Yes I was very fortunate to get one in such excellent condition especially considering its service in WWI and possibly the Bolshevik Revolution and the Russian Civil War with such units as the Latvian Rifleman in the Czarist Army and later Red Latvian Riflemen who were mostly armed with this type rifle. From 1915 to 1917, the Latvian Riflemen fought in the Russian army against the Germans in positions along the
Daugava river. In 1916 Latvian battalions were transformed to regiments as conscription started among the local population. Also many new riflemen units were formed. In total, eight combat and one reserve regiment were formed. In December 1916 and January 1917, the Latvian riflemen suffered heavy casualties in the month-long
Christmas Battles, which began with a surprise attack on German positions during
Christmas. Suffering heavy casualties, Latvian riflemen managed to break the German line of defence but the effort was to be in vain as the attack was not followed through. The Russian Army lost over 26,000 soldiers in the failed attack. The casualties included 9,000 Latvian riflemen, about a third of the total number at that time. The heavy casualties resulted in a strong resentment against the Russian generals and the Tsar among the riflemen. This resentment led to an increased support for the
Bolsheviks, who were advocating an end to the war.In
May 1917 large parts of the Latvian regiments transferred their loyalty to the Bolsheviks. They became known as
Red Latvian Riflemen (
Latvian:
Latviešu sarkanie strēlnieki,
Russian: красные латышские стрелки) and actively participated in the
Russian Civil War. The Riflemen took an active part in the suppression of
anti-Bolshevik uprisings in
Moscow and
Yaroslavl in 1918. They fought against
Denikin,
Yudenich, and
Wrangel. After victory in
Oryol-Kromy operation against Denikin in October 1919 division of Latvian Riflemen received the highest military recognition of that time: the
Honorable Red Flag of VTsIK.
Jukums Vācietis, formerly a colonel in the Latvian Rifles became the first commander-in-chief of the
Red Army. The Latvian Red Riflemen were instrumental in the attempt to establish
Soviet rule in Latvia in 1919. They suffered great losses of personnel due to the decreasing popularity of Bolshevik ideas among the Latvian Riflemen and Latvians generally, and the majority were re-deployed to other fronts of the Russian Civil War. The remaining forces of the Red Army in Latvia were defeated by
Baltic German volunteers under General
von der Goltz and newly formed Latvian units initially under
Colonel Kalpaks and later under Colonel
Jānis Balodis, who were loyal to the Latvian Republic in western Latvia; by the
Estonian Army including the North Latvian Brigade, and finally by a
joint campaign of the Polish and new Latvian army in Latgale, south-eastern Latvia.
