Scope on SVT 40 - Does it work?

ShotgunNut

ShotgunNut

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Hey I'm planning to mount a scope on my SVT next month but I am skeptical I won't have issues with the scope over hanging the action. Weather it's damage to the optic, I suppose I could figure out a shield of some kind, but my main prophecy is that casings might hit the scope and bounce back into the action. Anyone have experience I could learn from in this department?
 
Either high rings or a deflector will need to be mounted, depending on your scopes forward bell size and gas setting. I had to mount a deflector on mine, the scope was getting hit. Especially when shooting hotter Czech surplus, or you can find a shorter length optic and mount it away from the ejection path. You'll sacrifice some magnification possibly though.

I never had casings bounce back into the action though, just smashing off my scope lol. I'm hoping my new stainless gas system parts will allow a lower gas setting on this rifle.
 
I read they don't hold zero the original scope mount they used with the rails and notch. I was going to buy an original but they are expensive so I just bought a $20 scope and a $12 mount on the rear sight of a $149 Mosin. Same thing.
 
Love my Repo scope and mount.

Haven't lost zero and I have a few crates thru my SVT40

I did have to get a Bradley Cheek Rest for it tho.

My SVT is one of my favourite riffle since I scoped it.
 
I did a review a while back on the Pic Rail adapter (only works on the rifles with the receiver grooves, the "sniper notch" is not necessary). Don't think these are available anymore, so not exactly what you would call a plug for the product:

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1131313-SVT-40-Picatinny-Rail-Review

s_IMG_20140919_165607.jpg


I was quite concerned about shells bouncing off the scope when I installed this, especially with that particular scope with it's huge objective lens. But I'd also spent a fair bit of time watching slow motion video of the action of SVT-40 (poke around YouTube, there's a few videos floating around), and it gave me a bit of insight before I tested.

The shells on an SVT-40 leave the chamber at about a 45 degree angle, forward and to the right. It actually requires minimal clearance above the chamber for a scope to be safe from ejected shells.

I ran a few hundred rounds with the gun set up in the above configuration, and didn't have a single stovepipe, and not one shell dinged off the scope. They all ejected normally. sailing off into the distance forward and to the right like my rifle always does.

In the end, I removed the rail and left the rifle stock. Not because of any problems with function, but because I prefer the clean lines of my SVT without any bolt ons, and I shoot that rifle in competition from time to time in vintage class, and the rail would count as an illegal mod.

You should have no need of a deflector or high rings for good function. However, I will add the caveat that this is how things worked with my rifle, and SVT's are a bit notorious for each having their own personality, so your mileage might vary.

Cheers.
 
grelmar said:
I did a review a while back on the Pic Rail adapter (only works on the rifles with the receiver grooves, the "sniper notch" is not necessary). Don't think these are available anymore, so not exactly what you would call a plug for the product:

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1131313-SVT-40-Picatinny-Rail-Review

s_IMG_20140919_165607.jpg


I was quite concerned about shells bouncing off the scope when I installed this, especially with that particular scope with it's huge objective lens. But I'd also spent a fair bit of time watching slow motion video of the action of SVT-40 (poke around YouTube, there's a few videos floating around), and it gave me a bit of insight before I tested.

The shells on an SVT-40 leave the chamber at about a 45 degree angle, forward and to the right. It actually requires minimal clearance above the chamber for a scope to be safe from ejected shells.

I ran a few hundred rounds with the gun set up in the above configuration, and didn't have a single stovepipe, and not one shell dinged off the scope. They all ejected normally. sailing off into the distance forward and to the right like my rifle always does.

In the end, I removed the rail and left the rifle stock. Not because of any problems with function, but because I prefer the clean lines of my SVT without any bolt ons, and I shoot that rifle in competition from time to time in vintage class, and the rail would count as an illegal mod.

You should have no need of a deflector or high rings for good function. However, I will add the caveat that this is how things worked with my rifle, and SVT's are a bit notorious for each having their own personality, so your mileage might vary.

Cheers.
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Thanks everyone especially Butcherbill and Grelmar. Nice works! Really informative and now I have great examples of what to try. Looking at Butcherbill's rifle with the Tapco deflector (sks?) I can see that the size and length of the casings must help the deflector do it's job. I have tried optic rails on the sks and it was stovepiping every couple of minutes so that's what I want to avoid. That review of Grelmar's was excellent. I'm gonna save that to my note book because that is the same optic mount I plan to get. Thanks for the help!

Oh and what about the eye protector on your scope Grelmar? (not sure what it's called) Can you buy them separately? It looks good and might come in handy. It actually reminds me of the SVD rifles.
 
Here's a shot from the back, I had to cut an angled spacer to allow the tapco sks deflector to sit at the proper angle. The mounts wall is angled and the deflector is at a 90 deg. I made it out of some rectangular bar stock, I cut it lengthwise with a hack saw and smoothed it out with a file. Iirc I cold blued the cut side after I tapped it.

 
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ShotgunNut said:
Thanks everyone especially Butcherbill and Grelmar. Nice works! Really informative and now I have great examples of what to try. Looking at Butcherbill's rifle with the Tapco deflector (sks?) I can see that the size and length of the casings must help the deflector do it's job. I have tried optic rails on the sks and it was stovepiping every couple of minutes so that's what I want to avoid. That review of Grelmar's was excellent. I'm gonna save that to my note book because that is the same optic mount I plan to get. Thanks for the help!

Oh and what about the eye protector on your scope Grelmar? (not sure what it's called) Can you buy them separately? It looks good and might come in handy. It actually reminds me of the SVD rifles.
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They eye cup came with that particular scope. It's a Russian made scope with a Dragunov style ranging reticle graduated for 54R. It currently resides in my parts bin waiting for a build to come along and strike my fancy.

Butcherbill said:
http://www.corwin-arms.com/product/svt-40-weaverpicatinny-rail-scope-mount

It's still available grelmar, thanks again for doing that review. Iirc it's what sold me on the mount in the end, very happy with it buy the way.
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Good to know. It really is a great mounting system for the SVT. Thanks for the compliment about the review.
 
We are basically running out of this mounts 7 are still available. Once they are gone no plan to produce more factory just wants too big of an order. First order it was OK but for the second time unless we have new wave of SVT imports it will be too much
 
If corwin runs out there is a guy in Canada who makes a similar SVT scope mount, Addley Precision. I have one on my SVT and so far it's held up well. I have a 1-4x scope that doesn't flare out at the front, and after about 100 rounds it has held its zero after two range trips. I haven't taken it off and put it back on to confirm yet if it keeps it after reinstallation, but it's a tight fit, so I don't expect it will change much.

As for cases hitting the scope, for the most part I haven't had any trouble with it. I've got 2 little scuff marks out of about 100 rounds, so I may just wrap some electrical tape around that end to protect it instead of a full shell deflector. I've had no issues with casings falling back into the action and giving me problems that way. Like above I found they eject forward and to the right pretty consistently, with only the odd one that flips up oddly if it catches something else.
 
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