Page "Mosin–Nagant" Paragraph 14

With the start of World War I, production was restricted to the M1891 dragoon and infantry models for the sake of simplicity.

Due to the desperate shortage of arms and the shortcomings of a still-developing domestic industry, the Russian government ordered 1. 5 million M1891 infantry rifles from Remington Arms and another 1. 8 million from New England Westinghouse in the United States.

Remington produced 750, 000 rifles before production was halted by the 1917 October Revolution.

Deliveries to Russia had amounted to 469, 951 rifles when the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ended hostilities between the Central Powers and Russia.

The remaining 280, 000 rifles were purchased by the United States Army.

American and British expeditionary forces of the North Russia Campaign were armed with these rifles and sent to Murmansk and Arkhangelsk in the late summer of 1918 to prevent the large quantities of munitions delivered for Czarist forces from being captured by the Central Powers.

Remaining rifles were used for the training of U. S. Army troops.

Some were used to equip U. S. National Guard, SATC, and ROTC units.

Designated " U. S. Rifle, 7. 62mm, Model of 1916 ", these are among the rarest of American service arms.

In 1917, 50, 000 rifles were sent via Vladivostok to the Czechoslovak Legions in Siberia to aid in their attempt to secure passage to France.