280,000 of these rifles were originally manufactured under contract with the Imperial Russian government. After the fall of the Russian monarchy, the Russian contracts were terminated and these rifles were purchased by the U.S. Ordnance Department, where they were used for training purposes as well as with the American Expeditionary Forces in North Russia and Siberia between 1918-1919, to enable the troops to utilize stores of 7.62x54R Russian ammunition. Inverted "V" blade front and adjustable notch rear sights with the increments graduated to "32" Russian arshins, standard "imperial eagle" crest above the Westinghouse maker's mark and "1915" date on the breech of the barrel , hex receiver, and polished straight handle bolt with an Ordnance flaming bomb stamp and the matching serial number. Stock with grasping grooves, eagle head stamps on bottom ahead of and behind the trigger guard housing, circled Russian inspection stamp on the left of the buttstock, and a smooth steel buttplate marked with the matching serial number. Includes a socket spike bayonet numbered "522488" and brown leather sling.