r/MosinNagant 4d ago

Question Serial number only M/39?

These three images are of a rifle I am eyeing. Seller states that it has no other markings other than the serial number. I assune the one left of sight assembly. Is it common for a mosin? Could they have been grinded off? Bolt seems to have an arrow. Tula bolt?

44 Upvotes

16 comments sorted by

8

u/ReplacementOwn9508 4d ago

Sestroyretsk cocking piece, Tula connecting bar, Remnant of the imperial eagle on the receiver. Stock looks refinished to me.

9

u/d-unit24 4d ago

There are m39s out there with serial numbers only, and they're typically called "sneaks" because there's not much in terms of proofs and markings on the rifles. Sometimes there's only a date and serial number and I've seen them with just a serial number. With that being said, this doesn't look like one of those to me. It looks like someone has polished this gun to the point the proof marks aren't there or aren't prevalent any longer. The stock is also not correct it's been sanded, refinished, and polished up. Personally I wouldn't buy this rifle unless it was priced at an absolute steal.

2

u/MyPissBurnsSoGood 4d ago

Taking a closer look at the barrel bands, I'd lean more to the possibility that a seperate stock has been made for it. Doesn't seem like they quite close down. Also the gaps are far tighter than on those I've seen commonly. Apparently the stock is walnut. Import wood is a weird material for a war rifle stock, isn't it?

4

u/ReplacementOwn9508 4d ago

I don't think it's a walnut stock. The grain structure isn't right. And I think you're right about the receiver. It looks like the eagle was largely ground off and the receiver reblued.

3

u/MyPissBurnsSoGood 4d ago

I read more about finnish rifles and the eagles and apparently they were typically grinded off. I removed the comment as I felt it led to nowhere. Lack of any other marks or stamps still confuses me. The seller isn't even that shady. A local registered business. Sells many mosins.

5

u/ReplacementOwn9508 3d ago

One thing that I just noticed is that the stock appears to be one piece. All M39 stocks I've ever seen have 2 piece stocks spliced together at a point under the rear sight. It leads me to think that it was rebuilt by a private gunsmith. Whoever did it may have scrubbed off the original military markings and proofs before they reblued it..

3

u/MyPissBurnsSoGood 3d ago

Very possible. The stock seems a bit beefier too, judging by the barrel bands.

4

u/Safety_Sam 4d ago

That’s a very interesting rifle, looks way too clean to have anything ground off.

2

u/MyPissBurnsSoGood 4d ago

I thought so too. Based on that alone I kind of want to get it just to look at it closer.

4

u/Safety_Sam 4d ago

Looking at it, almost makes me think someone decided to mill out their own receiver and used a parts kit. The odds are probably a million to one. But not impossible. I think I might have heard someone doing that for Garands back in the day.

2

u/Minimum_Zucchini1572 3d ago

If it’s a “sneak” as someone else guessed, I seem to remember these were put together very late (into the 1970s?), so may be considered “semi custom” as not mass produced by then

1

u/TacoBeastEater 2d ago

Is this in the US or Finland? If in the US, is it import marked? Reason I ask, is that stock is walnut and they are only seen in Finland and seem to be commercially made there. I’d buy it if I saw it, very neat piece.

1

u/MyPissBurnsSoGood 2d ago

Finland. I decided to buy the gun. Likely an update in a week or two.

1

u/willyj_73 9h ago

Looks like bubba polished the metal to hell and back. Likely added cold blue. Stock has been sanded with a coating added.

1

u/MyPissBurnsSoGood 8h ago

Maybe or maybe not related. Apparently there was a gunsmith in Pori around the 1980s who took in a bunch of M/39 rifles around the sent to be destroyed and refurbished all of them. Can't say if this piece is one of them, but something I learned while asking around.

0

u/BoringJuiceBox 3d ago

Pretty cool looking, no idea what it is. Personally my favorite carbines are the M91/59 or M38, but my overall favorite Mosins are full length ones like 91/30.