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Old Trooper Gunsmiths LLC
Old Trooper Gunsmiths LLC
SPECIALIZING IN MILITARY FIREARMS.
My Blog
My Blog
Blog
Under valued firearms in history: the pattern17 (1917) rifle.
Posted on March 20, 2016 at 6:54 AM |
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Mystery solved!
Posted on October 5, 2015 at 11:49 AM |
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After a few years of sort of half assed searching, we finally found it! The proper caliber and designation of our "mystery mauser"! If it was our rifle and not a consignment piece, we would have done this a very long time ago. But since it was a consignment gun, and the consinghner did not care terribly, so, it sat.. Ever so often throwing a random ctg. onto the chamber to see the size.. Even tried a 7mm mauser. Yet we found the 7mm we tried was an out of spec. reload (yes we find that out now!) Turns out this darn thing was an interesting story. Was a Spanish army issue rifle. Of the 1896 pattern (cock on closing), issued and used before the Spanish civil war. Than at some time was captured or seized by the republicans (the communists, and those wanting a republic instead of a dictatorship) in their fight against the fascists (those wanting a dictatorship, and alining with the nazis/ Franco) The rifles were all refinished and had all of the royal markings obliterated. The only markings were the serial numbers on the stock, barrel and receiver. Unfortunately the war ended for them before these were issued out. The victors (the fashists) were not inclined to use these "defaced" rifles when better ones were available. They did just fight a civil war after all. Spain was a testing ground for most of the equipment that would go into WW2. So, they sat.... Until sold during the surplus boom of the 1980's Without documentation, and without an importers stamp.. Guess this one was still in the armory paper.. So, the mystery. No national markings, no importer stamp, no box.. Nothing to tell me who this gun belonged to, and a clean, but shot into bore... And not enough incentive to do a chamber casting.. Odd things one finds when is board at a gunshow and already looking up mausers in the appraisal guide.. This rifle was an "also noted" foot note in Spanish mausers at the bottom of the "military" book... An interesting tale if only it could talk.. Old troopers actual... Out.. |
Italian M1 rifles...
Posted on March 22, 2013 at 12:39 PM |
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The "shaved" Webley revolver, MK I to VI
Posted on June 18, 2012 at 9:24 AM |
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Under valued firearms of history: Mas36
Posted on June 7, 2012 at 7:50 AM |
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The Mas 36 and 36/51(grenade launching version) were a prime example of "to little to late". It has the dubious distinction of being the last bolt action rifle ever designed and fielded by a major power (you yougo 48 series dose not count, still a mauser standard pattern). A 5 shot bolt action in 7.5 French. This is the first rifle to use this long lived cartridge. This is a refinement of the earlier ctg that was easily confused for the 8mm german with the only exception of the 7.5 dia bullet. The results of confusing the two claimed a few dozen lives before the redesign.The resulting round was very similar to the modern .308 ctg. Ballistics almost identical. The rifle had a set back action with an oddly swept forward bolt handle. The resulting carbine had the longest barrel into the shortest over all length. Not quite a bulpup, but getting there.. The rifle featured the innovative (for the time) "ghost ring" sights and 4 sided bayonet stored in the rifles forearm. The finished rifle was a light, accurate rugged standard issue carbine, rival to any competing bolt action fielded by any major power. However, the production of this replacement for the 8mm labell and labell/ berthier rifles was slow to go into production. Serious manufacture did not occur till 1938. By this time the American army had adopted the M1 Garand as a standard issue arm and the USSR and germans had developed similar auto loading rifles (both of which had their "problems" and were never issued very widespread). To further complicate things the French had additional production issues and were only able to get the new rifles to the "first line" units, such as the elite "guards", commandos, legionaries, and motorized rifle regiments. And by the time of the German invasion of 1940 only 20% of the French army had the new rifle. Most of the French troops involved in the fighting still had the same rifles their fathers carried in the first world war. The German occupiers and the vishey govt kept the good little gun in limited production to arm Atlantic wall troops and the vishy malice (anti partisan) troops. Many found their way into the hands of the resistance. After liberation production restarted, some seeing action in late ww2 with free French troops. Most of the rifles seen on the surplus market are made or rebuilt in the post ww2 period and will be gray parkerised instead of the black painted over blued finish of the pre war guns. The rifle had a distinguished combat record in the fighting in Algeria and french indo china (Vietnam) where they were supplemented by American rifles. The bolt guns were phased out for the equally odd looking MAS 45, MAS 49, and MAS 49/56. The later being finally retired in the late 90's as a "designated marksman" rifle. Many of these guns found their way to America in the late 1990's via century arms. These were surplussed out of the French war stores in rebuilt/ new condition. Many were still in the (at the time) unavailable 7.5 french. Quite a few were converted to .308 by century. Some conversions done well, others not as much. Average price under $100. Not bad for a 7.62 nato chambered bolt gun. Despite their appearance they have proven to be quite reliable, accurate and handy rifles. My wife's gun holds a 2inch group at 100m. Not bad for iron sights and surplus ammo. Not Bad for history's "too little, to late" rifle. |
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