[Cass]

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=82377596

I guess several people wanted this one pretty bad. It went for $1,624 with four bidders bidding above $1,000.

I may have to sell my carbine at that price, ha!

Cass

 

[zampilot]

A Finn renumbered SVT at that!

 

[MMoney]

I sold one a few years ago on GB...it went for 950. It was pretty, but dialing the gas was a problem...it just didn't work right. I was always a little leery when shooting it, too...it just doesn't have the sturdy feel of an m44 or m38 bolt action carbine.

 

[rmf762]

It's a short Carbine
6'' shorter than a SVT40
Thats why the Big Bucks:cool
It should be 8'' shorter=thus its a fake from Canada

 

[DudleyDR]

It is too short (IMO) to be an original, which still had one vent on each side of the handguard showing. The "Standard Catalog of Military Firearms" warns "CAUTION: All Tokarev SVT carbines encountered with "SA" (Finnish) markings were altered to carbine configuration by their importer and have little collector value. (EDIT: That depends on the collector!) It is believed that few, perhaps 2,000 SVT 40 carbines were ever built by the USSR." I do not know if that is 100% true, but I do see it as a giant red flag. (No pun intended.) I have one virtually identical to the one above that I suspect was made in Canada. It is a neat firearm and functions fine. I like it, but it is not original. The internal mods aren't as old as the rest of the weapon. As long as the buyer knows what he is getting and is happy, no harm, no foul. DDR

 

[ofd291]

Finn bubba

 

[Cabinetman]

Absoultely. These are like the famed "tanker garands". They are simply not real. There may have been a few experimental models made but, like the MAS 49/56 in the new NATO caliber, they are pipe dreams; maybe even moreso.

It is truly a testament to this rifle, however, that so many attempts to make it "right" were tried. First, the SVT38 was abandoned and the SVT40 introduced which supposedly fixed the problems the 38 was having. Then they made some of them into the AVT which was full-auto. Then the "carbine" was tried. None was really super successful and that's why the Russians closed down production and started remaking M91/30s in the same plants after the production of the SVT40 was terminated. And, all of that was worked around that gigantic 7.62 x 54R round. Amazing story, really. And it's quite a different story than the comtemporary M1 Garand, isn't it!

Rome

 

[ij70]

It is truly a testament to this rifle, however, that so many attempts to make it "right" were tried. First, the SVT38 was abandoned and the SVT40 introduced which supposedly fixed the problems the 38 was having. Then they made some of them into the AVT which was full-auto. Then the "carbine" was tried. None was really super successful and that's why the Russians closed down production and started remaking M91/30s in the same plants after the production of the SVT40 was terminated. And, all of that was worked around that gigantic 7.62 x 54R round. Amazing story, really. And it's quite a different story than the comtemporary M1 Garand, isn't it!

Rome

I wil let others correct you.

 

[bones92]

Well, the only exception being that 91/30 production never ceased, there's not any reason to jump on Cabinetman's post. Let one man's opinion be his.

It's not about who knows more or has the greatest volume of minutiae at their hands, it's about appreciation of the hobby.

I wil let others correct you.

 

[Vic]

I'm not touching this- I 'll let Cass fix it.

 

[tuco In Memoriam]

Absoultely. These are like the famed "tanker garands". They are simply not real. There may have been a few experimental models made but, like the MAS 49/56 in the new NATO caliber, they are pipe dreams; maybe even moreso.



Rome

Not what the Russians say on the matter.

 

[Ihatemacs]

Absoultely. These are like the famed "tanker garands". They are simply not real. There may have been a few experimental models made but, like the MAS 49/56 in the new NATO caliber, they are pipe dreams; maybe even moreso.

Actually the Finn's modified some. I would expect 99% of these you run into were modified in Canada by the exporter before they came to the U.S. There are known original Finn modified carbines however.

 

[Cabinetman]

Well, I'm always willing to learn but I have read all of the "facts" that I've poffered above. The SVT was tried as the AVT. And I've also read that the arsenals that produced the SVTs were converted back to the M91/30. Please tell me where I'm wrong so I don't spout inaccuracies elsewhere. I can take it!

R

 

[Vic]

The factories that made the SVT never stopped making Mosin Nagant's-they were separate production lines. The SVT stayed in production until 1945.
Production of carbines was done on a very limited basis and soon abandoned-not at the end of production but rather at the start. Carbines are in almost all cases chop jobs and one should approach and look at them with great skepticism as two company's did cut them up in the 60's-Global and Viking Arms. They way they cut them up is very distinct and easily identified.

 

[ij70]

Well, the only exception being that 91/30 production never ceased, there's not any reason to jump on Cabinetman's post. Let one man's opinion be his.

I did not expect this level of ignorance from bones92. Wow!

 

[skywarp]

The SVT was originally intended to eventually replace the Mosin rifle as a standard-issue battle rifle. However, if I'm remembering right, it fell into the same abyss as a lot of other Soviet military ventures when Hitler invaded in 1941. M91/30s could be made a lot faster and cheaper, so they cranked 'em out. The SVT program was not ended until the SKS project was already underway.

As for whether the M1 Garand is better than the SVT... well, that's a debate for another time. But I will say that the SVT was ahead of the M1 in two important ways: removable box magazine and short-piston action, adjustable gas system.

 

[Cass]

I'm not touching this- I 'll let Cass fix it.

I don't want to get in trouble and give away Vic's trade secrets, but I've heard from reliable sources that he produces these in his basement and then ships them to museums in Russia............Since he and Mr. Peabody use the "Wayback machine" they are actually WWII production carbines.

 

[Vic]

Ssshhhhh......

 

[Cabinetman]

Ok, ok, so I was on the right track but on a different schedule. I do appreciate the clarifications.

As for the debate regarding the SVT40 and the Garand, well, while I do feel that the SVT offered attractive features, they were not sufficiently sorted out while the Garand was. I'm of a mind that virtually every contemporary semi-auto designed from that era was a "wannabe" to the Garand. Just consider the fact that the Garand remained virtually unmolested for it's entire 6 million+ run while the SVTs faded into history but that discussion is for another post, not this one.

Rome

 

[bones92]

Interesting... I get the impression Vic and Rome were saying much the same thing: most "short" SVTs we will see are not "legit" but chop-jobs. And the SVT did go through a few modifications in design.

Not sure what I'm missing here, but feel free to enlighten me.