

In the mid 1920’s
talks began concerning a new service rifle to replace
the older m/91. These talks revolved around two separate
proposals, modification of the m/91 or a completely
new design of rifle. After submittal of the proposals
it was decided that it was not feasible both economically
and politically to produce a completely new rifle
for the Finnish Army. The basis of the decision to
pursue a different option was based upon the costs
involved. Finland was still a fledgling new nation,
and a large outlay of capitol was not feasible to
produce a completely new rifle. To circumvent the
cost factor, the Army Ordnance Department proposed
a new rifle based on the Mosin Nagant already in
service with the Army, the m/1891. To further reduce
the cost of the new rifle, it was also proposed that
the newly designed rifles would be specifically deployed
to front line combat troops to keep costs in line.
The initial plan was to produce 120,000 rifles for
combat troops and use the existing supply of m/1891
rifles as well as refurbished m/91’s as secondary
rifles for use in support units and rear echelon
troops.
The Army begrudgingly
accepted the proposal of the trusted m/91 in a modified
form. The new rifle would have a shorter barrel to
reduce the unwieldy length of the earlier m/91. A
reduction of 15.5 cm was submitted. This length brought
the total barrel length down to 68.5cm from 80.0cm.
With this reduction a new handguard and retaining
bands would also be needed. Further modifications
to improve the trigger operation and sighting/accuracy
capability were also submitted. These modifications
demanded the use of a new sear and trigger stop shape
as well as having an additional trigger pin to facilitate
a smoother pull and crisp let off. New sights were
proposed as well, both front and rear. The older
unprotected front sight blade of the m/91 was to
be protected by the addition of two prominent guards
on either side of a stout new sight blade. These
new guards acted in two ways. One was the protection
of the sight blade from damage and the other was
to create a centering effect of the sight picture
for quick target acquisitions and firing. The sides
of the front sight "ears" had a hole in
the center to allow for light to pass onto the blade
laterally and to facilitate the adjustment of the
front sight in it’s seating dovetail for windage.
The front sight base was pressure fit and then soldered
in place. An additional screw at the rear of the
sight blade acted as a centering point for installation
and solder. The front sight blades were initially
of the standard flat rear edge type but were later
changed to the stepped variety that was found on
later m/91Tikka produced weapons. The rear sights
were reused Russian types of the Konovalov style
but with a slight alteration. The Finnish sights
would be marked in meters and the Russian marked
graduations in arshins were milled off or lined out
on the sight base sides and replaced with Finnish
markings in meters. Additionally the rear sight base
was altered to add another "step" in the
sight scale of 200 meters, the standard battle sight
range for the Finnish army. The rear of the Konovalov
sight was removed by grinding to form a flat surface.
Affixed to this new flat was a Finnish rear sight
plate that allowed the proper sighting relationship
with the new front sight blade. Two screws affixed
this plate. The sight picture of this plate was a "U" shape
as opposed to the Russian style of a shallow "V".
Later versions of the m/27 utilized a notch of a
deeper "V" shaped aperture centered in
a slight "U" shaped depression. This change
occurred approximately in 1930 or earlier by examination
of physical examples. It is noted that some m/27’s
do not have any rear sight modifications of any kind
over the Konovalov style. This unusual feature seems
to be predominating in two date ranges, 1934 and
1937. Whether by coincidence or by pattern this was
the year before a proposed halt in production in
1935 and the first year of full production with a
complete overhaul of all of the m/27’s in stock to
improved standards. These modifications as well as
new stocks fabricated from the earlier m/91 stocks
constituted the primary changes over the m/91. The
new stocks were to be shortened m/91 stocks with
a deeper barrel channel to accommodate the thicker
barrel of the m/27. This resulted in a slightly thinner
barrel channel wall that would later come back to
haunt the design. The new stock was initially fitted
with front and rear slots as the m/91 was, but later
in production a plug was added to the rear slot effectively
filling it and a 360 degree rotating steel swivel
was fitted into the bottom of the stock. This was
a result of an effort to prevent the sling from twisting
when slung on the soldier’s back. The front slot
was retained. One minor modification to the m/91
bolt was also undertaken. The connecting bar for
the bolt head and body was replaced by a Finnish
version with two small "wings" on the rear
of the bolt. These "wings" or guides fit
into corresponding slots cut into the rear of the
receiver where the bolt was inserted. This addition
was supposed to stabilize the bolt and improve the
loading of cartridges by keeping the bolt in a more
stabilized parallel position. This was a fine thought
in theory but under field conditions it later proved
to be an unforeseen problem. If the slot guides got
dirt in them the bolt would not seat fully forward.
Also this meant the bolt of a m/27 could only be
used in a m/27 with the guide slots milled into the
rear of the receiver. This presented the possible
problem in field replacements of say a m/27 bolt
into a non-modified receiver. It would not fit. The
connecting bar on which the small guides were present
would have to be switched with an unmodified version.
A m/91 bolt was however easily used to replace the
assembly. This guide and slot modification of the
connecting bar assembly of the m/27 bolt, appeared
on the first m/27’s in 1927 and continued to be used
until early 1933 when it was dropped. It is noted
from interviews of some Finnish veterans that often
they would remove the Finnish bolt in their rifle
and replace it with a Russian bolt when the opportunity
presented itself. This was due to the fact that the
Russian bolt was not machined too tolerances as tight
as the Finnish counterpart and would operate easily
under harsh conditions.

