New AL Roadster in FQHH Havana Brown

[Monitor]

Absolutely. However, watch enthusiasts do not buy mechanical watches for accuracy. Rather, we buy complicated mechanical watches because they are engineering masterpieces and works of art. The vast majority of the complications found in sophisticated mechanical watches are entirely unnecessary and irrelevant, and rarely if ever used by the owner. For example, my previously posted Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon had a complicated tourbillion movement. The tourbillion was developed in 1795 to counter the effects of gravity in pocket watches that remain in a fixed/stationary position, within a pocket, for an extended period of time. This technology is entirely unnecessary in a wristwatch, which is constantly moving and, therefore, does not experience the negative effects of a stationary pocket watch. Nevertheless, because a tourbillon is difficult to build – a double tourbillion is exponentially more difficult to build – and, therefore, an engineering feat, skilled modern watch makers incorporate tourbillions into wristwatches for artistic and engineering purposes. My Richard Mille RM004 had a split second chronograph, which enables the owner to time two separate events simultaneously (most chronographs can only time a single event).

Tourbillion... huh! Never knew that but interesting! But I know exactly what you mean and my question regarding time precision was stupid and entirely out of place. I also had a lovely collection of (pre)WW1 firearms, including all relatively more common variants of the Mauser C-69 so I'm the last to speak about the irrationality of collecting timepieces. With antique firearms, basically it's all about appreciating exactly the same things you do in watches; mechanical engineering, precise craftsmanship of the smallest parts, etc. While in theory most modern firearms are superior to these old pistols, and infinitely less intricate in construction and design, they also lack the refinement that makes antique firearms such mechanical masterpieces. While I was at first very lucky to attain some of the more rare pieces, eventually, as I've seriously gotten into it, I realized that I'd need a MUCH bigger income to support this hobby. I mean, we're talking about roughly the same amounts as with watch collecting. I've seen Borchardts go for six figure sums.

 

[TREEMAN]

Oh, and that's not even the best part. That moment when two years, 20 jackets and 10K Euros later, you're hitting the Add to Cart button on Schott dot com, under the 641 steerhide - that same jacket you've sold in the meantime thinking at the time you've moved on and upgraded to much better stuff, the same jacket life seems impossible without - and while filling out the Paypal details & transferring the funds you realize what just happened; that's the best part.
You won't know whether to laugh or to cry, but it doesn't matter. The jacket is already on the way. That's all that matters. Time to refresh the USPS parcel tracking page. Again.

At first I thought this post funny then realized it's maddening. With only one body to deal with, why do we need all these leather jackets? The jackets I seem to be gravitating to are the real thick Aero steerhide , horsehide and the Vanson heavy leather types. But from what others have said it takes 2-3 years to break-in these thick hides and to get them really nice with a patina even longer. That tells me one or two of these jackets would need to be worn as much as possible.....so what happens to all the others? I could fall into and am falling into this obsession very easily. Rite now I'm going to try and limit my consumption to motorcycle leathers ( I do ride a 90' SOFTAIL ). Although sitting on the couch watching TV with a Vanson on breaking it in as much as possible and with a new Aero August on my lap checkin IT out ( almost pushed the button on the August the other nite....really like that one!!!) is a satisfying thought!!!

 

[Otter]

Monitor, I am impressed, I always had a soft spot for those Mausers !

 

[Harris HTM]

At first I thought this post funny then realized it's maddening. With only one body to deal with, why do we need all these leather jackets? The jackets I seem to be gravitating to are the real thick Aero steerhide , horsehide and the Vanson heavy leather types. But from what others have said it takes 2-3 years to break-in these thick hides and to get them really nice with a patina even longer. That tells me one or two of these jackets would need to be worn as much as possible.....so what happens to all the others? I could fall into and am falling into this obsession very easily. Rite now I'm going to try and limit my consumption to motorcycle leathers ( I do ride a 90' SOFTAIL ). Although sitting on the couch watching TV with a Vanson on breaking it in as much as possible and with a new Aero August on my lap checkin IT out ( almost pushed the button on the August the other nite....really like that one!!!) is a satisfying thought!!!

That's the nice things with a lot of leather jackets sitting in your wardrobe: you always have something to break in!

 

[Monitor]

Monitor, I am impressed, I always had a soft spot for those Mausers !

Oh, aren't they lovely? I've had a few Lugers (always found them ugly), Steyrs, Webleys, etc. too, but nothing ever got close to Mausers. Two M712's, one that was probably never fired, were my favourite of the bunch. The metalic sound of the bolt closing when firing... Nothing quite like it! It's a very good weapon, even by todays standards.

