Sergei Ivanovich Mosin (russian: Серге́й Ива́нович Мо́син, April 2 or 14, 1849 - February 8, 1902) was a Russian Major General,
engineer
Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...
, and the main contributor to the design of the 3-line rifle, Model 1891 (Russian: "трёхлинейная винтовка образца 1891 года"), colloquially known as
Mosin–Nagant
The Mosin–Nagant is a five-shot, bolt-action, internal magazine–fed military rifle. Known officially as the 3-line rifle M1891 and informally in Russia and former Soviet Union as Mosin's rifle ( ru , винтовка Мосина, ISO 9: ) ...
.
Early life
Mosin was born in
Ramon, in the
Voronezh Governorate
Voronezh Governorate (russian: Воронежская губерния, ''Voronezhskaya guberniya''; uk, Воронізька губернія) was an administrative division (a '' guberniya'') of the Tsardom of Russia, the Russian Empire, and th ...
of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
in 1849. He entered into a
military academy
A military academy or service academy is an educational institution which prepares candidates for service in the officer corps. It normally provides education in a military environment, the exact definition depending on the country concerned. ...
at age 12 where he excelled as a young officer. In 1867, he entered the Alexandrovskoye Military High School in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
. Upon leaving Alexandrovskoye in 1870, he decided to go to the
artillery
Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during siege ...
branch and transferred to the
Mikhailovskoye Artillery Academy. He graduated in 1875 and transferred to the
Tula Arsenal
Imperial Tula Arms Plant (russian: Императорский Тульский оружейный завод, Imperatorskiy Tulsky Oruzheiny Zavod) is a Russian weapons manufacturer founded by Tsar Peter I of Russia in 1712 in Tula, Tula Oblast as ...
where he became the head of the
machining
Machining is a process in which a material (often metal) is cut to a desired final shape and size by a controlled material-removal process. The processes that have this common theme are collectively called subtractive manufacturing, which utilizes ...
division.
Mosin–Nagant
![Sergej Mosin (Sestroretsk)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Sergej_Mosin_%28Sestroretsk%29.JPG)
It was at Tula where Mosin began his career as a weapons designer by first making improvements to the
Berdan II and later collaborating with
Nagant to design the
Rifle of Three Lines of the Year 1891. Some details in Mosin's rifle were borrowed from
Léon Nagant's design. One such detail is the attachment of the magazine spring to the magazine base plate. In Mosin's original design the spring was not attached to the base plate and, according to the commission, could be lost during cleaning. Another detail is the form of the
clip
Clip or CLIP may refer to:
Fasteners
* Hair clip, a device used to hold hair together or attaching materials such as caps to the hair
* Binder clip, a device used for holding thicker materials (such as large volumes of paper) together
** Bulldog ...
that could hold five cartridges to be loaded simultaneously into the magazine. Another detail is the form of the "interrupter", a specially designed part within the receiver, which helps prevent double feeding. The initial rifle proposed by Mosin lacked an interrupter, leading to numerous failures to feed. This detail was introduced in the rifle borrowing from Nagant's rifle.
Mosin eventually rose to the rank of
Major General
Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
and was appointed as the director of the
Sestroretsk
Sestroretsk (russian: Сестроре́цк; fi, Siestarjoki; sv, Systerbäck) is a municipal town in Kurortny District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, the Sestra River an ...
arsenal
An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
. He died on February 8, 1902, and was buried in Sestroretskoye Cemetery in St. Petersburg
Sestroretsk
Sestroretsk (russian: Сестроре́цк; fi, Siestarjoki; sv, Systerbäck) is a municipal town in Kurortny District of the federal city of St. Petersburg, Russia, located on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, the Sestra River an ...
.
See also
*
List of Russian inventors
This is a list of inventors from the Russian Federation, Soviet Union, Russian Empire, Tsardom of Russia and Grand Duchy of Moscow, including both ethnic Russians and people of other ethnicities.
This list also includes those who were born in Rus ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mosin, Sergei Ivanovich
1849 births
1902 deaths
People from Voronezh Oblast
People from Voronezhsky Uyezd
Russian military engineers
Russian inventors
Generals of the Russian Empire
Weapon designers
Firearm designers