Astro14

Inspired by your story, I bought this when I saw it locally. 1955 date of manufacture. Original finish with crisp markings and wood in nice condition. Not easy to find the ammo, and I have no plans to do anything other than put a few rounds through it, clean it, and keep it. But I’m pleased to have one!

Pricey, but interesting. I don't think the Croatian origin is a negative. My XD-M is a well built, good performer. I like how compact the bullpup is, and wonder how this compares with the Tavor. I will say that I like the ambidextrous ejection option as well as the adjustable gas system.

I think the only advantage is the size. Otherwise, I've already got an S&W 9mm concealed carry, double stack with an alloy frame - the 6906. And it's a nice-shooting gun.

How about that BAR, though!

"Discount available with Cash, Check and Money Order Payments"...so...

Delighted to see another 10mm! I'm a fan of the cartridge. I've got a Dan Wesson Razorback (1911, a gun with a troubled past that works great now), a Springfield Armory Range Officer Elite Operator (I think that's the name, another 1911), a Glock 20 C (hated the flash, retrofitted a regular barrel) and a S&W 1006. The 1006 is legendary for its durability and construction. All steel. Very rugged. Also, quite heavy. I'll be interested to see how this one holds up. I'll also be interested to see how people use it. Most 10mm is "FBI load" and for that performance, you're better off just getting a .40. Full power 10mm is fun to shoot and a whole lot more effective than the .40. Cheers,

I genuinely want one of the SAs. But they sold out so quickly that I am going to have to wait (Mrs. Astro was looking for Christmas present ideas, and this fit into her budget/plans). Once G&A put it on the cover, we all knew it would be gone in minutes...

Colt once made a finely crafted gun...is that still the case? I had to hand fit the safety on my latest Colt, it wasn't right from the factory. Shoots great now, but I was disappointed. .38 Super Competition model.

Kimber claims a "match-grade" trigger. I would like very much to know what you think when yours arrives. I "need" a .357, too...so...

Thanks for the update! would love to go someday... Cheers, Astro

Well...S&W heard enough consumer demand to bring back revolvers that they've got their whole "classic" line. They're pretty good revolvers, I've seen a few in shops, but they languish on the shelves for a while. I kept an eye on a Model 57 (6" .41 magnum N-frame) locally. It was $900. Then $875. Then $850. Took months for it to sell. If I wanted a .41 magnum to carry (and I can't really see a reason) then a $850 gun sort of makes sense... Sort of... But a magnum revolver, particularly an N-Frame, isn't particularly practical for carry, unless you're a cop, or hiking in bear country. It's too big for concealment, which relegates the every day use to outdoorsmen. Serious ones... And that's not a very big market. Further, it's a market with some established players, like Ruger. Sturdy guns in Stainless Steel already exist for that market. So, who is going to buy a blued magnum revolver? Someone looking for cartridge performance? Power? Lots of cartridges, for example, 10mm, offer considerable power in a much more compact firearm. E.G. Glock 20. Much lighter. Higher capacity. Still a credible bear/wildlife/self-defense round. But I want a gun to collect. To enjoy. So, a "no dash" Model 57 for about $1,200, with excellent finish, has a level of craftsmanship and quality that the new guns simply can't match. Recessed chambers, pinned barrel. Those things were dropped some time in the 1970s... IF they were to be brought back, the cost explodes, and who, on Earth, is going to pay $1,500 for a new wheel gun that's nothing special in terms of performance? So it is with the Python. I'm in complete agreement with your point. Now, I've been eying a Standard Manufacturing Single Action in .45 Colt...at $2,000 +/- it's not cheap, but the craftsmanship is superb. It's a gun, like a Shiloh rifle from Montana, that I would love to own. That I would be proud to own. That I could justify spending that kind of $$ for... http://www.stdgun.com/sa-revolver-1/

The M&P 2.0 is a good gun. I like them, but with over a dozen auto pistols, I just don't need one...still, at those prices...

Not yet an owner...but someday, when a few other rifles in which I've got a greater interest are occupying my safe, then a MN is on the list, but I was thinking of a Finnish built one... And yes - I realize that EVERY milsurp rifle is appreciating in price. In the two years since I bought the K-31, they're nearly double the price...

