Finnish M39 by SAKO for 1942…..(F 880) Sold

Good War-Time example of the M39 by Sako

These rifles are an interesting variant of the Russian 1891 basic infantry rifle.   Mostly “liberated” in the early Winter War of 1941 when the Russians started an invasion of Finland from the east.  However the Russian military was badly trained and organised and had not counted on the tenacity and sheer grit that the Finish forces demonstrated in defending their homeland.  The large majority of the Fins defending their country were hunters and excellent marksmen.  Many of them hunted as a matter of survival and were highly knowledgeable in the ways of survival, camouflage and local geography.  They were well motivated and fiercely brave.  The soviets on the other hand were not well motivated, the army had suffered the purges of the officer class by Stalin and were in a general state of organisational disarray.

This M39 is chambered in 7.62R x 53.  Characteristically, it has the early hexagonal Nagant receiver and a 5-shot magazine.  Overall the rifle measures 47″ in length having been restocked and re-barrelled by the Fins during the overhaul.  The shorter heavy barrel measures 27″ and the trigger pull is 13.1/2″ to the centre.  Fitted with a superb finger-jointed Artic Birch stock.  This particular stock shows excellent factory repairs and knot plugs.  It also has one of the earlier to-piece butt-stocks.  On the RHS of the same are two clear SAKO cartouches, one of them the definitive Sako cogwheel.  The Finns had designed and built a stock that could resist the natural rigours artic warfare.  The finger jointed stock countered the warp and twist effect which plagued the standard captured stocks – thus effectively preserving accuracy.

Many of these rifle were captured weapons which were fed back to the Finish arsenals, modified and rebuilt and then turned on the invaders with devastating effect.  One of the conflicts most effective snipers who accounted for in excess of 219 soviet  soldiers and became known as the “White Death” used a Finish Nagant.  He preferred open sighted rifles and actually used an early M28-30 rifle.  However, these rifles in general have an excellent reputation for accuracy after their modifications.

Other alterations included shortening the bolt handle, changing the sights and altering the stock fittings.  The octagonal receiver is marked with the serial number; “218846” and the bolt knob matching caries the number; “8846.” The breech section of the barrel is marked as follows; “S” within the Sako cogwheel /218846/1942″  The boxed “SA” Finish military ownership mark is down at the woodwork level on the LHS adjacent to the proofing pressure, which reads  “36(S)00.  The top flat of the receiver has the old Imperial Russian ownership mark which typically is burred out. The American importer has repeated the serial number on the top flat of the octagonal breech.

The rifle is equipped with excellent sliding tangent sights which double as a ladder configurated long distance rear sight.  They are marked 1.5 to 10 on the top face and then when upright the rear is marked 12 to 20.  Condition is very good.  The stock looks virtually unused with very little surface damage apart from the repairs mentioned above. Even with those this rifle will serve for a long time to come, as one suspects the repairs may even be stronger than the original item!  During overhaul they was stripped and re-oiled.  Short finger groves on both sides and a semi-pistol grip bulge behind the trigger guard.  The finger-joints in this stock are particularly prominent because of the colour contrasts in this stock.  This stock set up also offers the user several different sling mounting options including a side mounting bar in the butt-stock, making it a very versatile weapon.  Bayonet mounting lug on underside of nose-cap.  Cleaning rod stored under barrel.  The rifle also benefits from an adjustable front sight post within guard ears.  Adjustment screws act through the guard from either side.

Stock No F 880

£ 1275.  (Sold)

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