All for a Song. Finn P-27

[martin08]

And not even one dancing partner on Gunbroker to help me buy it! This Finn P-27 came home for the opening bid of $245. A fellow has to have some luck, once in a while.

The Finnish P-27 Mosin Nagant is built to the same specs as the Russian Model 1891. The main difference is that it utilizes a relined Russian barrel, which was machined in Salerno, Italy. The production was authorized in 1925, but it is thought that many P-series guns were not assembled until 1939 or later, for the Winter and Continuations Wars between Finland and the U.S.S.R.

A few points to ponder:

1. It has pinned barrel bands, so this one won't be coming apart to read the tang date.
2. S-stamp on the barrel, similar to others near the same serial number range.
3. Crown in a little beat up, making it a little difficult to see the bore liner.
4. Rear sight base came from an Austrian capture rifle, as the schritt increments are still marked on the left side of the base.
5. It was cheap money for a P-27.
6. Serial number will be added to the P-series database.
7. One piece Russian stock, with toe-splice.
8. B and M stamps on cocking piece - NEW?
9. And did I say that I got a great deal?

Here's the link to the Finn P-series database:
https://docs.google.com/a/beeline-o...TXFwVnFoUGJwYXJ1NzVNdW5YaGc&usp=sharing#gid=0

Anyway, here are the pics, and thanks for looking folks!

 

[50 BMG]

And you said I stole my last purchase....then you mugged this guy

Great find, Congratulations my friend..

 

[majspud]

FINN-tastic!

T

 

[50 BMG]

Hey buddy, now on this forum we have a 26 and a 27!!!!
http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/threads/193832-P-26-Finn

 

[JuergenG]

Congrats to yet another fine collector piece!
With only one 27 and 39 I'm seriously lacking in the Finn dept

 

[je25ff]

Congrats to yet another fine collector piece!
With only one 27 and 39 I'm seriously lacking in the Finn dept

My 'collection' said, 'What is Finland?'

 

[USMA-82]

Hey - I seem to recall having one of those in the collection! It's of the P-26 variety though:

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vb...nother-Mosin-Nagant-Holy-Grail?highlight=P-27

Nice catch!

*

 

[martin08]

Hey - I seem to recall having one of those in the collection! It's of the P-26 variety though:

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vb...nother-Mosin-Nagant-Holy-Grail?highlight=P-27

Nice catch!

Notice that yours has a blued barrel shank. This one was likely assembled during the early stages of the contract order for 1926., vs. examples like the one pictured above with the barrel in the white, and assembled circa 1939 to 1944.

The blued shanks are far less common than the shanks in the white.

 

[PATRON]

Congrats on a very nice find,

 

[USMA-82]

Notice that yours has a blued barrel shank. This one was likely assembled during the early stages of the contract order for 1926., vs. examples like the one pictured above with the barrel in the white, and assembled circa 1939 to 1944.

The blued shanks are far less common than the shanks in the white.

That makes sense to me. Before the barrels were judged "unfit" and sent to the back of the armory warehouse, they probably did proceed with the bluing process during assembly. They wouldn't have bothered with the "rejects."

Then, when the Russians were at the door and they were desperate for ANY rifle, they dug out the barreled receivers (still in the white) and slapped them into rifle stocks. Funny how the threat of the loss of your country makes things like physical appearance so less important!

I think the whole story about Col. Saloranta and his eventual victory over disgrace is an amazing story:

Relining scandal

By 1924 the amount of corroded rifle barrels in depots of Finnish Armed Forces and Suojeluskunta (Finnish Civil Guard) had reached 200,000 while Finnish Armed Forces had yet no equipment for repairing damaged rifle barrels. Only possible repair methods available for rifles with damaged barrels were either replacing the barrel or relining it with Salerno method (method typically used with artillery pieces). As the Finns had no experience of either, Finnish Armed Forces decided to try them both. Between 1925 - 1927 Weapons Depot 1 (in Helsinki) relined over 13,000 rifle barrels, while at the same time also new rifle barrels were bought and used to replace damaged ones. The relining process with Salerno-method basically included boring the existing barrel and installing a new inner barrel inside it. In addition also cartridge chamber demanded some re-tooling when this method was used). Suojeluskunta on the other hand decided to replace corroded barrels of their rifles instead of relining them - this development lead later into introduction of infantry rifle M/91-24 used by Suojeluskunta.

The relining program created a scandal, as experts that inspected the results considered rifle barrels fixed this way poor quality and even potentially dangerous. This lead first into stopping production of relined barrels in year 1928 and in 1930 also manufacturing of new relined rifles was stopped. Trials followed and reimbursements were sentenced because of this scandal. Before the production of relined barrels was stopped it had manufactured some 13,450 barrels for infantry rifle M/91, 1,490 barrels for cavalry rifle M/91 and 595 barrels for Maxim machineguns. The Committee created to investigate the matter in 1927 considered only 15 % of the barrels good, 20 - 35 % totally unfit for use and the rest (estimated 50 - 75 %) to be in need of further repairs. In second more detailed inspection made in 1930 the Committee came to conclusion that only 14 % of the relined barrels were suitable for use, 51 % were totally unfit for use and 27 % required further repairs. Not before than 1938 was usability of relined barrels re-evaluated, this time they got considered "passable". After this the remaining relined barrels were took back into use by using them to repair almost 8,000 M/91 infantry rifles by May of 1940. Even the worst ones of relined rifles ended up being considered good enough for wartime use and were used during WW2. The persons sentenced to pay reimbursements for their part in "Relining-scandal" in early 1930's got their reimbursements financially compensated in 1940, but the otherwise the sentences remained.

*