I realize that this is an ancient thread, but 7x57 ammo is now $0.60 here: https://www.sgammo.com/catalog/rifle-ammo-sale/7mm-mauser-7x57-ammo I love this company - awesome prices, reasonable shipping, great customer service. Now is a great time to buy ammo, particularly the less common types. Stock up! Cheers, Astro

Hey Clevy! I've got a K-31 as well. And four cases of GP-11. I shouldve bought more... cheers, Astro

It's here - too busy to get to the range. New CMP wood. IHC receiver, LMR barrel with a 2/52 date. SA bolt, SA Op Rod and SA trigger group. I've got an IHC bolt, and a complete (all IHC) trigger group and I am considering buying an Op Rod to make it all IHC. Not an original rifle, of course, but close to correct... I've seen the term "corrected" meaning, period parts swapped back in, I suppose? It had an oddly modified Sear and the front hammer hooks were filed. I contacted CMP and they sent new parts, no questions asked. I love their support. I installed all new springs, and gauged everything. It all looks good. Gas cylinder still in spec. Op Rod still in spec. Throat is a 1+ and muzzle is a 1. Very pleased with it overall as the LMR barrel is in great shape. Nice clean bore and little wear. The rest of the stuff, well, It's an old rifle, and I'm not worried about the mixed parts. I just want the others in stock to be able to "correct" it, should I choose...

I thought they were awfully pricey for what you're getting: a mixmaster of parts with some pitting... I think I will wait and see how folks like them before taking the plunge... Besides, I just got an IHC Garand this month, bought a used car Friday, and have two kids in college this fall...I'm stretched a bit thinner than I would like...

OK - I've been seriously bitten by the Garand bug... in addition to the HRA I mentioned above, I've now got Garand #2: Springfield Armory M-1D with a reproduction scope. It's a CMP rifle, so it's an authentic "D" but came without the scope or cheek pad. The reproduction cheek pads all suck, by the way...but the scope is quite good. The reproduction scope mount had a couple of manufacturing flaws, and once I figured out what was going on with it, it's much better. If you ever get one, check the fit between the mount and the receiver, there were some casting flaws that prevented good contact. Further, and even more significant, perhaps, was the interference between the "clamshell" and the thumbscrew that attaches the mount to the receiver. The scope continued to slip/shift in the mount despite proper torque on the screws. Once I relieved a bit of material from the clamshell where it hit the thumbscrew, all is well. I took the CMP "Advanced Maintenance Class" and built a SA special grade (all new wood, re-parkerized USGI parts, 1.0 serial number). That's Garand #3 And, on order, is an International Harvester Service Grade from the CMP...which makes #4... When it arrives, I'll post up a shooting report and some photos. I still need a Winchester... Cheers, Astro

Interesting rifle - I'd never heard of it until now...looks like a standard Mauser action with the unique Portuguese chambering. How did you come to select this particular rifle? Cheers, Astro

A shame, it was on my list of guns to own (someday). I just bought a second 1911 (in .38 Super) and really, really like it. Another one of John Browning's designs would still be nice. Oh, and on the subject of John Moses Browning, I really enjoyed my limited experience with the M2 .50 cal machine gun...what a piece of engineering!

Thanks - the range picture makes it look rusted, but it's really not. There is some rust/brown on the butt plate. But the hammer and action still have most of the blue on them. Either way, I am pleased to give it a place of honor in the house, where I just enjoy seeing it every day, instead of having it locked away in a safe. I suspect it would prefer a load that's closer to the M1881 diameter...thanks for the recommendation!

Had the Springfield at the range again last week. It's just a pleasure to shoot. I still can't hit consistently with it, but reading up on the rifle, I suspect that the modern ammunition is a tiny bit undersized. One of these days, I'll slug the bore and be certain, and if I'm correct, well...I've been saving brass for just this circumstance and I'll be reloading for the old girl in the future. In the meantime, we've done a bit of remodeling at our house, and the Springfield now has a place of honor in our library. I'll still shoot it, of course, but it was just too nice to linger in the safe... There are a couple of other articles of family history seen in the photo, including my great uncle's Merchant Marine hat. He captained Liberty ships in WW II, twice torpedoed in the North Atlantic. The Cavalry saber in the case was given to Captain William Barr, of the 101st Pennsylvania, on 01 August, 1863 for his promotion to Captain. At Gettysburg, he was a First Lieutenant, and, well...you can imagine the occasion of his promotion... He is my four times great Grandfather. Another heirloom too nice to linger in a safe... cheers, Astro You don't really need a spotting scope to know where a .45 went through the paper...

