Consider your M38 for what it is and its condition and don't pay much attention to the "SA" stamp. Fakes are out there.

SA stamp punch K98 P08 | eBay

Condition as pictured - very good. A-7,5 x 6 mm. F- 3,5 2,6 mm.

www.ebay.com

 

Here we go 🙄. This is my third rodeo, Leon.

 

Ain't that the truth. Here we go again. It seems that nothing is legit anymore. Everything is a fake I guess.

The mystery stamper strikes again.

 

It would be worth more without the SA and the D.

 

Especially if I wrappped it in tinfoil.

 

OP, your gun is 100% legit. Very nice example. A surprising amount of Finnish issued m38s are all matching/original. I guess they weren’t heavily used for whatever reason.

 

Probably because it was not a standard rifle so it did not fit into a neat category therefor did not have are rebuild program for it.

I wonder how many damaged M38 receivers were salvaged for other round receiver rifles.

 

Looks good to me too! Great find! I have four Finn capture 1941 Izhevsk M/38 with varying degrees of matching-ness. 1941 Izhevsk is by far the most common of Finn capture M/38s. I've often wondered if the Finns overran a Soviet support unit during the initial advances in 1941/1942 and captured a bunch all at once.

 

Known 41 dated carbines out-number all the other carbines* 4 or 5 to 1.

*fixed.

 

Yeah, a lot of the guns are in the same prefix SN blocks. For 1941, “KA” is one of the blocks with a bunch of captures all in a cluster of SNs.

 

Nice, I saw that rifle today! Like you said, first SA marked M38 I’ve seen in the wild in awhile. Here’s the prefix and serial of my example. 1941 seems to be the more common year based on what I’ve seen on the forums.

There was an amazing beautiful condition 1915 Sestroretsk there the first day, original matching with a strong roundel and near perfect condition. It sold with a ton of other rifles one dealer bought up all at once.

 

Nice, I saw that rifle today! Like you said, first SA marked M38 I’ve seen in the wild in awhile. Here’s the prefix and serial of my example. 1941 seems to be the more common year based on what I’ve seen on the forums.

Have you looked through a jeweler’s loupe to inspect the SA for traces of cold blue?

 

Nice one Andy!
The 1941 has more known than all the rest combined. 39 is next most common, then 43, then 40, and 44 and 42 - only one known of those. Guess who has them? 😎

 

That's an exceedingly nice example Andy, congrats. Rare to find them completely matching and original. Usually something (typically bolt or floor plate) has been switched out.

Your 1941 M38 is one of 70 known Finnish captures now, of which 22/70 are built on round high walls like yours (and four others have the CK prefix).

Nice one Andy!
The 1941 has more known than all the rest combined. 39 is next most common, then 43, then 40, and 44 and 42 - only one known of those. Guess who has them? 😎

100% correct @sparky236

1941: 70
1939: 22
1943: 6
1940: 4
1942: 1
1944: 1

 

Oh that is a nice looking rifle!

 

Nice! I have a Finn captured m38 with a high wall receiver and CK prefix thats is apart by 325 digits. Congrats on a great rifle