The Estonian Use Of The Mosin

Nagant Line Of Rifles/Carbines

Part Three - Text And Photo Area

From Brent Snodgrass

Estonian Forest Brothers in the 1950's.  The fighter on the left is armed with a Mosin Nagant M91. These Estonians fought the Soviets well into the 1950's.

Arms from a Forest Brothers cabin. - 1952

Forest brothers in the 1950's armed with a mix of Soviet arms including a SVT40 and a DP28.

Estonian soldiers in the 1920's armed with the Madsen LMG.  The soldiers wear the Model 1925 Tunic.  The Estonian Army was not large but was a well armed force.  The Estonian soldiers were armed with rifles, submachine guns (an Estonian made copy of the Bergman), light machine guns, and handguns. - Photo Brent Snodgrass

The Mosin Nagant also saw service in Estonia after WW2 as a part of the Soviet Union.  In the photo are Soviet (Estonian) soldiers in training. 

Notice the second rifle which has a bent bolt of some sort but does not appear to be a sniper rifle.

An odd version of Mosin Nagant rifle which has been reported as an Estonian National Guard rifle.  It is possible this rifle was indeed made by a Kaitseliit armory but in speaking with those in the Estonian defence network they have not been able to confirm if this rifle is indeed Estonian in origin.  It does not fit the records of barrels or rifles made by Arsenal but if this was done outside of normal production records of such a rifle might have well been lost or never documented. So is this rifle Estonian? It might well be as it does not seem to fit anywhere else however I can not state this as fact -It is a fine and interesting rifle and I hope in time it can be directly linked to Estonia. I can not help but notice the KL.36 is simular to the ARS and date markings seen on Estonian rifles.  Also the KL marking was used by the Kaitseliit on handguns so it is more than possible this rifle is indeed as stated.- My thanks to the owner for sharing the rifle with Mosin collectors