With the turmoil of revolution behind the newly formed USSR, Stalin’s regime turned to modernization of the nation’s armed forces concurrently to the industrialization of the country.

When the original Three-Line Rifle M1891 Mosin Nagant was adopted, a slightly shorter model followed soon after to fill a unique role in the army of Tsar Nicholas II

The Soviet M38 was intended for issue to specialists and non-combat troops, but its handy nature made it a popular choice in the brutal urban combat that came to characterize the popular image of the Second World War’s Eastern Front.