Today’s book is really more of a pamphlet than a proper book, but it still serves well given its purpose. It is Rifles of the Snow by Doug Bowser and Powers Dunaway, and it is an introduction and basic handbook of Finnish military rifles – specifically Mosin Nagants. While Finland used a wide variety of rifles from many different countries during its wars with the Soviet Union, the bulk of its rifles were different flavors of Mosin Nagant. Finland never actually manufactured a Mosin receiver, instead using guns either purchased or captured. However, rather than using captured guns as-is, they typically overhauled and retrofitted captured Mosins to their own specifications. Between these and the pre-war purchased guns, the Finns have a handful of different models, which are easily confused by newcomers to the subject. Rifles of the Snow is a good quick reference to discern between the different models and interpret the markings which one will find on both pre-war and captured Finnish Mosins.
At Forgotten Weapons I think the most interesting guns out there are the most obscure ones. I try to search out experimental and prototype weapons and show you how they work, in addition to more conventional guns that you may not have heard of before. You’re much more likely to find a video on the Cei Rigotti or Webley-Fosbery here than an AR or Glock. So, do you want to learn about something new today? Then stick around!
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Book Review: History Writ in Steel by Donald Maus
Book Review: The Grand Old Lady of No Man’s Land, by Dolf Goldsmith
Book Review: The Ross Rifle Story
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