Two Finnish 1968 no name M39 rifles, one was quite a surprise.

[Hang Fire]

Wife had bought them as a pair from LGS, they are like new, unissued and were coated with cosmo. When disassembling, one was normal with usual action shims etc., but the other was a stunner.

The action was epoxy bedded and pillars were installed for both screws, forward from action, the barrel was bedded in fore stock in an unusual manner at two places. There was no date or factory point of origin stamped on bottom of tang, where such is almost always found. This was not a bubba job, but neatly done in a very professional manner. Was work done at Finland armory, or after importation? Some, but not all M28/76 target rifles were done in similar manner.

Will let the photos speak for themselves.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105402.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105422.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105492.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105452.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105432.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105462.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105442.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105472.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105482.jpg

[nekshot]

Yessir, bubba went on vacation and somebody really did a nice clean job on that gun. How does it shoot?

[Hang Fire]

Haven't shot this one yet. I have some PP brass, but unable to find any .310" diameter bullets.

Son-in-law who is a great marksman, will be down this weekend, so will let him have a go at it with some Russian 1983 boat tail milsurp. The other rifle has proved very accurate with said milsurp and will be trying some boolits in it soon.

[Larry Gibson]

Look for .311 - 312 j bullets; Speer, Hornady, Sierra and Remington all offer them (availability these days is another question) as they will be correct for those Finns.

With cast you'll probably want .312 - .314 diameter bullets.

Larry Gibson

[Hang Fire]

Look for .311 - 312 j bullets; Speer, Hornady, Sierra and Remington all offer them (availability these days is another question) as they will be correct for those Finns.

With cast you'll probably want .312 - .314 diameter bullets.

Larry Gibson

Thanks Larry, the bore slugged at .310", so figured that would be correct for J-word. Although I have two different bulk buys of Russian 1983 and 1946 milsurp. The 1983 steel core mikes out at .311”, but the 1946 lead core at .308”, which was surprising to me. Another thing about the 1946 batch, the bullet base is deeply concave, almost like a Minnie ball.

I have another 1942 Sako M39, it also slugs at 310” and .312" boolits are what I shoot in it. Will be feeding both of these rifles cast boolits as their main diet

My truck gun is a pre-bubbaed 1937 round action Tula cartbine, it slugs at .3145", I size 185 grain .323" down to.316" and is quite accurate.

Just called Roy, the owner of R-Guns in Lake Havasu City, AZ about the Rifles. He knew the man who he got them from, and no mention was made about one of them being accurized. And if the guy had known, he would certainly have mentioned it, but he did comment that one was so accurate, it was almost boring. Hope it proves boring to me, but doubt I will get bored.

[I'll Make Mine]

If that was in cosmoline, the work was almost certainly done at the arsenal. You might have a "sleeper sniper" piece there -- a rifle that was tuned up for something requiring more than usual levels of accuracy, whether that was sniping or competition shooting; everything points to accurization.

FWIW, my 1943 Izhevsk 91/30 will do about 2 MOA with the original rear sight and a Smith Sights front, and the only things I've done are to shim the action and scrape the barrel channel, floating the barrel except at the last inch of the fore end. Assuming your bore is good and you find the right ammunition, that "customized" piece ought to do at least that well.

[texassako]

It would be pretty neat if you could determine it was done at the arsenal. My M28-76 and others I have seen use a cream/yellowish colored epoxy for the bedding. They did not bother cleaning it up very well and you can usually see it in pictures peeking out at the line between the receiver and stock.

[Larry Gibson]

.............Just called Roy, the owner of R-Guns in Lake Havasu City, AZ about the Rifles. He knew the man who he got them from, and no mention was made about one of them being accurized. And if the guy had known, he would certainly have mentioned it, but he did comment that one was so accurate, it was almost boring. Hope it proves boring to me, but doubt I will get bored.

