An Extremely Rare Finnish Military WWII era "Puolustuslaitos" Rework M1891 7.62x54r Mosin-Nagant Defense Department Issue Rifle 1 of Approximately 500 ever made in good to very good condition with a bright and defined bore. The action appears to function properly with minor wear to the original finish. A 1940-dated VKT Arsenal marked with "Puolustuslaitos" Defense Department issue title one of only a few hundred ever produced. The "Puolustuslaitos" marking on Finnish Mosin-Nagants (including M91 variants) is considered one of the rarest among collectors. Puolustuslaitos translates to "Defense Department" (or similar phrasing like "Department of Defense") in English. It served as a temporary Finnish property/ownership stamp applied to rifles during a very brief window apparently just January and February 1942 (or roughly a two-month period at the start of 1942). This was right around the time Finland was transitioning markings during the Continuation War period. It was quickly replaced by the much more common boxed SA mark (standing for Suomen Armeija, or Finnish Army), likely starting in March 1942 for practical reasons. Because of this extremely limited production/application timeframe, rifles bearing the Puolustuslaitos stamp saw only short-term use before the new marking took over. This particular rifle was used by the Finnish Civil Guard verified by Finnish weapon archives.