Heavily used and abused 41 Izhevsk m38 non-import marked

[racerguy00]

Picked up this carbine a little while ago and finally got decent pictures. It's a 41 Izhevsk with a refurb mark but is about as far away from a refurb as you can get. Non-import marked, 100% non matching, very rough condition stock with lots of cracks. Some are held together by brass nails. The handguard is held together with wire or staples. Bore is too far gone for anything but making fireballs at this point. Thin wire hangers also. No real story to go with this except the tag saying Vietnam bringback but I've never heard of an m38 turning up there. Korea maybe? Who knows. In any case it's earned a nice retirement to wall hanger status.

[King Johhny]

Nice! If only she could talk!

[steelbuttplate]

The finish on this rifle is oil and monsoon mud junglefied. Not to be tried at home. I had a VC SKS with the same little handmade nails in a wrist repair.

[SA1911a1]

That looks like a tired warrior. Nice find!

[Alsky]

Here is a link to an M91/30 that once owned ( traded it off last winter) with some similar features. No import markings on my rifle and the seller that I bought it from said it came from Korea. Both rifles having the staples used to repair the cracks in the hand guard. I had believed that my rifle was SCW but with your rifle being dated 1941 and the similar traits I now have second thoughts.

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread. ... -Pic-Heavy

[racerguy00]

Here is a link to an M91/30 that once owned ( traded it off last winter) with some similar features. No import markings on my rifle and the seller that I bought it from said it came from Korea. Both rifles having the staples used to repair the cracks in the hand guard. I had believed that my rifle was SCW but with your rifle being dated 1941 and the similar traits I now have second thoughts.

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread. ... -Pic-Heavy

Wow. Sure looks similar. Thanks for posting that link.

[zeebill]

Racer many of the T53's he had looked similar to that rifle and had older white SKS slings through those lighter gauge wire sling swivels. I often questioned their similar appearance. They all came to him from century in the 05 to 07 time period from the tags. Gosh do those things ever emote questions the answers to I feel went to the grave with Kevin. This really points out to me the unescapable fact that we never know when our time has come till its too late. Bill

[Ironnewt]

Interesting piece.

[Longcolt44]

Great piece Racer. Whoever had this rifle cherished it as evidenced by all the unique repairs. Most likely it not only kept them alive for some time but I would bet it wasn't taken easily.

[qz2026]

Nice one!

I remember seeing a real beater M-38 at a gun show about 3 years ago. I could have had it for about $50. Was very similar to yours but not with the staples and those hanges etc... Wish I would have brought it home.

[martin08]

I agree that a gun like this is far more likely to traveled through North Korea than Vietnam. But could it have seen both theaters? North Korea did supply aid to North Vietnam in a limited capacity.

[kamakazi339]

Now that has some history. Id love a rifle like that