M39 Straight Stock Study
Posted: Sat Jul 06, 2013 1:28 pm
This is a study of M39 rifles in "straight stocks"
Below shows the serial number range and how many are in that range.
I am not showing all serial numbers to allow for privacy of the rifles owners (for now)
Serial Number range..........total in that block
200,000-200,999..............Total 12
201,000-201,999..............Total 17
202,000-202,999..............Total 24
203,000-203,999..............Total 18
204,000-204,999..............Total 19
205,000-205,999..............Total 24
206,000-206,999..............Total of 21 (Total 4 before 206200 and 17 after 206200 to end) 206200 is the cutoff point of the "old theory"
207,000-207,999..............Total 15
208,000-208,999..............Total 9
209,000-209,999..............Total 2
210,000-215,999..............Total 7
It is clear they continued to put straight stocks on rifles up to 207999 (maybe some where before that) and did not stop at 206,200 as the old theory states. It is also clear they probably did not save any for "later use" or "repairs" and if they did, they had more then originally though.
[hr]
Old theory:
M39's were supposed to have had 6,200 straight stock that were used first in 1941 when the first of the M39's came into the arsenal. An additional 800 straight stocks were set aside for later usage as a replacement stock (for damaged stocks). A total of 7000 straight stocks.*1 After this point they used pistol grip stocks. This change would have happened in 1941 some time.
Old Theory's Conclusion:
1) Any M39 with a straight stock with serial # 206,200 and lower had a correct straight stock on it. (Red above)
2) Anything M39 above 206,200 would have had the original pistol grip stock that came on it removed at some point and a straight
stock put on. If it has a straight stock now, it was not original.
Problems:
This would mean that the Finns put straight stocks on M39's from 200,000 to 206,200 and sprinkled them on other M39's as they were needed for replacements (repairs). If this were true, all the rest of the 800 stocks set aside for repairs would have been used up by the end of 1941. They do not show on any other year rifles other than 1941 dated rifles (with the rare exception of a couple know examples). That is a lot of replacements to have on a small amount of rifles in less than a year (perhaps 6 months or so). Also, it would mean that when they mixed up the stock later on (say during refurbishment after the war?), they did it only to 1941 year M39's because no other M39's have straight stocks.
From the study above:
The above study of M39's was done over 8 years and seems to suggest that they used straight stocks on rifle serial numbers 200,000 to 208,000 (or there about). It is clear that straight stocks were put on rifles up to serial # 208,000 by the amounts of rifle found now with them on. Notice how the numbers fall off at 208,000 and higher up. That is when they stopped.
Study Conclusions:
This would seem to indicate they used over 8,000 straight stocks or they mixed in pistol grip stocks in at some point.
Did they have more stocks than 7,000 to start with? Perhaps 8,000. This would explain the M39's with straight stocks on them from 200,000 to 207,999.
Finding straight stocks on M39's above 208,000 would indicate either they were swapped on to these rifles during repairs (and only to 1941 M39's) or later re arsenals from rifles with serial numbers lower than 208,000. Or they had more than 8,000 stocks originally and these "spares" (above 8,000) were used to do repairs.
But clearly they used straight stocks on M39 till at least 207,999
If you would like to make sure your straight stock is on the studies list, or know of a straight stock, you can either post it here, or PM me!
Dolk
This will be moved to the "information forum shortly
*1 mosinnagant.net http://mosinnagant.net/finland/finnish_ ... antm39.asp
Below shows the serial number range and how many are in that range.
I am not showing all serial numbers to allow for privacy of the rifles owners (for now)
Serial Number range..........total in that block
200,000-200,999..............Total 12
201,000-201,999..............Total 17
202,000-202,999..............Total 24
203,000-203,999..............Total 18
204,000-204,999..............Total 19
205,000-205,999..............Total 24
206,000-206,999..............Total of 21 (Total 4 before 206200 and 17 after 206200 to end) 206200 is the cutoff point of the "old theory"
207,000-207,999..............Total 15
208,000-208,999..............Total 9
209,000-209,999..............Total 2
210,000-215,999..............Total 7
It is clear they continued to put straight stocks on rifles up to 207999 (maybe some where before that) and did not stop at 206,200 as the old theory states. It is also clear they probably did not save any for "later use" or "repairs" and if they did, they had more then originally though.
[hr]
Old theory:
M39's were supposed to have had 6,200 straight stock that were used first in 1941 when the first of the M39's came into the arsenal. An additional 800 straight stocks were set aside for later usage as a replacement stock (for damaged stocks). A total of 7000 straight stocks.*1 After this point they used pistol grip stocks. This change would have happened in 1941 some time.
Old Theory's Conclusion:
1) Any M39 with a straight stock with serial # 206,200 and lower had a correct straight stock on it. (Red above)
2) Anything M39 above 206,200 would have had the original pistol grip stock that came on it removed at some point and a straight
stock put on. If it has a straight stock now, it was not original.
Problems:
This would mean that the Finns put straight stocks on M39's from 200,000 to 206,200 and sprinkled them on other M39's as they were needed for replacements (repairs). If this were true, all the rest of the 800 stocks set aside for repairs would have been used up by the end of 1941. They do not show on any other year rifles other than 1941 dated rifles (with the rare exception of a couple know examples). That is a lot of replacements to have on a small amount of rifles in less than a year (perhaps 6 months or so). Also, it would mean that when they mixed up the stock later on (say during refurbishment after the war?), they did it only to 1941 year M39's because no other M39's have straight stocks.
From the study above:
The above study of M39's was done over 8 years and seems to suggest that they used straight stocks on rifle serial numbers 200,000 to 208,000 (or there about). It is clear that straight stocks were put on rifles up to serial # 208,000 by the amounts of rifle found now with them on. Notice how the numbers fall off at 208,000 and higher up. That is when they stopped.
Study Conclusions:
This would seem to indicate they used over 8,000 straight stocks or they mixed in pistol grip stocks in at some point.
Did they have more stocks than 7,000 to start with? Perhaps 8,000. This would explain the M39's with straight stocks on them from 200,000 to 207,999.
Finding straight stocks on M39's above 208,000 would indicate either they were swapped on to these rifles during repairs (and only to 1941 M39's) or later re arsenals from rifles with serial numbers lower than 208,000. Or they had more than 8,000 stocks originally and these "spares" (above 8,000) were used to do repairs.
But clearly they used straight stocks on M39 till at least 207,999
If you would like to make sure your straight stock is on the studies list, or know of a straight stock, you can either post it here, or PM me!
Dolk
This will be moved to the "information forum shortly
*1 mosinnagant.net http://mosinnagant.net/finland/finnish_ ... antm39.asp
