Picked up an M39...

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Daniel T

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...and it's sweeeet. The metal and wood are pristine. Serial no. is 37xxx with all matching parts. It has the "B" barrel, complete with the classic plum bluing. The receiver tang is stamped 1907. The stock is dovetailed just past the receiver, and looks great. Gorgeous rifle, and I'm proud of it.

It's flawless.

Well, maybe not "flawless".

It has one flaw. While detail stripping it to clean and lube, I noticed the import markings up near the front sights. It's marked "CAI.GEORGIA.VT" on one side of the barrel. Ok, that's fine, if slightly irritating.

What's not fine is that the opposite side of the barrel is stamped "98/22 8mm CZECHO".

:mad:

What in the hell?

This is certainly NOT a Czech Mauser. I guess those idiots at Century can't tell the difference. Maybe they stamp everything as a 98/22 because they wore out their Mosin-Nagant stamps? I hope this doesn't diminish the value of my rifle.
 
Century is known for A) their stupidity and B) their awful (and often incorrect) import markings.

They pretty much get business by default.

They told me they were out of the .303 ammo I wanted around a week ago, then I find out they do have it and some others ordered it just after me. :rolleyes:
 
Bill Hook I guess I better confess now. I just order 1020 rounds of .303 Brit from Century (the PMP stuff) since a No. 4 MkII came my way. Not trying to rub it in, just letting a fellow forum member know.

Demise Just keep shooting that M39 and you'll forget all about that 98/22 Czecho stuff. Great rifle and that plum barrel's pretty, ain't it? Since the receiver's marked 1907, it's a Russian receiver, no?
 
Beetle:

Be warned: that PMP ammo is pretty "hot" -- I had case expansion (difficulty in ejecting) in both my SMLE and my Mk 4. I swapped it with my local FFL for UMC stuff, and no problems since.
 
Beetle,

Exactly. I wanted to get some and was informed they were out, about 3 days after placing my order. I then hear, less than a week later, that they have it again.

Kim,

Didn't know that about PMP, but many Enfield afficionados seem to think it is okay stuff. It certainly is reasonably priced. Where do you get UMC in bulk?
 
Bill,

I didn't have a great deal of the PMP -- I only bought 100 to test it, so I just did a straight swap with my FFL for the UMC.

I wish UMC did do bulk deals...
 
Route66: sorry, I don't have a digital camera, or I definitely would post pics. It's a beauty.

Beetle: Yes, it's a Russian receiver. There is a mark under the 1907 stamp that looks...well, it kind of looks like a pair of glasses. There are two small circles next to each other with lines coming off the opposite edges. There is something right under the circles, but I can't make out what it is. I checked out a few sites online that have pictures of various MN stampings, but I couldn't find anything that looked similar.

Cosmo: Were any of the Finn Mosins rechambered in 8mm Mauser? Wasn't it just a few rifles that the Germans converted?
 
Yeah, no M-39's to my knowledge were switched to 8x57JS. OTOH, the Finns did a lot of weird things with their Mosins. I recall one gunsmith there creating the 8x54R because he had all these 8mm slugs around. You just never know with an old Finnish Mosin. Each one is unique.
 
Thanks DMK for posting the pics. I'm new to M39s but I have to ask a novice question. I noticed that one of the rifles has the sling swivel attachment embedded in the side of the stock near the butt. Is that a Finn conversion? I thought they had the hanging swivels.
 
Thanks DMK for posting the pics. I'm new to M39s but I have to ask a novice question. I noticed that one of the rifles has the sling swivel attachment embedded in the side of the stock near the butt. Is that a Finn conversion? I thought they had the hanging swivels
Click to expand...

If I understand the question correctly you are asking whether the sling hangs on the side or underneath. Well, as you may know, the M39 stock is a completely Finnish stock and you can either attach the sling to the bottom or along the left side. I guess they decided to give their soldiers an option.
 
as for those horribly ugly C.A.I. import marks? on my 91/30 and M44, I simply rubbed a black china marker(grease pencil) over them, and wiped off the excess. doesn't remove the marks or serial, simply makes it less noticable, ergo, it doesn't bother me anymore. you can still read them, if need be, but you just need to hold them under the right light.

same trick I and others use to highlight the rollmarks that *should* be on the rifle, but black instead of white.
 
I have the sling on mine ran from the side on the front to the bottom on the rear.
It allows the gun to lay flat against your back, so it works out pretty well.
Yes, I did carry that heavy old rifle around out in the woods for about ten miles before making the decision to leave it like that.
Other than that, I can only say congratulations.
I have two.
One is a VG VKT and the other is an unissued B barrel. I like them both, but I shoot the VKT alot more. The unissued one is just too nice, and I am going to keep it pretty forever.;)
With the VKT, I can knock off steel pigs every time at 300M.
I like it.:D
 
STOP IT. You guys are making me miss my beat up old M1944 carbine that I gave away.

Something about surplus rifles that doesn't cease to be appealing.

Seriously, though, if I were going hunting in rough country, I'd rather do it with a $200 Yugo Mauser or M39 than an $800 sporter rifle with an equally expensive optic. The Mauser is probably better made and won't break the bank if you, you know, drop it, or bang the stock against a tree or rock.
 
STOP IT. You guys are making me miss my beat up old M1944 carbine that I gave away.
Click to expand...

The market is flooded with M44s and M38s right now. You want them laminated stock, arsenal rebuilt, wrapped in paper, you name it! If I wasn't saving my pennies for the coveted MN 91/30 PU, I'd get a M38 with the correct stock and a spare M39 right now ;) .
 
Goon
With the VKT, I can knock off steel pigs every time at 300M.
Click to expand...

Heehee, so far with my "B" barrel, I own the steel square @ 200 yards, but it's literally hit or miss on the steel ram @ 300 yards, but I'm working on it ;) .

Kim du Toit Sorry to take so long to respond to your post, but I was trying to get more info before replying. Is that case expansion dangerous in a properly functioning rifle? I got the PMP on a recommendation and also after firing a grand total of five rounds with it (all into just over an inch at 50 yards with a No. 1 Mk III so I figured it was decent ammo accuracy-wise). The owner of said SMLE mentioned something about case expansion but I had no trouble extracting the spent cases.
 
Beretta, thanks for the advice. However, the import marks on this M39 aren't electo-penciled, they are stamped, so you can't see them until you get up real close anyhow. I do think I'll try that on my M44 though. :)

...

DMK:
You don't even know what you're missing. Comparing the M-44 to the M-39 is like comparing a Chevy Malibu to a Cadillac Eldorado.
Click to expand...

You got that right. After playing with my M39 for a few days, I pulled out my Hungarian made M44. Absolutely no comparison. The fit and action of the M39 is miles above the M44's. The M44 is still a majorly fun rifle though. BOOOOOM! :D
 
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