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OT: When I get sick of building plastic....


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So, we all have 'other' hobbies right? My wife thinks I have too many. She's probably right. In the last year I've added a new one: collecting military surplus rifles. The funny thing is, I'm not a hunter. I think I'm attracted to the history that these guns have. My Grandfather served in WWII, and although he manned a 30 cal machine gun, I think these guns help me to 'relate' to him, and maybe what he had to go through. My wife's grandpa served in the philippines in WWII, and received the Medal of Honor. Unfortunately he passed away before I met my wife. Both my Garand and Carbine were manufactured in WWII. Its crazy to think that they could have been used in the war. If only they could talk.

The bug has hit me hard. I've gotten my four rifles all in the past 9 months. www.thecmp.org is a VERY dangerous place for me to go. I dream and salivate over all of the possibilities: Garands, Carbines, 1903s, Enifelds, I want them all. I used to secretly traffic models into my basement, covertly past my wife, but now the same is true with my rifles. Luckily for me, she thinks they all look the same.

If I'm honest, I've been spending more time shooting, cleaning, and groping these guns that I have been plastic, lately. But thats ok. I have my phases. It seems like during the winter I build more than any other time of the year. So it looks like this summer, some old beat up military rifles will get used again, but this time hitting paper targets :sunrevolves:

IMG_6125.jpg

From Left to Right:

Polish M44 Mosin Nagant Carbine (1953)

U.S. Springfield M1 Garand (May, 1943)

U.S. Inland M1 Carbine (August, 1944)

Yugoslavian SKS Carbine (1960's)

IMG_6120.jpg

My newest purchase is a M1 Carbine, mfg. by Inland. I never had interest in these little guys, but then the bug hit me hard. I can't wait to shoot her!

So.... does anyone else collect old guns? Or am I the only crazy one here?

Edited by mynameismatt
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I have a 5-digit serial number (1st digit is a 1!) 1942 Inland Carbine, '43 Gewher 43, 44 Winchester Garand, and all sorts of other weaponry that I probably shouldn't mention here... :-)

There's a fantastic folding stock for that SKS, really turns into a nice brush rifle.

Jeff

Edited by Jeff Herne
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Very nice. I've had a CMP purchased M1 Garand since 2000. Mine is a June 1943 serial number. I just wish I could make more time to shoot her. Honestly, it's been over a year. Too many other hobbies!

I'm interested in who your wife's grandfather was. Medal of Honor! Wow. Can you give us his name? That's what I'm interested in.

Thanks,

Mark

BTW, nice wood on your Garand.

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I have a 5-digit serial number (1st digit is a 1!) 1942 Inland Carbine, '43 Gewher 43, 44 Winchester Garand, and all sorts of other weaponry that I probably shouldn't mention here... :-)

There's a fantastic folding stock for that SKS, really turns into a nice brush rifle.

Jeff

Jeff, does your carbine have early features? I really wanted one with flip sights, but they were out of my price range. Where did you manage to snag a Gewher 43? They look like a blast to shoot!

Very nice. I've had a CMP purchased M1 Garand since 2000. Mine is a June 1943 serial number. I just wish I could make more time to shoot her. Honestly, it's been over a year. Too many other hobbies!

I'm interested in who your wife's grandfather was. Medal of Honor! Wow. Can you give us his name? That's what I'm interested in.

Thanks,

Mark

BTW, nice wood on your Garand.

Mark,

PFC Dirk J. Vlug.

He displayed conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty when an American roadblock on the Ormoc Road was attacked by a group of enemy tanks. He left his covered position, and with a rocket launcher and 6 rounds of ammunition, advanced alone under intense machinegun and 37-mm. fire. Loading single-handedly, he destroyed the first tank, killing its occupants with a single round. As the crew of the second tank started to dismount and attack him, he killed 1 of the foe with his pistol, forcing the survivors to return to their vehicle, which he then destroyed with a second round. Three more hostile tanks moved up the road, so he flanked the first and eliminated it, and then, despite a hail of enemy fire, pressed forward again to destroy another. With his last round of ammunition he struck the remaining vehicle, causing it to crash down a steep embankment. Through his sustained heroism in the face of superior forces, Pfc. Vlug alone destroyed 5 enemy tanks and greatly facilitated successful accomplishment of his battalion's mission.

http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/3040/vlug-dirk-j.php

Thanks for your interest, it means alot. I really wish I could have met him. Then again, my wife and her family tell me he was just a 'normal' family man. After he got out of the Army he got married, started a family, and worked for the post office. It makes me reflect and wonder if I was thrust into the same situation, how would I react?

