This Finnish M/28-76 is a purpose-built military target and marksmanship rifle, chambered in 7.62x53R and interchangeable with 7.62x54R. The barrel carries the AseV1 depot marking for Asevarikko 1, the Finnish Defence Forces arsenal at Kuopio that carried out the M28/76 conversion work, together with serial 111xx and the 28-76 model designation. The receiver beneath is a New England Westinghouse hexagonal receiver, one of the American-contract Imperial Russian actions the Finns drew on as donors, which makes this a less usual foundation than the Russian arsenal receivers more often encountered under these rifles. The bolt is matching to the receiver. The bore is mirror bright and the rifle is mechanically excellent. It wears the target front sight, and the rear sight slot is present. The heavy birch target stock is the right-handed pattern, is glass bedded as these rifles were designed to be, and shows signs of an older repair in the pistol grip, which is disclosed here rather than described away. The rifle is offered as it is shown.
The M/28-76 was the last of the Finnish bolt-action target rifles, built up from the earlier M/28-57 competition rifles to serve both service marksmanship and the CISM 300 metre standard rifle discipline. Conversion work was carried out by Asevarikko 1 at Kuopio, which fitted a heavy barrel and a new birch stock cut to the profile of the M/27-66, with a built-in cheek rest and bedding at the front recoil lug and rear tang so that the action is otherwise free floated. Most were completed with diopter target sights and a modified front sight, while a small number received scope bases for the marksman role, and roughly one rifle in ten was stocked left-handed. Finland never manufactured its own Mosin-Nagant receivers, working instead from Imperial Russian actions including the Remington and New England Westinghouse American contracts, and preferred the hexagonal pattern for rebuilds of this kind. The type served until the 7.62 TKIV 85 replaced it in the 1980s. Roughly one thousand M/28-76 rifles are reported to have been imported into the United States.
Specifications
Model: Finnish M/28-76 target and marksmanship rifle
Caliber: 7.62x53R (interchangeable with 7.62x54R)
Serial: 111xx
Receiver: New England Westinghouse, hexagonal
Conversion: AseV1, Asevarikko 1, Kuopio
Barrel markings: AseV1, serial, 28-76
Bolt: Matching to receiver
Sights: Target front sight, rear sight slot present
Stock: Heavy birch target stock, right-handed, glass bedded, older repair to the pistol grip
Bore: Mirror bright
Mechanical condition: Excellent
