M-38 Mosin-Nagant, the mini (carbine) version of Vasili Zietsev's M91/30 rifle from "Enemy at the Gate". Once he started sniping the Nazis in Stalingrad, he finally was issued the higher spec M91/30 Sniper Rifle, in service until 1975 when replaced by the Dragunov. The 91/30 family were afflicted by a poor bolt action, the product of the usual Soviet loose internal tolerances. However, the action would still be just crappy when the Mausers would sieze at -40F.
No animals were harmed in the "shooting" of this picture!
My Mom has a collection of weaponery from the antibellum period (17??-1860)
Also, not to be unpatriotic, but I'd probably rather have even this rifle than an M-16/M-4 if I were in the Iraq right now. At Parris Island, they made us do pushups whenever your M-16 jammed/misfired... Oh, the pain! Too many good men have been lost because of that most expensive, yet arguably, the least reliable infantry rifle in the world! Another fine gift from SecDef Robert MacNamera... After all the problems, the designer of the M-16 came out with an improved version (AR-18), but it was not adopted due to the expensive upgrade program....

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