Svt-40

[Deckard]

I'm looking for a semi-auto rifle, but want to stay away from the AR/AK families. Garands are very tempting, but a great deal north of my price range. Its too bad that I was too young to get at the M1 when the getting was good. Now I'm thinking about a Russian SVT-40. I've seen them for around $700 lately, but I'm not one for buying a gun sight unseen from private sellers so Gunbroker is out of the question. Do they crop up at gun shows frequently? Anyone here had any one on one time with them?

 

[Kind of Blued]

They're pretty few and far between from what I've seen. I know they're around, I just don't see 'em much. I might suggest against it if it will be your only semi-auto rifle. You may have some issues in the reliability department, and if it goes down, parts may be really difficult to find.

Could you meet the requirements to get a Garand through the CMP? If you can, you can get one for under $600.

 

[Deckard]

The Garand sounds great, but unfortunately I'm not a member of a CMP affiliated group.

 

[coosbaycreep]

I seen an SVT-40 at a local gunshop last month for $650 IIRC, but decided to pass on it as I'm steering clear of anything that only has corrosive surplus ammo available for it. I also seen one at a gunshow a few weeks ago, and it seems like it was about $900. The same show had at least half a dozen M1 garands under $800.

I haven't priced non-corrosive 7.62x54r for awhile, but unless you want to hassle with cleaning up after corrosive ammo each time you shoot it, you'd be better off with a different caliber.

There's a lot of organizations you can join to order from CMP. I just recently ordered from them for the first time, and sent them a copy of my passport and proof of membership in DAV.

I was leaning real heavy towards an SVT for awhile because it's a cool looking oddball, but there's a lot of better options out there. I ended up with an egyptian hakim to fill my oddball milsurp void (mine turned out being a lemon unfortunately), so you might check those out instead, as they cost about half what an SVT does, are just as cool looking (or ugly, depending on your tastes), have higher capacity mags available for them, and 8mm is comparable to 7.62x54r, if not more powerful depending on the loading. Of course, you still have the same problem of limited parts if you ever need it, and the only surplus ammo is still corrosive, but from what I've read, they're generally more reliable than an SVT.

If you want the SVT for a SHTF rifle or something, there's so many other more modern rifles that would be better suited for it.

 

[grimjaw]

Look up the Egyptian FN49 in 8mm. Better sights than the SVT, and might be able to be had for ~$700.

jm

 

[Deckard]

I'm not entirely opposed to an AK, but these post-Obama prices are just far to much for a rifle that leaves something to be desired in terms of accuracy and that I personally find awkward to shoot. I've looked at a number of other rifles like the CETME HK91 clones, the Vepr IIs, and used FALs. The prices all seem outside my price range and in the case of the FALs I've been seeing the condition the rifles are in seem to hardly warrant it.

I must confess that part of the allure of the SVT is its aesthetics so I might look into the Hakim. If I don't find one, or decide against it and the SVT I may just go back to trawling the gun shows looking for a deal while waiting to see if prices go back down.

 

[Deckard]

Look up the Egyptian FN49 in 8mm.

Looked it up and liked what I saw.

 

[Kind of Blued]

Norinco M14s can be had for well under $1,000 also, or COULD a short while back. I don't think they should have sky-rocketed like others.

 

[bmwguy]

"The Garand sounds great, but unfortunately I'm not a member of a CMP affiliated group. "


For 25 dollars a year, join this affiliated group:

http://www.thegca.org/

Garands are cheaper to shoot than SVT-40.

You can shoot cheap corrosive ammo in the SVT, but they are a pain to clean afterwards.

CMP is probably the cheapest source to get 30-06 ammo.

Plus you're be preserving part of American History.

 

[Thin Black Line]

The SVT-40s were a buy back when they were $400. I had read that the
Svts did not hold up well to combat usage. Sorry I don't recall the printed
source. The garands have a proven record and longer use in wars around
the globe in all climates. Maybe the garand's stock just held up better for
bludgeoning than the svt's stock did?

A $600 CMP Garand, although not new, is a great shooter. The ammo is
not corrosive. If something actually went wrong with it in your lifetime,
there are people and parts in this country who can fix it.

The Svt will probably be a few years older than any garand you find for
sale. In fact, the Garand will probably have a newer barrel and other
parts that have been replaced within the last 50 years.

FALS and quality HK clones (NOT from Century) are all good rifles but these
are going to run you over a grand.

Vepr has a good rep. It's an AK and will do what AKs do. You can't go wrong
there except on price gouging.

I would buy an svt-40 over any century cetme/91 clone since the 1/2 dozen
examples I saw seemed to have a lot of corners cut and used parts that
were left over from some 3rd-world-UN-weapons-buyback-and-cutting
program.

 

[JWF III]

I sure do wish (as much as I love Georgia), I lived where you guys do. I haven't seen an SVT for less than $1000 around here. Very few to start with, and at $1K they don't last long. I paid (IIRC) $1200 for mine, but it is all original, with no import mark on it. And I believe made in 1943, it's not worth going and looking. Garands in the area start at $1000 and go DOWN, unless there is something extremely rare about it.

Another choice would be the Ljundmann AG-42. Again, around here they go for over $1K, but I've seen others post that they are cheaper in other parts of the country.

Wyman

 

[Cannonball888]

If you have to collect accessories for every rifle as I do, be aware that SVT40 accessories are rare and notoriously expensive. A WWII mag averages $130. A bayo about $200, a mag pouch $150, and a cleaning kit unknown because you'll probably never find one.

 

[Deckard]

Alright, you guys have pretty much convinced me to go for the Garand through CMP. The Hakim is a little too oddball for me and the FN 49 seems to be a real rarity (I'd still probably jump on one were I to come across it).

 

[JHansenAK47]

The SVT-40s were a buy back when they were $400. I had read that the
Svts did not hold up well to combat usage. Sorry I don't recall the printed
source. The garands have a proven record and longer use in wars around
the globe in all climates. Maybe the garand's stock just held up better for
bludgeoning than the svt's stock did?

Germans and Finns seemed to like them. If you are issued a Bolt action rifle and you can capture an SVT40, you'll have just upgraded your firepower from 5rds to 10 rds and be able to fire them semi automatically in a rifle that is accurate. The SVTs just need a lot more TLC but they do offer an advantage.

 

[Deckard]

Germans and Finns seemed to like them. If you are issued a Bolt action rifle and you can capture an SVT40, you'll have just upgraded your firepower from 5rds to 10 rds and be able to fire them semi automatically in a rifle that is accurate. The SVTs just need a lot more TLC but they do offer an advantage.

Yeah, the Red Army wasn't particularly well known for taking care of their weapons. My bet is that some Russian farmer conscripts dragged the SVTs through the mud for days without even a cursory cleaning and then scratched their heads when the rifle jammed. The SVT was a pretty saught after prize. It probably inspired the German's own attempts at a semi-auto battle rifle. I still think its a pretty sweet piece, but not really worth a hunt and the scarcity of parts. I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a G43 either.

 

[slzy]

problems with the consistency,or lack there of wartime ammunition kept people constantly fooling with the gas regulator,which probably got rounded off.

and they seem to have fared better in southern sectors,where maintenance was easier to perform.