(EN, original)

The tradition of firearm miniature reproduction started in the Russia of the Tsars in 1810 and has established more and more, thanks to a handful of very skilled and dedicated armourers, in the Tula and Izhevsk Arsenals during the first few years of 1900.

The most famous example of this school is certainly the set of three Mosin 1891 rifles in 1:4 scale gifted to Tsar Nicholas II in March 1897 and still preserved today at the Hermitage. The preferred firearms miniature of those years were in scale of 1:2, 1:3, 1:4 and 1:5.

The two World Wars killed this high-level practice and art of gun miniaturization, which can be truly compared to the best jewel and watch crafts around the world.

Until the founding of Miniature Arsenal in Moscow, which was established in 2004, after the discovery of a pair of magnificent and pristine Mosin M1891 rifles built in 1899 and perfectly functioning in scale 1:4 (one fourth of the original dimensions) hidden in the underground halls of the Red Army Museum in Moscow.

Part of a set of three, they were the winners of the Gold Medal for Russia at the Paris Universal Expo in 1900 and came from the Michailovskaya Academy of Mechanics in Saint Petersburg were they were built by some of its graduates as a final exam of ability.

Miniature Arsenal has built over the past five years a unique collection of historic and modern firearms of all kinds and size, in various scales, in series ranging from 1 piece to a few tenths, with finishes and engravings matching or even surpassing those of the original size firearms.

All manufacturing processes of the firearms of the collection are totally faithful to the original size firearms, including the choice of metals, wood essence and polymers, with extreme care dedicated to metal surface treatment and colour-scheme match and historical respect.

The Miniature Arsenal Collection comes as a series of perfect scale reproductions, dedicated to the collector, the lover of beautiful things and the gun enthusiast, in search of unique and exclusive pieces.