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truly wonderful guns, I have owned mine for a couple years now and have had no problems with it. Its Russian and marked with the Izhevsk stamp. The ammo that came with it is bulgarian i believe and is a pretty hot round but fires like a dream. Good to see so many other people with these great rifles.

I traded an detail on a former co-workers car for a brand new one.
It was never issued, polly barreled version. I'm told its a bit more rare than others, but still not worth much of anything.
I have yet to shoot it, but they are great rifles from the others that I have shot.

This is not Soviet imperial mark. It is the Russian imperial mark. It used before 1917.Finland was a part of the Russian imperia before 1917.
Probably, this rifle was captured and after years was remade by Finnish gunsmiths in 1942. Probably receiver was made before 1917.

these are terrific rifles, some of the Finnish ones were re-barreled by Sako. If you look under the tang, it will give you the year that the receiver was made (not the date the gun was overhauled). be real careful though about ammo. soviet-bloc countries used corrosive ammo long after most other countries switched primer material. supposedly this was because the corrosive primers stored for longer periods. GI bore cleaner or hot soapy water will get rid of the salts deposited in the bore by these primers. also, I'm told Windex will work, followed up with Hoppe's No. 9. also, those ubiquitous belt-fed light machine guns used by isis are chambered for the 7.62x54R cartridge, a design that goes back to the 1890's .