It
should be explained here early on some of the markings
that are used to identify the maker of the particular
m/27. The primary manufacturer of the barrels for
the m/27 rifle was Tikkakoski, a private enterprise
heavily connected to the government through contracts
for military weapons. This is often shortened to
just "Tikka". The identifying mark of the
Tikka arsenal was a capitol letter "T" inside
of an inverted triangle. This marking was modified
slightly in 1938 to include a circle surrounding
this triangle "T" stamping. The other arsenal
to produce the m/27 barrels was that of VKT or the
government owned State Rifle Factory. It’s identifying
marking was that of the Finnish letter abbreviations
of the name-Valtion Kivääritehdas or VKT enclosed
by a diamond shape with flat sides. These markings
are found on the top of the barrel. Below the maker
mark is found the rifles serial number with the barrel
chamber designation markings below that. Finally
the date of the barrels production is found at the
bottom of the barrel just above the receiver line.
Other markings that are commonly found on the m/27
are the Finnish Army property stamp of a boxed SA-
[SA] which can be found in number of places on the
m/27 barrels. Most commonly it is found on the left
side of the barrel just above the wodline of the
stock. It is however found on the right sometimes
or on the top of the barrel next to the makers stamping.
The capitol letter "D" is almost always
found on the barrel next to the maker’s mark or somewhere
in obvious sight on the top of the barrel. It is
often seen as well next to the capitol letter "F" marking
which is explained below.
This "D" stamping denotes that the rifles chamber has been altered
to accept the Finnish D-166 heavy ball bullet. This change was done to accommodate
a chamber size that would be able to use all types of 7.62x54R ammunition.
The Finnish forces had captured vast quantities of Russian ammunition and it
often was not useable in the m/27 due to the Finnish rifles tighter chamber
tolerances. This alteration solved that problem and enabled the use of all
captured ammunition as well as the new D-166 ball ammo and MG cartridges of
the Finnish weapons of the day. It is very uncommon to find a Finnish rifle
of any kind that has not been marked with this "D" stamping to indicate
this modification. One of the most puzzling markings commonly found on the
m/27 is the capitol letter "F" found over the date of the rifle on
the barrel shank. This letter was erroneously thought by others to be the designation
of Swedish Fägestra steel used in the fabrication of the barrel production.
This is not the correct meaning of the "F" marking. In actuality
the "F" marking is one of three that were used. The trial rifles
of the m/27 series were marked with an "A" to denote the shape and
contuor of the neck area of the chamber. The Finnish army had been experimenting
with different bullet loads and shell casing measurements to determine the
optimum cartridge to achieve the greatest accuracy out of the m/27. The first
shell designation with a modified casing measurements in the neck area-that
was made with a much steeper shoulder than the normal Finnish 7.62x53R cartridge,
was the "A" cartridge designation. This shell was not adopted for
wide spread use and the marking was dropped. No known m/27 that I am aware
of are found with this "A" chamber shape marking. (The author would
be glad to offer a great trade should one pop up!)
The other marking that was used on the barrel was the capitol letter "F" which
identified the chamber measurements of the "F" designated cartridge.
This cartridge used a shallower neck incline as found on early Finnish 7.62x53R
ammunition. The final marking of "D" is as outlined above. The final
letter code of "D" indicated an alteration of the chamber diameter
and shape to accept the Finnish D-166 cartridge that differed very slightly
from the "F" chamber. So in review the barrel markings of "A", "F" and "D" were
marked on the barrel of the m/27 just above the date and between the serial
number to indicate the barrels chamber characteristic and what type of ammunition
was capable of being fired through the weapon.

The contract to produce the new barrels
for the 1927 model of rifle was awarded to Tikkakoski.
Tikka began production of the m/27 barrels, as it would
be known by its year of adoption, in late August of
1927. The serial numbering was to start at 20,000.
The Military Command Office accepted the first barrels
on the 29th of December 1927. The first year of production
only resulted in 799 barrels produced. These barrels
were then sent to the weapons depots, Asevarikko as
they are called in Finnish. The abbreviation used to
denote this is AV. There were three weapons depots
at that time, AV1 located in Helsinki, AV2 located
in Viipuri, and AV3 located in Kupio. It was at these
depots that the assembly of rifles was completed. The
principal assembly depot was AV1 in Helsinki. The following
year-1928, the m/27 rifle was formally put into service
with the troops. (48)
 
Early And Late Tikka M27 Rifle Markings
1929 proved to be a difficult year
for production of the m/27. The reasons for this are
not clear, whether bureaucratic or assembly wise, but
only 84 rifles were recorded as being put into stock
with the Army records. Assembly did pick up in ensuing
years, 1930 saw 1500 rifles produced with 6100 in the
following year of 1931. (48) Finnish sources and records
indicate that it is difficult to ascertain definite
production figures on a yearly basis as many times
barrel production either met, exceeded or was behind
in regards to the final assembly process. Their indication
is that after 1931 approx 9,000 to 12,000 rifles were
produced on a yearly basis. This number entered into
a formula of known production puts the Army in possession
of approximately 49,000 m/27 type rifles in 1934. With
the recording of serial numbers and variant types in
my database it is more apparent to see the production
variances and approximate yearly production. These
numbers will be reviewed and explained in more detail
elsewhere in the text. Initial reports upon the wide
spread receipt of the new rifle by the rank and file
of the Army troopers was enthusiastic. Its shorter
length was a welcome respite from the longer and heavier
m/91. It’s sights also garnered complimentary remarks.
Early on in the
production schedule when satisfactory resolution
of the initial assembly complications were dealt
with, the various parts of the rifle that were suitable
for sub-contracting were beginning to be farmed out
to shops around Finland. When the stock production
handled by the sate run shops for the m/27 lagged
behind the schedule, an order for a sub-contracted
stock was placed with a Lithuanian firm in 1931.
Various sub-contracted makers of the stocks were
V. Lindomin Oy. Oy Haikka and Palmin Malmin produced
handguards for the stock. Other parts of the rifle
itself were also included in a contracted basis.
The State Rifle Factory or VKT was even ordered to
produce 8,000 trigger assemblies for use by Tikkakoski
in the production of the m/27. (48) In addition to
these assemblies being contracted, other small parts
were done in this fashion as well, both rifle parts
and accessories for the rifle. The Leonard Lindelöfin
company-famous for sub-machine gun production and
already familiar with weapon parts fabrication took
on production of the front sight blades and the protective
sight ear assemblies. They were joined in this contract
by Oy E. M. Nordquist Ab. Small non-gun parts necessary
to the m/27 were also sub-contracted to local shops.
These included the slings and attachment apparatus-sling
loops- that were made by Frittala in Oulu, a large
well-known leather working facility. K.V. Karlssonin
Konetehdas Oy produced the metal buckles and the
euscueteons wwere the responsibility of Malmin Puunjalostus
OY. Palmin Lestitehdas Oy. took on the job of supplemental
handguard production in conjunction with Oy Haikka.
(48)

