SVT40 vs. the derivative 555 Mohawk ... your thoughts

steelgray

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The SVT 40 was a great gun with a storied past. People who love the SVT 40 aren't usually fans of the 555 Mohawk. Me, I own both and like both.

For that matter I also have bone-stock, collectible SKS guns and sporterized SKS shooters. IMO it is the same thing. The SVT 40 was built for one purpose - killing German invaders. And once that job was done, millions of those guns would have been destroyed (and many were). A few got a reprieve from certain destruction by being repurposed - in the 60s - by Global Arms (AKA Globco) into very interesting 303 semi-auto sporters.

The story of this operation (at Global Arms of East Ottawa) has never been written - but I know people who actually visited the operation - during production.

I own a mint Globco 555 Mohawk, a factory 314, MK-series SVT 40 and a war-production SVT 40 carbine rework (which actually do exist). All are cool guns.

IMO, the 555 Mohawk was/ is a great gun and sort of a "homage" to the original. The ones that fail suffer from misuse from post-60's owners who shot corrosive 303 British out of them and had no idea how to adjust the gas system, no clue how to take them apart and no knowledge of how to clean corrosive (war-surplus, 303 British) residue from a gun. The shortened geometry of the revised gas system in the 555 Mohawk is really the same as that of the war-production SVT 40 carbine reworks - so that is not the source of Mohawk failures.

Find a good 555 Mohawk, replace any mistreated parts in the gas system with surplus SVT40 parts (and/ or a newer stainless steel piston assembly), turn down the gas settings and you got a sweet, reliable SVT 40-style sporter that you can hunt with. Mine is scoped.

I may get mine professionally converted it back to 7.62x54R one day BUT keep that nice Globco sporter stock, shortened barrel and the "all-business" Globco-revised (SVT-40 carbine-inspired) gas system.
 
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The SVT 40 was built for one purpose - killing German invaders.

..and for killing Finnish defenders?
When these SVT-40 were built USSR and Germany together invaded Poland, when Germans bombs were falling on UK Soviets were supplying Germany with anything they could. Let's not forget that USSR was not an innocent victim of WW2, it was one of the countries that started WW2 and even before WW2 had been invading its neighbors.
A gun is a gun is a gun. A tool to be used by soldier. To defend your country or to invade another - this purpose is defined not by soldier but by his country leaders.

And once that job was done, millions of those guns would have been destroyed (and many were). A few got a reprieve from certain destruction by being repurposed - in the 60s - by Global Arms (AKA Globco) into very interesting 303 semi-auto sporters.

These guns were not destroyed on purpose. USSR repaired and kept everything they could. Same for Finland. After 2 world wars nobody was stupid to destroy guns. They were surplussed relatively recently. First by Finland, by Bulgaria, then by Ukraine. Russia never surplussed their SVT-40s, only limit number were repurposed for civilian marked. And Globco's was not a savior from destruction but a commercial Bubba for rifles surpluses by Finland.



I own .. war-production SVT 40 carbine rework (which actually do exist). All are cool guns.

What is war-production carbine rework?
 
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..and for killing Finnish defenders?
When these SVT-40 were built USSR and Germany together invaded Poland, when Germans bombs were falling on UK Soviets were supplying Germany with anything they could. Let's not forget that USSR was not an innocent victim of WW2, it was one of the countries that started WW2 and even before WW2 had been invading its neighbors.
A gun is a gun is a gun. A tool to be used by soldier. To defend your country or to invade another - this purpose is defined not by soldier but by his country leaders.



These guns were not destroyed on purpose. USSR repaired and kept everything they could. Same for Finland. After 2 world wars nobody was stupid to destroy guns. They were surplussed relatively recently. First by Finland, by Bulgaria, then by Ukraine. Russia never surplussed their SVT-40s, only limit number were repurposed for civilian marked. And Globco's was not a savior from destruction but a commercial Bubba for rifles surpluses by Finland.





What is war-production carbine rework?

Glad to see a bit of enthusiasm for the topic. However, the fact is that a huge numbers of great guns got destroyed after WW2. Sporterizing saved some.

The 555 Mohawk is no bubba job. The stock work speaks for itself. And I have no idea how they did such precision relining. As for prices - a really nice 555 goes for a fraction of the price of an original SVT-40. Ask a guy who actually owns both - like me.

