"… give what is Caesar's to Caesar, but what is God's to God"
(Gospel of Luke 20: 20-26)
It is time to note here that this material would never have appeared if it were not for the kindness of Nikolai Mikhailov from St. Petersburg, who volunteered to work with the archival materials of the Museum of Artillery and Signal Corps, as well as the kind help of its employees and, in particular, the archive keeper Svetlana Vasilievna Uspenskaya. All materials of interest were filmed by them and then used in this work, as well as Tatyana Ilyina's article "The Destiny of the Rifle", first published on the pages of the St. Petersburg magazine "Orel" back in 1991. The photocopies were “translated” into printed form, since in the handwritten version they are extremely difficult to understand, both because of the peculiarities of writing words by hand with a fountain pen, and, in fact, the peculiarities of the then Russian language. It is interesting that in all documents the surname "Mosin" is spelled with two "ss" - "Mossin".
However, when considering this contract, the main administrative commission for the rearmament of the army drew attention to its 12th paragraph and raised the question of whether it is necessary to pay a bonus to Nagan if his rifles are not fully adopted, but only partially. According to General Sophiano, “Nagan's rifles are almost identical with Mosin's rifles and, in all likelihood, even if the system of the former is adopted, some parts in it will have to be changed in accordance with Mosin's system. Therefore, it is quite possible that there will be wrangling regarding the payment of 200,000 to Nagan”[7]. That is, the Russian generals perfectly understood that when using all the best of the two rifles in one sample, a conflict of interest and copyright may well arise.
Soldiers of the Russian Imperial Army with Mosin rifles on the Thessaloniki front, World War I.
Anticipating some friction, they decided to start negotiations with Nagan in advance, and his own statement, made by him in a private conversation with Kryzhanovsky, that he would be satisfied with a reward of 75 thousand rubles, was taken as the starting point. This difficult task was entrusted to a military agent, Colonel N. M. Chichagova. The Minister of War ordered him to persuade Nagan to an even smaller amount, namely 50 thousand rubles. It must be said that Nagan's letters, which deal with the specifics of this transaction, characterize him as a smart, quick and persistent entrepreneur. We have never met in his correspondence claims to include his name in the name of the rifle - whether it will be in it or not, he, in fact, was indifferent. But he was very concerned about reimbursement of expenses for the execution of the Russian order. Therefore, Chichagov could not fulfill this order.
Extract from the journal No. 24
The Main Administrative Commission for the rearmament of the army
December 8, 1890.
The Main Artillery Directorate was appointed on December 16, 1800.
Ministry of War Chief Administrative Commission for the rearmament of the army December 14, 1890.
The presentation of the Executive Commission for the rearmament of the army from November of this year No. 3/54 on the approval of the order on the manufacture, in the Tula arms factory, 30 pack guns with changes projected by Captain Mossin was heard.
The Main Administrative Commission decided to approve the present in the Executive Commission for the rearmament of the army.
Submission to the Executive Commission.
Head of the Office
Lieutenant General (signature)
Clerk (signature)
As can be seen from the text of this document, all the costs of manufacturing Mosin rifles must be attributed to the expenses of the treasury, that is, government expenses. Whereas L. Nagan bore his expenses privately and, naturally, counted on their compensation. (Archive of the Military-Historical Museum of Artillery, Engineering Troops and Signal Corps. F.6. Op. 48/1. D. 34. L. 867)
In the archival documents, there is a mention in the magazine No. 84 of the Main Administrative Commission "on the issuance of 200,000 rubles to the Nagan both in the case of the adoption of the gun of its system as a whole, and in the adoption of only some of its details." Moreover, a week after the signing of the contract, namely on October 20, 1890, Nagant sent letters to Lieutenant General Kryzhanovsky with claims of violation of his inventor's rights on eight counts regarding a number of parts and assemblies of the new rifle. “I have reason to believe that a gun similar to mine was not in Russia either in March of this year, or when I presented it last year,” he wrote. The commission for the development of a small-bore rifle considered this letter and in the journal (minutes) of March 9, 1891 stated its views on the issues that arose as follows:
1. Does the Nagan really have the rights of the inventor to the parts of the gun named by him?
2. Terms of issue of S. I. Mosin.
3. Timing of supply of guns by L. Nagan.
4. What did Mosin borrow from the Nagant rifle?
5. What did Captain Mosin independently develop in his gun?
The commission examined all the circumstances of this case and came to the conclusion that Nagan has the inalienable rights of the inventor to almost all the details he named. Here's how! That is, his primacy as a designer of a new rifle was officially established by competent specialists! The document, which was signed by all members of the commission, looked like the one shown in the photo below. Its content is as follows:
One of his pages …
“Parts of a gun and a magazine mechanism, on which, in a letter dated October 20, 1890, Nagant claims the rights of an inventor.
