[ncreptile]

How often if ever does anyone see a finnish marked rc k98?
During ww2 when the Finnish were allied with the Germans the Germans gave them lots of supplies and im guessing k98 rifles also.

Even though the russians were getting their $*& handed to them by the Finnish they did manage to capture alot of their firearms.

My question
Isnt it possible to have a RC k98 that was used by a finnish soldier against the invading russians? Why dont we see the SA mark more often?(in my case I think just once)

 

[Radom]

Because they don't exist? That's my answer until proven wrong, of course. An SA marked k98 would be highly suspect. Best I know, only rifles that went from Germany to Finland after about the mid '20s were Mosins.

 

[boltactionsforever]

To my knowledge, German's only gave the Finn's the Russian Mosin Nagants that where obtained in serveral different fashions....

Although there has been numerious German depo marked Mosin Nagants that have filtered back into the Finnish army [SA] marked, I would see zero reason why Finland would choose to interject a K98 into it's lineup of weapons--they had PLENTY of weapons for the number of people that where defending the country from the Russian invasion.

I have not seen a [SA] marked K98, and without more then just a [SA] marking on a RC..I would question it's origin.

Now Sweden did have some K98's--but as I recall "most" where eventually returned to there 8mm originality before being shipped back into circulation after WWII.

BAF

 

[JL]

I once saw a WW1 Kar 98 that had a boxed SA on the receiver. Don't know if it was real but it wasn't an RC. Saw quite a few various pistols including broomhandle mausers with SA marks. JL

 

[Radom]

The Finns did use some German 98a rifles, early on. Supposedly, those had been disposed of long before the use of the SA in a box marking (I believe April 1942). The most the 98a's would have been marked with in Finland would be Civil Guard related, probably nothing more than the letter 'S' followed by a number on the stock. Some may still exist, but I've never heard anyone claim to have one. Some Japanese rifles are found with similar marking, but again, they were mostly long gone from Finland before the use of the SA property marking.

 

[eiseosu]

Hello!

In early 1919 Finland bought 8000 German M98a carbines and bayonets from France. Weapons were sold (mainly to Poland 1924).

In 1943-44 Finnish army acquired 600 German 98k with rifle grenade launchers for testing. Testing finished in 1945. 98k rifles left behind by the German troops operating in Finland were handed over to Soviets (terms of the armistice).


(Military small arms in Finland 1918-1988
Markku Palokangas)

 

[ncreptile]

Thanks for the post eiseosu.

So indeed some are likely to be RC, but with only 600 thats going to be extremely extremely rare.

 

[Vic]

I have seen some MG34 and MG 42's with [SA] markings on them. They were not used as they presented a ammo problem but they did come with many of the vehicles and aircraft that the Finns purchased from Germany. I have seen a couple of [SA] marked k-98's and don't know if they were part of the 600 ordered for grenade launcher testing (the Finns eventually built a domestic copy for Mosin's) but they were [SA] marked. I regarded them then and now as pretty dubious as they were in a collection that had a lot of things [SA] marked that they should not have like Swede AGA44 snipers and so forth. The Finns did play with a few MG42's in converting them to 54r but they never reached any conclusion or production beyond testing.

 

[Vulch]

that the Finns purchased from Finland.

Insider trading! Damned Suomi!



Maybe they bought them from GERMANY

 

[eiseosu]

MG-34 machine guns (less than 100) came with the purchase Pz IV and Stu-40 tanks from Germany 43-44. After war 7,92mm caliber guns were replaced by 7,62mm.

In 1943 Finland bought five MG-42 from Germany for testing. After testing guns were transferred to museum collections.


(Military small arms in Finland 1918-1988
Markku Palokangas)