Finnish M39; VKT or Sako (for a shooter)

[BluesDancer]

Hi THR,
Classic Firearms is in the process of receiving and posting M39 Finnish rifles for sale (both VKT and Sako) and I was hoping you could assist. I would love to get a Finn M39, but my main priority is not to have this rifle as a collectors item - it is to have a reliable shooter. For me - I like shooters, not safe queens.

It does not have to look pretty...it just has to be reliable, shoot the normal comm-bloc mil-surp 7.62x54 ammo reliably, and shoot it halfway decently. Wood that is decently strong without a large potential for cracking is a plus as well. I want a Finn M39 that I can pass on to my kids and grandkids for shooting, not a collectors item.

When looking from this perspective, is there a better manufacturer to go with or would either VKT and Sako be about equal in this way?

Thanks,
Blues

 

[Jackal]

Sako are slightly more desirable, much like how Tula is with Russian rifles. However, having owned both Sako and VKT rifles, I can honestly say that I noticed no difference between the two, either functionally or cosmetically. The Finn's had pretty high standards for all makes.

 

[bainter1212]

I have one of each. There is no difference functionally.

Just picked up that second one yesterday. It is a hand select VKT from Classic. The $20 extra for hand select was worth every penny, as the rifle looks like brand new.
Spend the extra money for a hand select and ask specifically for a perfect bore and no cracks in the stock. You will get a shooter, I promise.

 

[dh1633pm]

I have a VKT. Its a shooter. Bought it in 1987 from Century Arms for $29.00. What a deal.

 

[farmerboy78]

All the finns I have are shooters, I have 4 sako's and 1 tikka... but I prefer the sako... each of them are submoa rifles scoped using handloads...