A SVT40 Followed me home......

[toro1]

I've been keeping an eye open for a SVT40 for a few years, and a couple of days ago I stumbled across one with an original non matching mag, sling, and bayonet. After a brief negotiation, it now resides in my safe. It is a 1941 Tula and based on the S/N it looks like it was made in Oct of 1941, and is an arsenal refurbished.

I am not very well versed in the markings on these so if someone can help decipher them that would be great.

On to the pics-

[toro1]

A couple more pics-





A couple of questions-

Which marks give info about the re-arsenal location?
The Serial number starts with a T, then there is a alpha character (a G maybe) and then 4 numbers. What does the second alpha signify?

TIA for any help

[alks207]

Nice score! Bayonets arent easy to come by and arent cheap either. Classic return mark would be a square with a line though it, but there are other stamps/signs of a tefurb. The plum color of the charging handle is a classic character of a refurb. Would need photo of actual serial number to answer your second question.

[TKM]

Nice. We had a guy moaning about his POS SVT40 for months.

The day he put it up for sale all of that was briefly forgotten.

I'm sure you didn't buy it from anybody with a similar name......

[toro1]

Nice score! Bayonets arent easy to come by and arent cheap either. Classic return mark would be a square with a line though it, but there are other stamps/signs of a refurb. The plum color of the charging handle is a classic character of a refurb. Would need photo of actual serial number to answer your second question.

Thanks alks207 and some pics of the characters in question are below. It does have a plumb colored bolt and has the complete S/N EPed on the bolt and bolt carrier.

In doing a little more research I think the second alpha character is Be and is just part of the serial number. From what I have found the T represents Oct of 41 and the rest is the actual SN, but I am guessing as I have not found anything definitive.

TKM, not sure what you alluding to but it sounds like someone complained about the accuracy of their SVT40 and then when selling it said it was a tack driver. I missed all of that but bought from someone in Az so don't think this is the same rifle/person. Feel free to PM me and fill me in.

[Starslinger]

Cool rifle! Like a jumbo SKS.

[alks207]

Yep. The prefix says "TB". Looks like a nice refurb

[EBR Works]

Toro1's purchase came from my personal collection. It was purchased from another CalGunner back in 2008. It has been a safe queen for 13 years, so glad to see it go to a new home!
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[toro1]

I want to thank EBR for cutting it lose to me. It took a little coercion and I told him he has visitation rights (which include shooting it) and I think that sealed the deal.

[footdoc]

SVT40s aren't cheap, and nice ones like the one you have aren't that common. Thanks for sharing.

I used to shoot my Finn SVT years ago when ammo (it liked the Czech silver tip) was plentiful. I also swapped out the piston cup, rod, and weak spring coil. Mine wasn't super accurate but much more fun to shoot than the Mosin nagant.

Been looking for a bayonet to go with it, but no luck so far.

[SVT-40]

That's a nice rifle.

A good link below to decipher some of the markings.

https://www.m9130.info/

It is either a 1941 Tula or Mednogorsk rifle made in October of 1941 with a few Izhevsk parts thrown in.

Soviet refurb type.

I wouldn't worry about covering the rifles original serial number, as it's not the "legal" SN. Look at the right rear side of the receiver I would guess the importer applied SN as well as Importer information is there.

I would guess it's a "CDI" (Classic Distributing Inc) import out of Swan Vt.
As in the pic below. The importer info and SN is really small, and often lightly engraved.

The importer info and SN can just be seen on the rear of the receiver in the below pic.

[Garand Hunter]

Great Score Bro ! Usta have one and sent it on down the road because the recoil springs would mess with the bolt upon recoiling and hang up sometimes and I just moved it along with the truth about the issues and got $600 for it from a buyer at the Surplus Rifle Forum years ago.
enjoy your new score !

Psalm 1

[louie]

I've got two. A Tula and and Izveshk, both from 1940. I bought one from Turner's in W.Covina, the old one on Francisquito in the mid nineties. The other one I bought from a guy at the Del Mar show . He let me have it for 200. since his new wife wanted no guns in the house. Had a third, a Finn, all matching but the trigger guard. That one was nothing but headaches so sold it for 1200 at gun show ten years ago more or less. My two are very good shooters, and always draw a look at the range when I take them. Like them more than my PSL.

[xrMike]

He let me have it for 200. since his new wife wanted no guns in the house.

Good score for you, congrats, but that guy should have told the woman to take a hike and kept his guns instead.

[highpower]

SVT40s aren't cheap, and nice ones like the one you have aren't that common. Thanks for sharing.

I used to shoot my Finn SVT years ago when ammo (it liked the Czech silver tip) was plentiful. I also swapped out the piston cup, rod, and weak spring coil. Mine wasn't super accurate but much more fun to shoot than the Mosin nagant.

Been looking for a bayonet to go with it, but no luck so far.

Bayonets for a SVT40 are more rare than the rifles. It took me almost three years to get one for mine and by the time I finally found one, I pretty much didn't care what it cost.

There were a bunch imported into Canada, most of which were refurbished, but they are no longer available except occasionally they come up for sale on the secondary market. I wanted an original condition bayonet but after a while I would have taken pretty much anything that wasn't a dug up relic. I finally found one for sale in Russia without a scabbard and bought it. It took me another year to find the proper scabbard, again from Russia. I believe that I have about $350+ in the complete bayonet with shipping