September Purchase

[Andy]

Bought a Yugo 24/47 (the blonde) from a friend to keep the M48BO I bought last month (the brunette). Can't wait to get it out.

Nice stuff. A 24/47 from Marstar was the first unsportered milsurp I ever owned and I still have it. It'll be the last I sell (if I'm not buried with it).

I like the stock on the "brunette" (M48BO) - nice streaks of brown in it. Some of the wood on these is very nice. I find the stocks on these Yugo Intermediate length actions to be very "fat", but I find that they feel good in my hands.

 

[big bear]

SVT scope?

Picked this one up from P&S this month. I had Jean on the lookout for me for one with a nice bore and a WW2 dated scope. The VAST majority of the recent PU imports have un-dated scopes. PU scopes were made post-war and I wanted to ensure absolutely that I did not get an SVT scope and that it had wartime provenance. I'm very happy with this one Jean found in his second shipment.

Rifle is matching apart from a struck and re-numbered floorplate. (Yes, I know that most of the parts were replacements from rebuild). Mix of Tula and Izhevsk parts, but the receiver and bolt (the important bits) are both Tula.

Unlike many of these, mine does not appear to have an older scope number ground off the barrel. It's only been marked once with the number of the scope it is presently wearing. Likely when it was new in 1943, it had just not been marked. It IS an original sniper rifle though as it has the distinctive Tula CH stamping (translates to SN = snypirskaya) and the receiver is too finely finished to have been a 1943 infantry rifle. The stock inletting is also period with no freshly removed wood, so it's a real sniper stock, but is Izhevsk wood.

Bore is perfect. And I do mean perfect. No evidence of any wear at all. The tip of the firing pin had surface rust all over it, so when it was test fired at rebuild, the primer was likely pierced. It cleaned up well with steel wool.

The canvas scope cover is one I had from years ago and is a real soviet one with a copper-washed steel buckle that I scrubbed the verdigris off (it was thick like playdoh!)

Very happy with this one and the scope seems to already be adjusted rather close from the boresighting I did earlier today. Optics are amazingly clear too, much better than any other real PU scopes I had owned in the past. Whenever it was overhauled, they did a good job. It IS overhauled though as the turrets were both re-indexed and new lock screw positions were used.

Now for those who claim these are not legit sniper refurbs or that the mounts are repro - not so. Mine has clearly been scrubbed at one point (refurb?), but they did not completely remove the original Izhevsk manufacturing stamp when they refinished it. It's still there. Obviously, the rifle would have been issued with a Tula mount, but at refurb an Izhevsk part was substituted. Here's the marking:

I have never seen a WW2 era izhevsk stamp on a repro mount.

Hope y'all like the pics.

Curious, why did you absolutely not want to get an SVT scope?

 

[rdelliott]

Nice stuff. A 24/47 from Marstar was the first unsportered milsurp I ever owned and I still have it. It'll be the last I sell (if I'm not buried with it).

I like the stock on the "brunette" (M48BO) - nice streaks of brown in it. Some of the wood on these is very nice. I find the stocks on these Yugo Intermediate length actions to be very "fat", but I find that they feel good in my hands.

So Yugoslav Mausers were the gateway drug ?

I haven't had the chance to get the 24/47 out yet, but I am in love with the M48BO: only quibble is that Privi Partisan 198-grain doesn't shoot to point of aim.

 

[Claven2]

Curious, why did you absolutely not want to get an SVT scope?

1) The M91/30PU pattern is intended to be issued with a PU scope. The SVT scope was a "substitute standard" optic. I prefer my 91/30 PU to wear the correct pattern scope for a lot of reasons, including it being representative of the most common WW2 configuration, aesthetics, etc.

2) I didn't just want any PU, I wanted a wartime PU. Many of the rifles wearing un-dated PU's or SVT scopes originally had WW2 dated PU's. Some of the un-dated PU scopes are post-war (1950's era) production and some of the SVT scopes we are now seeing were not on PU rifles during the war, but were added to Mosins post-1945. I wanted all WW2 dated components as I then know they were used on a WW2 mosin PU sniper in that configuration, though perhaps not all together on the same rifle.

It's a personal preference issue.

 

[Claven2]

Picked up this nice matching Swiss beauty.

According to some US websites, many of these were refinished in Bienne prior to being sold surplus. This one was definitely NOT refinished at any point though as it is still rust blued and all the internals are still "in the white".

It was used and issued, but not abused, retains over 90% finish, and has a mirror bore. Of the three grip varieties (black, mottled brown and reddish-brown), this one has mottled brown grips - as do both magazines.

The pistol was made in 1944 and is all matching. It's not pictured, but I have a 1945 dated holster with original shoulder strap en-route from the states.