Don't know what a wartime carbine rework of an SVT-40 is? Again ask a guy who owns one - or maybe do a bit of research. This is well covered in the literature.
 
I had a Finnish rifle with the sniper-notched receiver. I found the recoil very heavy, not for me but for the rifle itself. The short length made it a very handy rifle in the bush. Sorry I sold it, I would buy one again because it's non-restricted semi in .303.
 
I've never had a Mohawk 555. That said, I've read too many times that headspace tends to be off on them.

Since 7.62x54R ammo was Unobtanium at the time, Globco apparently rethreaded Lee Enfield SMLE barrels to fit the actions. Thus the .303 calibre.

The issue I have is that the gas system is much closer to the chamber on these than was the case with the SVT...thus higher more pounding pressures.

A good gentleman on this forum sent me a couple of pics of the Globeco 555 gas system. Also shown is the SVT original system. Note the difference in length of barrel before gas takeoff.

Not to say that they weren't an ingenious conversion etc.


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Glad to see a bit of enthusiasm for the topic. However, the fact is that a huge numbers of great guns got destroyed after WW2. Sporterizing saved some.

The 555 Mohawk is no bubba job. The stock work speaks for itself. And I have no idea how they did such precision relining. As for prices - a really nice 555 goes for a fraction of the price of an original SVT-40. Ask a guy who actually owns both - like me.

Don't know what a wartime carbine rework of an SVT-40 is? Again ask a guy who owns one - or maybe do a bit of research. This is well covered in the literature.
 
For those unfamiliar with the factory and wartime conversions of the SVT 40 you might want to refer to this link.

http://www.mosinnagant.net/ussr/svt401.asp There are many other references of this type on the web.

SVT CARBINE INFO.JPG


As I have mentioned, the SVT40 carbines featured shorter gas actions that the regular guns. This shortened system (of the factory SVT carbines and the fieldcuts) is about the same length and design as that used in the Globco 555 guns. Obviously, the 7.62x54R cartridge is more powerful that 303 British.

As I have said, common problems with the reliability of guns isn't because of the design or the manufacturing. The problem is that these guns were victims of "bubba-ownership", not bubba production. That is, the guns sold cheap to people who didn't know how to maintain the guns. Too often bubba owners bought one of these 555 guns, fired a few rounds of CORROSIVE war surplus 303 British ammo and left the gun uncleaned in a closet for decades. For this reason you are a lot more likely to find a clean SVT-40 than a clean 555 Mohawk
 
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^ note, the two pictures above with the 1910's russian coffee table are from my "SVT-M"... The steel rod between the piston and the "cup" closer to the action is a replacement one I made out of Titanium... just to lighten the gas moving parts for shyt's and giggles :)

I had asked for globco pictures to see if those could help is making other parts 'better'.

I still have various sized Titanium rods to lighten other parts, thus allowing me to reduce the gases required to cycle lighter gas parts.


My SVT-M thread: link
 
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Picture of carbine from mosin-nagant.net is a picture of a fake, and picture of nazi capture svt has faked rifle too. This web site is outdated and full of incorrect information mixed with good one.
 
Glad to see a bit of enthusiasm for the topic. However, the fact is that a huge numbers of great guns got destroyed after WW2. Sporterizing saved some.

The 555 Mohawk is no bubba job. The stock work speaks for itself. And I have no idea how they did such precision relining. As for prices - a really nice 555 goes for a fraction of the price of an original SVT-40. Ask a guy who actually owns both - like me.

Don't know what a wartime carbine rework of an SVT-40 is? Again ask a guy who owns one - or maybe do a bit of research. This is well covered in the literature.

The rifles imported by Globe weren't saved from destruction by being sporterized. They were exported to Canada from Finland in as-issued condition. Globe saw a market to sell a sported rifle, perhaps with value added profit for them.

Don't know who did the stock manufacture for the Globe sporters. The stocks used on their Mauser and Lee Enfield conversions were obviously manufactured by the same outfit. The pistol grip cap treatment is interesting - allowed the use of smaller walnut blanks.

From all reports, some of the 555s work just fine, others don't. If you have a good one, cherish it.

