Collecting late date Finnish M-39's W/ SN survey. Post yours here please

[SVT-40]

The purpose of this thread is to try and pin down the Serial number ranges for these Finnish late date production rifles.

Please post your rifle, as well as information you may have seen on the net, especially if the rifles SN is outside the ranges in the chart below.

I've done some studying over the past few years and have come up with a "serial number range chart" showing the lowest and highest SN's of each year. This is by no means a exhaustive study and I have modified over time it when I saw a SN which fell outside of what I had previously seen.

Here it is. Last Updated 5-3-22

Finnish late issue "Date only" rifles

1967 300100 ----- 301076 Approx. 1,000 Rifles

1968 301362 ----- 303467 Approx. 2,100 Rifles

1969 303775 ----- 304166 Approx. 400 Rifles

1970 304341 ----- 306420 Approx. 2,100 Rifles

1971 No information

1972 No information


The below rifles are erratic in their SN's, and as such don't appear to follow any true range.

48 "Dated" rifles ----- 200878 204865 211889 30005

"No maker no date" ----- 45593 52244 55064 57312 203475 247633
258382 500422 507530

Added 8 more "No maker no date" from a Classic Firearms Youtube video. 204050 259449 259232 50010 250906 259598 253041 251753

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJPQU0GCoCA
__________________

Shortly after these rifles hit the American market American collectors and sellers started calling these rifles "sneak" rifles.. Implying some sort of clandestine production that needed to be hidden from the Soviet Union. This was nothing but hype to increase interest and prices.

The reality was much more mundane. Here is the true information related to production and their intended use.


Almost all of "Sneak M-39s" were assembled by ASEVARIKKO 1 in a town Kuopio; nowadays KUOPION ASEVARIKKO. (Finnish word "asevarikko" means "the arms depot of Finnish Army"). The stamp ASEV 1 means just the depot (not a factory) where the rifles are assembled. Receivers, barrels and breech-bolts may all bear the different serial numbers. Parts of the bolt may also be stamped with variable numbers. They were assembled from the huge pile of spare parts, but - PLEASE NOTE! - they were assembled scrupulously: Too big or too small clearance of a headspace was not allowed. Actually, the allowances of bore, chamber and action dimensions were smaller than those of original rifles M-39 made for use of average riflemen, as these "Sneak Rifles" were made for sniping. If the barrel was chopped from an old Mosin-Nagant M-1891 barrel, it's muzzle end was somewhat too thin. The front sight of rifle M-39 was fitted on it with a thin-walled bushing. Barrels, receivers and steel furnitures of these rifles are blackened to look very beautiful.





I picked this 1968 dated Finnish at a auction site recently. Like new, great pristine bore and beautiful post war stock. Matching bolt too.

I also have a 1967, another 1968, a 1969 and a 1970 dated rifles.

I also got a "48" dated rifle a month or so ago.

I need a "no maker no date" M-39 to go with the rest.

[kouye]

I have a '68, #303037

[SVT-40]

My other 68 is 301538. I checked my inventory. I have two 1970 dated rifles.

Anyone with one of these late date M-39's feel free to post some pics in this thread!

[deoxys987]

I have a plum barrel '68 "Late-Date" M/39. Shoots great!

[DaveInOroValley]

Sounds like you'll never finish that collection.

[Mustang]

I'm also in the hunt for the "no maker, late date" M39's. I've got a 1968 and 2 1970's. The 1967 and the 1969 are much harder to come by IMO.

There are supposed to be 1971 and 1972 dated M39's also, but I've never seen them.

[SVT-40]

Great rifles! I changed the title of this thread to hopefully get more responses and information on these rifles.

[SkyHawk]

I have a nice, nearly mint no-make with a 1970 dated barrel, serial 30434x

Here is an old photo, I need to get some updated pics.

[hambam105]

About 200 years ago at a local gun show, I bagged a BTS M39 that no one wanted. BFD, right.

Fast forward to the time when a 440 round spam can topped $100, now everyone wants my M39
because by then group think came to their own assumption that this rifle, by its appearance and
numbers, went to war. What war? Beats me.

[SVT-40]

Originally Posted by SkyHawk

I have a nice, nearly mint no-make with a 1970 dated barrel, serial 30434x

Here is an old photo, I need to get some updated pics.

Are you sure of that date and SN? That would be way outside the range for a 1970 dated rifle that I've seen.

It could be though..

If it is I will update my chart.

[Mustang]

Originally Posted by SVT-40

Great rifles! I changed the title of this thread to hopefully get more responses and information on these rifles.

I've done some studying over the past few years and have come up with a "serial number range chart" showing the lowest and highest SN's of each year. This is by no means a exhaustive study and I have modified over time it when I saw a SN which fell outside of what I had previously seen.

Here it is.

Finnish late issue "Date only" rifles

1967 300608 ----- 300914 Approx. 300 Rifles

1968 301362 ----- 303467 Approx. 2,100 Rifles

1969 303775 ----- 304166 Approx. 400 Rifles

1970 305035 ----- 306420 Approx. 1,400 Rifles

1971 No information

1972 No information


The below rifles are erratic in their SN's, and as such don't appear to follow any true range.