1) A trapezoidal magazine casing with a door at the bottom on a hinge, on which the cartridge feeder is mounted.
The moving platform feeder participates in all door movements and can be removed from the door without any tools.
2) The combination of all parts of the locking and magazine mechanisms, for the action of a cartridge with a rim.
3) A double lip cut-off that holds the cartridges in the magazine and eliminates the simultaneous feeding of two cartridges.
Does the Nagan really have the rights of the inventor to the parts named in the first column?
Has the inalienable rights of an inventor, with the exception of the trapezoidal shape of the store, which was previously known to the Commission.
Have the inalienable rights of an inventor.
In the form that the cut-off was performed by Mr. Nagant in his guns, presented by him in August and September 1890, such is Nagant's.
What has Captain Mossin borrowed from the Nagant rifle?
The cartridge feeder, placing the feeder on the door and opening the magazine door downward are borrowed from the Nagant.
What has Captain Mossin independently developed in his gun?
Due to the special device of the shutter invented by Captain Mossin, and the combination in the action of the shutter with a magazine mechanism, it turns out to be different:
The elimination of the simultaneous supply of two cartridges by isolating the second cartridge with a cut-off was proposed by Captain Mossin and carried out by him in a gun 5 ½ months earlier than it was subsequently done by Nagan. The cutoff proposed by Captain Mossin is made in a slightly different form.
Remarks
Guided by the original model of the Nagant, presented to the Commission in October and November 1889, Captain Mossin, in the month of December of the same year, making the first sample of his gun, made in it a magazine casing with a door and a feeder similar to those that were made in the gun. Nagana.
Parts of a gun and a magazine mechanism, on which, in a letter dated October 20, 1890, Nagant claims the rights of an inventor.
4) Store door fastener.
5) Bolt clasp, integral with the release and its combination with the lug on the bolt.
6) A fuse placed in the Nagant gun on the left side of the receiver and jamming the bolt and trigger at the same time.
Does the Nagan really have the rights of the inventor to the parts named in the first column?
In the form as it is made in the guns of the Nagant, it belongs to him.
Belong to Nagan. In the form as the safety catch is made in the guns of the Nagant, such belongs to him.
What has Captain Mossin borrowed from the Nagant rifle?
What has Captain Mossin independently developed in his gun?
Look like a Nagant gun.
The clasp in Captain Mossin's gun is completely different from the Nagant clasp.
The bolt is held in the box of the shotgun, separated by a strip, abutting the end of the groove against the bolt delay. The bar was proposed by Captain Mossin.
In one of the single-shot rifles of Captain Mossin, presented by him before the appearance of the Nagant rifles, a fuse was used, similar in concept to the Nagant fuse, differing, however, in details from the latter.
In subsequent models of guns, Captain Mossin replaced the separate fuse with a protrusion on the trigger and a cutout on the bolt. To jam the shutter and release, you need to turn the trigger to the left.
Remarks
Parts of a gun and a magazine mechanism, on which, in a letter dated October 20, 1890, Nagant claims the rights of an inventor.
7) A pack or clip for 5 rounds with a protruding edge of the sleeve. The cartridges from the pack are lowered into the magazine casing with the effort of the thumb.
8) Vertical grooves in the receiver, designed to insert the pack into them when loading the gun, and a solid jumper in the box.
Does the Nagan really have the rights of the inventor to the parts named in the first column?
The idea of filling the store and the shape of the pack, from which the cartridges go down with a finger into the store, belongs to Nagan.
In the form, as it is done in the Nagant guns, belongs to the inventor.
What has Captain Mossin borrowed from the Nagant gun?
The method of filling the magazine by lowering it from the pack of cartridges with a finger, and, consequently, the grooves in the receiver are borrowed from the Nagant.
What has Captain Mossin independently developed in his gun?
For shooting from Captain Mossin's rifles, packs of two samples were used. One sample was proposed by Captain Zakharov and the other by Captain Mossin. There is no cross-section solid in the box of Captain Mossin's rifles.
Remarks
Signed by: Lieutenant General Chagin, Lieutenant General Davydov, Major General Ridiger, Colonel von der Hoveen, Colonel Kabanov and the head of the commission, Colonel Petrov.
Correct: Headquarters Captain [8].
Mosin did not agree with these conclusions, but the Commission insisted on its own. True, the members of the Commission invariably emphasized the special device of the bolt invented by Captain Mosin and the combination in action of this bolt with all the magazine mechanism available in the rifle.