I live about 1 ridge north of Roy, drive by his house all the time......if you're close and want to go shooting at Sara Range or in the desert let me know?

Larry Gibson

[Hang Fire]

Dang Larry, that is pretty neat, we have been buying guns from Roy and Sherren for years, and thanks for the invite. We live in Topock/Golden Shores, so to go shooting, its out the back gate on the four wheelers and a couple hundred yards to the desert.

Wife and I are members at the new Tri State Shooting Park in Mohave Valley. Not much for shooting ranges, but the TSSP will be handy when we go into BHC so can do some shooting without having to set up. Pretty soon will be too bloody hot to do any shooting except early mornings.

http://hstrial-rchambers.homestead.com/Index.html

Roland

[Hang Fire]

It would be pretty neat if you could determine it was done at the arsenal. My M28-76 and others I have seen use a cream/yellowish colored epoxy for the bedding. They did not bother cleaning it up very well and you can usually see it in pictures peeking out at the line between the receiver and stock.

I sure would like to have one of the M28-76 rifles, I have read there were only about 900 made. Of course the 7.62 tkiv 85 would be nice also, but guess we can forget about them.

Several knowledgeable people are leaning towards work was done by Finns. Cosmoline over onThe HighRoad, said here in the states, usual method if to bed the action, then free float barrel out to tip of forestock. But, the Finns have long been bedding the barrel/forestock like this to dampen barrel harmonics for best accuracy.

I removed handguard to check for upward barrel pressure and took some photos.

This is the handguard, and one can plainly see where the bedded area is a distinct different piece of wood added. Also the shiny areas on left/top side and at convergence of stock wood and added wood is a clear hard glue.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105712.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105702.jpg

In the forestock bedded areas, one can again see difference in stock wood grain and that which was added. Also, note as to how the barrel channels in bedded areas are meticulously offset to insure there are no horizontal pressures exerted onto the barrel.

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105672.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105692.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105682.jpg

[texassako]

Nice pics of the details, that is a lot different than how someone would have done it here. Even if it had been done here, I don't think anyone would have used wood to build it up. They would have just used whatever bedding compound was used at the receiver.

[Larry Gibson]

Dang Larry, that is pretty neat, we have been buying guns from Roy and Sherren for years, and thanks for the invite. We live in Topock/Golden Shores, so to go shooting, its out the back gate on the four wheelers and a couple hundred yards to the desert.

Roland

Not that far away, let me know if you want company shooting.....have jeep, will travel.......got lotsa cast loaded up for my own M39.

Larry Gibson

[Hang Fire]

Not that far away, let me know if you want company shooting.....have jeep, will travel.......got lotsa cast loaded up for my own M39.

Larry Gibson

Sounds good, have a rather full plate for next couple weeks, but will send a PM when get a break.

What is your favorite CB loads in your M39?

Roland

[Hang Fire]

From OP: "There was no date or factory point of origin stamped on bottom of tang, where such is almost always found."

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105472.jpg

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y92/TANSTAAFL-2/P10105772.jpg

That mystery is solved, it is a New England Westinghouse receiver as per http://62x54r.net/MosinID/MosinRareSovietEarly.htm

http://62x54r.net/MosinID/SovEar31b_small.jpg

Would sure be interesting to know the near 100 year travels rifle took. First sold to Imperial Russia in 1914-1917, either captured by the Finns from Soviets in 1939-40 Winter War, or 1941-1944 Continuation War, or captured by Germany or Austria in WW1, then later bought from them by the Finns, restocked, rebarreled, and now back in the US.

[Larry Gibson]

Sounds good, have a rather full plate for next couple weeks, but will send a PM when get a break.

What is your favorite CB loads in your M39?

Roland

The C312-185-1R, the GB 314291 or the Lyman 314299 cast of COWWs + 2% tin AC'd over 28 - 30 gr 4895 with a 1/2 - 3/4 gr dacron filler.

PM sent.


Larry Gibson