The Mad Russian

Unspoken · February 28, 2013, 01:00 PM

I just bought this mean SOB from another TFL member.

SVT 40, 1940 from the Tula factory. Finnish capture, SA stamped. They tried to deface all Russian markings. White bolt, no import marks, no electropencil.

This thing is just downright nasty. It always turns heads at the range.
Well worth the price of admission, if you can find one.

And hey Dave, thanks for trying to ignite a bidding war between the professor and I, you bastard

Unspoken · February 28, 2013, 01:02 PM

Looks like I whiffed on the pic.
Let's try this.

tahunua001 · February 28, 2013, 04:55 PM

nice... never seen a red one before...

**Mike Irwin** · March 1, 2013, 07:22 AM

I so wanted to buy one some years ago when a batch was brought in and they were under $300 for a time.

tobnpr · March 1, 2013, 09:01 AM

Yeah, ditto..
At current prices, I'd never buy one off GB or elsewhere unless I could verify condition. Read too many horror stories about the gas systems being trashed from corrosive primers/no maintenance.

Definitely a must-have collectible.

Hardcase · March 1, 2013, 02:31 PM

That sure does look nice! One of those is on my list for someday.

Cyberbach · March 1, 2013, 02:51 PM

My brother and I bought a couple of SVT 40's back in the mid 90's for 218.00 each. Took it home and put it in storage with my other guns... never shot it. A couple weeks ago I opened a can of 7.62 X 54 and decided to give it a "audition" at the range. WOW, what a gun! Very pleasant to shoot, and it's a tack driver. At the time of purchase I also found a nice B-Square over the top bolt on scope mount and matted it to a nice 54mm Redfield. You're right about turning heads, this thing just looks awesome and it roars on the line.... best couple hundred bucks I ever spent.

Unspoken... I just noticed your cleaning rod is missing, did you remove it?

Unspoken · March 1, 2013, 05:20 PM

These SVT 40s are like the yeti- I always saw pictures of them, but had serious doubts about their existence...until I bumped into one face to face. I was amazed to find one in my little backwoods neck of the world. Granted, I've only been in the shooting culture for a year now, so I'm sure you more experienced guys have bumped into them along your path.

When I was checking it out for the first time, I was lucky enough to be in the presence of a history professor who knew what every last stamp on the receiver meant, so I got a crash course on the rifle's history, the Winter War, SA marks, etc. He actually had serious intentions of buying it too, until I told him my entire mission of the day is to get that svt. He said "You're young, your collection is just getting started...it's all yours," which was a totally classy move, one I'll always be appreciative of.

No cleaning rod, I'm guessing the Finns highjacked it...the mag is a repro too, which bothers me some. No biggie. The gas port is a little rusty, but not serious enough to impact it negatively. This is my first experience with any gun that uses adjustable gas, so I've been having fun stripping the gas system to tweak the settings. 1.2 seems to be what it prefers.

Like Tahunua said, that red stock is strange, totally unlike all the ones I've seen pics of. I was a little suspicious about it, thinking it might be a bubba job, but I've recently been convinced otherwise.

Nonetheless, it's the sexiest & most interestingly historical rifle in my modest collection.
GO GET ONE! You'll thank me later.

Aaron1100us · March 2, 2013, 03:17 AM

That is a cool looking gun. Going to have to keep my eyes open. Love the wood.

February 28, 2013, 01:00 PM	#1
Unspoken Member Join Date: October 12, 2012 Posts: 99	The Mad Russian I just bought this mean SOB from another TFL member. SVT 40, 1940 from the Tula factory. Finnish capture, SA stamped. They tried to deface all Russian markings. White bolt, no import marks, no electropencil. This thing is just downright nasty. It always turns heads at the range. Well worth the price of admission, if you can find one. And hey Dave, thanks for trying to ignite a bidding war between the professor and I, you bastard __________________ Proverb for Paranoids: The innocence of the Creatures is in inverse proportion to the immorality of the Master. -T. Pynchon

