- Joined
- Jul 30, 2004
- Messages
- 3,833
Having seen Steve Poll's nice K.Kale Turk Mauser snag from SOG, I reversed my thinking- that they were all junk- and ordered one. I even splurged on the handpick fee (a questionable charge from some dealers). $59 rifle + $10 fee = $10 shipping, $81.
BBT came. Unwrap it and huh?
I'd asked for a late-war example, knowing they were built until 1946. 1946 and a 229xxx serial is what I got. Last of the make. OK, SOG heard me. :thumbup:
Noticed a stock crack in back of the reciever. Frown began. Bolt didn't match. Grrrrr. Handpick, indeed. It's going back. :grumpy: Wierd-lookin' light wood gave me a splinter. What were they thinking? I've never sent a rifle back, but then, I almost *never* order one blind. Pictures & a description are how I usually pick 'em, but sometimes cheap is worth a chance. Guess I struck out, finally. What a bummer, Steve got a perfect one.
Well. I stopped stripping the cosmoline off it. No use. A shame, I thought, because the bluing is perfect.... wait. It's really nice. And the cleaning rod looks unused.
Gun Scrubber, brake cleaner and Hoppes down the bore. Brass brush and carbon fiber rod go to work. Not that dirty.... hm. That British Lee-Enfield was a sewer pipe compared to this one.... finally it was clean. Let's have a look....
Cinderella appeared. Clean her up and voila!
The bore is perfect. Deep, clean, shiny lands and grooves. I will forgive a lot of faults for a low-mileage, nice barrel. Haven't seen a milsurp look like this since the last K31.
Crack in the stock? I can fix that and it doesn't show, anyways. Mis-matched bolt? None of the Russian-captured ones EVER have a matching bolt. And it locks up tight as a vault, Mauser-solid. Funny-lookin' wood? Well... it is light, which means a lot of finishing options. Last of all? It'll cost $15 to send it back. Not worth it, so.
She can stay. Made in 1946, in a neutral country, this rifle never saw war, and may have not seen much of anything. 1946 was the last year they made them, better and faster shooting rifles were around the corner. Most likely a ready-room rack rifle.
Will post before and after pix, because this one is going to be beautiful.
Can NOT get the splinter out of my hand, though.
Get your C&R license! Century has 8mm ammo for 5 cents a round! 900 round case, $45. $12.50 S&H.
Thanks for reading.
Mike
BBT came. Unwrap it and huh?
I'd asked for a late-war example, knowing they were built until 1946. 1946 and a 229xxx serial is what I got. Last of the make. OK, SOG heard me. :thumbup:
Noticed a stock crack in back of the reciever. Frown began. Bolt didn't match. Grrrrr. Handpick, indeed. It's going back. :grumpy: Wierd-lookin' light wood gave me a splinter. What were they thinking? I've never sent a rifle back, but then, I almost *never* order one blind. Pictures & a description are how I usually pick 'em, but sometimes cheap is worth a chance. Guess I struck out, finally. What a bummer, Steve got a perfect one.
Well. I stopped stripping the cosmoline off it. No use. A shame, I thought, because the bluing is perfect.... wait. It's really nice. And the cleaning rod looks unused.
Gun Scrubber, brake cleaner and Hoppes down the bore. Brass brush and carbon fiber rod go to work. Not that dirty.... hm. That British Lee-Enfield was a sewer pipe compared to this one.... finally it was clean. Let's have a look....
Cinderella appeared. Clean her up and voila!
The bore is perfect. Deep, clean, shiny lands and grooves. I will forgive a lot of faults for a low-mileage, nice barrel. Haven't seen a milsurp look like this since the last K31.
Crack in the stock? I can fix that and it doesn't show, anyways. Mis-matched bolt? None of the Russian-captured ones EVER have a matching bolt. And it locks up tight as a vault, Mauser-solid. Funny-lookin' wood? Well... it is light, which means a lot of finishing options. Last of all? It'll cost $15 to send it back. Not worth it, so.
She can stay. Made in 1946, in a neutral country, this rifle never saw war, and may have not seen much of anything. 1946 was the last year they made them, better and faster shooting rifles were around the corner. Most likely a ready-room rack rifle.
Will post before and after pix, because this one is going to be beautiful.
Can NOT get the splinter out of my hand, though.
Get your C&R license! Century has 8mm ammo for 5 cents a round! 900 round case, $45. $12.50 S&H.
Thanks for reading.
Mike
Like building a model car, or a ship in a bottle: it's a hobby in itself, aside from shooting them. Only "Bubba-ed" one- a 24/47- and it was no loss to history. (Yugo 24/47 pictured below- not the Turk)
