M39 1969 "sneaks"

[Guest carbonarcher]

Can anyone shed alittle light on these m39 1969 sneak rifles? I have a purple barreled m-39 just don't know any thing about these 1969 models?

Are they "so rare" What do they sell for?

What was the big deal with them?

[1gewehr]

After 1942, Finland was pretty much a Soviet satellite country. Their arms production was controlled by the Soviet Union. In 1968, Czechoslovakia told the Soviets to go away. Tensions in all the satellite countries were very tense for a while. During this period, Finland started to produce additional M1939 rifles to be used as sniper rifles in the event of conflict with the Soviet Union. Those are what are referred to as 'sneaks'.

They were made in 1968, '69, and '70. They are typically in excellent condition as they were never issued or saw much use.

A typical M39 goes for $250-400. The 'sneaks' usually go for the upper end of that scale, mostly due to condition.

[Guest carbonarcher]

1gewehr,

Thanks for the history lesson, I now understand why the sneaks are so sought after!

Thanks again for your wisdom!