M38

Is 1941 M38 Izzy laminate with the correct stock and a crossbolt a must have?
The gun shop had four M38 laminates. I chose the 1942 Izzy without the pressed on escutcheons, because I like the patina of the old stock. After I got home, I realized that the 1941 may have been a better choice. It also had a cross bolt in the wrist. My heart said one and my head said the other. My heart won. Any thoughts. Thanks

You did the right thing. The 1941 would have been a better choice, but it's probably still there. 2 is better than 1. ;)


Just be glad you have a gunstore that has Mosins. I will most likely never see a Mosin of any kind in my local gunstores. Hunting rifles only. :mad:

All laminate M38 stocks with a wrist cross-bolt and a milled recess for the M44 bayonet are post-war refurbishment replacement stocks.

Real M38 laminate stocks do NOT have a recess for the bayonet and often do not have the cross-bolt at the wrist unless it was added post-war.

If you look in the November Purchases thread you will see a proper wartime M38 in a proper M38 laminate stock to compare to.

While 1942 and 1943 are the most common years for M38 carbines, I wouldn't feel bad about getting one. In fact, I have three M38's that are either 42 or 43 including the above mentioned laminate :)

In the long term, the laminate stocked guns will likely be worth more b/c they are far less common than the hardwood stocked examples, but that value increase will likely take many years b/c right now the Mosins are everywhere and not drying up soon.