airbornetrooper
Active Member
This 1941 Tula production SVT-40 is actually a unique Finnish remanufactured example. This variety is distinguished by the tiny “L” in the circle marking on the receiver bridge flat (near the Tula star) that stands for Leonard Lindelöf's Metal Works. Similar examples will also exhibit crossed out serial numbers with a new Finnish serial number (lacking a prefix) substituted above. This weapon lacks the notch on the receiver bridge that would otherwise distinguish it as a sniper rifle. Finnish troops captured over 3,000 SVT-38 (the predecessor to the SVT-40) rifles during the Winter War in 1939-1940. An additional 17,000 SVT-38 and SVT-40 (predominately the latter) rifles were captured during the opening stages of Continuation War.
These rifles were very popular among Finnish troops (hundreds were estimated as being taken home as unauthorized war souvenirs), which often put captured Tokarev rifles into action against their former owners immediately. Sniper versions of both Tokarev rifles were very rare finds among weaponry captured by the Finns. However, shortage of spare-parts was constant problem with these rifles. By the end of Continuation War over 14,000 of them had been handed over by the troops that had captured them for repairs and were subsequently warehoused. Most of these were warehoused because of worn out barrels and/or other broken parts and awaited repairs, which were never done. In 1958 the remaining Tokarev rifles were declared obsolete and sold abroad by Interarms around 1959 - 1961. Many of these came to the United States and will lack import marks due to coming into the country before the 1968 Gun Control Act
These rifles were very popular among Finnish troops (hundreds were estimated as being taken home as unauthorized war souvenirs), which often put captured Tokarev rifles into action against their former owners immediately. Sniper versions of both Tokarev rifles were very rare finds among weaponry captured by the Finns. However, shortage of spare-parts was constant problem with these rifles. By the end of Continuation War over 14,000 of them had been handed over by the troops that had captured them for repairs and were subsequently warehoused. Most of these were warehoused because of worn out barrels and/or other broken parts and awaited repairs, which were never done. In 1958 the remaining Tokarev rifles were declared obsolete and sold abroad by Interarms around 1959 - 1961. Many of these came to the United States and will lack import marks due to coming into the country before the 1968 Gun Control Act