VKT M27 Rifle
Marking From 1932
It is interesting
to note that VKT produced the m/27 in a standard
form as well. Very little is recorded on this but
production seems to have been started in 1932 from
examination of physical rifles and ceases later in
that year. Approximately 2150 rifles were produced
in the first production order. Another small batch
was made again in 1935. This limited production may
have been an attempt to continue some production
capability while the design overhaul and resumption
of production at Tikkakoski was underway. Only 400
or so rifles managed to come off the line at the
Sate Rifle Factory or VKT during the 1935 production
run. These guns feature an unusual mixture of features.
The 1932 produced weapons almost always have the
early features while a mix of later features can
be found in the 1935 production. It is possible that
the updated nosecap and bands were not ready in quantity
for VKT to obtain until late in the second production
run.
Tikkakoski was
also manufacturing another version of the m/27 in
this time frame, 1933-1934. It was the m/27 rv or
Cavalry rifle. It was a shortened and modified version
of the m/27 standard rifle designed to replace the
German Kar98a in service with the Finnish Cavalry
Regiments. This rifle would eliminate the need for
a non-standard rifle cartridge in the Finnish supply
scheme as the 98a was chambered for 8mm Mauser. The
new m/27 carbine was to feature many of the design
characteristics of the rifle it replaced. Talks had
started as early as 1931 regarding the replacement
of the Kar98a in service with the Finnish cavalry
and centered on the standardization of one rifle
model for the entire corps. At that time the cavalry
regiments were armed with a mixture of rifles such
as some non-standard carbines and the bulk of the
units being armed with the Kar98a and the m/91rv
or cavalry rifle. This rifle-the m/91rv was in essence
a m/91 Dragoon rifle that was modified in terms of
the stock fittings. These fittings allowed for a
sling in the rear to be similar to that of the Kar98a
and the front sling attachment point being a side
swivel fit behind the front sling slot that allowed
the rifle to be easily carried across the back while
mounted. While the Mausers problem was obvious-it’s
7x92mm caliber being non- standard in the Finnish
Army, the m/91 was simply too long for the cavalries
liking. A shorter rifle was wanted to replace all
of the others and be one standardized weapon in the
Finnish caliber of 7.62x53R. The production for the
short rifle based upon the army’s newly adopted m/27
rifle was begun at Tikkakoski in 1933. The first
rifles of the order for 2000 were to emerge from
the factory the following year in December of 1934.
At that time 1261 carbine length barrels being 52cm
long and manufactured by Tikkakoski were received
at the primary weapons depot in Helsinki-AV1. There
the rifles were final assembled with stocks from
older m/91 rifles that were modified with a new forend
for the short rifle. The buttstock was to have a
side cut out just like the Mauser for mounting a
sling that was derived from the Kar98a version. The
rear sling slot was filled in and the bottom of the
stock was fit with a 360 degree rotating swivel as
found on the standard m/27. The handguards for the
rifle, which differed significantly from the standard
m/27 style, were subcontracted out again to the firm
Palmin Lestitehdas Oy. The metal parts for the gun
were not any different from the standard rifles in
terms of the receiver, magazine assembly and nosecap.
The bolt was however a modified version of the standard
rifles style. It was to have a bent handle like that
of the Kar98a and be a half bolt knob shape. The
underside of the knob is checkered to gain an improved
grip. This bent bolt required the stock to be dished
out like the Kar98a’s under the bolt handle to allow
sufficient space to grasp the bolt ball. This modified
part as well as a new style rear barrel band would
be produced at AV1 after receiving the Army headquarters'
order to begin fabricating these on the 10th of March
1934. These barrel bands would be a wider version
of the m/27’s and have a permantly attached sling
swivel welded to the band on the rifles left side.
A new shorter cleaning rod would also be required
and this job was again sub-contracted to the metal
fabrication workshops of E.M. Norduist Ab. of Helsinki.

The Bent Bolt
Of The M27 Carbine
After the initial
order of 1261 barrels had been assembled into rifles,
the remaining 739 barrels were completed 3 months
later in March of 1935. This was a great step in
finally adopting one standard rifle based upon the
common caliber of the Finnish Army, that was acceptable
for use by the Cavalry regiments requirements and
for use with communications and riding artillery
batteries. These Finnish units would be armed with
a Finnish produced weapon to replace all of the non-standard
weapons they were currently armed with. At this time
all of the rifles were moved from the assembly point
in Helsinki to the home of the Cavalry Brigade in
Lappeenranta. Once there the rifles were distributed
to the two cavalry units-URR (Uusimaa) and its counterpart
based at Häme (HRR). In addition some rifles were
dispersed to the cavalry’s non-commissioned officers
school (RvAUK) and the mounted communications unit
(VEsK) as well as the riding artillery battery of
Mikkeliin (RatsPtri). The rifles issued to each particular
unit was identified by the brass disc that inset
into the right side of the buttstock and retained
by two brass woos screws. These discs were stamped
with the regimental identification number, the unit
designation code and the rifles number within that
unit. This was following the pattern done on other
Finnish rifles serving in the Finnish Army at the
time like the m/1891, m/27 and the m/23 pistol.
An additional order
for 192 barreled actions was given to the Sate Rifle
Factory (VKT) in the spring (May) of 1937. Again
the barrels were produced in the short 52cm length
of the carbine and were sent to AV1 for final assembly.
Parts used were those that were held in stock from
the initial assembly in 1935. As the barrels for
the m/27rv are dated 1933 and 1935 for the later
VKT produced versions, it is apparent that the barrels
for the VKT made gun may be modified and recontoured
m/27 barrels from the second supplemental production
run done at VKT in 1935. This theory of mine is based
upon the barrel date of the weapon being 1935 but
the production order was not given until two years
later in May of 1937. Another indication that the
barrels were actually recontoured m/27 standard barrels
is that the VKT made barrels of 1935 exhibit a different
type of crown as those of the Tikkakoski barrels
that were purposely ordered and built as short rifle
length. The fall of 1937 saw another small order
of 25 rifles being placed with VKT again. The rifle
was issued the standard accessories of the m/27 rifle,
a cleaning kit and a bayonet and frog. The sling
was a specially made type that duplicated the Kar98a’s
style and function and was fit through the Mauser
style sling slot cut into the stock to accommodate
it.
The m/27rv is one
of the rarest Mosin Nagants of Finnish production
and is highly sought after by collectors today. It
is considered a crown jewel by both American and
Finnish collectors as well as those worldwide should
they be able to claim one for their collections.
This is due to two factors. The units that received
the m/27rv were the very best cavalry units of the
Finnish Army. The units were used as an elite quick
reaction force and saw heavy combat during the Winter
and Continuation Wars (1939-1940, 1941-1945) This
resulted in quite a few rifles being damaged or lost
in battle. During an inventory of weapons after the
war by the Finnish depots, only half of the rifles
produced had survived -approximately 1250. Of those
rifles 75% or 923 were found to be beyond repair
or refurbishment and were sold as scrap. The rifles
that remained were examined for placement in Finnish
military museums and the remaining 304 were sold
to Interarmco in 1960 as Finnish archival information
SArk T 22220/254 records. So the complete production
of the m/27rv amounted to just 2217 rifles manufactured.
It is sometimes reported that approximately 3000
rifles were made as the production sequence in the
serial numbers was for these short barrels to be
made in the serial number block beginning with 72,000
and ending by 75,000. The author knows that most
of the m/27rv’s that remain in Finland are the scrapped
parts of the 923 that were deemed unacceptable. Almost
all of the m/27rv’s that are in their original configuration
with original parts in Finland have been re-imported
from the United States back to Finland from the initial
import by Interarmco in the 1960’s and from a secondary
batch of m/27 rifles that arrived in the United States
in 1984 with some m/27rv’s mixed in. The curators
of the Suomen Museoase Oy gave this information to
me upon a visit there in the summer of 2000.
As soon as the Army began to receive
and distribute sufficient quantities of the m/27, it
was soon discovered during field exercises and live
fire training, that a serious deficiency was inherent
in the m/27. Primarily the new front nose cap/bayonet
lug assembly was found to twist during bayonet fighting
drills and cause the stock to split in that area. The
nosecap was a new design that allow the top to hinge
upward to permit removal of the handguard without completely
removing the nosecap. This nosecap was retained on
the tip of the stock by a rather thin cross screw that
did not provide adequate support to prevent any rotation
of the unit. It was also found that firing the rifle
with the bayonet affixed resulted in a similar problem
of the stock cracking in the forend area of the nose
cap. This problem was a result of the inadequate support
and retention of the nose cap assembly to the stock.
Also a contributing factor was that the initial stocks
utilized a modified m/91 stock. The modification consisted
of increasing the barrel channel to accommodate the
m/27’s heavier (thicker) barrel diameter resulting
in a thinner walled barrel channel. This contributed
to the stress point between the nosecap assembly and
the front sling slot, which resulted in longitudinal
fractures.

