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Posted: 9/5/2005 10:38:52 AM EDT
| New-argirl has a .308 Valmet. It was her first rifle and she's had it for a long time. However, she has no hi-cap mags for it, and she would really like a bayonet. I know very little about these guns, and dont know where to look. I know they will be expensive, but is there anyplace I can look to find them? |
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I sure dont know? What I can tell you is this, she has had it since the mid 80's. It has no model number marking on it. It definately looks milled, not stamped. It has a synthetic furniture. To the left of the safety, it has an import mark that says just like this: IMPOTED TO USA BY STOEGER INC. S. HACKENSACK. NJ. Opposite side of the rifle starting ahead of the mag is stamped with the ser. # and caliber just like this: 398xxx Cal.. 308 Win Directly under the Cal is a very small marking, looks maybe like a animal head with a crown on or something. Just to the right of that is a lower case "e". On this same side of the rifle, above the pistol grip, it is marked: VALMET Made in Finland Last time she was looking for mags, I heard her make mentione of $200. If thats what they are, thats what I will pay, but where are they? |
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Sounds like a milled receiver M-76, no bipod like my M-78? I've gotten Valmet 20 round 308 mags and Galil 25 round 308 mags (which actually work correctly in my rifle), but they won't work in a milled 76. Go to http://www.valmet.org/forum/ for all the correct info on Valmets. |
| Well, I just asked and it is indeed a M76, at least thats what the mannual that came with it says. And it sure does look like the picture in the mannual, so I presume it is in fact a M76. Wow, just went to that www site and saw some guy sold a bayonet for $250 real quick. There's a bunch of guys looking for bayonet's. |
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Wow, I never even considered getting a bayonet for my 78. I bought the M-78 for $600 in 1984. Anyway, that 76 is a terrific rifle, keep looking and you'll score some mags, back in 1985 I think I paid like $15 each for six 20 rd 308 M-78 mags that Davidson's distributors in Columbia, SC had ordered by mistake, the M-78 they had and sold was a stamped receiver 223 and they ordered the wrong mags for it I believe the story was. Anyway, I'd have never believed those mags would be worth what they are now, and I also bought some Galil 25 rd 308 mags for $25 each at a gun show back then, which, after modifying them for lockup and spring clearance, work flawlessly in my rifle. |
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$200 is a average price for mags, most likely you will find more of them at $250.. $350-$400 is getting to be common prices for bayonets, that's why the one you saw for $250 did'nt last long.. $50+ for slings.. I bought a ass load of G3 mags, and some day I will attempt to convert them for my M78.. |
http://koti.mbnet.fi/mikusite/finnish_proof_mark.jpg Something like this? It´s a Finnish proof mark. Miku |
| If you want to bring her M76 to the shop Saturday, I could come by with a few converted Galil 25 round mags and see if any have the right feed angle in her gun. Making Galil mags fit is not that hard, but feed angle is critical to safety and seems to vary from gun to gun. I doubt that I'd be willing to sell any of my originals but I'll count them and see if I can spare one. Mike has a bayonet that's probably never even been on the gun that he would probably sell but I don't know how much he would want. If you can't find mags and Kerri (or Kiersten) ever want to use the .308 in a match let me know, I'd be glad to loan her a couple of original 20 rounders for a few hours. |
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Thanks Norm, I'll bring the gun. I'd buy a Valmet mag from you at whatever market price is, heck, even the high end of market price if need be. If we can get a convert mag to work, I'd take that if you didnt have a Valmet mag to spare. I've seen Mike's bayonet, and it is, in fact pristine. I'd buy it too if he were willing to part with it. But last we spoke, he wanted to save it to sell as a package with his other Valmet collection. Thanks for your offer, I'll see you on Saturday! |
| I really don't know much about replacing the plastic stocks on Valmets, but someone mentioned to me that it's possible to remove the stock and send it off to have a mold made of it. This would allow a copy to be made in the event that the plastic stock did become damaged. Fiberglass was suggested as potentially a good material to use for a more durable stock. I'd also be very interested in a stock made of wood. Does any of this seem feasible? |
Sweet!!! I've been looking for one just like that in 7.62x39 for about a year and a half. No luck yet. I've read that only 10 were imported. BTW, newarguy and newargirl, if the plastic stock ever breaks and you can't find a replacement, it's possible to have an adapter made to use a Galil folding stock on a 76 like that. There was a guy on the old valmet-weapons board that had one. ETA [email protected] was the guy who made it, but I haven't found a pic yet. |
That is a beautiful rifle Z. Sigurd.......I owned one of the side folding M76's in 7.62x39mm. I sold it to a buddy for $1150.00 about 8 years ago. I know, I know, I know............. Templar<------------Stupid Ass. 
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Thank you for the info. I hope it never breaks, but people keep bringing up the possibility. |
Sigurd --->  <--- Templar  I've had the opportunity to buy a few of the 76 folders in 7.62x39 with stamped receivers, but I want the milled one with the Galil-style hinge mechanism. They are like hen's teeth. I put up a WTB ad on Sturmgewehr every few days for two months, offering $4500 for one. No luck. Got plenty of offers for 62 tubes, stamped 76 folders, even a stamped folder with the old cheese grater handguard, but nothing for the one I'm looking for.  They were the last Valmets to come in before the Bush Sr. ban - Valmet and Sako merged in 1988 or so and the boxes were marked "Sako-Valmet". |
. After I got it I looked around for a M76 w/ wood stock or folder but wound up getting a FN 50.00 (much cheaper mags) and sold it to help raise the funds. Seems like with the mag ban gone someone could make up a batch from hk mags.
I'll buy every mag they have at $100. M78 mags are more common than M76 mags, but so are the guns. I wouldn't pay over $150 for NIW mags. |
Heh, Funny you should say that. AS I was talking to the guy, I mentioned that the real downside to the rifle was mag availablilty. He proceeded to tell me about how Galil .308 mags worked well, and were quite cheaper, close to $50/ea. I told him I'd buy every $50 .308 Galil mag he could find. I wish I could remember the price of that rifle. $1750 comes to mind. |
Also the firing pins. I'm on number three. I basically have retired the piece. Sold the three mags I had awhile back for more than I paid for the ehole durn rifle in the first place. BTW, for those that have the folding stock version, like me. The Galil stock can be fitted to the mounting block of the Valmet, and is a heck of a lot more practical than the Finnish crutch type |
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