Yesterday's Weapons Forums

OK, so I followed the advice of many and set aside a Mosin with a hex receiver a few days ago. I haven't brought it home yet, I'm just waiting for the pay check to clear.

But I'm kind of curious. What makes the hex receiver so desireable? I understand being an older model they may have taken more time making it and the finish and machining isn't as rough as on my 43 Mosin. But is there any other reasons?

Hey Wolf,
I think it is mainly because most of these were made during the Czarist era as you said. I read some where that they were marginally stronger because of the hex shape i.e. had a little more meat on the reinforce. From other standpoints. There were at least four other places making the hex receivers as you probably know. Remington, New England Westinghouse, the French Chatellerault , and possibly?? the Swiss Sig.
You can really tell the Remington and Westinghouse receivers by looking on the bottom flat. The machining or filing is parallel and distinctively finer than even the Czarist ones.

I forgot to add this. The Finns used hex receivers to build their variants and supposedly(sic) preferred the U.S. made receivers to rebarrel with VKT, Tikka and other makes of barrels. Since a lot of people like the Finn rifles they are naturally are going to be hex. They did have captured 91/30s, but I think did not often rebarrel them IIRC.


The hex receivers were used up into the 1930s but I do not know whether they were new or made up from existing left over receivers.


I have also noted that during WWII they dispensed with some of the machining on the 91/30. One of mine has no internal reinforce in front of the lug recesses. It also did not have a lot of the lightening contours at the rear and on the left side past the reinforce.
G.

Also you have the possibility if early enough date, it would be an 'ex-dragoon' rifle. Not that it adds much value but a bit more history.