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View Full Version : Two frozen Finns on my door this evening!


REDSTAR
11-28-2001, 08:07 PM
Ahhh. I love coming home and seeing my buddy Santa UPS Claus has visited. Did you know cosmoline freezes?

I got two M39's I ordered from Wholesale Guns and Ammo last week.

First an explaination. I already have two excellent/mint M39's. They're beauties for sure. I hardly ever fire them though, actually one of them I never fired.

So...I decided to order two of the good condition ones with intact stock for $65.99 each (they also have good with cracked stock for $59.99). I got two Sako's. Here's the lowdown on them:

1) zero blue
2) zero rust
3) chamber and bore are as nice as my mints.
4) stocks nice and grainy, I'd rate the stocks as good plus to very good. There's a few dings but only one substantial ding on each rifle.
5)A bit of a splitting on the buttstocks where they have that seperate piece joined. I've seen that on many M39's though. It's a piece of the stock that goes on the underside from rear to right before the pistol grip. It's a piece shaped sort of like a door stop. I think this is a sort of rework or they did it that way because of the cold arctic winters, which is why all Finns have the dovetails as well. In any event I see this on about half of the M39's I've ever seen. One of my mint ones is like this too.

All matching numbers of course. One is a 1941 the other is a 1944.

I'm very pleased. I'm sure these are going to get some regular use. I like to have collection pieces but I really like to have ones that go to the range alot. These are going to make great shooters.

My assesment, if you want a Mosin in the $65 range that you plan on using alot, get one. If you only plan on having one or two M39's, get a mint one.

zouavexx
11-28-2001, 09:40 PM
Originally posted by REDSTAR
My assesment, if you want a Mosin in the $65 range that you plan on using alot, get one. If you only plan on having one or two M39's, get a mint one.

So that means us "regular duty" collectors should save for the better model. (unlike the big boys like Neilwest :) )

Redstar, the guns really had no bluing left?

BTW Thank you for the nice birthday wishes, you really made my day!

Zouave

1 Patriot-of-many
11-28-2001, 10:04 PM
Great thanks for the report....Question is,how would YOU redo the metal?
Thanks

REDSTAR
11-28-2001, 10:40 PM
Yeah, they're pretty much no blue, they're silver grey. Doesn't bother me though really; the wood makes up for it. I have M91/30's that are 90% blue and the wood looks like shit and they look alot worse than these M39's do.

If you just think of these in terms of their possible use in the Winter War and the Continuation War the Finns had with the Soviets you'd probably not want to refinish them.

Actually, these good condition ones are a fine example of a M39, I don't think it's necessary to save for a mint one unless that's what you want. To me shooting the weapons is half the fun of collecting. These have very nice shiny crisp bores, that's the main thing to me for these ones. I got several of these because they are fine rifles and a real bargain for the quality.

If I were to get one redone, I'd have it blued by a gunsmith. I wouldn't want a park job done on one of these.

I'm glad you had a good day Zouave, you deserve it!

neilwest
11-29-2001, 07:52 AM
1. Lets see if you just got two, that means you have already done your shopping for me and Zuoave, right?;)

REDSTAR
11-29-2001, 09:56 AM
1) Bah!
2) Humbug!

neilwest
11-29-2001, 01:31 PM
1. Just love having something I dont, dont you