A study in Soviet Mosins and Accessories
- Thread starter Claven2
- Start date
I collected finn mosins and accessories 20 years ago when they were more cheap and plentiful. Obviously, no new imports have come in for a while now, so finding them means online sales adds from individuals, gunshows, the EE, etc. Prices are also WAY high now with something like an M39 setting you back $2K.
The finns used a lot of the soviet accessories, often stamping them with SA, SA-T, SkY, etc. They also made their own accessories - like slings, muzzle protectors and oil bottles. I have some finn accessories left here, but not a comprehensive selection - I sold off most of my Finn stuff quyite a few years ago when the market started going up and my interests had shifted more toward enfields.
I thought I'd post some of the Finnish mosin accessories people may encounter, since someone asked earlier. I don't have a comprehensive Finn mosin accessory collection, but can show some items that might be helpful.
Firstly, here is the typical Finnish Mosin cleaning kit. In this case, the kit is for an M39, but the only difference between an M39 kit and a kit for another model Finn mosin is the muzzle brass protector for use with the cleaning rod. These are unique to each rifle model.
The sacks are available in a variety of fabrics, though you most often see green canvas (pictured here) or a finely blue/white striped cloth. Often they will be AS or SA-T marked, but sometimes they are unmarked.
The kits will sometimes include a red plastic muzzle cover, but often not - they seem to only fit the M39 though, so it's likely earlier models did not include the plastic muzzle protector.
The oil bottles are often NOT embossed with the SA on the body - the ones that are, like depicted here, are more uncommon. You also see civil guard bottles identical to this but embossed with S.Y. or SK.Y.
The brass muzzle protector clips into a recess in the M39 front sight and has a hole in it to let the cleaning rod pass through without rubbing on the rifling at the muzzle. These were also sometimes made of steel and knurled, supposedly the knurled steel ones were all wartime, while the brass ones were made from 1939 until the end of M39 service. The brass rod is toe extend the length of the standard cleaning rod, and the patch jag threads onto the end of it.
Other kinds of commonly encountered muzzle protectors are a shorter brass knurled protector for the M28 series rifles, and various types of cast aluminum protectors for M91, M24 and M28 rifles that have a spring-loaded mounting button and a knurled, removable threaded cap on them.
The screwdrivers are always imperial production, but electro-penciled with the SA property stamp. I have never seen a civil guard marked screwdriver, but they may exist. Presumably they might be stamped with the civil guard ownership/inspection mark (=S=), if they exist.
These are a nifty and usable bit of kit of you have a Finn mosin.
Many of the oil bottles you encounter will not have anything embossed on the body at all. They can be identified as Finnish by the caps. ALL rifle oil bottes were made by the same company: O.Y.G.W. SOHLBERG A.B. You will find the caps on un-embossed bodies unstamped, stamped with a small SA inspection stamp, similar in size to the rifle barrel inspection stamp, or a large SA inspection stamp like was used on leather goods. Here is a picture showing all three types of commonly encountered bottle caps, which typically will also have the manufaturer's name also stamped into them:
Many sellers will list other types of finish oil bottles as "mosin" oil bottles - these will typically be embossed SA, SY or SKY, are usually oval-shaped flasks and painted army green. These are not actually mosin issue bottles, they were issued with the various Finnish machine gun cleaning kits.
Firstly, here is the typical Finnish Mosin cleaning kit. In this case, the kit is for an M39, but the only difference between an M39 kit and a kit for another model Finn mosin is the muzzle brass protector for use with the cleaning rod. These are unique to each rifle model.
The sacks are available in a variety of fabrics, though you most often see green canvas (pictured here) or a finely blue/white striped cloth. Often they will be AS or SA-T marked, but sometimes they are unmarked.
The kits will sometimes include a red plastic muzzle cover, but often not - they seem to only fit the M39 though, so it's likely earlier models did not include the plastic muzzle protector.
The oil bottles are often NOT embossed with the SA on the body - the ones that are, like depicted here, are more uncommon. You also see civil guard bottles identical to this but embossed with S.Y. or SK.Y.
The brass muzzle protector clips into a recess in the M39 front sight and has a hole in it to let the cleaning rod pass through without rubbing on the rifling at the muzzle. These were also sometimes made of steel and knurled, supposedly the knurled steel ones were all wartime, while the brass ones were made from 1939 until the end of M39 service. The brass rod is toe extend the length of the standard cleaning rod, and the patch jag threads onto the end of it.
Other kinds of commonly encountered muzzle protectors are a shorter brass knurled protector for the M28 series rifles, and various types of cast aluminum protectors for M91, M24 and M28 rifles that have a spring-loaded mounting button and a knurled, removable threaded cap on them.
The screwdrivers are always imperial production, but electro-penciled with the SA property stamp. I have never seen a civil guard marked screwdriver, but they may exist. Presumably they might be stamped with the civil guard ownership/inspection mark (=S=), if they exist.
These are a nifty and usable bit of kit of you have a Finn mosin.
Many of the oil bottles you encounter will not have anything embossed on the body at all. They can be identified as Finnish by the caps. ALL rifle oil bottes were made by the same company: O.Y.G.W. SOHLBERG A.B. You will find the caps on un-embossed bodies unstamped, stamped with a small SA inspection stamp, similar in size to the rifle barrel inspection stamp, or a large SA inspection stamp like was used on leather goods. Here is a picture showing all three types of commonly encountered bottle caps, which typically will also have the manufaturer's name also stamped into them:
Many sellers will list other types of finish oil bottles as "mosin" oil bottles - these will typically be embossed SA, SY or SKY, are usually oval-shaped flasks and painted army green. These are not actually mosin issue bottles, they were issued with the various Finnish machine gun cleaning kits.
