New "sneak" M39

I recently snagged this 1970 "sneak" (I know, I know...there is nothing sneaky about these) M39's.

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../04/0011-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../04/0021-1.jpg

It is in great shape, bore is fine, a few scratches on the stock.

There is a number that I can't identify on the side of the receiver.."34562"
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../04/0071-1.jpg

Anyone able to identify that?

What is the story on these late date M39's? What were they used for?

Thanks

They had some extra parts laying around and assembled them. Nice looking M39. Check on the 7.62x54r website. It explains about "sneaks" Number on side of receiver is the Number assigned to it by Century, for the importation paperwork. Most Mosins had no serial number on the receiver, only on the barrel. The Firearms act of 1968 requires all firearms in this country to have a serial number on the receiver. Europe sees the barrel as the gun, we see the receiver as the gun...

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Originally Posted by Mohawk

They had some extra parts laying around and assembled them. Nice looking M39. Check on the 7.62x54r website. It explains about "sneaks" Number on side of receiver is the Number assigned to it by Century, for the importation paperwork. Most Mosins had no serial number on the receiver, only on the barrel. The Firearms act of 1968 requires all firearms in this country to have a serial number on the receiver. Europe sees the barrel as the gun, we see the receiver as the gun...

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Thanks, Mohawk

I do not think the numbers on the side of the receiver were put there by the importer. Pretty much every import number that I've seen on these Finn Mosins was of the "dot-matrix" style of EP'ing. Mine has one of those numbers on the top of the receiver (ugh!) and it matches the serial on the barrel. I believe that the importer's number had to match the existing s/n, if there was a s/n present.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...011Copy1-1.jpg

After thinking about the number a bit more, I think that it may be a serial number that was put on by the Finns and when the 1970 barrel was mounted, they re-used this receiver, which had previously been mounted with a differently number barrel.

I started going back through some of my other Finn Mosins. A few, not all, by any stretch, have numbers in the same place as this one. The numerals on these other Mosins are similar style and font, but match the s/n on the barrel.

This is one of my Finn M91's.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...Finn0081-1.jpg

You can see some numerals in pretty much the same place as the ones on my new "sneak". That number matches the s/n on the barrel.

This is one of my other Finn M39's.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...lm390031-1.jpg

If you squint, you can see a number on the side of the receiver in the same spot as my new "sneak". That number also matches the s/n on the barrel.

However, this is one of my Finn 91/30's.
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...SC017691-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...SC017711-1.jpg

It has no number on the receiver and the only import mark, a Samco, is on the bottom of the barrel near the muzzle. The Samco import mark has no numbers.

While I have my suspicions about who put the stamped numbers on the receiver and why, I don't know for sure and I guess it is still an open question.

Very nice M39! You're lucky that the old Imperial Eagle wasn't ground off!:thup:

By any chance did you look under the receiver tang to see where and when the receiver was built?

M39's were built on captured Russian receivers. 34562 was the original serial number for that Russian rifle before it was captured by the Finns and turned into the M39

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Originally Posted by Teleoceras

Very nice M39! You're lucky that the old Imperial Eagle wasn't ground off!:thup:

By any chance did you look under the receiver tang to see where and when the receiver was built?

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Many of my Finn Mosins have had the Imperial eagle ground off. They have a small round depression where the eagle was. I got lucky on this one. I haven't taken the receiver out of the stock. I kinda hate doing that, because it can disturb the shims that the Finns put in to help with the bedding.

---------- Post added at 06:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:34 PM ----------

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Originally Posted by kar98k

M39's were built on captured Russian receivers. 34562 was the original serial number for that Russian rifle before it was captured by the Finns and turned into the M39

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I'm not sure about that. I do not recall ever seeing Russian Mosins with serial numbers in that location or with that style of numerals. Also, I have too many Finn Mosins that do have a number in that location and it seems to match the Finnish s/n that is present on the barrel shank. If that was a serial number applied by the Soviets, how would it match the Finnish serial number from the barrel shank?

I'm still betting that the receiver on my new "sneak" was once mated to a Finnish barrel with the s/n "34562" on the shank and was recycled in 1970 when they put the current barrel on.

However...that is still just a guess.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Calfed

Many of my Finn Mosins have had the Imperial eagle ground off. They have a small round depression where the eagle was. I got lucky on this one. I haven't taken the receiver out of the stock. I kinda hate doing that, because it can disturb the shims that the Finns put in to help with the bedding.[COLOR="Silver"]

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Yeah, I have two M39's and a Finnish M91 and all of them have the Imperial Eagle ground off.:(

I can understand about the shims. I only know that one of my M39's receivers was made at Tula in 1896 when I bought her since she was considered an antique when listed. I haven't looked under the tangs of my other two Finns either.

I finally got to the range and fired a few rounds through this beauty. The first rounds were a bit disappointing...

(Prvi 182 gr FMJBT @ 100 yards)
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...02/00414-1.jpg

About 3 MOA, which is not particularly noteworthy for a Finn. However, I've noted in the past that my other M39's like the barrel bands snug, so I checked all the screws...the front action screw took about 1/2 turn and the lower band screw took about a turn and 1/2. Fired three more of the Prvi's and got this
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...02/00522-1.jpg

Anyone else noted that M39's like the barrel bands tight?

I got to the range last week with some of the Prvi 54R "match" ammo and some of the "regular" 54R ammo. I have to admit the M39 liked the "match" ammo better than the regular...was a bit of surprise how bad the group for the regular ammo was after the results above. Both groups shot at 100 yards

.........The "match" ammo.............................................. .

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...02/00523-1.jpg

The "regular" ammo
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...02/01611-1.jpg