Blast from the past part 3 Finn M38

[Junk Yard Dog]

I have been digging around in the vaults again and pulled this one out. It's been a few years since I shot any new pics of this one, 1941 Izhevsk M38 captured by the Finns during the Continuation War. SA marked M38's are not common, we have at least two more here on the forum. The Finns refinished the stock with the dark tar finish and Finn matched the bolt. The original number matching the barrel on the bolt is there, just lined out, they also gave it a 1/2" counterbore, the rest of the bore is spotless. I didn't know what this was when I bought it for the huge sum of $50, actually it was $200, the seller needed to sell two guns, the other an SKS he had to get $150 for and refused to split them up so I also got that POS AK mag SKS "paratrooper" in the deal. Back then nobody seemed to know what the SA stamp was all about, it was on all the "Russian rifles" that were around, and was mostly ignored. Years later I acquired a book that explained it all, and of course now we have the forum. It is my understanding that these carbines were provided to artillery crews during the war. Today the carbine remains as it was last issued, with a few small dings, and a little bluing wear looking just as it did when the last shot was fired in 1944.

[desdem12]

[Junk Yard Dog]

Moved to the Mosin forum,

[bb91]

JYD, I so want one of those! That's one fine looking example!

[Junk Yard Dog]

Hard to find, and expensive, but they do turn up

[MarkB]

Man that is a gorgeous rifle i'm jealous

[Flyin Brian]

Very nice!!

[desdem12]

There were 2 that went throughb GB recently for around $800 or more if i remember right. I think at least one was no where near as nice as this one. Just lovely.

[SDH1903]

A rifle of pure beauty!!!!

[Rongo]

Pure beauty & a stellar deal!!!

[Junk Yard Dog]

I would like to take credit for masterminding the deal, but in truth it was done in absolute ignorance. Neither the seller nor myself had any idea what this carbine was other than it was an old Russian carbine. This was actually part of a four rifle deal, the first time he brought me the SKS and this M38, it was the SKS he had called me on, wanted $200, it had the AK mag conversion from Norinko, and was a para, later turned out to be a piece of shit, mag falls out of it at the second shot. I said I would go $150, he had that $200 price in his head and showed up with the two rifles for $200, I deliberated as I had no need for the M38, and back then fifty bucks was a lot of money, but ended up taking it. Later I bought a vintage Winchester 1894 and a Browning auto five off him, the auto five was traded for a H&R M1 Garand.