Stumbled across this one on auction site. Fairly rare variant that was captured by invading Germans on the Eastern Front, sent back to be reworked someplace (likely Poland), then sold in 1944 as arms trade to keep Finland in the war longer as things were looking bad for Hitler.

More info here: http://www.k98kforum.com/showthread.php?15125-Ex-German-depot-Finnish-acquired-MN-91-30

and here: http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?362466-Finn-Marked-Blue-Bolt-Mosins-%96-Mystery-Solved!-!

How do you know this is a German capture? All I see is an SA proving Finnish ownership at some point.

see the provided links

Exactly, I've found and bought 2 [SA] marked refurbs at Big 5 sporting goods.

ETA: I read the article, I should have held on to  them, along with the PEM refurb..... Crap
At least they went into some well known collectors,  collections on gunboards.

Another one of these threads.

I read both of the forums you posted and it is still just theories and lacking evidence.


Not sure why you keep posting these theory guns like they are proven facts.

Because they are valuable pieces to advanced/experienced collectors? So less experienced collectors might want to know what to look out for.  Last one I seen a publicly auctioned brought in $650. That was 2-3years ago.

 

TWO capture/recaptures? Wow. That's some luck.



This is a nice rifle, but I'm not seeing any of the standard Russian refurb marks. It doesn't look like a Russian refurb, to me. I honestly don't know how to prove the Germans owned a MN and I'm not seeing anything I consider abnormal in the pictures. In my opinion, the rifle probably never made its way back to Russia and likely was imported from Finland. I could well be wrong, though. I don't claim to be an expert and I'm not. Did it stop in Germany, at some point? <shrug> maybe.


All I can tell you is I'd buy it in a heartbeat, if I ran across it and the price was right.

If anything it looks way cooler than any standard refurb

Exactly. "Theory guns" sums it up nicely . The theory being in my mind the absence of fact or at least it is a proposed idea, nothing more.

I want to believe......

I love getting into the details of manufacturers, parts, dates and history. Learning that stuff along with holding honest history in your hands is what I find  appealing about collecting military items.

Those and the other rifles are nice finds but baring any documents, photos and proof, experienced collectors who are aware of all the humping up and pimpshining are naturally skeptical. I'm not pointing at you OP but it is just a fact in the surplus field. It is unfortunate we can't just admire and study a nice find nowadays but low life fakers seem to want to make a buck anyway possible. It is a turnoff to longtime collectors and a discouragement to those new to the hobby alike.

Shame. I miss the good old days.

I want to believe.

I saw a blued bolt Finn at my LGS a week or so ago that looked a lot like yours but I was unsure of it.

They are way too easy to hump what with the whole "some have this feature while others do not" speculation so I passed.

Features are actually common. The blued bolts are either factory original, like mine, or serial numbered (4 digits) on the bolt body shelf in a font that's common between all the blue bolts. The font itself is one very similar to the one used on German weapons. That's the one tough feature to fake.  

Not to mention these particular gun are very niche, very few people know about them so the whole faker thing is little concern. I picked all 4 of my Depots cheap as none of the seller knew what they had.