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The M24 is one of the most historic and collectible of Finnish Mosin Nagants.  It was produced in very small numbers for the Suojeluskuntain Yliesikunta (Civil Guard) with imported barrels on captured or purchased receivers.  The barrels were purchased from SIG in Switzerland and from several suppliers in Germany.  The majority of them were heavier than the standard M91 barrel and had a "step" at the muzzle to accommodate a standard M91 socket bayonet.  A rare variant is the "straight barrel", of which SIG supplied approximately 1,600 at the beginning of their contract.  These are standard weight barrels making the step at the muzzle unnecessary, thus the common name given to them by US collectors.  For further information refer to The M91/24 Civil Guard Rifle and Carbine by Vic Thomas at Mosin-Nagant.net.

For appraisals of this rifle by Mosin Nagant collectors see the Finnish "Straight Barrel" SIG M24 Appraisal page in the Mosin Nagant Appraisals section.

The example pictured here is in a Russian stock with minor modifications.  It has "type 2" barrel bands with retainer pins which were used by the Finns.  The fore end has evidence of a "rope hole" for a sling that has been repaired.  It now has Finnish sling swivels and escutcheon plates with a round hole.  A Russian front sight was also used rather than the notched Finnish sight with a flat top.

The butt has the same type of sling swivel and a repair on the bottom just behind the swivel.  This could be from a previous sling swivel.  There is no evidence of a repaired rope hole in the butt.  The rear sight is remarked in meters in the typical Finnish fashion.

The left side sight numbers are struck and there is a Civil Guard district number of "S 862" on the barrel.  This number was repeated on the receiver as the serial number by the importer.  A very small [SA] Finnish Army property mark is visible just forward of the receiver.  On the right side of the chamber there is a struck out number and "Schweiz-Industrie Gesellschaft Neuhausen" (SIG).   The Civil Guard acceptance proof (=S=) is visible higher up on the chamber.

In this view of the top of the chamber the acceptance mark is also visible, along with the Civil Guard logo of the era, an S with three fir sprigs in a shield.  Below this is an "X" or struck out mark and below that is the original serial number "11" which has been struck also.  The original serial number 11 is still visible on the flat of the bolt and the "new" serial number of 862 is present on the bolt knob.  Presumably this was done when the rifle was transferred from the Civil Guard to the Suomen Armeija (Finnish Army) during the Continuation War.