Vintage Firearms

[Bud-n-Texas]

I do not collect vintage firearms but I have my dad's winchester 22 model 61a which he bought in the early 30's. Nice Remington!

I am familiar with the Winchester you have. My mother in law has the same gun. It is a nice rifle, I would like to have one like it one day.

 

[Clyde R.]

I love vintage firearms. My Dad got me interested in them when I was a kid. Here's a British Webley Mark VI revolver I recently acquired (similar to but not as rare as the Webley-Fosberry automatic revolver that Sam Spade refers to in Maltese Falcon.) This Webley is a big .455 caliber revolver, and was made in 1917. The Webley was the standard British sidearm of WWI and was still being used into WWII...it was declared obsolete in 1947. I love the Edwardian styling of the piece...just need a good Burberry trench coat to go with it!

 

[Twitch]

I'm sure pleasantly surprised that quite a few folks have some nice pieces!

 

[Michaelson]

Speaking of Webley, according to the Webley firearms co. website, they are officially in receivership and have gone out of business. Another classic firearms company has entered history.:cry:

Regards! Michaelson

http://www.webley.co.uk/index.php3

 

[jamespowers]

Speaking of Webley, according to the Webley firearms co. website, they are officially in receivership and have gone out of business. Another classic firearms company has entered history.:cry:

Probably because of all the ridiculous gun laws instituted over there. It makes not only ownership prohibitive but production. Great. Now who is going to make their military weapons if they ever get cut off from a good portion of the world again?
Us I suppose---again.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Baggers]

Probably because of all the ridiculous gun laws instituted over there. It makes not only ownership prohibitive but production. Great. Now who is going to make their military weapons if they ever get cut off from a good portion of the world again?
Us I suppose---again.

Regards to all,

J

I recall reading recently that they don't even manufacture ammunition for their Army's small arms anymore. They contract out to Eastern Europe! :cry:

 

[Baggers]

Speaking of Webley, according to the Webley firearms co. website, they are officially in receivership and have gone out of business. Another classic firearms company has entered history.:cry:

Regards! Michaelson

http://www.webley.co.uk/index.php3

And they didn't even make real firearms anymore, just airguns!

 

[jamespowers]

I recall reading recently that they don't even manufacture ammunition for their Army's small arms anymore. They contract out to Eastern Europe! :cry:

Great. They can get taken over without any bullets for their guns. Geez!

 

[Jack Armstrong]

I gave a bit of an overview of my collection in the "Anyone collect pistols" thread in the Display Case, but here's some more detail on my Lee Enfield rifles:

No. 1 Mk III*, dated 1917, Birmingham Small Arms Co. (British)

No. 4 Mk I, dated 1941, Maltby (British)

No. 1 Mk III*, dated 1943, Lithgow (Australia)

No. 5 Mk I, dated 1945, Fazakerly (British)

No. 4 Mk II, dated 1955, Fazakerly

2A1, dated 1967, Ishapore (India)

Ah, another Enfield man! I have a 1944 Maltby #4 Mk I, a 1945 Jungle Carbine (#5 Mk I, Fazakerly), and a 1967 2A1. All are fine shooters and get a lot of looks when I take them to the range.

 

[Mycroft]

Ah, another Enfield man! I have a 1944 Maltby #4 Mk I, a 1945 Jungle Carbine (#5 Mk I, Fazakerly), and a 1967 2A1. All are fine shooters and get a lot of looks when I take them to the range.

I'm an Enfield man, I got a Mk. I Nr. III from Enfield Armory in England, 1917.

 

[Michaelson]

Well, in terms of vintage, I'm a Mosin-Nagant model 1944 7.62x54 Russian rim carbine owner/shooter. Ugly as sin, but boy can that thing shoot with tailored ammunition.

Regards! Michaelson

 

[jamespowers]

Blue Sky M-1 Garand for Vintage here. I agree with Patton.

Regards to all,

J

 

[Twitch]

Michaelson- how hard is it to find ammo for it and cost? Should be findable. Those things or on sale out here all the time at one sporting goods store for like $80. I haven't messed with my rifles for years since it's a long drive to go to a place to shoot them so I stick with the pistols.

 

[Michaelson]

The last box I purchased was around $20 for 20 rounds of full metal jacket, berdan primed. That was a few years ago, though. I shot those up and gave the brass to a friend of mine who LIVES to custom load for specific guns. He measured the chamber of my gun, then custom loaded 180 grain soft nose bullets for the rifle. I can drive tacks with that thing. If you purchase one of the old Mosins and find the military rounds, be sure to give the gun a REAL good cleaning after every session. You being shooter anyway, I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here. (grins) The 7.62x54 Russion rim military ammo's primers are very corrosive, and if left uncleaned for any period of time will totally destroy the rifling. That's another reason why I'm happy to have reloads with good old standard primer/powder loadings so I don't have to worry about that. Pressures for the military rounds won't exceed the capability of the old rifles either.

