Mosin-Nagant Rifles in the 1956 Hungarian Revolution



Mosin Nagant M1944/56

Gyalogsági Puska, M1944/56
(Un-official designation)

Made by Ishevsk & Tula, Soviet Union, 1944-48 and used by Soviet troops stationed in Hungary in 1956.
These guns believed to be captured and some of them were marked/altered/modified by the Hungarians during the breef life of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Number of captured weapons - unknown. Number of captured weapons with actual 1956 Revolution related markings - unknown.

The type of these modifications are similar to what Finland did to the captured Soviet weapons during WW2 - Reuse usable parts, replace not servicable parts and mark the weapon somehow as time allowed: Grind and re-stamp or just re-stamp.

Variant No.1

Originally a 1944 Ishevsk M44. The Soviet markings were carefully machined down from the barrel shank and replaced with the 1956 date and the serial number. The new serial number was also stamped on the bolt and on the magazine floor plate. The 'FR' prefix may stand for Forradalmi Regiment (Revolutionary Army). The 'O', which is stamped where the original Ishevsk triangle logo was, may have a meaning similar to the holes in the communist flags. Neither of these theories can be confirmed. No other part of the rifle was altered. Assumably from the new serial number, at least 35 rifles must have been modified similarly.

Variant No.2

Originally a 1945 Ishevsk M44. A small Kossuth Coat of Arms crest (the official symbol of the 1956 Revolution) was stamped above the Ishevsk Factory triangle.

The original stock was replaced with a Hungarian stock showing the '02' and Budapest codes

The original Soviet buttplate was re-used with the '02' factory code added.

Photos of this Variant No.2 are courtesy of Ted, www.7.62x54r.net
Check out his detailed webpage on this subject

Please contact the author if you find a similarly marked gun or any other unusually marked Mosin Nagant.


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