Mosin-Nagant M/52

Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle

Hungary | 1952

"The M/52 was nothing more than a Hungarian copy of the Soviet Mosin-Nagant 1891 sniper rifle form."

Authored By: Staff Writer | Last Edited: 08/18/2023 | Content ©www.MilitaryFactory.com | The following text is exclusive to this site; No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.

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The Mosin-Nagant turn-bolt, bolt-action infantry rifle was officially introduced by Russia in 1891 and was a combination of qualities from a series of rifles developed by Belgians Emile and Leon Nagant and a local design headed by Russian Army Captain Sergey Ivanovich Mosin (the rifle going on to bear the two surnames as a result). The Imperial Russian design proved so popular that a plethora of offshoots were soon realized, ranging from more-portable cavalry and dedicated sniper models to shortened carbines and civil guard variants. The reach of this long gun was such that local production was also had in Russian-aligned (and later Soviet-aligned) nations of the time including Hungary which manufactured the Soviet sniper rifle form as the "M/52".

By and large, the M/52 was nothing than a direct copy of the Soviet sniper variant produced at the Budapest Arsenal of Hungary into 1965. The rifle had a full-length wooden stock which integrated the shoulder support and grip handle. The trigger unit was slung under the frame in the usual way while the manually-actuated bolt-handle was set over the right side of the body. Optics were seated over the frame and slightly offset to the right. The front (hooded post) and rear (graduated ladder) iron sights were retained. Twin bands supported the forend around the barrel and a pair of loops allowed the use of a shoulder strap.

The rifle was chambered in the 7.62mm full-powered cartridge which was a proven man-stopper at range, the weapon reaching out to 900 yards in this regard. For sighting, the Soviet 3.5x PU scope was typically used. The internal, non-detachable magazine held five ready-to-fire rounds and was loaded through "stripper" clips for expediency.

Beyond their local use by Hungarian forces, the M/52 sniper rifles were featured by North Vietnamese elements in the Vietnam War of 1955-1975 with some examples captured by American forces. They have appeared and reappeared in other far-off conflicts of the world from time-to-time including Afghanistan following the American invasion of the country after the events of 9/11 - a testament to the rifle's reliable design.

In all, over 37 million Mosin-Nagant rifles were made over the manufacturing life of the gun. Hungarian factories also produced the "M44", a copy of the shortened Soviet Model 1944 Carbine.

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Physical
The physical qualities of the Mosin-Nagant M/52. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

1,232 mm
48.50 in
O/A Length

730 mm
28.74 in
Barrel Length

8.82 lb
4.00 kg
Weight

Manually-Actuated Turn-Bolt, Bolt-Action System
Action

7.62x54mmR (7.62mm Russian)
Caliber(s)

5-Round Integral Magazine (stripper-clip fed)
Feed

Over-Receiver Optics; Front Hooded Post, Rear Graduated Ladder.
Sights

Performance
Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Mosin-Nagant M/52. Information presented is strictly for general reference and should not be misconstrued as useful for hardware restoration or operation.

2,700 ft
823.0 m | 900.0 yds
Max.Eff.Range

12
Rounds-Per-Minute
Rate-of-Fire

Variants
Notable series variants as part of the Mosin-Nagant M/52 Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle family line.

M/52 (Model 1952) - Base Series Designation.

Operators
Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Mosin-Nagant M/52. Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national small arms listing.

Contractor(s): Budapest Arsenal - Hungary

[ Afghanistan; Hungary; North Vietnam; Vietnam ]

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Design Qualities
Some designs are single-minded in their approach while others offer a more versatile solution to requirements.

ACCURACY/PRECISION

ASYMMETRIC WARFARE

Recognition
Some designs stand the test of time while others are doomed to never advance beyond the drawing board; let history be their judge.

Military lapel ribbon representing modern aircraft

Military lapel ribbon for the Vietnam War

Similar
Developments of similar form-and-function, or related, to the Mosin-Nagant M/52 Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle.

Mosin-Nagant M1891

Going Further...
The Mosin-Nagant M/52 Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle appears in the following collections:

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