The SVT (Samozariadnyia Vintovka Tokareva Obreazets) 38 and 40 rifles are Soviet made semi-auto rifles, designed by F.W. Tokarev. The number refers to the year of adoption. Both are chambered for the Russian 7.62x54R cartridge, and are very similar, the SVT-38 is slightly heavier, and employs a side mounted cleaning rod, rather than the 40's under barrel mounted one. The 38 model also uses a two piece wood stock, the 40 a one piece. The SVT-40 model will be focus of this faq, as I don't have access to a 38 model. According to E. C. Ezell, in the book, "Small Arms of the World" (12th Ed.), 1,322,085 SVT-40's were made in the USSR, as compared to 4,450,000 SVT-38's. Only 51,710 sniper versions of the SVT-40 were made. The sniper version is distinguished by two grooves on either side of the receiver, parallel to the bore, to accommodate a scope mount. Some of these grooved receiver rifles are being sold now, although the scopes and mounts seem to be rarer than the rifles that will accommodate them. Aftermarket mounts and scopes are currently available. The SVT rifles were made from 1938-1945, or so.
There was also an automatic rifle (machine gun) version of the SVT-40 called the AVT-40. Very few AVT-40 rifles are legally in the USA. It essentially is a conversion of the SVT-40, done by swapping the semi-auto trigger assembly for a full auto one, it uses the safety as a selector. The full auto feature of the AVT was meant for emergencies, the rifle is supposedly very hard to control on full auto. A similar problem exists with other automatic rifles in similar calibers, like the FN-FAL and M-14. Additionally the full auto fire would wear out the barrel on the AVT very quickly, and barrel replacement is not an easy job on these rifles. I am told there was a special 20 round magazine made for the AVT rifles, the standard one is 10 rounds.
The SVT rifles first saw combat use in the Winter War (1939- 40) invasion of Finland. They did not perform very well, as with other Russian weapons, the Finns acquired many SVT rifles, "only jammed and dropped once." Part of the problem may have been heavy grease applied at the factory, which gummed up and jammed the action in the cold weather. The fluted chambers on later SVT-40 rifles may have been an attempt to correct for extraction problems experienced in Finland.
There has been a new interest in the SVT-40 rifle in the USA; with the fall of the USSR, and the end of the Cold War, many formerly very rare Soviet small arms are being imported into the USA. The SVT-40 is probably cut off from further import by the recent Crime Bill ban on "assault rifles" (it is a semi-auto that takes a detachable magazine, and has two bad features, a flash hider and bayonet lug). However a number have already been imported by CDI, Swan VT, and distributed by SOG, among others. SVT rifles already in the USA are not affected by the Crime Bill.
The SVT-40 uses some principles that were later incorporated into more modern battle rifles, such as the tipping bolt locking system, and gas piston system both used in the FN-FAL. H&K rifles also employ a fluted chamber to assist in extraction, although the H&K's employment of a different operating system (recoil, as opposed to the gas system of the SVT) makes it more necessary in those guns than in the SVT-40.
An exploded diagram of an SVT-38 (extremely similar to the 1940 model) is found in the Gun Parts Corp. catalog number 18, page 453. They also have parts for the gun.
1) Make sure the weapon is cocked, and unloaded. Remove the magazine.
2) To remove the trigger group, flip the thumb latch cover on the rear of the receiver toward the shooter's left. Press in on the collar underneath, by inserting a cartridge into the hole, or by pressing on the collar with a screwdriver or similar instrument. The trigger group will drop free. To reinstall the trigger group make sure this cover is in its closed (down) position. Insert the muzzle end of the trigger group into the receiver; retracting the bolt slightly at the same time to insure the disconnector clears the bolt, and the front of the group fits into its slot in the receiver. Press (hard) on the bottom of the trigger guard until the group latches itself at the back.
3) To remove the bolt, first grasp the receiver cover firmly and slide it toward the muzzle. While holding it in this position pull the end of the recoil spring guide rod down and out of its notch in the rear of the cover. This is a difficult procedure, it helps to have the rifle resting with its muzzle on the floor. The rod is under spring tension, be careful. Once the rod is free of the cover, the cover may be slid off the receiver toward the front.
The springs (there are two) and guide rod (in two pieces) may now be removed from the bolt, some jiggling may be needed to allow the assembly to clear the rear of the receiver. Try lifting up and toward the right (as viewed from the shooter's position). The bolt and carrier may now be removed by pulling them toward the rear of the receiver, while lifting up and to the shooter's left. There is a notch in the guide rails to allow the bolt and carrier to be removed. Re-assemble in reverse order. Some jiggling is needed to get the bolt and carrier back into the receiver, it helps to remember where and at what angle they came out. Reversing that will let them drop right in.
4) To disassemble the gas system first remove the cleaning rod, there is a spring catch retaining it on the bayonet lug. Then the front sling swivel/barrel band can be removed, by depressing the catch on the underside of the rifle, where the cleaning rod was. The top metal and wooden handguards will now be easily removed. The piston system is spring loaded; pulling down on the long thin operating rod (with the bolt and carrier out or locked back) will free it and the larger gas piston. You can unscrew (regular right hand thread) the gas cylinder in the gas block, the thing that the larger piston rides around. This will allow you to remove the gas regulator nut, and inspect it. Cleaning this area is probably prudent. Reassemble in reverse order.
Removal of the receiver/barrel assembly from the stock requires removal of the screw through the stock above the front of the magazine. SOG International is now selling a front sight tool for the SVT-40, as well as a tool for adjusting the five sided gas regulator nut. The front sight tool seems appropriate for removing the stock screw as well.
I think one of the neat things about the SVT rifle is that it can use the cheap military surplus 7.62x54R ammo available now, look in Shotgun News magazine for ads. However it is a hard rifle to clean, and most if not all of the surplus ammo uses corrosive priming. Non-corrosive 7.62x54R ammo is made by Norma (Swedish), and tends to be very expensive. I believe Lapua (Finland) also makes this caliber. Hansen also catalogs this in both a soft point and FMJ bullet design, but I don't know who actually makes the ammo for them. The Norma, Lapua and Hansen ammo would be Boxer primed, allowing for easy reloading as well. The plethora of Moisin-Nagant rifles also in this caliber is helping its popularity in the USA, I would expect regular production of this caliber by a big USA maker soon, if it isn't happening already.
My SVT-40 rifle is dated 1943, and has a fluted chamber. It is accurate, to the limits of my rather limited ability. In other respects is not a great battle rifle. It is too hard to take apart, and clean. It gets overheated very quickly. The fluted chamber shouldn't really be necessary for extraction, and it lets extra crud into the action. As with many similar rifles of the period, it is too long, in my opinion. However it does have a fairly pleasant recoil, not too hard or abrupt. I think part of that is due to the muzzle brake/flash hider actually working well, as opposed to being a decoration, as it is on some rifles. It also wasn't very loud, as compared to some other large bore rifles, also perhaps due to the muzzle brake directing sound as well as gas away from the shooter. Loading the rifle through the top with Moisin- Nagant stripper clips is pretty easy, and convenient. In short this is a collector rifle, as shown by its inclusion on the federal C&R list. It is a definite step in the evolution of more modern semi and full auto rifles, but it is not perfect.