Finn Capture Question

Hitzy

Hitzy

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Everyone always refers to the SA stamps found on Russian guns as Finn Capture stamps........
My question is, how can you tell? I've seen them on SVT40's and they weren't around during the winter war. Are the SA stamps simply not just property stamps put on all Finn firearms? I mean, russia did supply them with firearms before and after the winter war, not to mention purchases from other countries......
 
Good question, I have a 91/30 that has the SA stamp and from the rest of the markings on it, I doubt if it was ever in Finland. bearhunter
 
Check out Gunboards Forum, I think Tuco has the 91/30 and SVT40 Section there-very informative site with all the answers.

The Russians got their Asses kicked Bad ( Read "The Gathering Storm" by Winston Churchill) when they invaded Finland, and the SA stamp is from Finland.
 
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Hitzy,
I think you're right when you say the "SA" is a property mark. I don't believe it has anything to do with being a Russian capture.

Not all Finn captures were stamped, and arms with the stamp aren't necessarily captured. My Finn 91 was a post-war put together, and it has the stamp.
 
I think what differentiates a Finn-capture from a genuine Finn Mosin is that the Finn-capture rifles don't display any of the rework the Finn spent on their rearsenaled rifles. They are regular Russian issue rifles that have been captured and found good enough for troop use without a lengthy arsenal session.
Apart from the SA stamp, they retain all the features of a Russian issued rifle.
PP.
 
SA is a Finnish property stamp, but it has become a term of convenience to collectors and applied to Russian rifle that was not manufactured or rebuilt in Finland before the Winter War. The Soviet weapons captured during the Winter War (39-40) and Continuation War (41-44) such as the Russian Mosin-Nagant 91/30 rifles, 38/44 carbines, SVT- 38/40 and other types are considered Finn captured. But in reality, the SA marking being a Finnish propriety stamp was applied to any piece of equipement the Finns had captured, rebuilt or manufactured over the years starting in 1942.
 
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P.S. Russia never supplied Finland with weapons at least not volontarily, Mosin-Nagants were taken/stolen from Russian Armories and barracks when Finland broke off from Russia at the start of the Russian Revolution. Finland bought surplus WW1 Mosin-Nagants on the world market (France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Turkey had plenty on hand), between the Wars. Finland salvaged many assorted Soviet weapons from the battlefields of the Winter and Continuation Wars also from 1939 to 1944.
 
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Klunk said:
Its extremely rude of you to say something like that AND NOT PROVIDE PICTURES:D
Click to expand...

Sheesh, i'll say! Can't brag about something as cool as that and not put pics up. I have seen plenty of SA marks on my Mosins, but none on an MG.

Cheers.
 
Hitzy said:
Everyone always refers to the SA stamps found on Russian guns as Finn Capture stamps........
My question is, how can you tell? I've seen them on SVT40's and they weren't around during the winter war. Are the SA stamps simply not just property stamps put on all Finn firearms? I mean, russia did supply them with firearms before and after the winter war, not to mention purchases from other countries......
Click to expand...

SVT40 captures are from the Continuation war, not the winter war and the Finns captured many of them.

The SA markings actually weren't applied duringthe war. They were ownership stamps applied after the Army and Civil Guard were amalgamated after WW2 was long over. Everything then in inventory got the SA stamp with only a few exceptions of arms that accidentally got missed.
 
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