Finland's M39 PH Sniper from the Continuation War

Published on December 15, 2021
Duration: 13:03

This expert analysis from Ian McCollum of Forgotten Weapons delves into the Finnish M39 PH sniper rifle, highlighting its historical context during the Continuation War and its unique, albeit flawed, Physica 3x scope. The review details the scope's heavy construction, fogging issues, innovative but problematic rangefinding reticle, and the rifle's specific modifications like the offset mount and large cheek rest. It also touches upon alternative scopes used by Finland and the development of domestic variants.

Quick Summary

The Finnish M39 PH sniper rifle, featured on Forgotten Weapons, utilized the Physica 3x scope, known for its heavy 800g build, 40mm eye relief, and unique rangefinding reticle. Its tapered dovetail mount tightened under recoil, but the scope's universal design led to bulkiness and fogging issues, making it practically flawed despite its rarity.

Chapters

  1. 00:00Introduction to the M39 PH Sniper
  2. 01:31Development of the Physica Scope
  3. 02:49Technical Flaws and Weight
  4. 05:14Reticle and Rangefinding
  5. 05:50Rifle Modifications
  6. 07:50Dovetail Mount Mechanics
  7. 10:14Service Limitations
  8. 11:12Other Finnish Sniper Variants

Frequently Asked Questions

What were the main drawbacks of the Physica 3x scope used on the Finnish M39 PH sniper rifle?

The Physica 3x scope was notably heavy at 800g, prone to fogging in cold weather, and featured a very short eye relief of only 40mm, posing a safety risk during recoil. Its universal design also made it bulky for standard rifle use.

How did the scope mount on the Finnish M39 PH sniper rifle work?

The M39 PH utilized a tapered dovetail mount. This system was designed to tighten itself under the rifle's recoil, ensuring a very secure attachment, though it made removing the scope without tools challenging.

What was unique about the reticle in the Physica scope?

The Physica scope's reticle included human silhouettes specifically for rangefinding purposes, alongside traditional windage and elevation marks. It employed a German-style post reticle design.

Besides the Physica scope, what other optics did Finland use on sniper rifles?

During the Continuation War, Finland also employed captured Russian PE and PEM scopes. Later, they ordered German Ajack scopes, and a domestic copy, the M43, was developed but arrived too late for wartime use.

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