Experimental Russian Match Rifle

[Loose}{Cannon]

My father was able to make it down to the gunshop at Front Royal VA again to check out a few rifles for me. The owner of this shop was John Appleton and he was famous among the 22lr competition shooters for the Euro match guns he would import.  John died some years back, but his wife and daughter open the shop on Saturdays only for a few hours.

Anyhow, I called them a few weeks ago to find out what they still had (been 4 years since there last and bought a bunch of guns), and it seems that most Russian match guns were gone except two really rare gems.  This is one of them...

This is a MTs70-1 heavy barrel match gun.  I asked THE russian match gun guru (hes russian) on Rimfirecentral and this was the reply.

Those rifles were produced in experimental bureau at Tula plant (not at the main factory). I suspect in limited quantity. You keep it well. It is a good find.

So there ya have it.  Here are the only pics I got from the ole man before he mothballed it until I can get it from him.

Its the top gun in the last pic.

[martin08]

I've never seen a front peep sight before now.

[Loose}{Cannon]

I've never seen a front peep sight before now.

Most all match guns have them.....  but, the sights on this are OFFSET! 

[carls sks]

cool, thanks for sharing. 

[Phosphorus32]

Nice looking match rifle! 

So I guess the rear sight has to be zeroed for different distances both with respect to windage and elevation. Seems like an unnecessary complication to adjust both settings at each distance. They must have felt that the sight picture and cheek weld was better with them offset to the left for right hand shooters, or is there some other justification?

[Loose}{Cannon]

From elewhere

The offset can improve head position in formal position shooting, where tilting the head over can upset balance. You can tilt the rifle, but the sight adjustment is then canted.

It was more common on UIT 300m rifles, as the offset meant the sight picture was less distorted by heat rising from the barrel. The Russians liked the idea.

[Loose}{Cannon]

Nice looking match rifle! 

So I guess the rear sight has to be zeroed for different distances both with respect to windage and elevation. Seems like an unnecessary complication to adjust both settings at each distance. They must have felt that the sight picture and cheek weld was better with them offset to the left for right hand shooters, or is there some other justification?

Welp...  ya aint changing distance with these guns.  Its rare to even find them shooting 100.  50 is the norm, especially because matches are commonly indoors.

[Loose}{Cannon]

Basically its a Running Bore or Running Deer gun match gun similar to the Mts80-1... third rifle down. But the OP gun is MTs70-1..... little to zero information on the 70. I can tell a few differences between the pic of the 80 compared to the 70, mainly the front sight.