Mosin-Nagant M1944
Izhevsk Arms Plant · Carbine · Out Of Production · 1944
Also known as: Mosin-Nagant M44, Karabin obraztsa 1944 goda, Карабин обр. 1944 г., M1944
Overview
The Mosin-Nagant M1944 (Karabin obraztsa 1944 goda) is a Soviet bolt-action carbine adopted in 1944 to replace both the M91/30 service rifle and the earlier M38 carbine. Chambered for the full-power 7.62x54mmR cartridge, its defining feature is a permanently attached, side-folding cruciform bayonet that hinges flat against the right side of the stock when not in use. The added muzzle weight helps tame recoil in the short 517 mm barrel, while the shorter overall length suited close-quarters fighting in forests, trenches, and urban rubble. The M1944 served the Red Army through the final year of WWII and was license-produced in enormous numbers as the Chinese Type 53.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4080 g (143.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1013 mm (39.88") |
| Barrel Length | 517 mm (20.35") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 765 m/s (2510 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2810 J (2073 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 400 m (437 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1000 m (1094 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 15 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: Stripper Clip, Internal Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety, Cocking Piece Safety
- Features: Permanently Attached Folding Cruciform Bayonet, Stripper Clip Loading, Iron Sights, Interrupter Magazine, Straight Bolt Handle
Variants
- Mosin-Nagant M91/30 — Parent Rifle
- Mosin-Nagant M38 — Predecessor Carbine
- Type 53 Carbine — Chinese License Copy
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Soviet Red Army · adopted 1944 · as Karabin obraztsa 1944 goda
- People's Liberation Army (China) · adopted 1953 · as Type 53
- Korean People's Army · adopted 1950
- People's Army of Vietnam · as Type 53
Conflicts
- World War II (1944-1945)
- Korean War (1950-1953)
- First Indochina War (1946-1954)
- Vietnam War (1955-1975)
Production
Estimated total produced: 8,000,000 · Production years: 1943-1948
Soviet production concentrated at Izhevsk; license-produced as the Chinese Type 53 into the mid-1950s with millions made, plus production in Hungary, Poland, and Romania.
Origin
Country of origin: Soviet Union
Designer: Sergei Ivanovich Mosin (base design)
Discontinued: 1948
Notes
Often catalogued simply as the M44. The folding bayonet shifts point of impact between its folded and extended positions, a frequent quirk noted by modern surplus shooters.
Background
Introduced in the final stretch of the Great Patriotic War, the M1944's stubby silhouette and ever-present folding spike bayonet made it one of the most recognizable carbines of the Eastern Front, and it would go on to soldier through Korea and Vietnam in its Chinese Type 53 guise.