Whats a Russin SVT-40 Worth?

[rayg]

What would a non refurbed, all matching, all original and correct excel. condt. as issued Russian SVT go for in Canada? Ray

[browningautorifle]

See Lever arms site(Vancouver) for prices...they have them as new. They list them as $310 I think. I've seen lots at other shops at that price too. The scoped versions were available in Edmonton at P&D for just over $400...no big thing. They all looked as new.

[Brian Dick]

Original unaltered rifles will go high in both Canada and the USA. They are scarce on the ground in both places as most were rebuilt. The ones imported to the USA between 1986-88 are mostly rebuilt as are the ones currently available in Canada. I had several many years ago, probably 1990 or thereabouts.

[browningautorifle]

I'm sure I wouldn't know an original Soviet from what's on the rack in Edmonton right now Brian. There aren't many that seem to care about Russian around us here...mostly just because they're cheap shooters.

[Brian Dick]

The hard core collectors are out there that will pay a premium for the factory original rifles. I've never had a factory original one, just the rebuilds. Even the sniper that's here has seen rebuild at some point post war. You can only imagine the post WWII rebuild programs in Russia. They rebuilt everything. SVT 40's are fun to try. Much like the German G/K-43 rifles. They both usually need a good deal of adjusting and tweaking to shoot well. None of them can hold a candle to a good ol' U.S. Rifle Cal. .30 M1 IMHO!!

[browningautorifle]

I HAVE shot the SVT. A friend in Calgary got one and had no end of trouble until I explained it had gas issues. We had no wrench and I managed to loosen and adjust things and then set it all tight again. Now it works perfectly. It was fine, but our hokey 5 rd mag law takes the fun out. If it wasn't for that, I'd have one here and a case of ammo. Maybe even one of the snipers...but as is, I'm better off with an M1 in 7.62. Which I shot two days ago...

Yes, I'm aware of the massive re-build program and discard nothing policy Russia had until a short time ago. Had we gone to war two dozen years ago...it would have been epic, the stuff we'd have seen.

[Dirty dozen]

What is ur price I will pay .

[Ridolpho]

I like the SVT, finding them to be very straight forward and simple. The prices I've payed (here in Canada) range from $200.00 to $750.00. The $750.00 was for a probable non-refurbed example in a private sale while the $200.00 was for a nice re-furbed '41 Tula that has proven to be an excellent shooter. Typical refurbs run $300.00, including the odd Podolsk, and display quite variable quality in bore condition and fitment of the repacement stock. It appears that upon arrival at "the plant" each gun was stripped of easily removed parts (not barrels) which were then sanded or linished to remove stamped numbers. It also appears that bolts and carriers were blued in the refurb process, resulting in shades of purple to red or even bronze due to the composition of special steel used in them. Bolts/carriers/triggerguards, etc were electropencilled to match the rceeiver number during refurb. The important bolt locking insert in the receiver is similar composition and usually matches bolt/ carrier in colour. The inserts in mine vary from new looking to obviously worn but I have yet to have a headspace problem so the factories seem to have done a good job matching bolts (which have slightly different lengths) to inserts. Less satisfactory is the fit in the stock which ranges from excellent to very sloppy. Occasionally a stock may still be attached to it's original rifle but most are re-stamped or quite obviously brand new replacements. Original sniper versions received the same treatment and usually the only thing left to distinguish them is the characteristic "notch" as machined at Tula.
Judging from what I see on Gunbroker, original or non-refurbs (and Finn captures) are rarer up here than in the US and I suspect they would easily get $1,500+ if placed for sale in the open market.

Comrade Ridolpho

[boltaction]

There are a lot for sale here in Canada; Switzer's auction sold three for 275, 400 and 400 about two weeks ago. Agree with Ridolpho's comments about condition. One can find the different variations in factory, muzzle brake design, etc. I tend to be somewhat wary of the "snipers" since while they were made up as snipers, none of them escaped refurb. As far as I'm concerned the notion of a "Factory original, non-refurb" Russian ANYTHING is a load of vegetable matter which has been predigested by a horse. It's like the folks who are advertising "non refurb" original Russian SKS's. I'm not truly sure such a thing exists.

Anyway, they may start to become somewhat more scarce here in Canada too. Apparently, further imports are not happening, either because the supply has dried up or because of political issues re Putin/Russian/Ukraine and embargoes. It does make sense that the supply will eventually dry up--they were not manufactured in the same vast quantities as Mosin Nagants, were more delicate that Mosins, and weren't produced post WWII.

Ed

[Brian Dick]

I had many Russian SKS rifles after they were imported to the USA in the late 1980's. There were a few unaltered, original rifles in newish condition mixed in. I kept one made by Izhevsk with a laminated stock and hand guard. The others I acquired at the time had solid arctic beech furniture. The originals had a very nice blued finish. The majority were distinctly marked rebuilds with the phosphate and paint finish as bolt action states above. All of the SVT40 rifles I had through here were rebuilt. The only originals I've see were imported prior to 1968.

I think much of the curio and relic Russian rifle supply was coming from the Ukraine. Get one now if you want one. They ain't making them anymore.