Finnish TKIV-85 done plus 4 other Finnish snipers

[buffalowinter]

My Finnish TKIV-85 Sniper is finished. The Toro block was a bear and took a couple of try's. It has a Zeiss Diavari 1.5-6 scope. The next rifle is the target version of the TKIV-85. It has a Zeiss 10x and has a 28-76 action that is sleeved in a carbon fiber shroud that I made. Both of the guns are shooting better than .5 moa, see my other TKIV thread for pics of groups. The third rifle is the Finnish M28-76 with a Finnish Army marked Wetzlar scope. The fourth is a Mosin M91/30 with PEM scope. Fifth is a Mosin M91/30 PU sniper with Soviet marked scope. The Mosin's have been bedded in the traditional fashion of free floating the barrel channels and wrapping the barrel in burlap.

TKIV-85

TKIV-85

TKIV-85 Target/Sniper

M28/76

M91/30 with PEM scope

M91/30 with PU scope

Finnish Sniper with M91/30 PE PEM

TKIV-85 Sniper and Sniper/Target models

TKIV-85

 

[Random Guy]

Congrats on completing those projects, esp the M-85, that one is tough to make in the US. Your Finnish M-N collection looks nice.

 

[Squidder_K]

Very nice looking rifle. What issues did you have with putting together the M-85?

 

[buffalowinter]

Very nice looking rifle. What issues did you have with putting together the M-85?

You can see the build on the TAK-85 thread. The initial problem was finding parts. Stocks are pretty much non-existent. Scope and mount are very hard to find and very expensive. Toro blocks an be found if you get lucky. Installing the Toro block in the manner intended is tricky. I had LRI do the sniper TAK-85 and it took them quite a while to figure it out. I simply glass bedded the block to the barrel on the Target TAK-85 and it worked fine.

 

[Squidder_K]

You can see the build on the TAK-85 thread. The initial problem was finding parts. Stocks are pretty much non-existent. Scope and mount are very hard to find and very expensive. Toro blocks an be found if you get lucky. Installing the Toro block in the manner intended is tricky. I had LRI do the sniper TAK-85 and it took them quite a while to figure it out. I simply glass bedded the block to the barrel on the Target TAK-85 and it worked fine.

Shy of soul selling, that scope and mount are beyond "hard to find," but I do have correct Valmet rings. I have the block, two of the target stocks, and a couple of donor Remington M91's. Unless I win the trigger lottery, I suspect I may end up with a Timney. until one falls in my lap. I also have two of the MG Bi-pods that are similar to, but not quite the same as the original bipods. The last thing I have is the correct Magazine.

After I saw you 28/76 in a TKIV Stock, you got me thinking, as I Have couple of M39 barrels that need a new home. One is dedicated to a 28/57 Biathlon stock (this stock was the Finnish Biathlon Team, looks like a 28/57 but it is lighter than a typical M39). The Bolt handle for it lines up differently then the one from my 28/76. Just enough to be different.

 

[Flint62a1]

Awesome collection!! Looking forward to range reports!

 

[pmclaine]

Got what I think to be a Border guard M85 scope in PX if anyone is looking...inspired to build after looking at these beautiful rifles.

Fin Border Guard Mosin Scope

Picked this S&B and a Wetzlar up when found in my local gun shop. The Wetzlar was pretty well known about and I have moved it on to a new home. I havent found much information or interest in this one... Anyone have a picture of the rifle the S&Bs would have been used on. Seems...

www.snipershide.com

Optics - Vintage Finn Sniper S&B scope for Mosin variant for sale...

Ive been told this is a Vintage Finn Mosin variant sniper. Tag from the collectors estate states it was given to Latvia via Finland when the curtain fell. I dont know what the "250" references but if it is what he paid, that is significantly less than what I paid and certainly I hope his estate...

www.snipershide.com

 

[USMCsean]

Where did you get a stock? I am in need of one!

 

[buffalowinter]

Where did you get a stock? I am in need of one!

Finland.

 

[USMCsean]

LMAO. Thanks for the specifics!

 

[buffalowinter]

LMAO. Thanks for the specifics!

I bought it off the internet from a guy in Finland years ago. That's about as specific as I can get. Every couple of years one will pop up on e-bay.

 

[Random Guy]

Fwiw:

Where did you get a stock? I am in need of one!

I bought it off the internet from a guy in Finland years ago. That's about as specific as I can get.

I likely communicated with that same seller in Finland back in October 2017 or early 2018. He had some Torro blocks for sale on eBay. Via email at the time he told me had one only TKIV-85 sniper stock left; it was complete (with handguard) but missing the cheek piece, and that he was having an exact replacement cheek piece made. I forget what the price was going to be when it was completed, but maybe $1200? Can't recall. He also had the target stock too, but that wasn't interesting to me given its for the iron-sighted version of the rifle, and I wanted the optic-based/sniper-rifle version with unique handguard and cheek rest, etc.

He also had one nice 4x SA-marked scope with correct SA-marked base, and one Border Guard scope with RVL-marked scope base. I think the SA marked 4x scope was $2500 (and maybe $1500 for the mint 4x RVL/Border Guard scope with RVL marked mount), and I decided that with an M85 trigger housing (see last pic - note holes under guard), it would be a $4k project for just the 4 parts from Finland: M85 stock, scope, scope mount and mag housing - assuming all that stuff could be sent out of Finland and arrive safely in the USA. (attached are pics that he emailed back in late 2017 or early 2018).

I decided that even with the cheaper Border Guard scope, it was going to be a roughly $5k project - assuming I could even find the bipod and special trigger. If using the SA-marked optic and mount it was approximately a $6k project. So I lost interest given the expense of building a replica of one of these in the USA...but I think its a neat variant as it represents the most advanced military version of the old M-N M1891 platform. It's interesting to think that up until recently some Finnish soldiers/snipers could have been issued a potentially century-old rifle. If one lives in the EU, I suspect an TKIV-85 project would be much easier...so congrats again to buffalowinter for having the perseverance to piece his rifle together on this side of the Atlantic Ocean.

 

[USMCsean]

They are certainly an interesting rifle for sure. And exactly as you said, the epitome of the M-N action. The cost of a respectable reproduction, or build using legitimate parts, is not a consequence to me. Certainly something to be mindful of, but these rifles are extremely unique and I'd love to get one made. I know of two reproductions outside of Finland and less than 6 inside of Finland.

I have a friend who's a finnish sniper and he said that his unit still is issued the M85. As such, parts for these rifles are extremely tough to find. If he had a source, I was certainly interested in making a connection. The difficulty for anyone outside Finland, is about the same for people inside Finland. SAKO made the competition trigger commercially for a short period. That's what most people find.

 

[ptamony]

has only one got a scope base and rings for sale