 

[Otter]

<jealous> how is the balance, does it climb much on firing ?

 

[Monitor]

Nothing to be jealous of, I don't have any of it, anymore. It's very balanced weapon on it's own, the weight is nicely distributed, especially with a full magazine but it certainly packs a punch. Though, that's what the stock is for. Some might argue, but I strongly believe that the weapon was never intended to be fired without it. The stock absolutely must be used with the full auto on 712. You simply can't handle the climb, the gun would just fly out of your hands. Or maybe I just sucked at it? Zero precision after the first round even with the stock. I really don't know what the point of the full auto feature was, especially since it was added long after the war, but it's just so freaking cool! Insane rate of fire!

 

[Stand By]

Nothing to be jealous of, I don't have any of it, anymore. It's very balanced weapon on it's own, the weight is nicely distributed, especially with a full magazine but it certainly packs a punch. Though, that's what the stock is for. Some might argue, but I strongly believe that the weapon was never intended to be fired without it. The stock absolutely must be used with the full auto on 712. You simply can't handle the climb, the gun would just fly out of your hands. Or maybe I just sucked at it? Zero precision after the first round even with the stock. I really don't know what the point of the full auto feature was, especially since it was added long after the war, but it's just so freaking cool! Insane rate of fire!

Darn right it was cool! No more proof of that would be to take a look at The Rocketeer movie (still brilliant IMO) and, as if the hero wasn't cool enough with his clean-cut good looks and nice demeanour and that leather jacket and helmet (and Jennifer Connelly for a girlfriend!!!), it's only when he gets that Mauser and hoists it for his brief pose for the camera, then his coolness was completed!
This is a great thread!

But yes, as Superfluous stated so well, I can see how it's about intricate mechanical watch parts and craftsmanship becoming art - and that extends to vintage hand guns. I get it. In an increasingly throw-away society (remember when there was such a thing as a TV Repair Man who came to your house in a van? Nowadays, if your TV starts crapping after a few years, one just buys a whole new TV in a sale event!) - and this in the face of mass-produced and increasingly complex consumer technological goods - we've never been more spoiled for what these things can do.
I remember getting my VCR's and TV's and hi-fi separate components - and I would open the box, and look forward to sitting with a cup of tea and read the instructions in the booklet from beginning to end and totally digest each page - before I even plugged it in!!! And I'd had to really save for the thing too and have the money before I bought it.
Fast forward to today and who has time for all that?!?! Just charge my credit card, then I just want to know how to turn the thing on and get it going and I'm happy. The instructions are so damned complex that they come on a DVD (or you have to download them all!) and it's all very clever technology too where the consumer can enjoy luxuries that were only to be dreamed of in the recent past. And the complexities are just increasingly seemingly exponentially with each year!
Yet there's something to be appreciated in relatively more simple, refined, machined and crafted things that speaks to the soul. Like jackets do. I've given up wondering the true why of it. I just can't get to the bottom of it. All I know is that I have always enjoyed wearing a jacket - even as a kid - they just feel good on me. So now I'm older and can afford to wear the clothes I want to and I feel like I have always been born in the wrong half of the 20th century and I rather eschew modern clothing and sensibilities and technology, it naturally follows that I'd find myself here.
Viva TFL!

 

[Monitor]

I still remember when I got my first Mauser 712... It was by a mere chance, way before I even considered getting into that sort of stuff. One day I decided it was time to oil the thing as that's what I've been told you had to do with firearms to keep them in a good working order, so I got online (mind you, that was before the internet had the amount of knowledge it has now) and found a single post on some forum explaining how to disassemble the gun. Easy enough, I figured, just pull this latch here, pull the frame back & that's it, right? What I didn't expect was for the weapon to fall apart into what seemed like a million tiny pieces once the frame was off. Not a single screw to hold the parts together inside the gun - just some insanely precise and delicate, clockwork-like workmanship. I thought I'd never be able to put it back together without a detailed schematics until I realized that there's only one way for the pieces to fit together, so you can't mess it up. I was in love ever since.

On the other hand, you also had a Steyr 1912, semi-auto that's probably the most simple and most reliable pistol I've ever seen. Complete opposite to the C-96, despite the fact that they were sharing the trenches together. I still have one.

The electronics interested till the moment I realized it will always keep improving. Figured, what's the point of buying the best TV / computer / cellphone / whatever, if people are going to make fun of it in a year? I've been living on handouts since. Haven't bought a cellphone ever, I think, as there's always someone having at least ten of those things they don't use since they're constantly upgrading. Worst bit is, the outdated models aren't even worth going through the hustle of selling. What a waste of money it all is...