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Swedish M41B sniper rifle

C

Calfed

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Minuteman
Dec 3, 2009
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I went out on a limb this weekend and bid on a Swedish M41B at an online estate auction. The auction pics were few and not that great and the description very spare, but I bid accordingly.

Here are the pics...







Description advised that it is a "Mauser Carl Gustafs 1899 Sniper Rifle".

I'll post better pics and description when I get it.

Thanks.
 
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As an aside, how are the online estate auctions as far as being able to answer questions?

And, for whatever reason your pics aren't showing up for me. Can you direct post them?
 
sandwarrior said:
As an aside, how are the online estate auctions as far as being able to answer questions?

And, for whatever reason your pics aren't showing up for me. Can you direct post them?
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Not much opportunity to ask questions. Pretty much have to go on the pictures and description.
 

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Gorgeous and congrats. I have been watching all the online auctions for them as well....not ready to get one but will eventually. Please do post a range report. That always seemed like arguably the very best sniper rifle of the era.
 
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Classic looking rifle.

Always scratch my head trying to figure what the teutonic people had against the reality of "windage"
 
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Crang said:
Gorgeous and congrats. I have been watching all the online auctions for them as well....not ready to get one but will eventually. Please do post a range report. That always seemed like arguably the very best sniper rifle of the era.
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Thanks, Crang. I'll definitely do a range report.
 
pmclaine said:
Classic looking rifle.

Always scratch my head trying to figure what the teutonic people had against the reality of "windage"
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Yep, I guess once the windage is set, you pretty much have to do "Kentucky windage" when you fire it.
 
Calfed said:
Yep, I guess once the windage is set, you pretty much have to do "Kentucky windage" when you fire it.
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Well as a measure of how well they cared for their gear it wasnt the same mentality as our brought to you by Eli Whitney cleaning parties whereby all bolts would be placed in a can of gas to soak and than handed out without regard to which rifle it belonged in.

The USMC seemed to have tried to keep rifles intact for awhile.

Pretty sure the scope mounts on those are shimmed to zero than you never move them again. Due to the individual nature of the parts Im guessing soldiers took great care of their gear. These rifles in fact sniper or general issue generally seem to be in great shape.
 
Unfortunately, that was a clear case of, "The best laid plans go to hell in a handbasket in a hurry, and get run right over the top of."
 
There is a massive difference between the war the Swedish Army was used in WWII and those use made of the Allied and Axis powers. To pretend that Sweden's neutrality in European affairs, a factor since 1815, had no flow on effect to the quality of the M96 and M38 Mausers that hit the collective global market in the mid-1980s is, at best, that - a pretence.

Unlike the SMLE which went through multiple iterations, and multiple conflicts around the globe, from Flanders fields, to the deserts of Africa and the Middle East to the jungles of Southeast Asia, not to mention the mountains of Korea, the Swedish Mauser, like the Swiss rifles, have not had a singularly hard life.

And I look forward to owning one again.
 
Hairy Biker said:
There is a massive difference between the war the Swedish Army was used in WWII and those use made of the Allied and Axis powers. To pretend that Sweden's neutrality in European affairs, a factor since 1815, had no flow on effect to the quality of the M96 and M38 Mausers that hit the collective global market in the mid-1980s is, at best, that - a pretence.

Unlike the SMLE which went through multiple iterations, and multiple conflicts around the globe, from Flanders fields, to the deserts of Africa and the Middle East to the jungles of Southeast Asia, not to mention the mountains of Korea, the Swedish Mauser, like the Swiss rifles, have not had a singularly hard life.

And I look forward to owning one again.
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Swiss rifles will usually exhibit some exposure to weather and the effects of crampons kicking snow from around the foot of the stock but other wise agreed.
 
I don't disagree. Another factor is that neither the Swiss nor the Swedes used corrosively primed ammo in their rifles. Being completely anal about the bore condition was also a factor.
 
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Calfed said:
I don't disagree. Another factor is that neither the Swiss nor the Swedes used corrosively primed ammo in their rifles. Being completely anal about the bore condition was also a factor.
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Served in Geneva for 18 months....

They had some beautiful rifle ranges in every Canton and they saw a good deal of use.
 
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pmclaine said:
Served in Geneva for 18 months....

They had some beautiful rifle ranges in every Canton and they saw a good deal of use.
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Use, but not the abuse of surviving in combat. When a rifle goes through combat, it functions with dirt and crud in it, Thus wearing it worse than a rifle that gets shot a lot at a range.
 
