Obrez Mosin
Tula Arms Plant / Izhevsk Arsenal · Pistol · Out Of Production · 1917
Also known as: Обрез, Obrez Mosin, Sawn-off Mosin, Cut-down Mosin
Overview
The Obrez (Russian: обрез, 'cut-off') is not a factory firearm but a field modification of the Mosin-Nagant M1891 rifle, created by sawing off most of the barrel - typically down to between 100 and 250 mm - and removing the buttstock behind the wrist to leave only a pistol grip. The result is a crude, savagely recoiling, brutally loud bolt-action pistol firing the full-power 7.62x54mmR cartridge from the rifle's 5-round internal magazine. Obrez conversions emerged during the chaos of the Russian Revolution and Civil War, when handguns were scarce in the countryside but Mosin rifles were everywhere. The weapon became a signature tool of partisans, peasants, and bandits because it could be hidden in a coat, under a blanket, or behind a religious icon - places no soldier would think to search.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 2300 g (81.1 oz) |
| Overall Length | 500 mm (19.69") |
| Barrel Length | 200 mm (7.87") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 5 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 550 m/s (1804 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1450 J (1069 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 50 m (55 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 200 m (219 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 7.62 Russian, 7.62x54R, 7.62 Soviet
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Stripper Clip, Internal Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Cocking Piece Safety
- Features: Sawn Off Barrel, Removed Buttstock, Concealable, No Sights
Base model
Service history
Operators
- Russian Civil War partisans · adopted 1917
- Russian criminal underworld
- Bolshevik militias · adopted 1917
- Anti-Bolshevik partisans · adopted 1918
Conflicts
- Russian Revolution (1917)
- Russian Civil War (1917-1923)
- Tambov Rebellion (1920-1921)
- Soviet partisan operations (WWII) (1941-1944)
Production
Production years: 1917-present (field modification)
Not a manufactured firearm; produced ad hoc by sawing down captured or scavenged Mosin rifles. Total numbers unknowable; tens of thousands estimated to have been produced during the Civil War alone.
Origin
Country of origin: Russia
Notes
Specifications are highly variable since each obrez was an individual field-modification. Barrel lengths from 100 mm to 305 mm are documented; some retained iron sights, most did not. Muzzle velocity drops dramatically with the shortened barrel.
Background
Russian peasants called the obrez 'the gun for one shot' - because between its deafening blast, blinding muzzle flash, and savage recoil, the user often dropped or fumbled the bolt before getting off a second round; survivors of partisan ambushes during the Civil War described the weapon's report as 'a cannon in the hand'.