The Russian Mosin Nagant Forum

Acquired a 1945 m38 yesterday at local gun show. Older Aztec import. Matching, dried cosmoline in spots. Stock has various little markings throughout.

Bore is spotless, bolt face is as well. Seller said he never fired it. Just bought them back in the day and tucked them away hoping they'd increases in value.

I paid 550 for it and don't see many 45 dated ones out there to compare too to see if that was a decent price. 91/30s anymore sell for 450 around my location so I figured price for this more uncommon carbine was good.

Beautiful rifle. I like the way the laminate stocks look. I have several M44 carbines but never had a chance to pick up an M38. The $450-$550 range seems pretty common now for Mosins. I remember about a year and half ago my gun shop had some Mosins at the +$400 price range.

That is a nice rifle. Congrats on finding it.

1939, and 1945. That's not just any M38 Soviet refurb, 1939, and 1945 were low production years compared to 1940-1944. Harder to find, and was expensive even when I bought mine nearly 16 years ago. You would have gotten it cheap maybe 20-25 years ago when nobody realized 1945 was anything special. I had a lot of trouble finding a 1945, more than the 1939, of even the 1943 M44. Very nice find, and you stole it at that price, obviously from someone who didn't do their homework before selling, like coming here and reading up on it in the information section.

I know I've read on here 45 m38 in a laminate m44 stock. Could have possibly came that way?

It surprised me the price seeing there were turk mausers and pressed barrel norinco sks for 800 on up. I don't see any rebuild markings on the barrel or receiver.

The appearance of the rifle and its importer are a dead giveaway. Aztec was once a supporter of the old Mosin board back in the early days when Bob Wheeler owned it in the early 00's . Aztec sold Soviet refurbished Mosins and vanished when their stockpile ran dry. Laminated stocks were often used during the refurbs, this could have just as easily been put in a hardwood one if such had been in the pile when they reassembled the rifle after the refurb. That refurb could have been anytime from 1946-1970's, then it went into a wood crate that Aztec pulled it out of back in the days of less than $100 M38's My 1945 is in hardwood, assorted other M38's and M44's I own are in laminated, one managed to be sent over with no shellac on it at all, most others got some variation of red shellac as yours has. I would guess that by 1945 most newly made M38's were getting laminated M44 stocks.

Inkedforlife76 wrote: ↑Sat Aug 19, 2023 6:32 pm I know I've read on here 45 m38 in a laminate m44 stock. Could have possibly came that way?

It surprised me the price seeing there were turk mausers and pressed barrel norinco sks for 800 on up. I don't see any rebuild markings on the barrel or receiver.

SKS rifles have skyrocketed in price. I'm glad I was able to pick up my Russian SKS when I did.

Everything has skyrocketed in price, the new normal.

Congratulations on the M38! That one looks very nice, and the laminate stock is cool. I only have one laminate stock, and it's on an M44. I'm still somewhat blown away by how much prices have increased. My focus changed to guitars in 2019, and I haven't kept a close eye on pricing. I traded an AR15 that I had 300 bucks in for my laminate stock 1945 M44 and two spam cans of ammo around 2019 or so that I found in the local trading journal. I paid 200 bucks for my 1943 M38 three years ago. Dang if times haven't changed.

IMHO.....
Well, we can all thank _________ for the higher prices.

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Awwww.......Come On Man
Just doing my part to increase INFLATION.



Is that you Brandon?

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So.....why is it that? Most of these posts on the m38 don't include information about the "counter bore" status? Or is it really that, it's not worth mentioning anymore?

My m38 has the counter bore. And, seeing other examples.....well, I was thinking that most of them were released that way (with the last imported batches - post 2000s).

Aloha, Mark

Better to have a counterbore than a shot out crown. It's something we don't see with US military used arms as first world nations can afford to just change the barrel when it wears out. Even when Uncle is sending out old rifles as military aid the barrel is the most common thing to get replaced before anything is sent out.

Nobody is mentioning the rarity of a 45 dated m38s. None were even listed in official production numbers. They are extremely hard to find. Nice find.

very nice rifle!! I always regretted letting my M38 go

1945 was a hard date to find even back when I got mine around 17 years ago.