
| Number of Grooves | 4 |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- 7.62x54mmR · primary — also known as 7.62x54R, 7.62 Russian, 7.62mm Mosin
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Internal Box Magazine, Stripper Clip
- Safety mechanisms: Cocking Piece Safety
- Features: No Bayonet Fitting, Shortened Forend, Charger Loading, Iron Sights
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Russian Imperial Army · adopted 1891 · as Cossack Rifle M1891
- Soviet Red Army · adopted 1918
Conflicts
- World War I (1914-1918)
- Russian Civil War (1917-1923)
Production
Production years: 1891-1922
Produced alongside the infantry and Dragoon patterns at the Tula, Izhevsk and Sestroretsk arsenals; total Mosin-Nagant M1891 family production across all variants exceeds 37 million.
Origin
Country of origin: Russia
Designer: Sergei Mosin, Leon Nagant
Discontinued: 1922
Notes
The defining feature versus the Dragoon rifle is the absence of a bayonet lug and the fact its sights were regulated for fire without a bayonet attached. It was largely superseded once the unified M1891/30 rifle standardised production.
Background
Issued to the Cossacks, the irregular mounted warriors of the Russian frontier, the bayonet-less Cossack rifle reflected their role as light cavalry who fought from horseback with sabre and carbine rather than the fixed-bayonet charge of the line infantry.