Top Later M27 Stock Bottom Early
M27 Stock
This was a major setback in production
of the new m/27 and upon a definitive report on the
problem the subsequent manufacture of the m/27 was
discontinued immediately. Major General A.S. Heikinheimon
was ordered to review the problems. Upon completion
of his review he suggested to the Armaments Committee
that as of November 8, 1934 any further stock production
be halted at the end of the current production run.
(48) He further ordered that several repair/modification
proposals be looked into to rectify the problems. In
1935 it was decided after various proposals were submitted
and considered that a modification of the existing
nose cap would solve the problem and was economically
feasible. It was also ordered at this time that all
existing stocks of weapons would be modified to accept
the new nose cap. This newly modified nose cap now
had a large steel support leg welded to each side,
extending back into the stock in inletted channels
of approximately 3 " in length. It was to be retained
in the rear of these support legs by a large screw
that passed from the right support bar to the left..
The forward retaining screw was also used in the anterior
portion of the nose cap. This eliminated the torque
applied when the gun was used during bayonet fighting
or when the rifle was fired with the bayonet affixed.
A modified version of this nosecap would reappear on
the later m/39 rifle that would the successor to the
m/27. In addition it was decided that the use of the
older m/91 modified stocks be suspended and a new heavier
forend be grafted to the older buttstocks with the
use of a three fingered splice joint. Many older m/91
stocks modified for use on the m/27 were refit with
new heavier forends using this technique. These guns
required a new heavier rear barrel band as well. This
accounts for many m/27’s with new light colored forends
and darker well used buttstocks from the original m/91
stock modifications.

One Version Of The M27 Buttstock
It should be noted here that there
can be found no less than six distinct stock variations
found in the m/27 rifle production. The primary stocks
were simply modified Russian m/1891 one piece stocks
with sling slots front and back. The second variation
to be found is the rear slot has been filled and the
rotating swivel has been added to the bottom. The front
slot remains unchanged. This style of stock was used
from approximately 1927 to 1934 in conjunction with
the 1st variation. I assume that the stocks were being
modified as the production went along. This is the
most common of the stock variations. The third variant
in m/27 stock production is the Finnish produced buttstock
utilizing a spliced forend and lacking a rear sling
slot completely-only having the rear rotating swivel.
This 3rd variant is found on rifles produced from 1934-1937
in most instances. It is in this time frame that the
appearance of the "bicycle/ski troop" style
stock, as I call it appears. This 4th variant has the
rear slot filled or it is not present at all. A side
mounted front swivel then complements the bottom rotating
swivel. This swivel is mounted on a bar that is approximate
to the shape of the front sling slot. A wider lip at
one side prevents the bar from passing completely through
the sling slot. It is retained by the swivel being
fastened by a vertical screw that allows for the swivel
to move freely and thus effectively blocking the bar
from being withdrawn from the slot. The nomenclature
I use for this type of stock-the "bicycle/ski
troop" model-is not a Finnish designation but
one that I recorded in my private notes for my own
recognition after an interview with a Finnish veteran.
This veteran was a bicycle trooper in summer and issued
skis come the bitter winter months. He commented to
me after seeing a picture of one of the guns using
this style of swivel that he really preferred that
arraignment when carrying the m/27 rifle. It allowed
the rifle to be slung flat on the back while traveling
and he and his fellow soldiers on patrol sought these
types of swivel arraignments out specifically. From
that information I refer to this type of arraignment
as the "bicycle/ski trooper" variation in
the swivel set up. The fifth variant is the Finnish
production of a m/27 stock that returns to the primary
characteristics of a front and rear sling slot. This
Finnish produced version is much heavier in the wrist
and forearm than previous versions. It is found only
with the second pattern barrel bands, as they are much
heavier and thicker to accommodate this stock. The
sixth and final variant is the use of a m/91-30 stock
on the m/27. This practice was done on a strict wartime
expediency and is not common in any way. Very very
few m/27’s were repaired in this manner. During the
closing days of the war it was essential that rifles
were returned to the front as quickly as possible.
Many rifles were being sent back from the depots in
a mix match of parts. This is evident in m/28’s wearing
m/27, m28-30 fit into m/27 stock furniture and vice
versa. The use of the m/91-30 stock was a last ditch
effort. The depots apparently used what stocks they
had on hand to repair damaged m/27 rifles. The m/91-30
stock will not with out heavy modification to the barrel
channel, accept a thicker m/27 barrel. The barrel channels
were specifically deepened and widened to fit the m/27.
The handguards of the m/91-30 were also used but again
adjusted in the front to sit down farther on the heavy
barrel. Front and rear m/91-30 bands were used to retain
the handguard but many of the stocks I have seen have
been fit with two rear barrel bands. This 91-30 stocked
m/27 is not commonly found and is a prize find if original.
There could technically be a seventh variant but the
stock of the m/27rv is not interchangeable with a standard
m/27 and vice versa so it is actually a stock unto
itself and can not be thought of as a variant in standard
production.

