Found a really cheap Sako M39

[tomme boy]

Found a cheap M39 that came with 100 new Lapua cases, 100 PPU cases, 50 Win. cases, and 50 S&B cases. All but the Lapua were 1 x fired. I got the whole mess for 1500 200gr SWC .45 cal. boolits, and 1500 255gr rnfp .45 colt boolits.

Pretty cheap as all the lead was free range lead. Just time!

Anyways, I am needing to get set up for reloading this. I was wondering what everyone was using for molds? This one slugs at 0.3125" It has a very long throat as well. I will probably go with LEE dies then use my RCBS neck expander die to do final sizing an flaring.

[wrench]

Congratulations!
I've been having great results with my NOE 314299 in many of my Mosin rifles.
Let's see some pics of the new Sako?

[tomme boy]

Well here is the bad news. The person I got it from had sanded it like crazy, an put a coat of clear on it. He sanded off the S mark on the butt stock side. He wanted it to look like the ones that had the really lite colored ones. I am trying to get the clear off an figure out how to get it to look original again.

The bore also looks like he did not know how to clean it. I got that all cleaned up an it is shiny now. Not like a mirror but shiny. Bluing looks about 85% or better.

[Mooseman]

Nice score...( you stole it !)
I wouldnt worry too much about the stock for that price. They are Arctic Birch and are usually light color because they dont take stain very well .
Some stocks didnt have the S stamp as I have found out.
Finns Rock !
Rich

[rhbrink]

Great deal on your M39 they seem to be excellent shooters with just about any boolit the fits the throat. I have one that has a very long tapered throat and any boolit that starts out about .314 and makes a reasonable fit in the throat shoots very well. The best so far for me has been the NOE 314365, the Saeco 305 shoots well too and even the Saeco 315 shoots very well out to 100 yards although it just hangs out there in space. How it gets lined up and shoots as well as it does is beyond me. Favorte plinking load is the Saeco 315 with 13 grains of Red Dot.

RB

[Lefty SRH]

Seriously!, you trade boolits for a gun?!

[craig61a]

A 314299 mold is good. You can check NOE to see if they have any left in stock. I use Lee dies to reload for this rifle. You can get a .303 collet die and have an oversize mandrel made for $10. I use a number of different mandrels for my rifles to get the correct size. In your case I would choose a .312 mandrel. The brass does spring back a little bit so you should be just about right for seating a .314 boolit.

You'll have to hone out the piece that holds the mandrel in place to .312, but that fairly easy to do.

[Mooseman]

Before I put a .314 diameter Boolit down a Finn rifle bore I would slug it , as Most Finn Barrels run .3095 where Russian Mosins run .312 to .314 bores.

Rich

[Hang Fire]

Before I put a .314 diameter Boolit down a Finn rifle bore I would slug it , as Most Finn Barrels run .3095 where Russian Mosins run .312 to .314 bores.

Rich

Finn M39 rifles were built with using captured Russian ammo in mind. One I have grooves slug .310" and I shoot Russian milsurp with no problems and proves to be very accurate with it.

[Mooseman]

Actually, after the Russian ammo that was captured in 1918 was almost exhausted in a few years so the Finns bought ammo from foreign sources, most of which was made in Germany (DWM and RWS). Then in 1923 they started producing their own ammo in The VPT factory which later became Lapua, also in the SAT and SAKO factories. They also had factorys to reload the fired cases too. The bullets they used were The "S" and the "D" bullets and they were .309 for the D46 and the D166 Heavy Machine gun bullet was .310 diameter.
The "S" bullets were 170gr. Flat base .309 diameter.
Most all other foreign 7.62 X 54R ammo , the bullets mic at .310 or .311

Rich

[higgins]

Mine also slugs .310. I haven't shot cast in it yet, but it is accurate with milsurp from all over eastern Europe.

[tomme boy]

Yes I traded boolits for a gun! The 255gr colt boolits I could not get to shoot in my gun. The 45 swc were extras. I made up an would not get to them for a few years.

My bore measures 0.3125"x 0.302" So it is worn but it looks good. I have seen some of these look like they should not be able to hit the side of a barn standing 10 feet away from it, but they shoot great. I think I am going to do a impact slug an send it to Tom at Accurate to see what he says. Other wise I see he has a copy of the 314299 on his list.

[I'll Make Mine]

My bore measures 0.3125"x 0.302" So it is worn but it looks good.

That's a nice, average Russian set of dimensions -- should shoot nicely with surplus (mine does, at .300" and .313"), and be nice with a .314" cast boolit. Probably five pounds lighter than my 91/30, too...

