Where did the Swedes go?

[Lead Waster]

Funny, I haven't seen a thread about the Swedish Mauser 96/38 here in a long while!

Did they dry up?

[Kerplow]

Funny, I haven't seen a thread about the Swedish Mauser 96/38 here in a long while!

Did they dry up?

I've got a nice husqy I'm thinking about selling.

[emcon5]

About 10-12 years ago, sadly.

The good old days of $99 M96s at Big5 are long gone. The only ones still around seem to be the Snipers at Samco for $1200.

[gose]

I'm right here!

[stevie]

Long gone, secondary market best bet.

[Lead Waster]

Actually, I bought one at a gunshow back in '99 I think (1900 M96) at the time, the C&R forums discussed them alot. I just see many Mosin-Nagant threads here, and someone posted a specific thread about "what happens when they dry up". That had me thinking about the m96's and what happened to them all. Ditto the Enfields that used to litter Big5 shelves.

If the MN is really the next to dry up, and I'm sure most of the "good ones" are gone, then I think I might go get one, just in case.

[SVT-40]

Probably the best quality military firearm ever produced. I'm a bit prejudice though. Their target rifles, Cg/63's are one of the most elegant rifles ever made. Absolutely sub minute of angle accurate. What other military or commercial firearm is there where by simply looking at the stock disc you can tell the exact bore diameter and bore condition? They are still out there, it just requires a little hunting to find the cream.

[Kerplow]

That's a very nice collection, SVT. what's the story on that rear target sight? I really like everything about my swede except the horribly low profile rear sight.

[Javi]

The recent Gunslingers auction had 3 for auction and there's still a number up on Gun Broker for $300-400 and some more special ones (I suppose) for more. Might want to give Annies' get your Guns in Corona to see if they still have one in stock. I took their all matching, nicer looking one haha. Man, $99 Swedes...I got into the game way too late!

[McNally M.]

I am so jealous SVT.

I had the oppurtunity to buy a M96 off a guy for $200 over the summer. But I couldn't get down to LA where he was located fast enough. I am now a man filled with regret. I don't even want to talk about it...

[SVT-40]

That's a very nice collection, SVT. what's the story on that rear target sight? I really like everything about my swede except the horribly low profile rear sight.

The Swedes were huge 300 Meter target shooters. They has a civilian target shooters group known as the " Frivilliga Skyerorelsen" or Volunteers Shooters Movement (FSR) which had matches all over the country. Civilians could obtain their own rifles from the government and modify them with diopter sights for the target shooting competitions.

Sometimes rifles were given away as prizes for winning the competitions. I have several "prize rifles" with their prize discs attached to their stocks.

Here are pic's of a few of the discs on these Pris Gevars. (prize rifles)





These three M/96 rifles were made by Husqvarna specifically for the civilian shooting association. They lack the military stock discs and have different rear sights then the standard military M/96 rifles. Pretty rare here in the USA as there were less than 15,000 made

[gose]

Here are pic's of a few of the discs on these Pris Gevars. (prize rifles)

[SVT-40]

Thanks for better explanation!! I kind of condensed it a wee to much.

The rifles with the discs are very special. I have a few with personal discs also.

[gose]

The first three are definitely personal, with the second and third ones also including a city name, which I'm guessing is the city the owner/winner was from? Unfortunately the names are probably too common to track down, though Alunda only has some 2000 people though, so not impossible...

The fourth one however is not personal, Lund is a city in southern Sweden and SKG is an abbreviation for "Skyttegille", which means "shooting club", so I'm guessing it was a club loaner.

ETA: No Bertilssons at all in Alunda, so they either all moved or passed away and the same seems to go for Bengtson in Ljungby

[TheExpertish]

Probably the best quality military firearm ever produced. I'm a bit prejudice though. Their target rifles, Cg/63's are one of the most elegant rifles ever made. Absolutely sub minute of angle accurate. What other military or commercial firearm is there where by simply looking at the stock disc you can tell the exact bore diameter and bore condition? They are still out there, it just requires a little hunting to find the cream.

What the heck is with you and your sweet collection that puts the rest of us to shame? I need a tour of this personal museum of you. Plus, I hope to befriend you as you get along in years so I can be the nice guy that gets included in the will like in the movies.