A Close Up Of The So-Called "Ski
Version" Of The M27 Rifle
When production of the m/27 was resumed
in the later half of 1935, all were to be made utilizing
the new standards outlined by Army. In addition a program
was set up to retrofit older existing guns, totaling
approximately 49,000 to 50,000 guns made prior to 1935,
to the new specifications. The work was seriously begun
in widespread depot level repairs by 1937. In lieu
of the problems with the m/27, AV1 was ordered to begin
work on a new prototype weapon incorporating some of
the design submissions for the improvement and repair
of the m/27. These submissions were made in the fall
of 1937 and AV1 was ordered to work up 300 rifles.
This rifle was designated the m/35 for the year of
submission to the bureau. After only a few rifles were
completed however the project was halted. A further
review of this prototype design, the m/35, will be
discussed in it’s own section as it had design characteristics
that influenced later Finnish production of a battle
rifle.
This whole time frame-1935 thru 1937,
and it's resulting slow down and stoppage of production
with the subsequent retrofitting of existing rifles,
had a serious detrimental effect new rifle production.
From 1935 to 1937 only a few thousand new rifles were
produced. 1936 having the distinction of being the
rarest year in terms of numbers actually made. There
are no firm production numbers quoted for this year
bit an extrapolated guess by known examples in my data
base and the known numbers of guns produced prior and
after the year of 1936 reveals that approximately 250
or fewer rifles were assembled that year.This gives
1936 the honor of the rarest year of production on
the m/27 series of rifles. The growing tensions with
the Soviet Union in 1938 resulted in a renewed effort
to meet the production deficiencies. The results of
this and the proposal of a new service rifle, the m/39
based upon some of the earlier m/35 designs, resulted
in very few rifles being produced in 1938 and 1939.
The outbreak of the Winter War in November of 1939
saw the m/27 forced into another year of production
that was not planned-1940. The proposed m/39 was to
have begun production by then but was not ready until
the spring of 1940. Production of the m/27 during the
Winter War was slowed to a crawl and eventually ceased
with 4 months worth of production completed before
the adoption of the m/39 at the wars end. There are
a few years of m/27’s which are considered the rarest
of the production schedule. Virtually no new m/27’s
were made in 1929 and again in 1936. Very few came
out of the depots again in 1937 and 1938. 1939 saw
a slight increase with a renewed effort in place for
the war as well as the final year of 1940 which was
only 4 months of production. The final two years of
m/27 production only saw approximately 2800 rifles produced.
Approximately 1500 in 1939 and 1300 in
1940. The m/27 continued to be the Army’s basic weapon
through out the early years of the Continuation War
(1941-1944) along side the older m/91 which was put
into emergency production again from 1940 thru 1943
by Tikka and 1940 to1942 by VKT. It was eventually
superceded by the m/39 in 1942-1943. During the Continuation
War some quantities of m/27’s were produced at AV3
in a sub-contracting role to AV2. These rifles were
assembled from existing parts left over from AV2’s
earlier production runs. Barrels were obtained from
stores of spares at Tikkakoski and stocks were used
that were left in storage at Kupio-AV3. These stocks
tend to be of a reddish-brown color and are made of
a wood the Finn’s called "nut wood". This
was a Hickory wood and is not a native tree to Finland.
These stock blanks were obtained from Germany in 1932
as part of a preliminary order for spares to meet the
lagging production. Remember that another order had
been placed for stocks with a Lithuanian firm in 1931
as well. These stocks of Hickory wood have the depot
number and weapons serial number stamped in a rectangular
box on the right side of the buttstock. 952 new rifles
were manufactured in this manner and 4,000 more were
repaired in this manner during the Continuation War.
(1941-1944) Most rifles made during this time frame
do not exhibit the same features of the earlier models
due to the urgency of the wartime situation. Most predominantly
is the omission of the nose cap plate or use of the
earlier nose cap with later parts like stocks and bands.

