The Mosin is not a mannlicher and I will try to show it first on the bolt . I am sorry for having not a M 86 –M 95 in the house because they repräsent the true mannlicher concept of a straight-pull action. Being a turnbolt action the M 91 inventor’s were knowing of course the french M 86 and the german M88 rifle.

First pic is showing the line from german M88 to swedisch Mauser M96 to M 98(wich we all love)

Second pic is showing the M66 Chassepot bolt, M86 Lebel Bolt, M91 Mosin bolt
The M 74 Gras bolt, standing between the M 66 and M 86 in any aspect is missing.

This kinds of bolts all have a separate head. This idea is coming to an end in the Mosin where the bolt is in my opinion only the carrier who transport the bolt head. This may sound a little bit extremely but it is the reason ,in my eye’s, the rifle is working in –50°C.

In no way we can say that the Mosin is having a Mannlicher Bolt. The straight-pull action from Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher will come back again in gun history 50 years later when we going into the field of semi and full auto rifle’s. the german M 88 also have a separate bolt head but this was the most criticized part of the whole rifle. The Mauser line never have it again and the Mannlicher M93/95, developt from the M 88 also don’t have it anymore.

The Mosin is also not a Mannlicher because it did not have a Mannlicher Magazin.
Mannlicher was not the first to use a box magazin(it was Lee and Russel) but was the first to be sucessful. The Carcano, the french Berthier, the german M 88 use the mannlicher magazin with packet clip loader. The Mosin have a very, very clever box magazin with stripper clips. A spring, a piece of steal (also eject the case) and a little screw handel and control the feed of the rimmed cartridge absoluty brilliant.