Sadly, it was anything but inexpensive - lol. I pulled the trigger earlier today on a 1942 dated K31 to have as an "accessory" to this luger. The rifle cost less than the sales tax was for the pistol

 

[big bear]

Thank you ,sir

1) The M91/30PU pattern is intended to be issued with a PU scope. The SVT scope was a "substitute standard" optic. I prefer my 91/30 PU to wear the correct pattern scope for a lot of reasons, including it being representative of the most common WW2 configuration, aesthetics, etc.

2) I didn't just want any PU, I wanted a wartime PU. Many of the rifles wearing un-dated PU's or SVT scopes originally had WW2 dated PU's. Some of the un-dated PU scopes are post-war (1950's era) production and some of the SVT scopes we are now seeing were not on PU rifles during the war, but were added to Mosins post-1945. I wanted all WW2 dated components as I then know they were used on a WW2 mosin PU sniper in that configuration, though perhaps not all together on the same rifle.

It's a personal preference issue.

I appreciate your thoughtful answer. I'm an accumulator not a purist collector so I am always eager to learn other views about these marvelous toys.

 

[granite]

Finally

del

 

[koldt]

My contribution for the month isn't a gun, but rather some leather.
I've been searching for this canteen holder since at least Sept 2000, yup, 12 years.. Thanks go to QM. It's part of the Canadian Pattern 1916 leather field gear. It has the brass clips to attach to the belt or leather hangers that drop from the belt. Some parts of this set are plentiful, other stuff is extremely rare.
I'm still looking for the elusive yoke, or "Y" strap. I guess that's part of the fun, is the hunt.
There was a guy in the US that made a repro Y strap that looked really good, I just have to track him down while still searching boxes and bins at gun and antique shows for an original.
Every part of this set is C/|\ marked.

 

[Nyles]

Very neat Koldt! Do you have a uniform to go with it?

 

[Recce21]

Wanted one for a while, had to sell off a lot of the fleet to get it... 1944 M47c matching #s on rifle, mismatched scope/bracket/scope case.

[/IMG]

Now that brings a tear to my eye. Amazing and beautiful. Good catch!

 

[joe n]

Very nice gems, Gentlemen!!!

 

[koldt]

Very neat Koldt! Do you have a uniform to go with it?

Nope, so far my interest developed from the guns to the associated webbing and leather. I've dabbled into a small bit of uniforms, but that too is a whole other world (and expence).

 

[tokguy]

Just got this one back

I'm starting to lean more toward appreciating these pistols.
That's an 1911, not the 1911A1 correct? The lack of finger cutouts and unarched mainspring indicate this, right?
Was it much pricey'r that a 1911A1?
I still haven't drank the Kool aid about John Browning's godlike status but he did design some decent arms.

 

[#4mk1(T)]

Wanted one for a while, had to sell off a lot of the fleet to get it... 1944 M47c matching #s on rifle, mismatched scope/bracket/scope case.

[/IMG]

Very nice looking (T)!

 

[lorne19]

My contribution for the month isn't a gun, but rather some leather.
I've been searching for this canteen holder since at least Sept 2000, yup, 12 years.. Thanks go to QM. It's part of the Canadian Pattern 1916 leather field gear. It has the brass clips to attach to the belt or leather hangers that drop from the belt. Some parts of this set are plentiful, other stuff is extremely rare.
I'm still looking for the elusive yoke, or "Y" strap. I guess that's part of the fun, is the hunt.
There was a guy in the US that made a repro Y strap that looked really good, I just have to track him down while still searching boxes and bins at gun and antique shows for an original.
Every part of this set is C/|\ marked.

Wow thats dedication, patt 1916 leather webbing fasinates me, I have a picture of my great grandfather wearing pat 1916 kit in 1916. I'd love to put a set together but with the prices I've seen it probably wont happen. Very nice.

 

[koldt]

Wow thats dedication, patt 1916 leather webbing fasinates me, I have a picture of my great grandfather wearing pat 1916 kit in 1916. I'd love to put a set together but with the prices I've seen it probably wont happen. Very nice.

Having a photo is cool, as there are not that many around.

It would be good if you could post it, or if I could obtain a copy, that would be great.

 

[koldt]

Just as a follow up, in case anyone might come across with the Y strap that I've been hunting for, here is a photo of a more complete set. The photo isn't that great, as it was a small pic and low resolution.
As you can see, the Y strap goes under the backpack and attaches to the belt and the top of the ammo pouches. The backpack then attaches to the Y strap with the front buckles.
Crazy system, but it was a Canadian design, therefore my interest.
I probably use the canteen "extensions" as well, that attach to the belt and the canteen buckles on to.
Thanks to you guys for looking.

 

[koldt]

Here's another look at the same Dismounted pattern 1916 set at the Imperial War Museum.
http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/30015945

 

[sail32]

Water bottle, a canteen is a much larger item.

 

[tommyinbc]

Just arrived today, a 1930 Lee Enfield No1 MkVI trials rifle

V-E-R-Y nice..!!