The Guns We Own

[mikewint]

Yea was about 1963 sold my L.C. Smith 12 ga double barrel shotgun that Dad gave me for my 16th Bday for maybe $300, then about 1975 sold my Colt Python for about $400 and my SMLE sporterized .303 for about $100. If only...

 

[Graeme]

We keep our gun in the crisper - ready for life's "saucy" encounters...
Ammo is Fountain Tomato Sauce.

 

[javlin]

Kevin, VERY impressive AND recessed into the wall. That must have required a considerable amount of carpentry skill. How did you find an interior wall deep enough to do that?

Thanks Mike.It's on the surface Mike the box is 4.5" deep and the doors are 1.5"+ (I mill my wood usually to .8").The front of the door you see is 45' corners with 2.5' wide w/biscuits in the corner(10) with a dado cut to the inside(recess for glass).Then the inner frame is biscuited at 90' angle with a ledge to push against the glass.Once everything was sanded and ready for fit the two frames were glued together.The 90' frame overlaps the 45' giving alot of strength in the corner's.The L/door has two 1/2 circle deadbolts top/bottom to lock and the glass is poly-carbonate .250"+ say is good for a .22 of some sort.Anything can be broken into but making it a little more of a hassle.I hope in the next six months to get the simplysafe system for the house and put sensors on the door.Some of the hardest work I have found to do Mike in my wood work is getting the doors to mirror each other (size wise).This was my best effort thus far time and patience paid off we are talking 1/16" was the difference was able to adjust that out to the eye for the most part.

 

[mikewint]

Again very impressive piece of carpentry. It sure looks to be much deeper than 4in. I've considered a gun cabinet several times but with the tank display cabinet and the two aircraft cabinets there is no wall space left so the long guns remain locked away in the gun safe. The only guns "on display" are my Colt SAA Ainsworth inspected .45 and that's just in a tooled leather holster and my Mitchell Arms Luger, which has never been fired, in the German WWII aircraft cabinet

 

[javlin]

Those American made Lugers are nice Mike.They do not command the premiums of WWII stuff but a nice way to present a variety of the weapon and it's impact on the world market.

 

[mikewint]

It's one of the first (1991) Mitchell produced and they stopped in 1994 when Stroeger bought the rights from them. It's basically NIB with one round (factory test) having been fired. I've got an original 1939 German Luger complete with Nazi stick eagles. It has one non-matching serial number part (not counting the mag). It works and shoots like a charm though I don't shoot it very often.

 

[javlin]

I have been looking for awhile for one in good shape
Lee- Enfield No.4 Mk. 2 bolt a... Auctions Online | Proxibid

P/U another unused Gustav Mauser cheap
Swedish Mauser rifle marked &#... Auctions Online | Proxibid

 

[javlin]

The Enfield was p/u today was new never fired still cosmoline on the front sight and in the barrel w/zero marks on the bolt face.I had been looking for a worthy Enfield for the better part of five years a WWII version would be nice in the No.4Mk1 but I look to quality these days.The Swedish Mauser another fine example has been shot bolt face slight ring amtching except the floor/trigger plate.The VZ 24 removed(Swede) along with the "03"(Enfield) out of the indoor cabinet.Do I still model yeah got my son's F-16 squadron(Misawa) (they are in Kunsan S.Korea right now) on the table and the Nichimo Oscar.

I want to add another note about my son.The Misawa AFB did a video back before the TDY to SK showing him working the line moving out an F-16 for flight (crewchief).It stated A1C Garrett Morgan showing off his techniques for "Freestyle Friday" courtesy of Misawa AFB

 

[javlin]

Some pics of the EnField never been fired and all matching to the mag which was shipped separate from the rifle maybe some kind Cali law?The silver tag on the trigger looks to be some kind manufacturing ID or armorer ID?Terry might know

 

[mikewint]

Very nice, even the wood work looks pristine. My old one had soaked up so much oil? over the years it was almost black. Sanding helped a bit but not much.
I remember hearing about a company called Springfield Sportsters that did some conversion work on SMLEs and used a metal tag on the trigger guard but that's about it.

 

[javlin]

Thks Mike I have asked on another board after no luck with a couple of different searches on the net.I am on that board a youngster @ 56 and we use to have some of the biggest names/writers in the gun community most them have passed on.

 

[mikewint]

If I remember correctly they, Springfield, were doing conversions on the Enfields. They were converting them to fire .410 shotgun rounds. I suppose that if I had an old worn out barrel with essentially no lands left I might consider it. But on that rifle of yours it would be sacrilege.
Ever heard of "Ed's Red" for removing cosmoline?

 

[javlin]

Ever heard of "Ed's Red" for removing cosmoline?

No I haven't Mike but think the remaining cosmoline stays were it's at more proof she was never fired.I have gotten to the point now I prefer something in the order little to no use if I need to shoot have plenty of others that like to kick

This makes five in that category.

 

[mikewint]

Understood, thought you bought this as a shooter. For $810 USD a Mint Unissued RAF Contract Lee-Enfield Mk.2 1955

 

[XBe02Drvr]

$$810.00?? OMG! In 1965 a high school classmate of mine bought five like that for $100! Still in the goo. Five guys chipped in $20 each. I could have been one of them, but my parents didn't want something like that around the house.
A year later I got my never-issued '95 Mauser for the same price.

 

[mikewint]

The prices on old service guns has skyrocketed in the last 10 years or so. Kleins Sporting Goods in Chicago had rows of 55 gal barrels filled with every kind/type of firearm used in WWII. The SMLE I bought in 1960 from Kleins was used but in excellent shape and I paid about $20 and my buddy Joe bought a Type 99 Arisaka for $12 About a year later we chipped in together to buy that Thompson sub machine gun (sold as deactivated war souvenir) for $50. New barrel and lead picked out of the breach with dental picks and it was fully functional. The Good Olde Days

 

[Shortround6]

Paid about $200.00 back in the 80s for my 1954 still the wrapping paper/cosmoline. (like the picture)

 

[javlin]

In the land of Aussie these guys hit $1500+ and I have seen on GB some at $1800 the other day like mine.

 

[javlin]

Not much in this thread of late after 1 1/2 years of bidding and I finally won an auction on a 1905 Winchester SL in .32 caliber using a 170g bullet.I had to order ammo from Buffalo Arms Co. for a very reasonable $1.70 a round originals is going for $3+.The rifle itself is in the 75-80%+ condition and has a five round mag in front of the trigger if you had one from a prison they would get 10-15 rd mags.These rifles were said to be used some in WWI by the French in the .351 caliber in very limited numbers think in the trench only no cocking the handle.My particular rifle according to it's serial number was produced in 1913 of which only about 30K were made period in the life of the 1905 32WSL which ended roughly 1920 .I love a self loader and this with a detachable mag was one of the first.

Picture from the auction house

Just PPoor lighting why I got the pics from auction account.

the ammo

 

[vikingBerserker]

Nice!