My $29.95 M39

[Tinstar]

This is why I love forums...what a great learning process! I recently received my 1937 Tula Mosin Nagant that I ordered for $89.99 plus shipping. I was admiring it and thinking how nice it looks (arsenal refurbish) as compared to that old one that has been sitting in the corner of my closet for many, MANY years! I bought two of these rifles, probably 20 years ago or longer, simply because they looked cool to me and they were only $29.95 each at Roses. Came with a few rounds of ammo and I believe a sling, but I don't know where it is. Anyway, I shot it a couple of times and marveled at the accuracy and I gave the other one to my son. He left home several years ago and left the rifle behind, and just recently, I went to visit him and gave it back to him. He lives about a thousand miles away so we don't see each other very often. Anyway, I just recently got interested in military surplus weapons and I am currently waiting on my C&R FFL.

I was admiring my new Tula M91/30, when it struck me that there was something different between this rifle and the one in my closet. Well, other than how nice this one looked compared to the un-restored, rather scarred up, battle worn looking one in the closet. So, as I started comparing them, I noticed a whole lot of differences! One cool thing was that I had wanted a hex barrel when I ordered the Tula, but got a round one instead. Well, this has a hex barrel. Cool. Then, I noticed the difference in the barrel length, fittings for the sling, stock, shape of the front sights, thickness...almost like comparing a Kentucky long rifle to a Hawkins.

After reading some on a couple of forums and researching ID markings, I realize that I have a 1945 Finnish M39 with the Sako emblem, hex receiver, and pistol grip war time stock! Wow...not bad for $29.95, huh? I know, I know...PICTURES! Well, I've got to figure out how to do it. I have a nice digital camera and a iPhone as well, but I have never figured out how to post pictures to a forum. I am retired and was forced into computers when I didn't even know how to type! I know young people today think that we are ancient if we don't know computers and can't type! Well, now that I'm retired, I am so thankful for this computer and social networks like Facebook. I do pretty well, but I have got to learn how to post pictures. I peraonally love looking at pictures of peoples firearms, watches, knives, cars, bikes, etc. so I have got to return the favor. Anyway, I just joined this forum today, ordered one of the hats, and decided to tell y'all about my $29.95 rifle. What y'all think?!

[Tinstar]

By the way, sorry for my manners. Hello to everyone. I am a retired Special Agent for DOD and OPM and before that I worked as a National Park Ranger (Protection Division) and a Security Policeman in the USAF. I love firearms, have a nice collection, and don't intend to stop collecting any time soon!

[Three_Dogs]

[dou44]

[bunkysdad]

Welcome tinstar, I think that is a great story. I bet now you are wondering about your son's also. You know if you and your son were on the forum it would really close that thousand mile gap, much like Facebook does. You may have figured out already that the M39 is considered by many to be the finest of them all when it comes to shooting. What state do you live in? I'll be interested in hearing about your other firearms. With a interesting background like you have had, I imagine you have some nice stuff. Glad you found us here.

[BuckeyeSgt]

Welcome to the Forum tinstar.

Don't worry about not knowing how to post photos. A lot of people don't or didn't know before they came here or other forums. Photobucket has an app and website. You just upload your photos and copy and paste the img thingy into your thread here. Although my photobucket isn't working right now for some reason??

[Tinstar]

Welcome tinstar, I think that is a great story. I bet now you are wondering about your son's also. You know if you and your son were on the forum it would really close that thousand mile gap, much like Facebook does. You may have figured out already that the M39 is considered by many to be the finest of them all when it comes to shooting. What state do you live in? I'll be interested in hearing about your other firearms. With a interesting background like you have had, I imagine you have some nice stuff. Glad you found us here.

I reside in Virginia and my son is in Arkansas...and yes, I am now wondering about his gun. I am going to get him on the line and discuss it with him before he does something like pawn it. He did that with a nice watch that I gave him and I could have rung his neck! Well, no I actually couldn't any more...6 foot 2 and 300 pounds! It's amazing how back then, I didn't care about the history, it was just a cool rifle for a little money. I recall that this was a one day sale, as they had gotten in a large shipment and it was first come first serve. I got there and got in line. You would tell them how many you wanted, they would go in the back and bring out the boxes and hand them to you. You couldn't examine them, and there were no exchanges or returns. They said right up front that some were in rough shape, some better than others, and they were listed as surplus russian rifles. I wish now that I had bought at least a dozen! Of course, I wasn't making much money back in those days, so two was about my limit!

[Knuckledragger]

Welcome and congrats on the '45 Sako. That's a tough year to find! Can't wait to see pics when you figure it out.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Welcome to the forum, yes, the future is one of sticker shock to most of us who were buying milsurps 20-50 years ago. People who just got into it marvel at the idea of buying some cool old milsurp for less than $50 ( pocket change to the new generation) but in fact that's what I was paying in most cases 30 years back. Vetterlis, Berthiers, Carcano's, Arisakas, Mauser's, Enfields, and so on, sometimes I would even be gifted with some of these as I was known to collect them at a time when few did and they could be hard to unload. I paid less than fifty bucks for my first M38 Mosin carbine, A Finn marked one at that, and because there was no internet I have no idea what it was other than another old Russian rifle. Now I see them selling for over $500 and think about how I nearly passed on buying that carbine as I was heavily into US M1903 Springfield's at the time. The $400 M39 is another one, I got into collecting M39's late, by the time I was doing it I paid an average of $200 each for them because I liked the wartime issued rifles with worn blue, however they were always spotless inside. Now I see the late 60's dated M39's selling for over $400, I almost didn't buy the '67-70 date M39's as the wartime ones appeal to me more for the history, and I waited until I had the wartime years before I bothered adding the late dates and no date rifles ( also post war) Even the M91/30, a rifle I once bought for $50 is on the rise, now people talk about $125 average prices as normal but we would have screamed bloody murder over that price six years back.
1945, Nice find that, the war ended for Finland in 1944 with a minor bit of fighting against remaining German forces called the Lapland war that didn't go on long enough to require a great many new rifles. 1945 would be a lower production year as are every year after that.

[tincansailor]

[desdem12]

Welcome to the forum Tinstar. Nice story.