Just in case there is some countersniping activity out there...
Just in case there is some countersniping activity out there...
Toecutter, nice rifle. Although your rifle went through the refurb process post war, the parts on your rifle are factory matching except for the scope mount. This is tougher to find. Scope and mount were the only things changed. Very nice, strong stock acceptance and inspection stamps are a big plus also. And you stock is a correct late war PU sniper stock since it has the full liners in both sling cut outs.
I too am a big fan of Enemy at the Gates. All though the movie is rather silly since the actual dual was very short, and the rifles are not entirely historically accurate. Zaitsev used and Mod. 38 PEM sniper mount during the Battle of Stalingrad. And the Single Claw sniper was never used with a large 8 power scope. But still, fun movie.
Nice rifle. Thanks for sharing.
ziomanno, very nice rifle. Very tough to find any Russian sniper with matching scope.
Only a very small handful of PU snipers were assembled in 1945. I bet these T block rifles were assembled in 1944. Other rifles (M38s, M44s and M91/30s) that were assembled in 1945 all have 1945 dated barrels. I imagine that the PUs would be the same. So that fact that your rifles have barrels darted 1944 and the typical 1944 2 letter ИЛ stock acceptance leads me to believe they are 1944 assembly.
Thanks for your input; do you know the meaning of the I L acceptance stamp?
Yes, the 2 letter stamps that are found next to the large Izhevsk Roundel are inspection stamps for the GAU representative who at the time was in charge of inspecting and accepting rifles from Factory No. 74 (Izhevsk). These change through out the years and are one way to date a M91/30 stock. The same two letters will be found stamped on the left side of the barrel shank (until mid/early 1943, then they are not on the barrel). Think of them as very similar to M1 Garand stocks with GAW, NFR, ect....
Just for show, here is what the actual rifles they are trying to represent in the movie, look like.
What Zaytsev really used:
Mod. 38 PEM side mount
What a true Single Claw looks like (alhtough in 1942/1943 a German sniper would have used either a Oberdorf Low turret or Sauer Short side rail):
Steyr Single Claw
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