Post on BITOG, with pictures: https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/4356869#Post4356869

The cost was $800 for the class, billed in advance. Lunch is provided. Tools and benches are provided. You paid for the rifle, including AL state sales tax (now required, even if the rifle is shipped) when the class was done. About $1100, including the tax. What you get: USGI receiver, new Criterion barrel, new stock/hand guards with CMP cartouche, new op rod spring. All other parts are USGI that have been inspected, reparkerized, and the case of the op rod, rebuilt and reparkerized (new piston, welded and remachined tab and bolt camming area). Day one started with the most awesome tour (no pictures...though I longed to take some, it's US property, and the CMP is now a contractor, so you have to follow the government rules...). We saw where rifles were brought in and unpacked. They found a gas trap in perfect original condition last week. Expect to see that one go up on the auction site. Expect to see it bring high five, or even six, figures. They find a lot of basket case rifles that are stripped for parts. They had laid out a ton of unusual rifles that had been uncrated over the years: complete M1Cs, M1Ds, a gas trap, IHC, WRA, HRA, SA models, a repatriated rifle from a dead Vietcong soldier, a repatriated rifle taken from the Taliban last year, and I wish I could remember all of what we saw. Rifles are all checked by an armorer. Rifles are put out for sale, or repaired, or rebuilt, or scrapped, depending on what they find before going to test, which is in an automated jig, covered by a guard, in contained booth. They're then graded, and put up for sale. You choose the receiver. To be honest, the picking are slim on receivers. Most had some pitting. Mine was a 1,067,XXX SA and had a bit of pitting, but the sight teeth were sharp and it was one of the early ones. There were receivers with zero pitting, but much later numbers. All were SA. There was a 56,XXX receiver, but it had a lot of pitting, up and down the receiver legs, on the front by the threads and all around the outside...it was early, but it was ugly...no one chose it. As you build it, each part is checked. Any parts can be swapped out during the build, to ensure a good fit/function. No swapping to get a specific/correct part. I ended up with an early SA trigger housing, early SA op rod (no relief cut) and early SA bolt, but that was more luck of the parts bin than any real planning on my part. No Winchester receivers, but a few Winchester bolts and other parts were available. The guys teaching the class, all custom shop armorers (and general, salt-of-the Earth, good folks) had nothing good to say about Winchester receivers. They were SA and HRA fans. The build starts with lapping the bolt to the receiver. Install and time the barrel (using leveling rods and an eyeball). Ream the chamber to size using the lapped bolt and a pull through reamer. Install the rear sight group. Checking the fit, tension and function. Build the trigger group, check fit and function. Install the magazine parts. Install the gas block. Select an op rod and check for smooth operation with the bolt (gravity test). Fit the new stock. Mine took some filing to fit. Then check timing, particularly, will the op rod catch release with a timing gauge (which simulates a full magazine). Mine didn't. We tried a couple of different bullet guides, none of which timed properly, before we peened the bullet guide bump that engages the op rod catch accelerator. Then it timed perfectly, releasing just as the gauge pushed the follower to the bottom of the magazine well. On day three, we peened gas block splines, to tighten up gas blocks, and honed the rear hammer hooks to remove creep in the trigger. We had the rifles test fired in the rig I described above. All but one worked on the first try. They swapped gas blocks, with no luck, but a new op rod fixed it. Gas blocks and op rods are in short supply. They all measure out of spec when they are brought in, but no more exist...so, op rods are rebuilt and gas blocks are simply function checked at the end of the build. I had a great time. My fellow builders were all good guys. Some had upwards of 20 Garands. For some, this was their first. Some were very familiar with gun-smithing, some weren't. All were excited about the class. All were polite, personable guys, who ranged in age from late 20s to early 70s. We all had Garands in common. We had an impromptu class dinner at a local brew-pub. I learned things about the rifle that I didn't know before, despite being an owner and an avid reader, as well as learned the techniques and procedures for building one. If you get a chance - You simply have to do this! Cheers, Astro If it's OK, I'll post this on BITOG, where I can link some pictures.

In honor of John Cantius Garand - I built an M-1 this past week at the CMP's Advanced Maintenance Class. Three days very well spent! I'll describe it if you're interested. cheers, Astro