First time out with the Finn M39 Late Date

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deerslayer303

New member
All I can say is Wow. This thing is a ta k driver. Such a nice trigger. Straight out of the case I sent 4 rounds of 185 grain Monarch down range @ 25 yards, then went to check I was taken back. NONE of my Russian Nagant's will hold a candle to this rifle. uploadfromtaptalk1494521632445.jpg

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Impressive, as all the Finns are.

Ignoramuses lump all MN's into one "basket"- and comparing an excellent condition Finn to a wartime '43 Izhevsk is apples and oranges.

I just had an M39 (customer sent it in for some work, it had no stock so it's being made into a target rifle) on the lathe this morning- barrel running almost perfectly true between centers. To this day, the Finns customize them into big game hunting rifles as well as target. Anyone that's shot an M28/76 knows what they're capable of.

Actions are a bit "crude"- but it's all about the barrels, and the Finns were second to none back in the day.
 
I'm sorry, did you say 25 yards? Any rifle that won't shoot one hole at that distance would make a good boat oar


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can I please state that that's nearly a 4 inch group at 100 yards? not at all the sub1 groups that the finns are reported to be capable of. I get similar accuracy from my M39....and my two rusky MNs... I'm pretty much over mosin nagants at this point. I'm still keeping the ones I've got, but if I want accuracy, I'll get me a japanese or American made WWII relic, much better groups with much less coaxing in my experience.

and all due respect to TOBNPR, my 43 Izzy has a smoother action and is lighter than my M39, without much lost in the way of accuracy with factory ammo... seems my tiny sample size has the 43 Izzy in the better basket.
 
Great shooting rifles. I also have a late date ("Sneak" 1968) and it is a tack driver. If you want to improve your accuracy even more get a set of peep sights with a tall front sight. A guy named Jason sells a set for $30 (at least they were $30 when I bought mine). They are specifically designed for the M39. No modification to the rifle needed, and you can convert it back to original condition easily. His email is: iamrolln@yahoo.com

You can read some reviews and see what the look like at: http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?127065-M39-9-5mm-tall-front-and-rear-peeps-sights
 
I don't know what it will do at 100, but I will soon find out. One thing is for sure it likes that ammo. I really like the triggers on the 39's. Time to get the Sako out and go see what it will do.

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Thanks for the info Ernest T! That would be the ticket as the Sneak has a date with the 200 yard steel as soon as I can get out there! Heck She may wind up in the deer woods this season. Has anyone tried any soft point t ammo that performed well in a 39?

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Yeah, not to rip on you, but 25 yards is too close to be very meaningful. And the ammo; is that soft-point hunting ammo, or FMJ that would be illegal to hunt with? It might not matter to target shooters, but it should to you. Run some respectable hunting ammo through it at 100 yards and see what it will do.
 
More proof that the M39 Finnagants are some of the greatest battle rifles EVER MADE. They blow a standard Mosin out of the water, and are tremendously more accurate and effective rifles than any Russian POS M91/30 junker.
 
Looks fine to me.

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It was FMJ cheap Monarch brand from Academy. I'll have to order some SP ammo and see what happens when I can shoot farther.

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Missed the 25 yard part myself...

Did you thoroughly clean/strip the bore when you got the rifle? I get some where the customer has halfway cleaned the cosmoline off the metal (usually the extractor groove cut in the barrel is still full of it...) but ignored the bore.

If not, use a good copper remover/solvent followed by powder solvent of your choice (I use Wipe-Out foam, which does both). Start from a perfectly clean "baseline" bore, and after some fouling shots- may take 10 or 20 depending on how rough the bore is- it'll be shooting to potential. Be sure to try different bullet weights/types of ammo if you don't handload to find what it likes.
 
Great advice tobnpr, thank you. All my milsurps are very clean. I submerge all the metal in a bath of mineral spirits amd forget about it for a while. It works so well.

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Even if it weren't illegal, why hunt with inferior ammo when proper hunting ammo is available? I don't really have a problem if someone uses FMJ ammo strictly for targets where score is all that matters. My buddy is a fan of surplus guns and uses quite a bit of military ammo to plink with because it's cheap. sometimes we shoot water-filled milk jugs at 100-200 yards or so. With FMJ ammo we usually can't even tell if it's a hit or a miss. But with soft-points there is a dynamic explosion of the jugs. Myself, being an outdoorsman and not so enamored with military stuff, I consider FMJ ammo to be inferior and just about useless. Cheap practice, maybe? I practice with hunting ammo; reloads, of course.
 
I do not use FMJ for hunting only range use. I will iron out some SP ammo for these 39's. I'm gonna put in an order today for some various brands and weights of SP 54r. I've got another two and a half months to figure it out.

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Even if it weren't illegal, why hunt with inferior ammo when proper hunting ammo is available?
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lots of reasons, first off, varmints, expanding ammo is just not necessary when you're dealing with small game(20 pounds or less). many hide hunters use FMJ exclusively to prevent unnecessary damage to hides. these are just a few things off the top of my head.
 
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