Frequently Asked Questions

What type of fireams can be researched? What type of information can be found from certain type of firearm?

This information is updated as new records are found. It should be noted that the level of record keeping varied between various military units, Civil Guards and other governmental agencies and all records do not contain all the information listed below. Many of the archives are incomplete due to damage caused by the Winter War and Continuation War or post-war destruction of records. The information available as of January 25th, 2023 is as follows:

RIFLES:
Only Finnish Defence Forces SVT-38 and SVT-40 rifles LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces and Civil Guard small bore rifles LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces sniper rifles LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces m/91 rifles LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces Carcano rifles LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces m/27 rifles with a unit disc or LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces m/39 rifles LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces Swedish Mauser rifles LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.

PISTOLS:
Only Walther pistols LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Mauser pistols LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces Ruby pistols LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces Vz. 24 and Vz. 38 pistols LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces Husqvarna M1907 pistols LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces and Police of Finland FN 1900, 1910 and 1922 pistols LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces FN Browning Hi-Power pistols LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces or Civil Guard Lahti L-35 (not M/40) pistols LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces or Civil Guard Beretta M1934 or M1935 pistols LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces or Civil Guard Luger (Parabellum) pistols LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.

LIGHT MACHINE GUNS:
Only Finnish Defence Forces FN Model D (FN-D) light machine guns LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces Kulsprutegevär m/21 light machine guns LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces Chauchat light machine guns LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.

OTHER:
Only Finnish Defence Forces M/31 submachine guns LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces VKT M/43 flare guns LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces and Civil Guard 0.7 and 0.5 meter rangefinders LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces Lahti L-39 anti-tank rifles LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces and Civil Guard Maxim machine guns LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces and Civil Guard binoculars LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.
Only Finnish Defence Forces and Civil Guard compasses LISTED IN THIS PDF FILE can be researched at the time being.

Finnish Defence Forces firearms with a pre-war unit disc:
The name of the armory that issued the rifle and the shipping date, number of rounds fired between inspections, date and details of annual inspections and repairs, the names of the conscripts the rifle was issued to and possible repair history until around 1939.

Finnish Defence Forces artillery pieces between calibres 20mm and 210mm (except Lahti L-39):
Part and accessory serial numbers, pre-, wartime and post-war units, number of shells fired, dates and details of inspections and repairs.

Civil Guard m/91, m/24 or m/39:
Shipping date and destination, the dates and details of inspections and repairs and the names of the guardsmen the rifle was issued at the local Civil Guard until around 1944.

Civil Guard m/28 and m/28-30:
The material and type of the original stock, date of factory test firing and inspection, names of the inspectors, shipping date and destination (s/n 00001-52600), result of the barrel proof tests (s/n c. 0001-2000) and test firing results (s/n 00001-24700), if privately or state funded, the dates and details of annual inspections and repairs and the names of the guardsmen the rifle was issued at the local Civil Guard until around 1939.

Pistols owned by Civil Guard:
Civil Guard and factory serial numbers, condition when received, list of accessories, shipping date and destination and the service history at the Civil Guard.

Pistols and rifles owned by the Police of Finland and Prison Department of the Ministry of Justice:

Civilian Rifles and Shotguns made by Tikkakoski until 1959:
Purchase date, name of the buyer and shipping address. If the buyer was a Civil Guard, then also the service history in the Civil Guard.

How long does it take for the records to arrive?

The average time of completing the research at the archives is two weeks. Furthermore, it will take from 10 to 15 business days for the Certification of Authenticity to arrive depending of the country of destination. Digital copies are delivered within few days after the research is completed.