February 28, 2013, 04:55 PM	#3
tahunua001 Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2011 Location: Idaho Posts: 7,839	nice... never seen a red one before... __________________ ignore my complete lack of capitalization. I still have no problem correcting your grammar. I never said half the stuff people said I did-Albert Einstein You can't believe everything you read on the internet-Benjamin Franklin

March 1, 2013, 07:22 AM	#4
Mike Irwin Staff Join Date: April 13, 2000 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 41,389	I so wanted to buy one some years ago when a batch was brought in and they were under $300 for a time. __________________ "The gift which I am sending you is called a dog, and is in fact the most precious and valuable possession of mankind" -Theodorus Gaza Baby Jesus cries when the fat redneck doesn't have military-grade firepower.

March 1, 2013, 09:01 AM	#5
tobnpr Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2010 Location: Tampa Bay Posts: 4,556	Yeah, ditto.. At current prices, I'd never buy one off GB or elsewhere unless I could verify condition. Read too many horror stories about the gas systems being trashed from corrosive primers/no maintenance. Definitely a must-have collectible. __________________ Remington 700/Savage Rebarreling /Action Blueprinting 07 FFL /Mosin-Nagant Custom Shop/Bent Bolts Genuine Cerakote Applicator www.biggorillagunworks.com

March 1, 2013, 02:31 PM	#6
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	That sure does look nice! One of those is on my list for someday. __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

March 1, 2013, 02:51 PM	#7
Cyberbach Member Join Date: February 25, 2013 Posts: 22	My brother and I bought a couple of SVT 40's back in the mid 90's for 218.00 each. Took it home and put it in storage with my other guns... never shot it. A couple weeks ago I opened a can of 7.62 X 54 and decided to give it a "audition" at the range. WOW, what a gun! Very pleasant to shoot, and it's a tack driver. At the time of purchase I also found a nice B-Square over the top bolt on scope mount and matted it to a nice 54mm Redfield. You're right about turning heads, this thing just looks awesome and it roars on the line.... best couple hundred bucks I ever spent. Unspoken... I just noticed your cleaning rod is missing, did you remove it? Last edited by Cyberbach; March 1, 2013 at 03:02 PM.

March 1, 2013, 05:20 PM	#8
Unspoken Member Join Date: October 12, 2012 Posts: 99	These SVT 40s are like the yeti- I always saw pictures of them, but had serious doubts about their existence...until I bumped into one face to face. I was amazed to find one in my little backwoods neck of the world. Granted, I've only been in the shooting culture for a year now, so I'm sure you more experienced guys have bumped into them along your path. When I was checking it out for the first time, I was lucky enough to be in the presence of a history professor who knew what every last stamp on the receiver meant, so I got a crash course on the rifle's history, the Winter War, SA marks, etc. He actually had serious intentions of buying it too, until I told him my entire mission of the day is to get that svt. He said "You're young, your collection is just getting started...it's all yours," which was a totally classy move, one I'll always be appreciative of. No cleaning rod, I'm guessing the Finns highjacked it...the mag is a repro too, which bothers me some. No biggie. The gas port is a little rusty, but not serious enough to impact it negatively. This is my first experience with any gun that uses adjustable gas, so I've been having fun stripping the gas system to tweak the settings. 1.2 seems to be what it prefers. Like Tahunua said, that red stock is strange, totally unlike all the ones I've seen pics of. I was a little suspicious about it, thinking it might be a bubba job, but I've recently been convinced otherwise. Nonetheless, it's the sexiest & most interestingly historical rifle in my modest collection. GO GET ONE! You'll thank me later. __________________ Proverb for Paranoids: The innocence of the Creatures is in inverse proportion to the immorality of the Master. -T. Pynchon

March 2, 2013, 03:17 AM	#9
Aaron1100us Senior Member Join Date: December 19, 2011 Posts: 235	Re: The Mad Russian That is a cool looking gun. Going to have to keep my eyes open. Love the wood.