An Izhevsk Arsenal M91/30 bolt-action rifle made in 1942, serial KB1294, in 7.62x54R with a 29.5-inch round barrel. Numbers do not match. The bore is very good, lightly frosted in the grooves with strong rifling; the metal has worn to a smooth grey patina that is most obvious on the receiver, and the stock shows the dents of both wartime service and later use. Mechanically it is sound, with a smooth action that works correctly. The M91/30 was the standard Soviet infantry rifle of the war, produced in huge numbers under demanding conditions.

In New Mexico a full-length 7.62x54R rifle loaded with expanding bullets satisfies the centerfire, .22-caliber-or-larger standard for big game, and deer and elk rifle hunts mostly fall from October through December under each hunt code. The long barrel and the non-matching numbers make this a shooter-grade rifle rather than a collector's safe queen, which is exactly the kind of Mosin to take out and use.

Key features

• 7.62x54R bolt action, 29.5-inch round barrel
• Izhevsk Arsenal, 1942, serial KB1294
• Non-matching serial numbers
• Bore very good, strong rifling, light frosting
• Smooth grey patina, action sound

We ship the M91/30 to a New Mexico FFL dealer of your choosing; you collect it there after the NICS check and the seven-day state wait.