Skip to main content
Help Center Community Shop

Finnish mosin nagant question

Bob Haller
greetings. I am fairly new to this forum, so I hope I am not upsetting anyone by diving right into it and asking questions about my current desire.

I am interested in getting my hands on a good high powered fun rifle, and i have been interested in the mosin nagant, on and off for awhile.

i have been told and seen a few places suggesting that the finnish made m39 version is the rifle held to a higher standard of production and that has kept up to today. when i see a mosin nagant my eyes wonder and i cant tell a whole lot of difference between them all, aside form (wow that ones wood is a lot darker) which probably does not mean anything anyways.
i know some have hex receivers, some rounded. Some I have seen with bent and some straight bolt levers. some of the nagants barrels seem a little longer. I have even noticed some with different stock sling holes. some that go all the way through, some that have screwed in rings at the bottom, and some with a cut out indention with a metal rod type design.

so with that long explanation of what i have seen, how can i tell the difference between a m39 and say a 91, or a 38. i think have the 44 figured out, they seem to be noticeably shorter.

also, other than gunbroker of course, or waiting for my next local gun show, where would be a good trustworthy source to get one?

i am not looking for anything of historical importance or a wall hanger, i am going to go shoot it, and put a scope and such accessories on it. it would be nice to say that the bolt, receiver, and trigger guard plate are numbers matching, which also did not appear to affect the price much, but i guess with as many as were produced it would not matter.

also i had a concern that if i got one with the straight bolt lever, that it would have issues limiting the scope and scope mounting systems.

information and links to pictures for comparison would be greatly appreciated.

thanks for reading my wall of text, i hope it was not too unbearable.
0

Comments

3 comments

Date Votes
  • PA Shootist
    For a lot of info, including pictures, of all the various models of the rifle Mosin (Mosin-Nagant rifle), check out the web-site www.russian-mosin-nagant.com I am a bit of an aficionado of these rifles, because of the fascinating history of their use. And I currently have two Finn M-39's, as well as a bunch of Russians. The Finnish rifles have a distinctive stock design from the Russians, and both mine are made from Russian receivers, with heavier Finn barrels, and the Finn stock which is heavier and has a semi-pistol grip. The sights are also different. They are in many cases far more accurate than most of the Russian guns too. But all you might want to know can probably be found there. Enjoy!
    0
  • ammo guy
    The M39 has a pistol grip stock for one thing. They have much better sights that the Russian models and it will be marked M39. There were 3-4 mfg of the gun and there will be markings on the top of the barrel just in front of the receiver showing who made the gun. All of them have the Hex receiver and the standard short straight bolt. These and the Model 28 of the Finnish Mosin's have the reputation for accuracy. As to finding one here(GB) or gun shows should be good places to look.
    0
  • gary wray
    Bob Haller...welcome to the GB Forum! You have asked some good questions about a famous battle rifle from WWII. Of the Mosins, the Finn M39 is considered the "best," so you have good taste! I suggest you do some research on the rifle and the website recommended to you by PA Shootist is a good one. As to a little history, the Finn's had been armed with the Mosin for many years and had opportunities to upgrade the rifle over time. Several Finnish factories (Sako, Tikkakoski, and VKT among others) worked on the weapon and the outgrowth was the famous M39, a much more accurate and hardy weapon than the Russian Mosin. Many thousands were captured from the Russians in the Winter War and were also upgraded and issued to Finnish troops to use against the invaders. Most of the captured weapons kept their Russian receivers and markings but were given much better barrels and stocks, and the Finn's were noted for their accuracy and hardiness. Perhaps the most prized are the Sako barreled M39's, but all are very good and fun to shoot. There are still stocks of them in the US and they are very available as is their powerful round. Many of the one's available today have VKT (Homeguard) markings as they were issued to Finnish troops for many years after WWII. Hope this helps! Good shooting.
    0

Please sign in to leave a comment.

Recent Activity