new M-39!

[PirateJoe]

I just got my antique pre 1898 tula reciever m39 from WGA. my first imression of it is that this thing is a beast! a lot more hefty than russian mosin nagants i've handled. another thing i noticed is that there are markings everywhere. here are some of the ones i found right off the bat, not including the standard SA stampings, or Sako gear.

stock maker cartouche, right side of buttstock:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c104/piratejoe69/m-39/DSCN0310.jpg

sako proof mark:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c104/piratejoe69/m-39/DSCN0295.jpg

unknown mark:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c104/piratejoe69/m-39/DSCN0296.jpg

same unknown mark, other side of reciever:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c104/piratejoe69/m-39/DSCN0298.jpg

tula star, fore end of magazine:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c104/piratejoe69/m-39/DSCN0307.jpg

back side of rear sight. seems you can flip over the sight and be able to shoot out to 2000 meters! yeah right.
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c104/piratejoe69/m-39/DSCN0306.jpg

the bolt seems like it was assembled in a "parts bin" fashion.

westinghouse marking, top of bolt handle:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c104/piratejoe69/m-39/DSCN0300.jpg

unknown marking, bottom of bolt handle:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c104/piratejoe69/m-39/DSCN0303.jpg

sestroryetsk arrow, main bolt body:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c104/piratejoe69/m-39/DSCN0301.jpg

sestroryetsk arrow and "0", top of bolt:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c104/piratejoe69/m-39/DSCN0299.jpg

unknown marking, "B", side of cocking lever:
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c104/piratejoe69/m-39/DSCN0302.jpg

unknown "3", and cryllic "π" (black powder proof?)
http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c104/piratejoe69/m-39/DSCN0305.jpg

 

[Cosmoline]

I love that pine tar finish. If you open it up, see if it has shims to lift the receiver.

The Finns used parts from all sorts of Mosins. Folks on the collector's forums have some that made the global circuit from the US to Russia to Japan to Austria to Finland and back to the US. They were captured and re-captured in many wars. The great thing about them is how easily the central bolt and magazine parts can be swapped. But the Finns aren't considered "parts guns" because they were assembled and rebarreled as though a new rifle was being made.

I find the M-39's a bit barrel heavy and less well balanced than the 91/30's, but others prefer them.

 

[selector67]

It would be nice to see a picture of the whole rifle.

 

[PirateJoe]

It would be nice to see a picture of the whole rifle

haha, yeah. its a bit cloudy out right now, so i can't get great pictures. if the sun come out later today i might take 'er out back and snap a few.

 

[Mr White]

Do you know about this site? 7.62x54r.net

 

[PirateJoe]

Do you know about this site? 7.62x54r.net

yeah, thats where I ID'd most of the markings, but some of them, like the B on the cocking lever and the (IV) on the barrel shank aren't listed on that site.

 

[jagdpanzer347]

How was WGA to deal with?

-jagdpanzer

 

[PirateJoe]

How was WGA to deal with?

-jagdpanzer

everything went off without a hitch. firearms shipped to your door ( i don't have a C&R) and pictures of each individual rifle. whats not to like?

 

[jagdpanzer347]

Thanks for the quick reply, PirateJoe. I don't have a C&R either and was thinking of picking up another M39. Enjoy your new rifle.

-jagdpanzer

 

[cwdotson]

wga

what's "wga"?

 

[Mr White]

Wholesale Guns and Ammo wga

They used to sell a lot more Finn MN's but they got into some kind of trouble with BATF and lost their FFL. Now they only sell M39's with receivers made pre 1898, technically antique guns but they still have a lot of nice guns.

Very good company to deal with. I bought my M39, some MN parts and some Garand parts from them.