The m/27 rifle was considered for
a specialty role as well. In the early 1930’s the use
of telescopically sighted rifles for use by marksman
or snipers was being explored. Many of the participants
of the First World War used these special rifles to
devastating effect. The Finnish Army knew that the
Soviets had begun a widespread production of an optically
sighted rifle for the Red Army so it was decided that
a Finnish service rifle should be manufactured to readily
accept an optical sight and mount. Examples of optical
sights were obtained from outside sources, most notably
Germany, who had considerable experience in the manufacture
and use of optical sights for both civilian and military
applications. Some of the telescopes that were obtained
for testing included German makes from Hensoldt and
Söhne, Dialytan from Ziess and versions from Gerard
Landlicht and the C. P. Goerz company. Hensoldt, Ziess,
as well as Goerz all had military contracts with the
German Army and were well-respected optical manufactures.
The experimentation and implementation with optically
sighted rifles was painfully slow though. Some models
of the long m/91 were fit with specially designed mounts
and tested. The Civil Guard was the first to seriously
undertake the project and by 1933 had tested and fit
both the m/28 and m/28-30 with sights and mounts of
various makes and models and put them to use with troops.
The Army was seriously lagging behind. It was not until
1937 that a decision was made to fit the m/27 with
a sight bracket on of the left rear side of the receiver.
The firm of Oy Physica Ab. was approached and a contract
signed on December 31, 1937 for 250 units to be produced
of a sight suitable for use on both the rifle and machine
guns in service. Trials were undertaken with different
styles of mounting bases, primarily a high and low
mounted version. It was finally decided that a low
mounted version of the delicate box style scope was
better suited to sight acquisition and was adopted
in the later half of 1937. The production of the scope
never met demand however and only 150 rifles were ever
produced before the end of the Winter War. The bulk
of these between 1937 and 1940. This rifle was initially
referred to as the m/27 PH but was later termed the
m/37 sniper rifle from the year of adoption into service.
The remaining 100 scopes were completed after the Winter
War and were to be used on machine guns. But with the
onset of the Continuation War the Finnish Army again
found themselves with a dire need for optically sighted
rifles and the remaining scopes were fit to the new
m/39 rifle creating the m/39 PH sniper rifle. This
rifle is discussed in the m/39 section in more detail.
The accessories for the rifle are
often more difficult to obtain than the rifle itself.
A cleaning kit was issued for each rifle and seldom
encountered. It consisted of an oiler; often times
two, one for solvent and the other for oil-a bore brush
made of horse hair bristles, a rod collar to cover
the cleaning rod head and a small bar to insert through
the rod collar's hole and through the cleaning rod
hole. This acted as a "T" handle when inserted
and gave the handle some rigidity in conjunction with
the rod collar. Two brass extension rods were also
included. One for extending the rod approximately 4
inches and the other was an additional extension that
is contoured like a jag tip to retain the cleaning
patch which was often a strip of flannel. The screwdriver
combination tool rounded out the kit. The screwdriver
has two parts to it- the blade and handle. The blade
was a two-part tool. One side was designed with large
screwdriver size to remove the larger screws found
on the rifle like the magazine/triggerguard assembly
and the buttplate screws. The other end was designed
with a smaller flat screwdriver head to remove the
small screws utilized in the construction of the m/27
such as the barrel bands and sight plate screws. A
large wooden muzzle cover rod guide was the last part
of the kit. It was an enlarged version of the type
used on the m/1891 rifle and was adopted to fit around
the protective sight ears of the m/27. It was fit to
the muzzle then twisted to the left to lock it around
the base of the front sight. In this manner the rod
could be inserted through the brass lined hole in the
cap to protect the muzzle crown from damage during
cleaning. All of these tools were fit into a small
drawstring bag and carried in the soldier’s interior
tunic pocket or in his rucksack.

A bayonet was issued with the m/27
in two distinct versions and makers. The
two companies chosen to fabricate the army’s new knife
style bayonet were Fiskars and Hackman & Co.; two
long manufactures of knives and blades in Finland.
The first was the true m/27 bayonet that exhibited
a rounded point and single ground edge that fit into
a ribbed scabbard. This version of the bayonet had
riveted grip panels and exhibited a polished blade
and a blued locking mechanism. This bayonet is very
rare in an unaltered form as the bayonet was altered
slightly during production the following year in 1929.
Many were also later modified to the m/35 pattern.
This improvement in the standard m/27bayonet that took
place during the second year of bayonet production
in 1929 did not really alter anything other than the
way the bayonet blade was attached to the handle and
the ricasso. This subtle change in the bayonet allowed
for damaged blades to be easily replaced. This change
becaome sort of a sub variant in production and got
it's own designation as a m/29 bayonet. The diffaculty
though is that these changes pr "upgrade" can
not be observed unless the rivets retaining the grip
panels are ground off and the grips removed. For this
reason the article will refer to the bayonets as two
types-the m/27 and the later m/35. Between Fiskars
Oy and Hackman &Co, only 39,000 bayonets were manufactured
in the m/27 style up the 1935. This production was
not even enough bayonets to equip each m/27 rifle produced
with it's own bayonet. An updated and redesigned blade
was developed for the gun after 1934 was valled the
m/35 bayonet for it's year of adoption. It was an updated
version of the earlier m/27-29 differing in the grip
panel retention method, shape of the blade and the
addition of an oil hole for lubricating the locking
mechanism. It was also issued with a new smooth scabbard
that retained the frog with a round button instead
of the earlier teardrop shaped catch of the ribbed
scabbard. This bayonet was much more deadly in function
and appearance. It had a double ground edge and the
shape was changed to be much more like a spear point
in shape. Some other minor variances can be found in
the bayonets. This bayonet was manufactured again by
Fiskars and Hackman &Co. from 1936 to 1938. The
m/35 accounted for an additional 18,500 bayonets. In
total 57,600 bayonets were produced for the m/27 rifle
from 1928 to 1938, still not enough to equip each rifle
produced. These bayonets will be discussed in the Finnish
bayonet section in more detail as well as scabbards
and frog types and makers.

The m/27 was issued
with a variety of slings. The initial sling was simply
a copy of the Civil Guards leather sling that was
brown leather and fit with an oval steel buckle that
was riveted to the strap. This was quickly changed
to a brown leather sling using multiple pieces-either
two or three connected by a square round
wire ring. The buckles on these new slings were round
wire as well and used a roller attachment fit over
the wire to ease in adjustment and to prevent the
chaffing of the leather that was prevalent on the
earlier buckle due to the sharp edges. This sling
was used in the early to mid 1930’s. It was followed
by a simplified version that did away with the multiple
pieces of the sling instead using a single strap
of brown leather. It furthur simplified the sling
by now using only one double sided wire roller buckle.
The late 1930’s and through the Winter War saw the
most common m/27 sling come into use. It was a simple
brown leather strap fit with a square steel buckle
that was zinc coated. Two rivets also retained this
buckle to the sling. The army’s slings were [SA]
stamped just as the others preceding it were but
the slings began to have an additional stamping added.
A large "T" marking stamped beneath the
boxed SA of the army. The "T" on Finnish
equipment stood for "Taisteluvälinehallinto" or
in English "Ordnance Department". This
sling was used for the bulk of the m/27’s service
life. During the Continuation War (1941-1945) some
canvas and leather slings found their way onto the
m/27. These slings made of a canvas or web strap
and having leather reinforced attachment points and
zinc coated steel buckle, were issued instead
of the leather slings due to wartime shortages. These
slings were to be a general issue sling for the m/27,
m/91 and m/39 rifles. A variety of buckles can be
found on these slings as well as it is apparent that
what ever was available was used. These slings were
also developed to be used with either the metal sling
hangars found on Finnish rifles or with the small
leather straps; sling straps or "dog collars" as
many American collectors like to refer to these small
straps. Cartridge pouches were not issued in any
distinct variety to the m/27 rifle. A separate section
on these will cover the use of this accessory on
it’s own.
I hope you enjoyed
this section as the m/27 is one of my favorite Finnish
rifles along with it’s accessories. As always this
article is an attempt to be a comprehensive essay
on the Finnish m/27 rifle for the collector or historian.
I believe that this section now covers the m/27 rifle
and its variants in greater depth and detail than
any other resource available to the collector of
the Finnish Mosin Nagant printed in English. It owes
a great deal to the data contained in the outstanding
Finnish reference book "Sotilaskäsiaseet Suomessa
1918-1988" by Marrku Palokangas and to some
notes of private conversations with Mr. Palokangas
and Mr. Heikki and Pekka Pohjolainen as well as other
collectors of the m/27. I have also relied upon first
hand observations from Finnish war veterans who were
issued and fought with the m/27 as well as my own
notes and a detailed recording of pertinent information
on these guns over the past 18 years. The most valuable
resource though is to be able to physically examine
these rifles by each year and sub-variant produced,
to observe the little nuances found in yearly production.
I am lucky to have that ability within my own collection
of the m/27 that spans all years of production from
1927-1940 as well as the m/37 sniper variant and
the cavalry carbines issued to the cavalry regiments
and the NCO school. Without these fantastic resources,
references and friends, this article would not be
possible. Even with those sources it more than likely
contains some inaccuracies or errors. No one reference
can be said to be completely free of errors. As I
always like to say "as soon as you state there
are none--at least three will show up!"
Vic Thomas
Mosin-Nagant.net
Gunboards.com

