It is so cool to be able to watch someone who KNOWS so much and wants to SHARE that knowledge. Thanks Mark!!!

"as with most things Russian, this is simple and yet it's not." as a Russian, I couldn't agree more.

Years back i did the same laping tool for a mauser sticky chamber and i thougt might never see someone do it as i did ,.. at that time i didnt knew there was a Mark Novak,,Outstanding!!!

From those of us that have "scrubbed the pi**" out of old gas systems and cruddy chambers, we salute you. Your humor, sir, is refreshing.

Can't swing a dead cat up here in Canada without hitting an SVT or three.... I'm sure it is buried in the comments, but you don't need to loosen the gas tube to change the gas setting - yes, there is a tool , yes they are incredibly rare, yes there are reproductions (that tool BTW also is the wrench for the gas system, you can field strip with a cartridge, detail strip with the tool). Just turn the gas nut in the same direction (using the tool) as the threads on the tube & it won't back out. I really don't know if the average Ivan was issued the tool, hard to say. Cases mostly stick in those things because of the lacquer used on the steel cases and the gas system being set up wrong - too hot and it rips case heads off. You (we Canadians ;) ) learn to carry a case extractor - just drop it in, let the bolt slam shut on it, drop another case through the hole in the bolt handle and YANK HARD.

Is it a coincidence that Mark posted an Anvil twenty minutes after I finished working on my Webley? Probably, but I choose to believe otherwise.

Props to the extractor on that for ripping the entire case head off a steel cased 7.62x54R 😂 that must take a mental level of force!

one should not visit you tube just before heading to bed. Never know when a new Vid by Mr. Novak will appear. Oh well, the bed can wait.

4:00 Here's how you take the rear dust cover on and off very easily: Push the top cover and recoil spring all the way forward, then put a 54R cartridge (or similar) in between the back of the receiver and the guide rod (which has a concave rear to catch the cartridge tip). This will hold the spring, allowing you to take off the top cover. Reverse the process to reinstall it just as easily!

It's really cool to witness you learning the way the gun works, and to have you show it to us without trying to pretend that you already knew everything beforehand.

Congrats on getting this old war dog back in service!

The cheesy Russian accent was the cherry on the sundae. Thanks, Mark, for another fine episode.

For the setting on the gas piston from one Russian shooter. 1.2 - Brass and hot weather 1.3 - Brass and room temperature 1.5 - Standard (bi-metal, brass ammo) 1.7 - Is either cold weather or dirty gun He also mentioned that 1.5 and 1.7 are typically winter settings.

That's a genius way to lap the chamber!

that chamber camera view was kickass

I had the same problem on my son's rifle; the bolt had pulled the case head completely off and he get forgetting to bring it to me for about 2 years. That actually worked to our benefit because by the time he got it to me, I had stumbled across an old Russian military issue, 7.62x54R cleaning kit with an old stuck cartridge case remover. It's in 2 pieces and goes in through the camber end and you screw/tighten the 2 pieces together. The "bullet end" of the remover is bullet shaped but its partitioned so that tightening causes the bullet end to expand which causes a tiny ledge to evenly engage the lip on the case mouth. Then simply put the Issue Cleaning Rod through from the muzzle and tap it all out through the chamber. Its quick and simple and it minimizes any danger of damaging the chamber. I checked the chamber afterwards and it was free of major damage but I did polish the chamber a bit to get rid of some perpendicular microscopic scratches that may have caused the problem in the first place. No trouble since then!

man, locking the bolt forwards by slapping the stock was a swagger move.

I bought my SVT in 1997. I went to the range, loaded a stripper clip and took a single shot, the fired case stuck and wouldn't extract. I managed to get it out but I never fired it again. Now, after 23 years I'm going to fix that problem thanks to watching what you did. PS .... Mine came with a tool kit and one of them happens to be a shell extractor for the issue the one you had where it ripped off the base with the extractor, seems this was a fairly common issue.

@ 12:00 Mark, you are one of the few people I have ever heard mention using a double boiler to heat a low melt alloy. I use cerrobend (159) at work and for the last ten years I have used a double boiler to keep from overheating the alloy. In our particular application the danger of overheated metal is that it causes an electrical short in the cable. Since I started using the double boiler approach I haven't had any issues with melted insulation.

Damn Mark, that's one of my bucket list guns! On a more serious note: you can see quite clearly where the SKS came from in this gun. The biggest departure is the gas system, which I suspect Simonov cribbed from Kalashnikov (or maybe Kalashnikov cribbed it from him). Really the SKS is very AK like from the gas block forward. It'd be interesting to see a detailed comparison (and by that I mean full teardowns) between this gun, the SKS, the AVS-36 (Simonov's original full auto design) the SVT-38 (Tokarev's original semiauto conversion/simplification), and Simonov's semiauto antitank guns that immediately preceded the SKS.

