Ross, SMLE, and Arisaka going to the welder

ArmedGinger

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Had a customer just drop off three rifles to be deactivated and their number matching bayonets to be welded onto the front of the rifles.

Numbers matching, all in great shape, and all Vet bring backs. Along with the history of who carried what.

Going to be donated to the local Legion. Yes I tried to buy them but wasn't looking to sell them.
 
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Ouch, that stings. Those old vets deserve better than that. There’s lots of ‘restored’ examples, shot out examples etc that could be donated especially just to hang on the wall.
 
And the person getting the rifles dewatted most likely feels smug that he (or she) is doing their part to "get them off the street"
 
Seeing as Canadian Army service rifles were property of the Queen and had to be handed in on demobilization, how could a soldier bring one back?
 
And the person getting the rifles dewatted most likely feels smug that he (or she) is doing their part to "get them off the street"

No, the guy is a gun owner. He just thought they would be better off in the Legion along with their stories and history.

I should mention that the bayonet on the Arisaka actually had a bullet hole through the blade!
 
No, the guy is a gun owner. He just thought they would be better off in the Legion along with their stories and history.

I should mention that the bayonet on the Arisaka actually had a bullet hole through the blade!

Holy hell, that even makes it worse !
 
And the person getting the rifles dewatted most likely feels smug that he (or she) is doing their part to "get them off the street"
The Legion carefully follows the law regarding safe storage of firearms and so they can not display fully functional firearms on the wall. Our local legion has all the British, American, German, and some Russian and Japanese small arms including machine guns (Sten, Bren, MG42) proudly ( but securely) displayed on their walls. All are legally deactivated war trophies, complete and cosmetically perfect but non functional, as required by law. You can do the same if your significant other ( or your mother) will let you.
 
No, the guy is a gun owner. He just thought they would be better off in the Legion along with their stories and history.

Holy hell, that even makes it worse !

You can do the same if your significant other ( or your mother) will let you.

^ What are you implying in that last line ?

Sounds like you flushed out the owner donating the guns. lol


Personally, I wouldn't give the Legion a mis-matched clapped out shooter. They don't represent veterans any more or less than the local pub.
 
Sounds like you flushed out the owner donating the guns. lol


Personally, I wouldn't give the Legion a mis-matched clapped out shooter. They don't represent veterans any more or less than the local pub.

Sure looks like it, and butt hurt also that folks cannot commend his acts try as he may to justify it. Last line sums up my sentiments re. the Legion also.
 
Sounds like you flushed out the owner donating the guns. lol


Personally, I wouldn't give the Legion a mis-matched clapped out shooter. They don't represent veterans any more or less than the local pub.

Totally agree. The legion has become nothing more than a social club for Walt’s and blow hards who have never seen a day’s service….& I’m still a legion member!
 
The only “numbers matching bayonets” with Rosses (MK III) that I recall are from the HMS CANADA. A concomitant and senseless waste to destroy a historical pair!
There are so many other elegant ways to preserve these pieces. To the owner……….Trade them to a collector for a shot out clunker and cash and give the money to the legion…….
What is now mandated is a dull, single minded travesty.
Oldguncrank
 
It's really easy for us to make a lot of dissenting statements, when the firearms don't belong to us.

I fully agree, it's an absolute waste.

The thing is, if the Executor happens to be uninterested in firearms, doesn't need the money or appreciate their historical presence????

Then, if the deceased was a member of a certain branch of the Legion, and the firearms will serve as both a memorial and a representative piece of arms issued during service, I can see them being donated to the Legion.

Likely, the people in charge at that Legion have zero understanding of the law and are quite willing to display the memorial firearms but only if they've been dewatted, in a similar manner to what some museums require.

I've seen this happen before and was present at our local Legion when it was decided that a wall hangar was going to be sent away for dewatting.

The particular rifle was a lovely Longbranch, issued but clean with all match numbers, bayo.

I made them a fair offer on the rifle and it was decided that if I was going to offer so much money, for what they all thought was a $25 rifle, they should look into what it was worth on the market.

They all had too much to drink that evening and decided to put it up for auction.

You had to be there to believe the made-up BS and blarney when it came to legally selling the rifle.

Only about half of the people there even realized you needed a firearms license to purchase it and then some off the wall comment was made by a drunk, claiming "It's an ANTIQUE, so no one needs a license to own it" Must have been listening to Mad Max?

Finally, the President of the branch, a very astute lady, decided they should talk about it when they were all sober.

Took them about six months to make up their minds on what to do with it and they decided to offer it to me at about twice what it was worth at the time.

I declined of course, and they ended up selling it to one of their members for what I offered them.

I have no idea if the member had a license and don't care, but this is what happens in such situations.

The executor may have been directed by the will to donate the rifles to the Legion branch, and very likely they wouldn't accept them unless they were dewatted. The cost of building and maintaining legal display cases for the items, as well as insurance and obtaining a license or permit for the branch would likely be prohibitive.
 
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