[MilitaryTorch]

I got this rifle yesterday and I thought I was getting a M39 at a reasonable price.
Later on I started looking at it and I knew it wasn't an M39.
I think this is a 28/30 rifle.
To be honest I wanted to find a Sky rifle for a while and when I saw SKY marking I didn't really pay anymore attention.

It has a number on the buttplate that doesn't match the rest of the rifle and there is an 73 on the front site.
There is also a number 28.
There is only letter S and no unit number.
Because it is in such a great shape could it be that this rifle was unissued? or was it refurbed after the war?
There is an import mark on the barrel.

Your comments are very welcome.

 

[MilitaryTorch]

.

more pictures.

 

[Pahtu]

Generally unissued Finn rifles are few and far between.....Since the muzzle appears blued, I am betting the Finns reblued/reworked this one. It is a wonderful looking rifle for sure! Huh....I thought there were no 28-30s in WA state......

Pahtu.

 

[Lancebear]

Looks unissued to me, specially since it has no district number. Great rifle, suppose the bore is like new?
Not an expert, but normally original butt plates on M28s and M28/30s have the last two numbers of the serial stamped on them. But anything is possible on a Finn. Lucky to find that rifle, a real beauty. Tang to stock fit is real tight, and that's why there is a hairline in the stock behind the tang. If you plan on shootin' the rifle, make sure ya' tighten the action screws real good. Wouldn't blame ya' if ya' made a bit of clearance behind the tang. If you don't know how to do it leave it alone and don't shoot it too much.

Done it on a Winchester stocked M1917 that was never inletted properly. Made a scraper out of a dental pic and used that, no Dremel involved. Member Chuckindenver, master gunsmith, passed the tight tang/wood info on.

LB

 

[F2G-1]

I hope the experts chime in. If I saw this in the wild I would say rearsenaled due to the lack of a Pomo finish and its been reblued. Nice rifle.

 

[mosinnagantm9130]

Rearsenaled. I have a very similar 1939 28/30, about 1200 rifles earlier. Mine just has about 5% of the metal finish left:laugh:

 

[BB91]

Man, that is one sharp stock cartouche. I picked up an early 28/30 once listed as a M39 . Congrats!

 

[CH]

Looks unissued to me, specially since it has no district number.

Many Winter War era (or close to it) m/28-30s only have "S" prefix on the chamber indicating the rifle was delivered to the combat troops instead of some particular CG district. It also appears (this is just a personal notice though) that at the same time some features like CG's control marks on the rear sight (crosses and circles) were discontinued. I'm unaware if they stopped adding the HV marks to the magazine and last digits of the serial number to the buttplate already during the m/28-30 production or only after adoption of the m/39.

 

[MilitaryTorch]

Great rifle, suppose the bore is like new?

Tang to stock fit is real tight, and that's why there is a hairline in the stock behind the tang. If you plan on shootin' the rifle, make sure ya' tighten the action screws real good.

The bore is like new for sure.
I noticed the hairlines as well and took the stock off and that is when a chip broke off (picture attached) Luckily I found the chip and glued it back on.
It looks like the screws were not tight at all but the good news I guess is that there is no crack in the stock...

 

[MilitaryTorch]

Man, that is one sharp stock cartouche. I picked up an early 28/30 once listed as a M39 . Congrats!

This is why I was wondering if this was not issued. There is no way stock of a rifle that went thru the war would look like this
Did Finns really bother to get these rifles back to the way they were originally made? Meaning they would replace the stock and put that cartouche back on?
I don't care one way or another, just kind of curious

 

[mosinnagantm9130]

Many Winter War era (or close to it) m/28-30s only have "S" prefix on the chamber indicating the rifle was delivered to the combat troops instead of some particular CG district. It also appears (this is just a personal notice though) that at the same time some features like CG's control marks on the rear sight (crosses and circles) were discontinued. I'm unaware if they stopped adding the HV marks to the magazine and last digits of the serial number already during the m/28-30 production or only after adoption of the m/39.

Interesting, I didn't know that! Mine doesn't have a CG district number either, only the "S".

 

[pullnshoot25]

Lucky bugger! That is BEAUTIFUL rifle!

Sent from my TracFone

 

[CH]

Interesting, I didn't know that! Mine doesn't have a CG district number either, only the "S".

I'd like to add that this "S" prefix was actually stamped at the SAKO factory when the rifle was made and the following number wasn't added until in the destination district when the rifle was issued. All the CG contract m/28 and early m/28-30 rifles also had this S number (with matching font) stamped to the bolt flat for which reason it is one of the finest tools for a collector to tell whether a rifle features its original bolt or not. Sadly many collectors often seem to overlook this feature and put all the Finnish bolts into "Finn matched" category.

One reason for that might be that the Finnish Army refurbished many of these fine rifles and in most cases bolts were replaced. The SA also exercised removing old, obscure numbers to make easier to recognize the rifle serial number. As most CG rifle barrels and bolt bodies featured both the serial number and the S number one of them was usually invalidated. A regular fashion was that the barrel S number was lined out and the bolt flat was either scrubbed clean or the number was simply lined out. Sometimes they did the opposite and the S numbers were allowed to stay while the actual serial number was invalidated (barrel serial number lined out, bolt knob scrubbed clean).

Here are the Civil Guard regulations from 1932 regarding the S number ranges (section 440) and guidelines for adding these numbers (sections 441 and 442).

 

[martin08]

My M28/30 is 104 units older than yours, and in essentially the same condition. No CG number (no S on bolt) and looks literally unused. We had a similar conversation on this gun. Was it ever issued or not? If so, they took every little scrape and nick off the metal before rebluing.

 

[AbueloMark]

I have its brother #67043 also a 1939. It is also marked S98225.

 

[MilitaryTorch]

I have its brother #67043 also a 1939. It is also marked S98225.

Does your rifle has a D between the D and the SKY on the barrel?
Mine doesn't

 

[AbueloMark]

No D stamp. It is an old Marathon import.

 

[Hlavinka]

I have a m28/30 that is serialed 200 later than the OP's. It has basically no Bluing left, an S but no CG #. Certainly used but with a nice correct 1939 stock cartouche.

 

[Hal O'Peridol]

Did you pick this up at Monroe? Nice Rifle.

 

[MilitaryTorch]

Yeah I did.
I walked by it first time and didn't get it because the seller was an FFL and I didn't feel like taking time to fill out paperwork. and the second time I walked by the seller was interested in my Madsen M1947 30-06 rifle so we made a trade.