In Canada: When I bought my SKS, the same importer had SVTs. The SKS was 160$, the SVT was 180$. I didn't buy the SVT because the range I used at the time didn't allow muzzle devices (we shot from indoors through sliding windows onto an exterior range). I STILL regret not buying one when they were cheap, they run 1000-1500$ here nowadays. Meanwhile my SKS is still a 160$ gun.

Mark, one of the things i love about your videos is how you solve problems! I don't know if they're typical trade techniques but it really helps to show there's a lot of ingenious ways to handle things.

Surprised it wasn't mentioned that this was a Finnish capture. Finn SVT's came into the US decades earlier than the early 90's import Russian post war refurbs, and many of the Finn's were absolutely beat to hell. The Finn's used them very hard, got what they could out of them, and tossed them into storage after the war. They didn't make any spare parts so they are almost universally mixmasters, and it's not unheard of for sears and other parts to be seriously worn. It's entirely possible that much of the wear and damage was there even before this owner got to it. Also the "2" marking on the gas regulator is a Finnish modification to help make the rifles work with their ammo in their environment. They bored out the original Russian 1.1 setting and overstamped a 2 on it. This gun is shockingly elegant and fragile for a Russian weapon, and illiterate conscripts didn't know what to do with it. It seems German and Finnish soldiers really quite liked the gun though. I think it says something that of all the wartime pictures of SVT's being fielded the majority are in German or Finnish hands.

The trick with the light and the chamber/bore was awesome!

I always learn something new watching Anvil.

An implement to remove a stuck casing in Dutch is called a "weduwe bevrediger", or "widow satisfier"...

I have both a Garand and an SVT40 and I find it interesting to see how two different designers conceptualized solutions to the problems inherent in trying to make a semi auto rifle that shoots a full power rifle cartridge. The SKS is in many ways a somewhat simplified SVT40 scaled down to shoot an intermediate cartridge. Simonov sure did like the tilting bolt concept for his firearm designs. Like the Garand, the SVT40 is fun to shoot and once you get the gas system adjusted to the ammo you are using, they are pleasant to shoot. Great video as always! I especially like your illustrated description on how the gas system works on a SVT40.

the stock smack to close the bolt made me smile and I had to immediately go and try it myself

These videos are something TV can never give you

You might ought to read Yuri Yakovlev`s comment down there. Here`s what he said: "Dear Mr. Novak! The fact that you managed to remove the valve together with the return spring indicates a malfunction of your SVT. Tokarev foresaw the impossibility of such manipulation. You have a faulty shutter or receiver. This is very dangerous, as sooner or later the bolt will fly out and the shooter may be injured!"

Sir ,you're videos are like tonic in trying times. THANK You

Always love your work Mark! It's a dream to watch such skill and natural care taking care of a firearm.

That gas key trick works for a while: but all you did was swell the metal of the gasket head so it fit the piston better. That'll wear down fairly quickly because it's really only the edge of the head which was expanded. A slightly more intensive, but still fairly easy process which would offer a far more permanent solution would be to true that piece up then friction fit a small steel o-ring sleeve onto it by heating it up and letting it cool-friction-fit onto it. Then turn that down to near 1-to-1 fit with the gas tube which fits around it. That would provide a proper seal and take forever and a day for metal on metal contact to wear down.

Good lord if you got a TV show I would buy the box set. It's like the Woodwright's Shop but for guns.

Sir i have to say at 60 now i still love watching a person that knows what he is doing no matter what it is still learning at 60 great work Thank you for your time been nice watching , and they say a old dog cant learn new tricks well i have here in the back woods of Ky

SVT 40 breaking the 1000 dollar barrier. I remember 350 dollars got a really good one back in the day. Really fun rifle to shoot. Thanks Mark for sharing this with us, I actually learned a few things here.

nice seeing an ailing svt get some much needed love. yeah, doctrine called for svts called for them to be issued to ncos corp. or higher since it was felt they would likely be better equipped to understand the needs of the weapon. love mine. the only problem ive had with it. from the day i got it freshly factory refurbished, the cleaning rod walks out down the barrel until im worried its going to take bullet hits. the locking button isnt loose at all. when its in and clicked i can lift the entire weight of the firearm by it and shake vigorously and it will not come out. however, every time i shoot it the rod walks its way out. last time i shot it it was having difficulty feeding some round nosed ammo i had. never had any problems with spitzer though. its only other occasional vice is stove piping.