48 "Dated" rifles ----- 200878 204865 211889 30005

"No maker no date" ----- 45593 52244 55064 57312 203475 247633
258382 500422 507530

Good information, SVT. And nice rifles!

[SVT-40]

Originally Posted by DaveInOroValley

Sounds like you'll never finish that collection.

Lol... Thinking a bit harder I have to call it more of an "accumulation" rather than a collection

But you are correct I'll never be done...

Lol.

[SkyHawk]

Originally Posted by SVT-40

Are you sure of that date and SN? That would be way outside the range for a 1970 dated rifle that I've seen.

It could be though..

If it is I will update my chart.

I will check my computer for more pics, and if I don't have any I will find this thing and take new ones.

But yes, that is the info in my spreadsheet, which is kept as accurate as possible.

[Capybara]

My 1968 No Maker. Such a nice rifle! I miss Pat Burns. I got this for $300 back in the big sell off.

[SVT-40]

Originally Posted by Capybara

My 1968 No Maker. Such a nice rifle! I miss Pat Burns. I got this for $300 back in the big sell off.

Nice! what is the SN for my survey?

[Mustang]

Originally Posted by Capybara

My 1968 No Maker. Such a nice rifle! I miss Pat Burns. I got this for $300 back in the big sell off.

Dayum...that is a nice rifle.

I bought one M39 from Pat Burns...my first. It was a new bore, new stock VKT. It is a great shooter.

[Capybara]

Originally Posted by SVT-40

Nice! what is the SN for my survey?

301779

[Capybara]

Originally Posted by Mustang

Dayum...that is a nice rifle.

I bought one M39 from Pat Burns...my first. It was a new bore, new stock VKT. It is a great shooter.

This one's definitely had some rounds through it, but nice wood and a bit of wear around the trigger guard, bolt and muzzle. I wish I would have had the money, I would have bought a few dozen of them from Pat's wife, would have been a decent investment.

[SVT-40]

This thread is now a sticky!

If you have or see a late dated Finnish M39 rifle, please post the serial number so I can track it in my chart.

Thanks mod's for this chance to better study these fine rifles!

[Mustang]

Here's a 1968 at an online auction....302840

[SVT-40]

Originally Posted by Mustang

Here's a 1968 at an on line auction.

I saw that a few weeks ago. The auction is near me. In fact I'm going there tomorrow to preview that rifle as well as a few others.

Thanks!

[Mustang]

Originally Posted by SVT-40

I saw that a few weeks ago. The auction is near me. In fact I'm going there tomorrow to preview that rifle as well as a few others.

Thanks!

Good Hunting!

[SkyHawk]

Here you go, maybe time to make adjustments to the serial number data

[SVT-40]

Originally Posted by SkyHawk

Here you go, maybe time to make adjustments to the serial number data.

Thank you! This is exactly the reason for starting this thread. I updated the SN chart. Your rifle is the lowest SN 1970 dated rifle seen so far. Your information expanded the range for 1970 dated rifles by approx 700 numbers.

[SVT-40]

Added this on I found on the net. A 1967 dated rifle SN 300501. It dropped the known SN's for 67's by 107.



A bit later I found a 1967 dated rifle SN300217. Dropped the know SN's by almost 300!




Also found this pic. a set of sequentially numbered 1967's 301075 and 301076. They also expanded the number of rifles made in 67 by 162.

[Capybara]

The plot thickens! Since these were made "on the sly" because of the then in place political considerations, that definitely makes them
more of a mystery as far as variants, who made them, how many they made each year. It's a good old fashioned detective novel and you are doing
a journeyman's job in sniffing out some clues SVT. Great work!

[bsquared]

My 1968 has a serial # of 303498. Looks like it will bump the known range a bit higher for that year.

[SVT-40]

Originally Posted by bsquared

My 1968 has a serial # of 303498. Looks like it will bump the known range a bit higher for that year.

Great! Can you post a pic?

[Mustang]

Currently listed on GB...1970, 305756

[SVT-40]

Found a post on the net where a poster claimed to have a 1967 dated M-39 with SN 300168 I didn't update the chart, because there was no pic to prove the claim.

[SVT-40]

Even better I found a new low SN for 1967 rifles 300100.

[1bulletBarney]

OK, my rifle is a little outside the serial number range chart SVT-40 has put together but if I am reading the part in the OP correct, 48 (1948?) "Dated" rifles -----200878 204865 211889 30005 then my rifle would indeed be "erratic" with the stamped serial number, hypothetically speaking lol...

Here we go, my photo skills are amateur at best. Please bear with me...

IMG_1055 (1).jpg
VKT 1944 serial # 66618
The mark of the beast???

IMG_1062.jpg
The rifle does shoot as good as it looks...

IMG_1063.jpg
The stock disk is somewhat of a mystery. I was told the disk tells the tale that this rifle was issued as a small arms inventory item to a artillery unit. Sounds good but still not sure...