The 555 is interesting from the standpoint of it being an ambitious conversion. Retrofitting a SMLE barrel, reworking the gas system, tweaking the magazine are all a challenge.

Unaltered ex-Finland SVTs are uncommon. New SMLE barrels are very hard to find. Then, no one cared. Now, it is a shame they were altered.
 
I have two 555's always looking to add more to the collection.. pm me lol

I have shot one of them and it was VERY hard on brass. Completely destroying the neck of the casings
 
The picture I posted in #13 ([url]https://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/showthread.php/1885621-SVT40-vs-the-derivative-555-Mohawk-your-thoughts?p=16069918&viewfull=1#post16069918)[/URL] suggests to me that Global Firearms made and honest effort to sell the clean SVT-40s in unaltered shape, in the US. They even recognized that - to sell these guns South of the border to the US-based bubbas of the day - they would have to set-up a US outlet, provide a money back guarantee and provide a cheap source of the oddball ammo.

Logically, one can image that the guns that this same Globco sporterized - to make the 555 Mohawks - could have been the ones that couldn't have been sold and clean, genuine, proof-marked original/ unaltered guns - because of the condition that they where received in by Globco.

In other words, one doubts that Globco made otherwise-clean collectible SVT-40s into 555 Mohawks; but rather that guns - received by Globco - with bad bores, damaged barrels, damaged gas systems etc. got brought back to life in a different form as 555 guns.

To me, the comments about SVT carbines of questionable origins is kinda moot to this discussion. Even if you imagine that all SVT-40 carbines (A.K.A. SKT40s) are post-war fakes (something that I do not accept), that contention takes nothing away from the point that SVT-40s function well, even with a shortened gas systems.

And so the reliability issues - often reported with 555 guns - has less to do with the shortened gas systems and a lot more to do with the maintenance problems which plagues the guns because bubba owners - who bought these firearms, shot a few rounds of CORROSIVE 303 British through them and then threw the guns in their closets to rot.

The common complaint one encounters with 555 Mohawks is that they feature "violent extraction" and rip the heads off of cases etc. However, I have yet to read a report of this problem - on the web - where the guy saying this indicated what gas setting his gun was at - or even where the guy acknowledges that the gun had an adjustble gas system (!) Once again, I point to the problem of bubba ownership.

By contrast, one assumes that most Russian soldiers were probably illiterate BUT knew the hows and whys of cleaning their SVT-40 guns and realized that their life depended on servicing the rifle properly.

Beyond the preceding, I think that most of us know that the 303 British cartridge is under-designed in the case head/ web area (especially compared to 7.62x54R) and that this deficiency makes ANY 303 British gun ultra-sensitive to head spacing issues. There were lots of head separation problems with Lee Enfields - in spite of the fact there was no basis for saying that such guns featured "violent extraction".

Anybody who uses a 555 for hunting (where reliability is a must) could consider reloading Priv Partizan cases (better made than other 303 brass) and setting their dies so that the cartridge headspaces on the shoulder - not the rim. Ditto for any other 303 British gun

The rifles imported by Globe weren't saved from destruction by being sporterized. They were exported to Canada from Finland in as-issued condition. Globe saw a market to sell a sported rifle, perhaps with value added profit for them.

Don't know who did the stock manufacture for the Globe sporters. The stocks used on their Mauser and Lee Enfield conversions were obviously manufactured by the same outfit. The pistol grip cap treatment is interesting - allowed the use of smaller walnut blanks.

From all reports, some of the 555s work just fine, others don't. If you have a good one, cherish it.

The 555 is interesting from the standpoint of it being an ambitious conversion. Retrofitting a SMLE barrel, reworking the gas system, tweaking the magazine are all a challenge.

Unaltered ex-Finland SVTs are uncommon. New SMLE barrels are very hard to find. Then, no one cared. Now, it is a shame they were altered.
 
Globe also sold slightly sported SVTs, with the barrel cut at the gas block with the front sight mounted there. You are assuming that they relegated the dogs for 555 conversion, but they also cut decent ones.

Any evidence to back up your theory that 555s that malfunction because of the use of corrosive .303 ball?
For the longest time the only NC 7.62x54R ammunition was Norma. Everything else was corrosive. Did SVTs develop widespread malfunctioning problems because of this?
 
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