This is the most clear video on the SVT-40 gas adjustment system. Answered my question for me.

coolest part of the video for me is the end when he slaps the buttplate to make the bolt close.

Always a good day when I see a new Anvil is out. Thank you Mark and crew.

This guy's pencils are always so sharp.

I watched this again because your explanations are so crisp and clear I can "see" what you are describing in my mind. You are an expert.

Another wonderful video, full of information, humor and craftsmanship. Thank you for sharing your life with us!

No way, what a gem in the mine. Thanks for this vid.

Mark, thanks for making these videos. As a hobbyist myself I appreciate all the fine level of detail you go into when making these. Keep up the good work.

I'm a simple man, I see an Anvil episode, I clicky.

What no “Down the rabbit hole” 🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️🤷🏼‍♂️

Love the refurb/conservation videos. You do outstanding work Sir, cant wait for the next one.

Thanks so much Mark for making this video! I bought one about 4 years ago and love seeing videos on this often forgetten rifle. I never played with the gas key because I thought I needed the super rare tool, but I'll just tap it out with a hammer. Fortunately the gun runs fine on the gas setting it came with but it's definitely good to know!

Now that you briefly showed the 1895 Winchester hanging around you just GOT TO make a video of it! I've had few and really like them! The one i have now is rechambered to 9.3x53R to be a perfect moose gun :)

Thank you for sharing this. Another great example of thoughtful craftsmanship.

Informative as always Mr Novak, a Plethora of Knowledge. Once again thank you Sir

Truly my favorite channel. Thank you Mark and all who put this together.

I love how tight that seal on the gas system has become, it's a satisfying sound hearing the pop of the gas system cycling the rounds.

Even as some one with limited access to firearms, Australian. I'm still very entertained with your creative problem solving. Good job Mark.

I love these videos and cannot get enough. I always learn so much.

Awesome video. Learned a ton about STV 40 and loved watching your great practical gunsmithing methods. A++++ Video

what a great video! Very interesting. Love your knowledge and confidence

I really enjoy your expositions/episodes. Your explanations are clear & logical. Thank you for your work with C&Rsenal.

I bought one in 1970. I fixed a crack in the stock wrist, but then it just sat until I got married. Sold it because I needed the money. Bought and sold for $100, if I remember. I never fired it. I saw it about 40 years later at a gun show. I think they were asking about $750.

This was so pleasant to watch. Mark is such a charming guy. His work is stellar and his commentary is always interesting and unique. Thank you for always making me happy, especially as the world is burning.

im really impressed about how he work on firearms. His knowledge and his work to save the originals items are really inspiring...

No views, Mark Novak, SVT f'ing 40 Cha ching Then he breaks out a surprise. Niiice.

You guys are who I send guys that are inclined for deep dive shenanigans. I love your stuff!

Another outstanding video! Always a pleasure to watch you work shipmate!!

Looking to get into gunsmithing and watching you work is so enlightening and fascinating. Thank you for sharing your work!

I want to take a moment and thank you for the deep dive close up of the gas key and how it works. My SVT40's was loose and spinning around and I haven't, up till now, found anywhere that adequately explained how it worked.

The K43's gas system is a direct copy of the SVT-40. The German Army (Whermacht) had forbidden any semi-auto design that tapped gas from the barrel, so Walther and Mauser had to go through all sorts of dances to get a semi-auto 8mm working with other methods, meanwhile the Soviets were kicking their ass with the SVT-40. The SVT had a lot of parts for Russian conscripts, but the Germans loved them. Walther finally copied the gas and recoil system, pairing it with their locking lug design on the G43, later K43. Apparently Walther filed for a patent on Tokarev's design.

Really great work Mr. Novak !! Thank you for sharing.

Another wonderful deconstruction. Your matter-of-fact manner makes the information very relaxing.

Awesome video. I learned more about the SVT from this than anything I've seen before. I wish more time would have been spent on that hand guard repair though. I have a couple rifles that need similar repairs and would have liked to see exactly how it was done.

The show and tell explanations are excellent.

Great work; I enjoy watching your process with tackling problems.

Woaah, mine is made in 1940 and the gas regulator says 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.5 and 1.7. Not 2! And this one does not look like a refurb, bolt is not plum color, mine is. Though I have an original spare gas regulator and it says Roman I I instead of 1.1, but the contraperture looks smaller than 1.2! Works on surp reliably 1.2 at summer and 1.3 at winter. On Barnaul it is good 1.1 at summer 1.2 at winter. Stovepipes heavy loads at 1.3 summertime. Love to Mark, Othias, Bruno, Mae and to all you guys, Yevgen from Ukraine.