I see the old 1898 Mosin long rifles on sale all the time over here....they run about $60. The most BEAUTIFUL one I ever saw was one that a local gunsmith totally restored from butt to muzzle. Still, for all the work, he asked only $200 for the finished piece. They're not that hard to find here, and the ammo fairly cheap, when you find it.

Regards! Michaelson

 

[Feraud]

Well, in terms of vintage, I'm a Mosin-Nagant model 1944 7.62x54 Russian rim carbine owner/shooter. Ugly as sin, but boy can that thing shoot with tailored ammunition.

Regards! Michaelson

Now you are talking my language Michaelson. I am smitten with the Mosin Nagants. Great shooters, and I think they are rather attractive looking! I have two MN's, the M44 & M91/30.


I had my scoped M44 in the woods with me this year, sans bayonette! I also have a Yugo M48. Another nice rifle.

Twitch- the surplus ammo is not expensive at all. Sportsman's Guide carries a lot of surplus. Cleaning is always necessary and some rifles favor a particular country's ammo.

 

[Michaelson]

That straight bolt and old type Winchester designed safety takes some getting used to, but once you are, there's no safer gun to carry loaded in the field than the old Mosin.

Nice looking rifles there, my friend!

Mine was picked up by my Grandfather from a battlefield in Korea. I even have the original war trophy paperwork. It stood in my Dad's closet so long, you couldn't see ANY light through the bore, even with the bolt out. The story always told was the barrel was full of mud from the battle field. When I was given the gun, I got a cleaning rod and brush, and prepared to do battle with the then 40 year old mud, and with the first push about broke my hand on end of the barrel. All that was in the barrel was an accumulation of dust so thick, light wouldn't pass through it. After a few brushes and such, the barrel looked like it had never been shot through! Unreal! Considering the gun was build in 44, and picked up in 52, essentially it WAS a brand new, but heavily carried, rifle. It had been arsonel rebuilt once (numbers rechiseled on the baseplate), but everything matched.

Regards! Michaelson

 

[Feraud]

Mine was picked up by my Grandfather from a battlefield in Korea. I even have the original war trophy paperwork. It stood in my Dad's closet so long, you couldn't see ANY light through the bore, even with the bolt out. The story always told was the barrel was full of mud from the battle field. When I was given the gun, I got a cleaning rod and brush, and prepared to do battle with the then 40 year old mud, and with the first push about broke my hand on end of the barrel. All that was in the barrel was an accumulation of dust so thick, light wouldn't pass through it. After a few brushes and such, the barrel looked like it had never been shot through! Unreal! Considering the gun was build in 44, and picked up in 52, essentially it WAS a brand new, but heavily carried, rifle. It had been arsonel rebuilt once (numbers rechiseled on the baseplate), but everything matched.

Regards! Michaelson

That is a great family firearm story. You are correct, that rifle is essentially new! I agree on your thoughts regarding the safety. Once you get used to the 'technique' to engage it, the rifle is not going to accidentally fire! It is a simple yet effective design. The only drawback (tho' not to me) is the rifle position/relative hand strength needed to engage it! To folks who are used to flicking a switch with their thumb, a Mosin safety must seem a cruel punishment!
When I purchased my rifles they were covered in cosmo. There was grease in every nook. This gave me the invaluable lesson on totally taking down the rifle to clean it. I now feel as if I know every inch of them. As Martha Stewart would say, "it's a good thing."

 

[Michaelson]

Have you taken the bolt apart yet? The spring for the firing pin and safety look like something you'd pull out from underneath my 1950 Plymouth! UNREAL! Yep, it's not for the weak of hand strength....and an original Winchester safety design too!

Regards! Michaelson

 

[Feraud]

...and an original Winchester safety design too!

Regards! Michaelson

Thanks for that bit of information. I just learned something new!

Yes, I have disassembled and cleaned the bolt. I was very intimidated by this part for along time. I eventually worked up the courage and found it pretty easy. Plymouth parts, huh? I like that.

Not sure if you have Terence Lapin's Mosin Nagant rifle book but I recommend it. A very nice resource for these fine rifles.

 

[Michaelson]

Thanks for that tip as well. I have heard of the book, but never picked up a copy. Something for me to look for now.

High regards! Michaelson