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Thanks so much for the info. Of course I had to google him. I think this website's name is appropriate for his action.

http://www.badassoftheweek.com/vlug.html

Saying thank you is not enough for these men. All of them, not just the ones who were awarded the MOH. I only ever met one MOH awardee, Col. Lewis Millett, who passed on just this past November. He was at the commisioning ceremony when my little brother got his butter bar in the US Army. Colonel Millett pinned on the bars for the three other guys that day, and I pinned on my brother's new bar. I was just a lowly buck sergeant. What an honor standing next to a MOH honoree. I told my brother he was an idiot for not having Col Millett doing it, but he said just meeting him was enough.

Ah, words, words...

Anyway, thanks again.

Mark

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I have a few of those toys:

Russian Mosin-Nagant variants:

guns_01.jpg

Japanese Arisaka, Mauser K.98, Enfield Mk.4, Enfield Jungle Carbine:

guns_02.jpg

Tokarev SVT40, AK-47, AK-74

guns_03.jpg

M1 Garand (H&R Korean War), M1 Carbine (Saginaw Steering Gear, where else?), Colt AR15A-2

Ruger 10/22:

guns_04.jpg

Walther P38, Nagant M1897 revolver, Japanese Nambu, Czech CZ40:

guns_05.jpg

PK-22, Ruger Mk.2, Beretta 92FS 9mm, Beretta 84 .380 cal:

guns_06.jpg

The Mauser rifle and the Walther P38 are both German wartime production and have the nazi proof markings.

I really wish I had a wartime Luger.....oh, well, can't have everything I guess.

[edit] I don't know how I missed it, but there's also a Soviet made SKS in this collection. Picked 'er up at a gun

show in Houston, TX back in 1997 for $140. Now the supply has long ago dried up and they're hard to find.

Edited by Kalashnikov-47
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Picked up the Tokarev at a gun show in Grand Rapids (DeltaPlex). That was back when I was on the hunt for

a Saginaw Carbine. After searching for that and coming up empty handed, I punted and bought the SVT40.

I was stationed in San Antonio with the Air Force at the time, and was back in Michigan on leave. A few weeks

after I returned to Texas, I hit upon a Saginaw Carbine at a gun show there. Talked (actually begged) the guy

into holding it for a few mins, while I dashed at supersonic speeds to the nearest ATM. Needless to say,

I got it....

Edited by Kalashnikov-47
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Gun safe? Who needs a stinking gun safe when you have this highly trained attack animal:

lucky_010.jpg

Here, he's just playing 'decoy' ...... highly trained, ya know....?

You know, if you could train a cat to be a "guard cat", I bet they would be effective. Just imagine a stealthy cat in full berserk attack mode jumping in your face as you come into a dark house.

As for the military arm collections with the lovely furniture... gives me wood looking at them. <_<

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Matt,

Mines very early, has the Type I band, early sights. Its all original, serial #15817, marked Inland '42 on the barrel. Grandfather carried it in WW2, brought it home in '45, been in the family ever since.

I don't shoot it much anymore, ran a ton of rounds through it when I was younger, used it for WW2 reenacting for a number of years, but switched out the stock during that time. Its back to the original stock at present. I'll post up a pic tomorrow.

J

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They don't allow us to have things like that in the UK!

:blink: :thumbsup:

:wave: :wacko:

But if I could, I would!

Nice collection Matt, don't forget to share any new aquisitions with us less fortunates over the pond.

Gaz

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Nice selection Matt!

And great to see SKS in your collection - Our army still uses them for protocol duties.

I had a chance to shoot a few rounds with her and it was a real pleasure!

I picked up the SKS about a month ago. The bayonet and Grenade adapter make it a little heavy, but overall a lovely gun to shoot!

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Like I mentioned earlier, there's aftermarket folding stocks available for it that really turn it into a menacing piece...

This one is machined to accept the bayonet, even cooler!

STK66168B_SKS_bayonet_stock.jpg

Course, you can always go the Dragonuv route, too (for a ton less money!)

sksfiber.jpg

J

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My other hobbies are my jeep...

z1yckc2sfeq66h4efbu4.jpg

my DPMS Panther Carbine A2...got it hitting 5 gallon water buckets at 600 yards with a 4x scope.

1ejph90r6gop6t69xnhr.jpg

and my Ruger P-95PR

q9mudvx9yafpwphdfu42.jpg

Of course, I do try to spend a little time with my wife as well. :yahoo:

Edited by kg4kpg
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Looks like you're ready for the revolution brother! I've taken my anger out and reduce stress at the target range as well with my arsenal of arms! Nice collection you've got there! :yahoo:

Edited by Big Texan
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