Fantastic video series. Keep them coming. I cannot get enough.

You bring this to a whole new level man. All these surplus guns I have I'm taking a better look at. And man I wish I could preserve your knowledge for years to come

Im honestly glad i found your videos, so much good content on firearms and how they function.

What's funny is that the US had the long-stroke gas piston M1 while Russia had the short stroke SVT40. But then afterwards Russia adopted the long stroke AK, and the west (mostly) adopted short stroke systems (AUG, G36, SCAR, FAL, HK416)

Love the videos. I had a pre 64 Winchester 94 30-30 that I bought at a lawn sale back in the 80s when you could find and buy guns at lawn sales before the commies took over here in NY had the same issue had a stuck case with a missing head. I was like 14 at the time not knowing anything about Cerosafe my grandfather poured the gun full of lead and then drove the case out, he cleaned the bore out and then took a brand new shell pulled the projectile dumped the powder then fired the primer in another gun then he ran a dowel rod through the barrel pushing it into the case then coated the case with valve lapping compound and went to town on the chamber. It ended up being a great gun with no malfunctions still hunt with it today it was the best 40 dollars I ever spent.

Thanks for the great videos, I enjoy the educational content and love the commentary.

Thanks for the insights and amazing work! You're a maestro, Mark!

Great vid Mark. Fascinating and well explained, and rewarding to see the result

Good time spent watching this video. Thanks.

Another cracking video Mark, many thanks.

Mark, I know you can't do it but I could watch a new video of yours every day. Thanks

oh look............some bubba was shooting corrosive 7.62x54R and didnt know about cleaning out the corrosive salts that get left behind in the barrel and gas system.

Just bought one yesterday. Cant wait to go try it tomorrow.Thank you for the very entertaining video!

I think Mark may have hit on something I've never seen explained before. One of the problems with the SVT-40 as a sniper rifle was that the first round tended to have a fair amount of randomness to where it went. Really bad when you may have one shot, and don't know where it will go. I've read about it in more than one source, but I've never read an explanation as to why and that bugs me - there has to be a "why". I think Mark's description of how little contact there is between the stock and the action may be the answer. The rifle spends most of its life being carried, slung. propped against stuff, etc. then it's suddenly called on to be precise. My thought is that with so little contact between the stock and action, there's a lot of room for randomization before shot #1 is fired. I'm not a gunsmith, so if you think I'm wrong, please explain..

Time to give the owner a side lesson on Russian corrosive ammunition.

A video I have been waiting for! I have an SVT-40 that I acquired a while back and have been refurbishing. It came to me missing every spring, the muzzle key, and the bolt. Numrich was able to supply the parts needed, but it required quite a bit of hand fitting to get everything to fit right. The bolt was teh biggest issue - it was about 1/20th of an inch too long. I filed the back end until it would lock up correctly. After test firing it (with a long string) it doesn't cycle. I have to mortar it to get it open. The casing don't show any problems when I get them out - other than the nice fluted chamber stripes. I'll get in there and clean and polish to see if that works. I am glad to see someone digging inside and really looking at the guts of one of these.

Thank you for sharing your knowledge 🙏

Awesome video as ever Mark....Thank you...

Outstanding Work! I really enjoy watching a Professional At work👍

What an amazingly beautiful rifle. I am so glad that it was refurbished and conserved so that it can be shot for another 100 years...provided that it is properly maintained.

Very cool informative video, this will help when I disassemble mine and go through it just to check for potential problems 👍

Wow... I just discovered this... and I find this really amazing... You took gun repair and turned it on its head for me.. I never would of known what to do with a stuck case that had a torn head, and then you me out of all the solutions I might of though of, and showed me yet another method that worked most perfectly. I also like the fact you go with paths of least resistance.. All too often people put a great deal of work thinking work will insure success, and its just now always the case.. Especially if you never tried technique before. And then... if you can answer a problem with the same tool comes the danger where you pigeon hole yourself by always using the same tool to answer all problems. That said.. I understand there must be alot of effort put into ever technique you have done and realize that is why you put a disclaimer at the front of your video. In any case, I really am enjoying this channels narrative and hope to see more tools of your arsenal of knowledge.

Another excellent video, thank you mark for explaining your trade to all of us. And the Russian lesson.

Awesome video! Love learning new things about old weapons.

For my money, I have to say that the SVT40 is the best looking rifle of the second world war.

AWESOME AS ALWAYS. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES