Yup, the aftermath of the Gun Industry Bailout of 1918, when the Feds bought a bunch of Mosins they didn’t like to save Remington and Westinghouse when those pesky Bolsheviks refused to pay up.
On another note, I would like to congratulate Cyrus for willing our Mosin-Nagant Timney Trigger Giveaway! He will be using the trigger in a 1928 Ishevsk.
Thanks to everyone who emailed me an entry – we had great participation. If you’re not Cyrus, you should definitely condsider picking up one of the triggers anyway – you won’t regret the improvement in your Mosin.
I think your picture is from Nicaragua some time in the early 30’s-late 20’s. The US Marines dumped off a few there to people working for Uncle Sam. Also look at the ammo belt/bandolier pure pre-WWII US.
Dean from Idaho
Very interesting and unusual photo! Thanks for posting.
@Dean: Maybe it was taken in Nicaragua, but the tallest lady in the group does not look to be from Central America at all…
R.
While a lot of the US Mosins went back to Russia with US forces, some of them were also given to National Guard units. I expect that’s what we’re seeing in this photo. I don’t know enough about older uniforms to be sure, though.
Actually, I’d be inclined to think that the photo is a member of the Guardia de Asalto [Assault Guards] in Republican Spain during the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939. The Soviet Union sold lots of Mosin-Nagant rifles to the Ejército Popular Republicano and other security forces of the socialist and communist-led Spanish Republic. It is true that Nicaraguan rebels led by August César Sandino used Mosin-Nagant rifles in the war against the USMC and auxiliary Nicaraguan forces. These U.S.-contract Mosin-Nagants were apparently provided by Mexican nationalists and the left-wing of the Mexican revolution in the 1920s.
As for the U.S. ammunition belt, I have no idea, but it might be WWI surplus from France or something like that.
Hello, actually that photo is framed in Mexico. Russian contract Mosin Nagants made by Remington and Westinhouse were sold to Alvaro Obregon´s government to put down with Adolfo de la Huerta´s coup back in 1924.
The picture belongs to president Obregon´s funeral service on july, 1928.
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There are still to this day descendants of the Conquistadors running around South America 🙂
Dean from Idaho
David
Those women except for the tall one are not Spanish. They are Mestizo. The belt is surplis US.