[Uncle Grinch]

Most Finn M39's that I have had or seen usually have bores closer to our 30 caliber than the Russian .311+ and inspite of that, I use the 314299 mold successfully in my M39. I size to .313 and use it in my Finn, Argetine and SMLE.

The Finn M39 used the Russian receiver with their barrels, I suppose that's why the stamped their serial numbers on the barrel instead of the receiver. They really improved the "Mosin-Nagant" .

[tomme boy]

Like I said, this one is a little worn. My last one I had was a 44 VKT. That one ran 0.310"x0.300"

But that one was a unissued with the hang tag still attached to the rifle. I had another 91/30 that was a capture. It still had the Russian barrel, but the stock was a Finn pot-belly style stock. That thing shot awesome. That one had a barrel that looked new. Very sharp edges on the rifling and shiny. One I wish I would not have sold years ago.

I took it down to the range today and shot a few rounds threw it. I shot two groups at 75 yds that were 1.5 inches. That was with Czech silver tip from 1965. I think when I get a mold I will be able to improve on this.

[I'll Make Mine]

I shot two groups at 75 yds that were 1.5 inches. That was with Czech silver tip from 1965. I think when I get a mold I will be able to improve on this.

Seems likely -- Czech, as I recall, isn't the best surplus out there, and 1965 is old enough there's a slight possibility the powder may be getting inconsistent (much more likely past fifty years, though). Get the right boolit and find the right powder and load, and you should be able to get that close to MoA.

[Dutchman]

Potassium permanganate has been used to stain the Finn Mosin arctic birch stocks. I don't have the exact process saved but you should be able to find it by googling and include the term, "potassium permanganate" in the search query.

Dutch

[craig61a]

I have heard of of potassium permanganate being used for popping the grain before, however it's pretty nasty stuff. I have had good results using a mixture of pine tar and turpentine. I wipe the stock down good with turpentine to remove any buildup or crud then heat (keep it moving) the stock with a heat gun and brush on the mixture. Soaks it right up. Then I usually hang the stock in my attic in the summer time. The heating cooling over a number of days seems to promote the absorbtion of the mix. I usually let them hang for 2 weeks.

[dualsport]

Before you invest in a mold I'd suggest a chamber cast. Maybe the throat is .316, or who knows what? RotoMetals sells a 1 .lb chunk of something similar to Cerrosafe but cheaper and I've found it very easy to use and is accurate too. Their website has instructions (simple). Chamber casts are actually fun once you see how easy it is and can tell you a lot. It's the first thing I do now when I bring home a new treasure. Oh, the chamber casting alloy is reuseable apparently indefinitely. I use a heat gun but a blow dryer would probably work. I put it in a tuna can and bent it for a spout. Easy.

[motorcycle_dan]

RotoMetals sells a 1 .lb chunk of something similar to Cerrosafe.

Went to there site. They have a LOT of low temp casting alloy. Can you give a better description of which one you bought?
Thanks.

[motorcycle_dan]

Found it, Rotometals Chamber Alloy (158-190)

[Fly]

Most finn stocks are pine tar finnished.I have pine tared a few rifles but
no Finns.My Finn I'm not touching, it's worth too much.

Fly

[390ish]

I have four m-39s. One is designated for cast boolits. I shoot the lee 200grn round nose and 5744 powder. Can't remember the weight. It shoots point of aim @ 100 yards with the sights set on 200 metres plus one increment forward.

Best shooting in my life with iron sights was with an M-39 using the privi 182 grain corrosive match fmj boat tails. Put five shots into right at 5" at 300 yards. Was having a very good day. I will boring someone with that target in a nursing home here in another 35 years or so.

[Fly]

Man that's so great to hear.I truly love my M-39.I also have a Swiss K-31 thats
a gem.I can't tell you which shoots better.The reason is they both shoot better
than me.

Fly

[RugerFan]

My B barrel M39 slugs at .310" and shoots very tight groups with the Lyman 311291 and IMR 3031 @ 2000 fps.

[Clark]

http://i757.photobucket.com/albums/xx220/ClarkM/M39DSCF3294.jpg
I got a Sako M38 for $90 at a gun show in 2003.
I welded the bolt and made a scope mount out of an AR15 riser.
The chamber neck is a little shorter than 91/30s.
It is heavier than a 91/30, but it is more accurate. It has shot one 0.4" 3 shot group at 100 meters, but that is an anomaly, it is more like a 1" or 1.2" gun.