new member with SA m38 and ?'s

Istaqa · Post by **Istaqa** » Sat Nov 28, 2015 2:17 pm

Good afternoon folks, a new member here with a few old rifles and lots of interest. I'll get right into the rifles, but look forward to talking with you all and looking through the site some more. I admit I am a little excited, I returned home from a local gunshow today with a nice looking 1941 m38 with an SA and "D" mark, for a great price. I picked up my first 91/30 at Cabela's a couple years ago, followed by another shortly after. I then wanted to add a carbine to my small collection, and have passed on a few nice laminate stock m44s, but the weight and feel of this m38 I liked more. I forget what marks to look for when I go gunshowing or pawn shopping, and usually brush up the night before. This time I didn't, and think I just got lucky. Please comment and ask questions, I am barely a novice at milsurp firearm collecting and want to learn as much as I can about these three rifles.

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The center rifle was my first, a 1942 Izhevsk, followed by the dark coloved tula. Both have matching numbers and bayonets. The m38 I bought this morning.

racerguy00 · Post by **racerguy00** » Sat Nov 28, 2015 2:57 pm

Welcome! Most of the photos come up the same for me. But the carbine looks like a two piece finn stock. Thats a first in a Finn.capture m38 for me.

Post by **Junk Yard Dog** » Sat Nov 28, 2015 5:42 pm

Welcome to the board, that Finn marked M38 is a rare item. They were imported around 20 years ago and not many came in. My own Finn marked M38 is also a 1941 similar to this one. It's also an expensive item, $500-$600 I would think, this is much harder to find than a late date M39, or M24 Lotta rifle. The 1941 M38 itself is harder to find than the massively produced 1942-44 years. Over the years I have seen maybe five other Finn marked M38 carbines, all but my own I saw on the internet, I have not encountered another one in person.

ffeng31 · Post by **ffeng31** » Sat Nov 28, 2015 6:23 pm

I too don't recall ever seeing an SA M38 with a 2 piece stock.. Regular Finn M38's are uncommon as it is , but yours is one rare bird..

Congrats !! More and better pics are a must ..

zeebill · Post by **zeebill** » Sat Nov 28, 2015 8:28 pm

ffeng31 wrote:I too don't recall ever seeing an SA M38 with a 2 piece stock.. Regular Finn M38's are uncommon as it is , but yours is one rare bird.. Congrats !! More and better pics are a must ..

They also never had bayonets let alone matching among a few other things you mention? More and better pictures would be nice. Bill

Istaqa · Post by **Istaqa** » Sat Nov 28, 2015 8:49 pm

I apologize for the confusion and my crappy photo and internet skills. Its been a long time since I used a forum, and I never uploaded images. Shoulda practiced first. I will get some better photos tomorow, I want to learn more about It and you guys seem to know your stuff.
Anyhow the matching bayonets and numbers are with the 91/30s, I'm aware the m38 didn't have one.
I don't think this stock is what you guys are calling "two piece." The upper handguard is seperate but otherwise it is one piece like my 91/30s
Don't worry it's not laying on a vinyl floor like the photo appears, it's a quilted sheet.
The rifle has a screw-on escutcheon in front, and just a bare slot at the butt.
The numbers all match on the m38 except the bolt, which has no numbers. It seems all small pieces are Izhevsk.
Thanks for the welcome and information. Anything you guys got for me would be great and I will get better photos up tomorrow

martin08 · Post by **martin08** » Sat Nov 28, 2015 9:29 pm

Welcome aboard. Congratulations on your carbine and its war-captured history.

You have the beginning of a nice collection.

shoto2758 · Post by **shoto2758** » Sun Nov 29, 2015 3:52 am

I too look forward to more pictures of the M38.

djbuck1 · Post by **djbuck1** » Sun Nov 29, 2015 4:02 am

Welcome! In addition to time, luck, endurance, knowledge, disposable income and an FFL3, one needs to upload lots of pics. 'Looking forward to yours!

Istaqa · Post by **Istaqa** » Sun Nov 29, 2015 1:18 pm

Here are some slightly better photos of the m38, I'm working with limited technology here. I have more but just uploading a few for now, are these photos visible for you all? On my smartphone

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martin08 · Post by **martin08** » Sun Nov 29, 2015 3:21 pm

We can see a bit more with those pics, for sure. Is the bolt numbered at all? Nice snag.

Istaqa · Post by **Istaqa** » Sun Nov 29, 2015 5:00 pm

The bolt serial number appears to have been scrubbed. I can barely see an engraved "7" near the bolt handle on the flat surface that usually has a serial number. I didn't see it at first and the camera cannot. Its engraved not stamped. A stamped "7" is under the handle, on the flat surface that faces down. Two tiny holes are drilled into the bolt body on the left side, just above the notch that the connecting bar fits into

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Stamped "7"

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These are the tiny holes in the bolt body.

zeebill · Post by **zeebill** » Sun Nov 29, 2015 6:19 pm

Ahhh Now things are beginning to make sense! Wonder about the two little holes, never have seen that before? Finn guns with scrubbed bolts and no numbers on the bolt anywhere come around often for me so that rings no bells. I hope you realize you have found what I have been looking for for a good many years and cherish it for me at least!

Congrats are in order and remember better lucky than good is always a preference! Bill

Istaqa · Post by **Istaqa** » Sun Nov 29, 2015 7:15 pm

Yes after reading lots of older posts on Finn capture m38's I see how sought after these are. I am amazed it didn't go quicker at the show. It was at the first table as I entered the venue, and it had a price tag you would expect on a run of the mill 91/30...five years ago.
I've got lots more reading to do. I bought my first two mosins for shooters but discovered that the research on them was half the fun.
Thanks for the response everybody I'll be sure to take good care or her

Post by **Longcolt44** » Sun Nov 29, 2015 7:22 pm

You did very, very well for a newer collector. What the hell am I saying? You did better than most of the other collectors on this or any other boards. I'll' trade you a nice red 1942 M38 laminate one for it.

Post by **Junk Yard Dog** » Mon Nov 30, 2015 6:24 am

Don't worry, I got mine the same way, both the seller and myself displaying a dazzling amount of ignorance, this was the "extra rifle" in a deal for multiple weapons at a time when there was no internet to fill in the blanks.

qz2026 · Post by **qz2026** » Tue Dec 01, 2015 8:02 am

Very cool

You just don't see to many of these around and like JYD says, when they are encountered they go for big bucks - I know

I am surprised it wasn't snatched up quickly at the gun show. When I go to gun shows I am among the first in the door and the first to leave. Early birds get the worms. Great find! Don't know why the Finns scrubbed or altered the bolt s/n's on these guns though. But, this doesn't distract much on the value. Has the original Pattern 2 stock though

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new member with SA m38 and ?'s

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