Reenactors of the Canadian 191st Rifle Division reenactment company instituted a memorial medal in honour of the 170th anniversary of the birth of Russian arms designer Sergei Ivanovich Mosin, the creator of the legendary three line (.30 caliber) rifle. This is the first medal in history that commemorates Mosin.
The obverse depicts the bust of Sergei Ivanovich Mosin, the years of his life (1849-1902) and two crossed model 1891 rifles. The reverse depicts the seal of the Sestroretsk Arms Factory that Mosin was in charge of, the Imperial eagle, and the letters PK; the same as the stamp on Tsarist era rifles produced at the factory. The ribbon colours are the same as the colours of the ribbon of the Order of St. Anna, which Mosin was awarded in 1892 after his rifle was accepted into service. The medal was instituted in 2019. 300 units were minted.
The model 1891 rifle and its later variants were the most common and most reliable type of weapon in both World Wars. Over 39 million units were produced in Russia, France, United States, Finland, China, and Eastern European nations.
After the start of the war, the Izhevsk factory increased production of this rifle to 12,000 units daily. The rifle made an immeasurable impact on the war. After the war, the “Mosinka” remained in service until it was replaced by the SKS and AK. Sniper variants of the rifle, both the original and modernized types, are still in use throughout the world. The 7.62x54r cartridge remains in service in Russia and in many other nations.
191st Rifle Division reenactment company Master Sergeant Sergei Eremeev described the rationale for the medal: “We developed this medal as a sign of deep respect for the designer with the goal of preserving his memory in Russia and abroad. Our reenactment company plans to issue the Sergei Ivanovich Mosin memorial medal to the Tula Arms Museum, Sestroretsk Factory Museum, Military History Museum of Artillery, and the Izhevsk Arms Factory Museum.”
The Canadian reenactors also plan to issue the medal to R.N. Chumak, author of the book Mosin 3-line Rifle and A.S. Yuschenko, author of the book Model 1891/30 Rifle and its Variants.
