M38

[derghost]

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

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[GNutcha]

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.

[Claven2]

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.