Mosin-Nagant

[TheLuigiNoidMan 129]

The M1891 Mosin-Nagant rifle is possibly one of the most prolific bolt-action rifles in the world, being instantly recognizable in both name and look to many. It's popularity rose from its significant usage by Russians throughout half of the 20th Century, and its roles during the world wars as both a front-line infantry weapon and sniper rifle.

Its design originates from multiple firearms being trialed by the Russian Empire, with its lead designers being Sergei Mosin, who was rising in the Russian military, and the Nagant Brothers, who were originally based in Belgium. During the trials, Mosin incorporated details and features from other rifles in his design, which was ultimately accepted as the 3-Line Rifle. However, Léon Nagant initiated a legal dispute with Mosin's design, which ultimately led to Russia compensating Nagant and the rifle being known as the M1891 Mosin-Nagant outside of Russia. It was fed with smokeless 7.62x54r ammunition, was often loaded with 5-round Stripper Clips, and allowed the attachment of a socket bayonet.

Shortly after the turn of the 20th Century, the Mosin-Nagant's first main use would be in the Russo-Japanese War in 1904, which turned out to be a catastrophic failure for the Russian Empire. Shortly thereafter, Russia would become heavily involved with the outbreak of the First World War, and suffered severe and tragic losses while being directly fought by all of the Central Powers combined. Unfortunately, the Mosin-Nagant itself proved to be an ineffective rifle in combat, Due to weak war preparations, poorly-trained infantry, ineffective logistics, and ridiculously bad coordination, Russia performed so badly during WW1 that they practically ran out of Mosin-Nagant rifles halfway through the war, ultimately depending on Entente exported rifles while shifting weapon production to the United States of America. Eventually, the Russian Revolution forced Russia's surrender in 1917, and would eventually overthrow the government.

The instated Soviet Union eventually took over production of the Mosin-Nagant, and made several modifications during the interwar period. One variant, the M91/30, became the rifle's most iconic variant to date, being based off of a previous Dragoon (cavalry) variant, and would see greater use in the Second World War than it did during WW1. During WW2, Russia lost even greater amounts of land than Russia did during WW1 as a result of Operation Barbarossa, seeing greater shortages than in WW1. However, Russia maintained production of the Mosin-Nagant, and managed to rebound from its weakest state unlike its previous leadership. During the war, the Mosin-Nagant was often outfitted with a new, but incredibly effective attachment known as a magnifying scope.

The PU Scope was not the first optical scope used on Mosin-Nagant rifles, although its the most recognizable. It could magnify targets up to 3.5x, and perfected the rifle's long-reaching capabilities. Many marksmen and snipers used this scope during WW2, and managed to make a name for themselves with it.

Overall, despite being often unreliable or unpredictable as a result of manufacturing quality, the Mosin-Nagant managed to maintain a somewhat unexpected reputation, being loved AND hated by many throughout the century.

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Scope Disclaimer:

Spoiler

Unless you wish to make your own scope effect with cameras/surfaces, this model comes with a miobject asset that includes a camera-surface scope. Because working with multiple cameras can be tricky, the scope camera might overwrite your renders. To ensure this doesn't happen, check that the Scope camera's visibility is checked off in the keyframe options, and have your preferred camera selected before rendering.