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Thread: SVT40 Mystery rifle

  1. #1
    Senior Member stubbicatt's Avatar

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    SVT40 Mystery rifle

    Guys. Don't come here all that often anymore.

    Finally after 20+ years, I bought an SVT 40. I have read as much as I could find about them here on the net over the years. Heck, when I first remember seeing them, the internet was still in its infancy, and I had a "bottomless" 40 megabyte hard drive, and 14.4k modem, which was lightning fast in those days, maybe 1994 or so. In the early to mid 90's, the Russians imported a batch of these, refurbished. I didn't buy one at the time due to rumours of them blowing up easily.

    Once these were gone, the prices started to steadily rise. Now, years later, in the mid 2010's, they have become rather scarce, and in a hodgepodge of conditions.

    In January or February, I found one at a gunshow that I just couldn't pass up. The seller offered me a money back guarantee, and I was happy to have one finally. --At the time I was not impressed with the bore condition, but this beauty has cleaned up very nicely. After cleaning, it has a blindingly bright bore, and a pretty corroded gas system. --This latter was remedied with a two piece tappet and cup made of stainless steel.

    It is a non "SA" rifle, non import marked, non refurb'ed, with a Tula 1941 receiver, and a stamped matching Izhevsk bolt, Izzy FCG and rear sight. I haven't removed the action from the stock just yet, as it is in there nice and snug. The finish is uniform overall, and a little thin in places.

    The rifle is a neat piece, easy to shoot, and a rather sophisticated and elegant design, and bearing many advanced design features considering its contemporaries.







    Funny how initial excitement slowly cedes to a probing curiosity. When I bought it I noticed the matching stamped bolt and receiver numbers, but it was only after taking the rifle apart a few times that I noticed that the bolt is Izhevsk, and the receiver Tula, yet both bear the same stamped serial numbers. (WTF???) Too, the rear sight is Izzy, as is the trigger assembly, which does not match the number on the receiver and bolt.


    Bolt serial number.


    Receiver serial number.


    Tula receiver top to the right, Izzy rear sight to the left.

    I have no idea how this happened, your guess is as good as mine. To me, the receiver serial number looks like it was restamped. In late 1941 Tula was under siege. I wonder whether this receiver may have been sent east to Izzy, where an entire front end was put on this rifle? It bears no refurb stamps on it anywhere, and no electropencil numbers either. The numbering could have been done later after initial manufacture, but I wonder why would they go to the trouble to scrub and re-stamp the receiver serial number to match the bolt, rather than electropencil the bolt serial number to match the receiver? -- I have no answers.

  2. #2
    Senior Member Diesel's Avatar

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    Interarmco brought some in during the early 60's but they were cheap and little interest shown, I had several in our store in Glendale, CA, but can't remember the exact price. Good luck with it...the Germans issued captured models to the Russian troops who deserted to fight against Stalin...probably a good choice and probably just captured stock anyway.

    Diesel 88888888


  3. #3
    Yup, another one of those "I wished I'd bought one when" rifles.

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