Jealous. An amazing rifle to own.
Now...just to find one of those elusive Finnish M39 sniper variants ;)
 
sandwarrior said:
The one with, or without a scope like Simo Haya used?
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Simmo Haya used an M28 if I’m not mistaken, the M39 hadn’t developed sufficiently or been available in sufficient numbers when the winter war broke out. The M39 was manufactured in sufficient numbers to be used in the continuation war a bit later.

The scoped M39s were manufactured in very limited numbers. Suffice to say they would cost a significant amount and be damn near impossible to find. That said I would probably part with a kidney to get one in my safe. I used to own an M39 and it was a really beautiful rifle, amazing what they could do with a crappy Mosin action to make a great rifle.
 
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delinquent pleb said:
Simmo Haya used an M28 if I’m not mistaken, the M39 hadn’t developed sufficiently or been available in sufficient numbers when the winter war broke out. The M39 was manufactured in sufficient numbers to be used in the continuation war a bit later.

The scoped M39s were manufactured in very limited numbers. Suffice to say they would cost a significant amount and be damn near impossible to find. That said I would probably part with a kidney to get one in my safe. I used to own an M39 and it was a really beautiful rifle, amazing what they could do with a crappy Mosin action to make a great rifle.
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The gist of my statement wasn't about specific variants of the Finnish Mosins...it was about with or without scope.
 
Yes Simo Haya used an M28. This is a nice buy congrats
 
Most of the M41B snipers in this country were brought in as surplus and had undergone an arsenal refinishing post war. Your example from the pictures looks to have escaped the process or has seen very hard use since. You might have scored a diamond in the rough.
The Swedes were extremely meticulous on the care of even weapons kept in storage. The stock disc will indicate last inspection date and bore conditions. Many were made on Mauser receivers with dates prior 1910!
 
Here is what most of these rifles look like re arsenaled. Yours looks to be a bolt mismatch. The gas shield numbers at least . Pease post more when you get it.
All the raving about accuracy of the new 6.5 creedmoor and Grendel are old news to the Swedes. These are very accurate rifles
 

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Richard Walter said:
Here is what most of these rifles look like re arsenaled. Yours looks to be a bolt mismatch. The gas shield numbers at least . Pease post more when you get it.
All the raving about accuracy of the new 6.5 creedmoor and Grendel are old news to the Swedes. These are very accurate rifles
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The M41B arrived at my FFL today. I got a chance to grab a few pictures before it went into the safe for the 10 day "cooling off" period.

It looks legit...

Bolt is blued and matching (body). The bolt sleeve, cocking piece and safety match each other, but not the bolt body.



There is an M55 adjustable rear sight mounted


Base and scope mount serial number match (19530) and appear to be correct for the receiver date (1899)


Stock apprear to be beech replacement (common for these rifles, I'm told) and has a single crown cartouche behind the trigger guard.



Scope and mount appear to be correct for the M41B


Anyone see anything out of place?
 
Calfed said:
The M41B arrived at my FFL today. I got a chance to grab a few pictures before it went into the safe for the 10 day "cooling off" period.

It looks legit...

Bolt is blued and matching (body). The bolt sleeve, cocking piece and safety match each other, but not the bolt body.



There is an M55 adjustable rear sight mounted


Base and scope mount serial number match (19530) and appear to be correct for the receiver date (1899)


Stock apprear to be beech replacement (common for these rifles, I'm told) and has a single crown cartouche behind the trigger guard.



Scope and mount appear to be correct for the M41B


Anyone see anything out of place?
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I can't see pics. Can you direct post them?
 
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Yep!
 

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Richard Walter said:
Most of the M41B snipers in this country were brought in as surplus and had undergone an arsenal refinishing post war. Your example from the pictures looks to have escaped the process or has seen very hard use since. You might have scored a diamond in the rough.
The Swedes were extremely meticulous on the care of even weapons kept in storage. The stock disc will indicate last inspection date and bore conditions. Many were made on Mauser receivers with dates prior 1910!
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Thanks, Richard and Sandwarrior.

Here is a pic of the stock disc
 

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Very nice, I have it’s twin, a 1900 dated Mauser converted into an M41/B. I’ll post a picture tonight.

Neat rifles and they were chosen for accuracy before being converted into sniper rifles. You just need to hunt down an M41/B sling now, which is basically a competition sling adopted by the military on the M41B.
 
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Random Guy said:
Very nice, I have it’s twin, a 1900 dated Mauser converted into an M41/B. I’ll post a picture tonight.

Neat rifles and they were chosen for accuracy before being converted into sniper rifles. You just need to hunt down an M41/B sling now, which is basically a competition sling adopted by the military on the M41B.
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Thanks, RG!
 
I finally cooled off enough to pick up my Swedish M41B

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I'll attempt a range trip tomorrow.
 
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