whiteinterceptor
CGN Regular
- Location
- Oshawa, Ontario
has anyone ever tried to contact the original family to tell them that you have their family members service rifle now, any thoughts on how to attempt this?
Swiss buttplate troop tags, tracking down family
- Thread starter whiteinterceptor
- Start date
If your fluent in German, French or Italian it helps alot. Personally I was only able to find the Graveyard of the former owner of my K 31.
Your best bet is to go through the town or State records of where ever your fellow was from or go to swissrifles forums and contact Gusian for help or even diopter on here.
Hopefully you have better luck then me.
Your best bet is to go through the town or State records of where ever your fellow was from or go to swissrifles forums and contact Gusian for help or even diopter on here.
Hopefully you have better luck then me.
whiteinterceptor
CGN Regular
- Location
- Oshawa, Ontario
I'm just thinking that maybe somebody out there is wondering whatever happened to the rifle that their father or grandfather used to carry around and how cool it would be to have a pic of them holding the same rifle that you now own
wondering what the point of that was ?This is not necessary. Over on www.swissrfifles.com we have a pro-forma letter, in German, French or Italian - you choose, depending on the language used in the tag - written by a Swiss [Thanks again, Mondragon]. All you do is fill out the blank spaces and send it off. The current Swiss white pages are a great help in locating the owner or even relatives of the owner - Swiss don't seem to move around much in their own country.
Many owners have made very successful and rewarding contact with the previous owne, or relatives thereof, to the extent that the new owner might well end up with ALL the military documentation, Soldbuch et al, photographs and so on, of the original owner. Afew of us here, diopter and myself included, are able to read European handwriting [not easy] and can help you out if necessary.
@98/29 - we are talking about Switzerland here, are we not? The country where military service is compulsory [providing you have the right numbers of eyes, arms and legs], and where every fit male over the age of 18 has a gun in his closet, unless, of course he is a Somali immigrant or other kind of furriner.
The folks I used to stay with had four generations of shooters in the one house. The great-grandfather, aged 97, actually died whilst in the middle of shooting a competition on the village range with a rifle he had been issued around 1917. What a way to go, eh?
Most Swiss are -
a. astounded that their rifle/carbine, or their dad's, ended up in North America.
b. VERY helpful to respectful requests for information about it.
tac
www.swissrifles.com
- Location
- pallisers triangle
the swiss love there guns, almost as much as we do. so , why WOULDNT you contact them ?
Donny Fenn1
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- East Kootenays
funny that, i know a fair number of Swiss through work and NONE of them shoot or shot outside of their military service requirements, the rifle was a tool and that was it
i asked one guy in particular about any special care/cleaning/maintenance for my Swiss Arms and he was "dude, i haven't got a f#ckin' clue"
I wish I could find information about my 1889. I know the owner is long gone but it would be nice to talk with the relatives, perhaps even see a picture of the rifle in service.
The interesting point is the stock date under the butt plate is down to the day, month, and year of make and I think it is late August 1891.
The interesting point is the stock date under the butt plate is down to the day, month, and year of make and I think it is late August 1891.
Kampfhamster
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Switzerland
Just go and try to contact them. By now most of the original owners are probably gone, but you might be able to contact his relatives.
Kampfhamster
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Switzerland
the result was actually was actually quite clear as only a rather small minority was in favor of banning firearms from private ownership.
Anyone know the legal loopholes it would take to send a family their ancestors rifle? I mean to one of us, it's a K31 (or whatever) out of a crate. To them it could be a priceless heirloom. If I owned one and tracked the family down, I'd more than willing to give it up if they wanted.
Just a thought, while we're on the subject.
Just a thought, while we're on the subject.
Kampfhamster
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Switzerland
no big deal from the swiss side, they'd just have to get an import permit that's it.
As far as I know, after the military service they get to keep their service rifle. So if that service rifle is now in your position it means that either the person whom it was issued to never chose to keep the rifle in the first place, or that he has now passed away and the heirs have given up the rifle.
In either case, a call from a random Canadian person saying hey I got your father or grandfather's rifle is rather ridiculous and pointless. Really what is there to be achieved from contacting them? What kind of response do you hope to get back? I'd probably say: "Good for you, now stop stalking me from half way across the globe."
if i got a call from a swiss person saying hey, i got this set of wrenches, or whatever, with your grandads name on it, i would sure be interested to hear about it
