What's a swastika doing on an SVT-40?

It is intriguing as assuming they came from Russia marked, where is the motive for the Russians to mark them and send them over as such. Just goofing around?
 
No doubt a fake ; but the question remains as to why someone would do it if this rifle came directly from Soviet stock....I guess we will never know ....?
 
Faking Nazi stamps is big business indeed, but not in USSR-era military arsenals of the Eastern Block. Back then, these guns were NOT destined for sale and were patiently awaiting for the cold war to turn hot... and faking Nazi propaganda and stamping it onto government property would definitely land a few jokers in the Gulag at warp speed! (too high a price to pay for a joke no one would likely ever know about, wouldn't you say?).


My best guess as to the origin of these markings is something along the "volksgewehr" principle: in the final days of WWII, when the German military and civilians were being overrun by the Ruskies, they had to turn to anyone and anything they could make into a fighting instrument. That meant conscription for kids, women and the elderly, as well as homemade-like production of firearms (as usable guns were getting scarce too). Captured firearms were of a major importance and, since Nazi propaganda was the ONLY thing still holding the whole charade together, it's very likely that captured guns would bear some sort of a crude "nationalist stamp" to motivate the last-stand fighters.


That's my theory: a Berlin propaganda stamp on a captured Russian firearm in the very last days of WWII.

;)
 
Now that theory will kick the speculative value up into the stratosphere. Hey OP, any comment from the vendor as to provenance?
 
Anything German Capture that I've seen has the Dirty Bird, but much smaller and often heavily marked. I don't claim any expertise other than what I've had in my hands, never seen a swastika on a german capture before.
 
I bought an "unrefurbished,unissued" SKS a bit back that had a number of touch ups done to hide wear and rust. It was clearly done when the mag was pinned as it was all the same paint that peeled off when the hot water hit it. Might be where some of these shenanigans occur.
 
fiddler said:
Anything German Capture that I've seen has the Dirty Bird, but much smaller and often heavily marked. I don't claim any expertise other than what I've had in my hands, never seen a swastika on a german capture before.
Click to expand...

These are the only ones I've had in my hands too. RC Mausers with the Eagle and a very, very small swastika positioned below the bird, in the centre.
 
As far as I know, the Germans didn't even rework any captured guns and thus didnt mark or proof them in any way with just a few rare exceptions.
 
I DONT KNOW!
Just speculating here, but could it have been Nazi captured, then Soviet re-captured, and so marked by the Soviets as a note to check it carefully for hidden damage, etc?
 
Also noticed how they made people draw attention to the swastika IE with the white paint. Both photos both have white paint to draw attention to look...
 
Germans officially adopted the rifle as theirs in 1941 as SIGw 259(r). After war SVT-40 was a basis for FN FAL. They managed to get a few in 1941 and early 1942. A number of them got recaptured in 1943 and early 1944. My friend had one that is guaranteed not to be face as it was one in the crate with others directly from the storage and nobody asked for "premium". I don't remember the stamping.

However, I would expect it to be pre-1942 (maybe 1942), with square box stamp.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom