1433.New England Westinghouse Mosin NagantThis is a Russian Mosin Nagant M91 rifle, manufactured in the United States by New England Westinghouse in Chicopee Falls, MA. It was made for the Russians during WWI as they suffered a shortage of firearms. This particular rifle was probably made in the last week of production in the first half of 1918. All New England Westinghouse Mosin Nagants are marked 1915 on the receiver, regardless of the year of actual manufacture. New England Westinghouse is, or was, directly related to the same Westinghouse that made toasters, tv's, blenders, etc.
After the Russian Czar lost power, the subsequent powers defaulted on the contract after accepting only a limited number of the contracted rifles. This left Westinghouse in a financial predicament. The U.S. government stepped in and purchased the remaining rifles and (I believe) 200,000 more as yet built rifles. The rifles the U.S. acquired came to be known as the "surcharge" rifles.
The Russians claimed they defaulted on the contract because the rifles were sub standard. However, at the time of default, the Russians negotiated with the U.S. to allow their 86 inspectors to remain on site and continue inspecting the rifles still being built, as well as to continue having the rifles marked with Russian inspection marks and nomenclature, in case they wanted to buy the rifles at a later date.
This particular rifle was one of the last 20,000 built and carries both Russian and American inspector marks and cartouches. The U.S. and Russians agreed, that whatever party ended up owning the rifles, that party would reimburse the other party for the cost of their inspectors remaining on site and participating in the inspection process. (This was in the event the Russians were able to procure the remaining rifles at a later date.)
This particular rifle stayed in the U.S. and never saw Government or Military service life. It was unissued, dipped in cosmoline, and sent to storage. The rifle was subsequently sold as military surplus in the early 1920's for the sum of $3.00, exactly one tenth of the cost of production.
When I acquired the rifle on February 3, 2017, it was still laden in 97 year old cosmoline. You can still see residual cosmoline on some of the parts in some of the pictures. This is a numbers matching 100% original and correct Westinghouse Mosin Nagant. Prior to my acquiring the rifle, it had never been disassembled. The overall condition of the rifle is outstanding! It has very few minor handling flaws, probably from storage and previous owners showing the rifle to friends. It is the best example of a New England Westinghouse Mosin Nagant I have ever seen in person and one of the three best I have ever seen in a pictorial display.
I had been looking for a Westinghouse MN for over ten years.
It was a great find, on a great day, and well worth the wait.
