Silver vs Plum

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FALguy

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Hi all!

My Tula-built SVT has a silver bolt carrier, whilst many of the SVT's I see have plum-colored ones. As SVT's are the only Commie guns I've seen with this plum color was there a particular issue or need for this?

Thanks!
 
The plum colored bolts are usually a sign of a post war refurb (done in the Ukraine??).

Svt40's were originally issued with the both the bolt and bolt carrier in the white. So you may have a non refurb or somebody buffed off the bluing.
 
The constant debate. Reliable sources say. 1/ early bolt carriers were silver and refurbed to plumb. 2/ All bolt carriers were plumb.
3/All bolt carriers were silver and refurbed plumb.
I buffed out one of my earlier carriers to a chrome like finish because I liked it and if 1/ above is correct, then I simply restored it to original.
Take your pick.
 
Tinman204 said:
The plum colored bolts are usually a sign of a post war refurb (done in the Ukraine??).

Svt40's were originally issued with the both the bolt and bolt carrier in the white. So you may have a non refurb or somebody buffed off the bluing.
Click to expand...

No need to buff, just dunk the plum colored bolt and carrier in vinegar and Presto, silver again. ;)


Grizz
 
The colour is a by product of bluing over hardened metal I believe.

It also shows up in ww2 german firearms that aren't refurbed. Bolts, extractors, and such are all seen in plum.
 
Not all refurbs are plum either. The recent imports show about maybe 1/4 of the refurbs coming in are still silver, though still renumbered.
 
1940-1941 - silver (white), 1942 they started produce plum bolts and according to @Ratnik, most if not all 1942 bolts are plum. Plus during the refurb most silver were re-blued to plum colour.
 
I got a minty 41 izhevsk with silver bolt comming, hopefully its mostly original matching gun.

I don't mind the plumb bolts though, kinda like them.
 
michael london said:
I got a minty 41 izhevsk with silver bolt comming, hopefully its mostly original matching gun.
Click to expand...
I doubt it. Original, non-forced matched SVTs are very very rare because of the nature of refurb process. Especially chances are low for the rifles produced in 1940-1942. But post some pics when you get it, who knows, maybe you're the lucky winner.
 
I also have absolutely mint, all matching, all original, unfired (at least it looks like, how one can be sure?). But I know it was refurbished, as original stck bears marks of two different shellacs. Sometime it's just hard to notice.
p.s. she is 1943 and explains a lot, the u close to 1940 the less chances to find such rifle in original condition, but of courcr they do exist.
 
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I have a 1941 Finn Capture SVT with silver bolt and carrier. It actually very slightly yellowish due to the age... Unissued and un-refurbished 1944 converted auto AVT's turned out for sale in Russia. These even retain an original selector switches, however the trigger mechanism is pinned internally to prevent automatic fire. All have golden bolts and carriers.
I am not an SVT collector, but for those interested there is a great source of info on guns.ru.(google translate is your best buddy) A retired Russian Army armourer did an extensive research on these rifles, documenting hundreds and hundreds of examples, including exprerimental rifles built by F.V. Tokarev(even some of these, in their original state have a plum colored bolt) and concluded that SVT-38 and very early 40's had silver carriers, early 40's were some white and some golden colored the late ones were all gold or brown. He actually writes or going to write a book on SVT's. For SVT collectors this info is priceless. He also has a refurb specs and blueprints from 1953? I believe, where according to him were no mentions of blueing or re-blueing for bolts and carriers. I assume it was done during later refurbs IMHO
 
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