The m/27 was designed
to replace the older m/91 as the standard infantry
rifle of the Finnish Army. This picture is of a
young Finnish soldier modeling the new uniform
model of 1927 and it's accompanying equipment.
The rifle is a pre-production version of the m/27
rifle made prior to serial production.

First year m/27 built at
the close of 1927. Notice the early nosecap bayonet
lug features
and the guns one piece stock made from a modified
m/1891 stock. This proved to be the guns achilles
heel 8 years later. It is extremely rare to find
a m/27 in it's original configuration since almost
all went through renovation from 1935 to 1937.

This
is the first year production configuration of
the m/27's forend. Notice the 1st pattern nosecap
assembly and thinner forearm wood as well as
the thin 1st variation rear barrel band assembly.

The
first m/27's utilized an improved bolt guide system
milled into the rear of the receivers. These small
slots corresponded to small wings on the bolt connecting
bar on the bolt. This feature was found on the initial
models through 1933 when it was discontinued.

The
small guide wings as found on the m/27 bolts connecting
bar from 1927 to 1933. The arrow indicates the
wings. The bolt on the right does not have this
feature. This slot/wing set up was discontinued
due to the difficulty in closing the bolt if the
slots became fouled.
 
 
The
three barrel markings found on the m/27 series
of rifles. The first marking on the left was the
primary arsenal mark used by Tikkakoski from 1927
to 1938. The top right marking is the later Tikkakoksi arsenal
marking used on weapons from 1938 to 1943. The
lower markings are that of the State Rifle Factory
or VKT. These were used on a small run of m/27's
made in 1932 and again in 1935.

In 1935
it was determined that the nosecap of the m/27
was poorly designed
and was in need of an upgrade if the rifle was to continue in production.
Here you can see the rifles early 2 piece noscap on the left. It's separate
plate can be seen in front that protected the tip of the stock and provided
support for the cleaning rod. The nosecap/bayonet lug housing is the other
piece of the set. It is without any support but for the cross bolt/retaining
screw. The noscap on the right is the improved model of 1935. It utilized
two longitudinal reinforcement bars on each side and a solid one piece
design with a hole for the cleaning rod to pass through. It was a vast
improvement as it added rigidity to the stock and bayonet lug.

Around
the same time of the noscap redesign it was determined
that a heavier stock was needed as well. This meant
that the rear barrel bands would have to be enlarged
and strengthened as well. Here you can see the
early thin 1st variation band on the lefty and
the later replacement for the heavier stock of
the improved m/27 on the right. The larger size
is clearly evident.\

Here
is a close up of three different m/27 noscap variations.
The top is the
original version 1st pattern nosecap. The middle is a 2nd pattern improved
noscap design. The bottom rifle is a 1939 dated weapon that is in an
improved stock but more than likely was built with parts on hand at a
weapons depot due to the time constraints the Winter War had put on
production. It is unusual to see the stock relief for the reinforcement bars
cut but an early nosecap installed.

Here
is a full length shot a m/27 built in 1936 that
still features the early one piece m/1891 modified
stock but sports the newly approved 2nd variation
nosecap. This gun was built in this configuration
as the order was given that all new production
after 1935 was to be with the new nosecap. The
heavier stock retrofitting did not get under way
until the following year. The gun also still retains
it's rare brass unit stock disc. This particular
gun served with the White Guards Regiment.

A
close up of the disc in the 1936 rifle. The disc
reads that the gun was assigned to a machine gun
unit- KKK serving in the White Guards Regiment-SVK
and was rifle number 12 in that regiment. These
discs were ordered removed after the Winter war
to avoid identifying the units involved in an area
if the weapons were captured. It is quite rare
to find one intact today.

Here
you can see very clearly how much larger the body
of the m/27 stock was made after the 1935 redesigns.

Here
is a top view of the early 1st variation stock
and the later improved heavy version post 1935.

Here
you can see the full length shot of the late m/27
produced in 1937.




The
m/27 used 4 different stock variations in
regard to the swivel set up and design of the rear
portion of the buttstock. 7 full variations can
be identified. Here you can see the major variants.




The
m/27 used 4 different stock variations in
regard to the swivel set up and design of the rear
portion of the buttstock. 7 full variations can
be identified. Here you can see the major variants.

The
forened of the stock for a ski/bicycle troop rifle
and it's sling swivel.

Another
odd variant in regard to stocks is the wartime
emergency use of heavily modified 91-30 stocks
on the m/27. Here is an example of that rare
rifle.

The
rear sights of the m/27 were based upon the Russian
Konovalov sight
system. The graduations were initially done in arshin's-a Russian imperial
measurement based upon the length of the Czar's stride . These sights were
modified to meters by milling off the arshin markings and replacing them
with markings for meters. The battle sight range was also changed to 200m
and new step was created for that.


