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A few weeks ago I was in a shop and found two Finns. One was a VKT m91, the other was a B barrel M39. Only had cash on me to bring one home so had to put the other in layaway. Flipped a coin and brought the M91 home, planning on going back in a couple weeks to pick up the M39. Well, between the weather and work it tuned into 5 weeks. Well, this weekend the weather was nice and I didn't have to work so off I went!
Anyway, its a 1942 B, transitional stock, excellent bore. Just like the M91, a few flecks of rust and a lot of dust and cobwebs. I got a lot of the creepy crud off the outside and gave the bore a quick scrub yesterday but had a family function today so haven't been able to take it apart and see what it looks like under the wood. And now a few pics!
This one has been around a while, it has the old Century mark from St. Albans. It came out of an estate, guy probably bought it then put it away and didn't do anything with it. The M91 I got from that estate still had the Finn grease in the barrel.
The commerce which maybe carried on with the people inhabiting the line you will pursue renders a knowledge of these people important ~Thomas Jefferson~ (to- Lewis and Clark)
Nice , remember to watch for shims when you lift that action from the wood.
Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it.
Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft.
Theodore Roosevelt
Had it out for a little range time today. First load I tested was Brown Bear 174s, a load that has worked well for me in the past in many rifles. Very disappointing, at least for a M39, 4" groups at 100 yds. Some of the 204 superheavies from Bear, about the same. Both loads were high (6-7") and left(5"). Next up, another load that has worked really good in several rifles, Czech silvertip. Nice, tight, 2" group, about the best I can do with irons, with 3 shots almost touching with one slightly higher and another just a bit left. Now some home rolled 150 grainers, oh yeah, first group just over 1.5", second 1.75". All the light ball groups were just a hair high, about 2" and less than an inch left of center. I guess this one just doesn't like heavier bullets, which is in my experience not typical of a Finn.
That is a transitional splice. The rounded ones are early, wartime splice while the square ended ones are later, post war splices. I've seen very few of the transitional splices as compared to either of the others.
NEVER saw one "in the wild" on an M39. Beautiful rifle. I have a "like new" Transitional" stock on one M39, but its NOT a "B" . Damn nice find ......wow.
john_the_plinker wrote:That is a transitional splice. The rounded ones are early, wartime splice while the square ended ones are later, post war splices. I've seen very few of the transitional splices as compared to either of the others.
great looking rifle.
+1 & Nice find! 