Mil-Surp Heaven

[AzRednek]

 

[ken98k]

Wow! very cool, thanks for posting.

[ken98k]

Must be an older video because according to their website, most of these firearms are "not available".

[AzRednek]

On 5/24/2020 at 8:51 AM, ken98k said:

Must be an older video because according to their website, most of these firearms are "not available".

I’m pretty sure you’re right Ken. I do follow them and they occasionally turn up some cool military rifles but they are way more than I’m willing to pay.
 

I miss the days, mid to late 70’s when Springfield Sporters had a different full page ad every first of the month issue in Shotgun News. Their second of the month was always a smaller ad with parts, accessories like ammo pouches and bayonets. Most of what I recall were South American German made Mausers. Every now and then they would have some European FN’s. One of my then shooting buds got a beautiful possibly mint FN mfd, Venezuelan FN-49. Our circle of mil-surp shooters all thought he paid way to much. If I remember right it was close to $300 but included bayonet with Venezuelan crest, sheath and leather sling. Wonder what it might fetch today, it was 7X57. At the time most of the SA Mausers were about 125- $165.
 

The only one I have left from Springfield is a Peruvian variation 91 Mauser Modelo Argentino. Different from the Argies as it has Peruvian crest and the earlier Gew98 rear sight and shorter handguard. It has an arsenal barrel re-line and is still bright and shiny today. I do recall back in my 20’s being proud and impressing my friends with the tight groups it shot. That was until it embarrassed me when the firing pin broke while we were shooting long range metal dongs. 

[AzRednek]

19 hours ago, The Zen Master said:

A Mauser firing pin broke???

I realize that "anything is possible" but... a Mauser? That is a serious firing pin to break!

I had it and some other guns stored at my in laws after a house fire. My then wife’s nephew took them home and was playing with them apparently a lot of dry firing. The firing pin on my 03 Springfield was also broke and might have been from his dry firing. Not sure what he did but the plastic trigger housing on my step son’s Mossberg was cracked. My father in law had a turn of the century Colt Lightning revolver. Apparently the kid removed the cylinder and dropped it on a hard surface as one chamber could no longer fit a cartridge. I was just glad to get everything back and a good thing I didn’t store any ammo there. There was also a missing shotgun. I couldn’t remember if it was stored there or elsewhere but it never showed up. 
 

The problems didn’t end there. I made arraignments with the contractor doing the fire restoration. They took possession of all my guns and sub contracted with a gunsmith to clean smoke, oil and store. The gunsmith had a burglary and my collection was cherry picked. Detective told me it was obviously an inside job but he had no way to prove it. I lost some S&W revolvers, a Colt 380, H&R 32 revolver and a Randall 1911. My X’s S&W 357, what in collector circles is known as a pre registered magnum disappeared. The Peruvian Mauser was on the list as missing but the detective found it in the smith’s shop. The smith claimed it was a mistake that’s when the detective told me the burglary “stinks”. I also lost a real nice pre 64 Winchester 22. I think it was a model 9422, it was a full size hammerless lever action set in a beautiful walnut stock. 
 

Not connected to the gunsmith but from the fire were my home’s contents and furniture being stored by the restoration contractor. Previously I was gifted a trunk of WW2 souvenirs. It came from a neighbor whose father was Major MD. Most of the Nazi souvenirs in the trunk were gone except one arm band they must have missed. There were party badge medals, some propaganda posters, a small flag and two Swastica gold rings. There wasn’t much left other than the Major’s paperwork. One thing they over looked but later stolen by my step son. Bone handle spoon fork and dinner knife. It polished up well and might have been real silver, silverware. A Swastica was carved into the bone handles. There was also another but not matching dinner knife that was crudely carved into a sharp weapon. Probably other items I just can’t recall. Before the fire I was negotiating with a gun show vendor that dealt with war souvenirs. I was wheeling-dealing for a Nazi marked P-38 or Lugar. The fire happened a few days before he was going to come to my house and see it. 
 

The cluster screw with the restoration contractor and gunsmith didn’t end well except for the well paid lawyers.