Close
up of the markings modified or removed and restamped.
The arshin markings on the sight base was removed
and the base then polished smooth and remarked.
Another technique was quicker and more efficient
but is not commonly seen. This method was creating
a "window" by milling out the old arshin
markings and the new range markings stamped
inside.

The
Finn's also modified the rear sight aperture.
On most m/27's the rear sight was milled flat
and an improved aperture sighting plate was installed
with two screws. This improved the sight picture
for the new heavier Finnish front sight and also
provided the correct height for the closer battle
sight distance of 200m.
The
m/27 was also used in a telescopically sighted
version. A machine gun scope made by Physica
Oy. and designed for the Maxim m/21 machine gun
was adopted to the m/27 rifle after long trials.
It was not a great success as the scope was not
especially well suited for this task and the
reticule was very complex to use

A
view through the scope of the m/27PH. One can
see how difficult this reticule would be to use
under combat conditions.

A
close up of the extremely rare m/27PH. Later
on the designation of the
rifle was changed to the m/37. This scope was fit to less than 150 rifles
and is one of the rarest snipers ever made be it Finnish or other.

Top
view of the m/37 sniper rifle with the scope
mounted. Two versions of the mount were made.
A low mount and a high mount. The high mount
was the accepted version. Neither mount provided
a comfortable sighting position as your cheek
was not supported on the rifles comb. This
was later rectified with the Physica's use
on the m/39 as a cheek piece was added.

Another
odd variant is this one of a kind conversion
to a trench type magazine that held 20 cartridges.
This was an attempt to increase the riflemen's
firepower while in a static defensive position.

This
m/27 cavalry carbine or m/27rv is truly one
of the rarest of Finnish
serial production. With less than 3000 being produced and less than 300
surviving the war to remain in inventory as serviceable it is rarely if ever
encountered today. This rifle served with great distinction with Finnish
Cavalry regiments that served as an elite rapid deployment force.

The
buttstock of the rifle was patterned after
the Kar98a that it replaced. The brass unit
disc identifies this rifle as belonging to
the Häme cavalry regiment and was rifle number
85.

The
m/27rv used a unique stock found only on the
cavalry carbine. It's handguard and rear barrel
band pictured here was fashioned just for use
on this weapon.

In
another trait that can be traced back to the
Kar98a, the bolt was bent down on the carbine
and a recess cut into the stock to accommodate
this. The underside of the bolt was checkered
just as the Kar98a bolt.

The
five slings issued to the m/27. From top to bottom:
The initial sling issued was brown leather with
an oval buckle. The second pattern sling was
meant to eliminate the leather chaffing problem
of the oval shape and a square wire roller buckle
sling of three pieces was adopted (the sling
is actually third from the top in the photo).
To simplify the production the sling was modified
to a single strap and a single wire roller buckle
(2nd from top). The sling was again changed to
a more even more simplified model in the late
1930's with a square steel buckle that was zinc
coated and a simple brown leather strap. The
final version was made during the Continuation
War and was meant to be an all purpose sling
for the army's weapons. It is a canvas web sling
with the zinc coated buckle again and leather
reinforcement points for the metal wire sling
hangars if used.

Two
markings found on the slings of the m/27. The
Finnish property stamp of [SA] and the capitol
T found beneath indicating the Finnish word-
Taisteluvälinehallinto, which translates to Ordnance
Dept. The marking on the right is a maker mark
of the sling. It is the mark of the Friitala
Nahkatedas Oy. leather works.
The
m/27 was issued three bayonet types. The initial
m/27 bayonet with riveted grip panels and a rounded
point. It was fit into a ribbed scabbard and
retained on the belt by a frog with a hilt cross
strap as seen on the far left. The next type
was made as a correction to simplify the
replacement of a damaged blade. It is exteriorly
the same as the m/27 bayonet but differs
internally as to how the blade is attached to
the handle. It is the second from left and is
called the m/29. The third from the left is the
m/35, an improved bayonet in shape and the ability
to oil the locking mechanism. Some m/27-29 bayonets
were modified to this type later on. The last
bayonet on the far right is a m/35 in the new
pattern smooth scabbard issued from 1936
to 1938.

The
bayonets removed from their scabbards. A m/27,
m/29 and m/35 all made by Fiskars Oy

The
two makers of the bayonets-Fiskars and Hackman &Co.
made blades with slightly different shapes. The
top bayonet is the Fiskars and the bottom the
Hackman &Co.

The
two maker markings of bayonets for the m/27

A
m/35 bayonet mounted on the m/27 rifle
The
m/27 bayonet had the rifles serial number stamped
onto the top of the blade handle between the
grip panels

Two
makers marks from the bayonet frogs. The
left from the Kupio Depot (AV3) made in 1937
and the right is a frog made by Oy. Veljekset
Aströmin Valjastehtaat located in Oulu.
This
is a fairly rare maker of bayonet frogs as
they only produced some 3000 units
The
cleaning kit for the rifle was issued in
a small drawstring bag. The kit consisted
of a screwdriver with a large and small
head for disassembly and adjustment of
the rifle. The cleaning rod extension and
jag tip both in brass, the bore brush and
the rod collar. The rods "T" handle
bar was also included and some felt strips
for cleaning. The kit was issued with either
one or two oil bottles. One for solvent
and the other for oil. The wooden muzzle
cover rod guide was the final accessory
in the kit. A complete cleaning kit is
seldom seen as most parts have been scattered
or used later on the m/39 rifle. The wooden
covers were either lost, broken or destroyed.

The
rod with rod collar and handle inserted through
the muzzle cover guide. The cleaning
jag is in the background attached to the
rod extension. The metal oil bottles were
produced by either Oy. E.M. Nordquist, Ab.
K.V. Karlsson Konethdas or Oy. G.W. Sohlberg
Ab.

The
ammo for the m/27 rifle. Finnish produced
at Viipuri in 1928. The ammo pouch held three
stripper clips of 5 rounds each per compartment
for a total of 45 rounds

A
page from the squad leaders handbook
on the new m/27 rifle and it's care and operation.

A
solitary Finnish guard stands watch over
the front at the close of the
Winter War in 1940-the last year of production for the m/27 rifle. Some of
the m/27's features would live on in the rifle that replaced it: the m/39.
For more info on that rifle and others see the m/39 section at
mosin-nagant.net under "Finnish weapons".
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