Rifle in Tree; M86/88 Mannlicher, 1891 Carcano, or Mosin Nagant?

Ammoland ^ | 5 April, 2016 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

The image in the middle is a picture that is floating about on Russian social media.  It was sent to me by by a friend, who I previously wrote about, the one of the adventures with two Bushmen.  He asked me if the action bedded in the tree might be a Mosin Nagant.  A Mosin Nagant action is shown on the right.

At first glance, there are similarities, the solid magazine, the 90 degree bolt handle, the shape of the trigger… but close examination shows that this is no Mosin Nagant.  The most obvious difference is the placement of the bolt handle, at the back of the action, instead of inside the ejection port.  The magazine shape is different, the bolt handle is directly over the trigger, and the shape of the rear sight elevator is distinctive, and clearly not a Mosin Nagant.

I believe the rifle in the tree is an Austrian Mannlicher M86/88.  There is not much difference between the 1886 and 1888 models that you can tell from a photograph such as this.  The picture on the left is of a Mannlicher M86/88.  Comparing them shows the clear family traits of the rifle in the tree.  Everything matches, as much as can be easily derived from the photographs.  While not obvious from the photographs, the Mannlicher is a straight pull bolt action, while the Mosin Nagant is of the more conventional type.

[marktwain]

Wars leave traces that linger for hundreds of years. I have a chunk of 17th century hand grenade that I picked up on an old battlefield.

[C19fan]

The Nazis and their allies used Mannlichers during WW II.

[Gaffer]

The center most correctly matches the picture on the left. Differences with the right picture are evident - clearly.

[AnalogReigns]

Mosin Nagant. Note the straight bolt handle.

Most numerous gun in the world. There are still many unfired WWII era examples to be found out there. First produced in the 1890s, and though obsolete by the 1920s, since it was tough as nails...continually produced through WWII. (Is a reliable hunting rifle to this day...)

Was followed (shortly) by the SKS-45 (a semi-auto) in 1945, then the AK-47 (in 1947).... SKS-45 is still used as the ceremonial/marching gun, since it has traditional stock and profile.

[ConservativeDude]

I remember the Carcano being named in incidents related to fall of ‘63.

[Repeal The 17th]

Daily Mail 10 April 2014
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Nature versus war: How helmets, grenades and guns discarded during World War II have been swallowed up by tree trunks in Russia
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2602084/Nature-war-How-helmets-grenades-guns-discarded-world-wars-enmeshed-tree-trunks-Russia.html
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[CrazyIvan]

http://www.amazon.com/Aftermath-Remnants-Landmines-Warfare-The-Devastating/dp/067975153X

Fascinating read and the author thankfully has no political agenda.

[kingu]

Yeah, the image to the left is not the action embedded in the tree. The right most closely matches.

[mad_as_he$$]

Anyone that uses a Mosin to hunt is just plain into self inflicted pain. I have large magnum rifles that don’t kick like a Mosin.

[Gaffer]

I am saying the left is the match. Not the right. You can see on the right where there isn’t as a pronounced indentation between the trigger guard and the magazine house.

LEFT and CENTER match most closely, IMO.

[kingu]

I’m sorry, you are correct, pre-coffee left right confusion. It’s a Mosin Nagant.

[the_boy_who_got_lost]

There is no ways it’s a Mosin Nagant.

It doesn’t match at all. Look at the sight. Look at the action.

[JoeProBono]

Limbsaver Recoil Pad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXbtKAeZGFs

[USMCPOP]

It’s a little difficult to tell from the tree photo, but it most likely is a Mannlicher 1886. The 1888 had a shallower magazine well and the rear sight ears were a little more pointy, not a rounded as the ‘86.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Anyone that uses a Mosin to hunt is just plain into self inflicted pain.

I never would. It is for a long range stand off platform only...in my world. I have more appropriate rifles for hunting.

[katana]

Thrown by a 17th century grenadier. Where did you pick it up? Thirty Years War battlefield on the continent, English Civil War site, or did one of Cromwell’s boys throw it at the Irish?

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Forty five years ago I bought an 1873 Winchester carbine that had been found chinked in the walls of an old log cabin being torn down. It was evenly covered with rust and withing a few minutes I had it working and it could still fire a 44-40 cartridge.

Why it was chinked inside the walls of a cabin no one knows.

I wish I still had it.

There are probably lots of “lost” guns still out there operational. A friend found a workable Meridian
Arms pistol in an old abandoned house years ago.

[MeganC]

According to the New York Times it’s a Glock.

:-P

[Happy Rain]

Wasn’t it a mail order Mannlicher carbine that took out Kennedy?

[ConservativeDude]

WElll....now this is getting interesting. In my personal opinion (!), it was the Remington 222 fireball that gave the massive and hyper-fatal head would. But that’s b/c I buy into a particular account of how it all went down. Many people here will disagree, of course, and that’s their prerogative.

But the reference to Carcano was (just working from memory) that it was associated with Oswald’s alleged rifle on the 6th floor. I don’t recall if they said first that it was a Carcano, and then changed, or if they said first it was something else and then changed to a Carcano. But that rifle was in the mix in some regard......

If I have some time later today I will post a link to read up on this.