The Next Generations Lost Treasure

[Kilo-Sierra]

Didn't want to hijack another thread so I figured it would start this one.

If you stop and think about things that were thrown away so easily by previous generations, that we would now consider nearly priceless, it really is quite interesting. For instance, how many WW2 era aircraft were blown up as drones in missile tests? I have seen videos of B17s and B29s being destroyed, and how many of those are there left flying? 2 B24s, 1 B29, and a handful of B17s? I can't imagine the days when 1903s and 1917s could be had for just a few dollars at hardware stores. Now, for a nice one you have to spend a lot more money, and lots of time looking. Thanks to the CMP they can be easier to come by, but how many of our grandparents bought them from stores back then and did things many of us would never dare do to an old warhorse?

What will my kids sit around and pine for the "good old days when...."? I tend to think it will have more to do with the liberties we are fast losing. However, if I am not able to get each of my kids an M1 Garand (by far my personal favorite military arm) will they look at them at gun shows where they are selling for 2k each and find it hard to believe I ever got one for the price I did? I don't know maybe I am way off. but it seems to me that the WW2 generation and all the things that went with had such an impact on my life, that I can't imagine what in recent history could have a similar impact on their lives. Before WW2 was there the same kind of attachment to Civil War era guns? what would they have considered "vintage"

 

[BasraBoy]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

If you ever read C Shore's "With British Snipers to the Reich" you'll find he had a real attachment to the P14 (M1917) - far more so than the Enfields, Garands, Springfields and Mausers of the day.

What will my kids drool over?

My son is after my WW2 rifles - he's not too bothered about my AW or GAP M40A1 clone - my daughter has her eyes on those!

But not sure you'll ever be able to pick those up for pennies....ever!

 

[kraigWY]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

I totally agree. I keep harping on my kids to get a Garand. Carbines are gone from the CMP racks, '03s and 1917s are gone. What's left is in their Auctions at pretty steep prices. Or butchered Drill rifles.

The one I missed out on, and still looking is a good unmodified Krag. So far I've done alraight on correct bayonets for my US Vintage Military Rifles.

CMP still has Garands, but even they wont last forever. I highly recommend getting one while they're still available. You wont get M14s, M16s, M4s. The Garand is the last of the lot.

Ever try and find a unmodified USGI 1911/1911a1 lately?

 

[Beef_Supreme]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

My first centerfire rifle was a M96 Swede, 6.5x55. All numbers matching in good condition. 69$ was what it cost and it was all I wanted for Christmas, and I got it and two boxes of old white box PPU Ammo. I bought one from a collection because it was semi sentimental, and I need another one in similar condition to the one I already had since I have twins and wanted a pair of something historic to leave them. 300$ and that was at a break.
I recently paid just over 500 for my p-17 Remington, in good condition, god only knows what they will go for in the future....

 

[Joop]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

You are spot on!

It's unfortunate to hear the excuses for chopping these things up. "They're cheap" and "there's a million of them" seem to top the list. Let's think about that for a minute. Take German K98s for example. They were everywhere, years ago. You could go into a hardware store and they literally had barrels full of them, for something like $20 each. These were original condition, matching guns that had been brought back from Europe. I know my local smith likes to get my goat by telling me about the piles of K98 stocks that they would have at the end of the year, after sporterizing them all....that they would use as firewood! Those stocks, alone are worth several hundred dollars a piece, today. The rifles that they came on, which were "cheap and plentiful" at that time, now sell for as much as $4,0000, or more.

However, the REAL issue isn't about money, at all. It's about not having any more around, period. Some things just aren't about money and it's too bad that some people are too shallow to understand that concept.

 

[whitetailnut]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

I actually found one yesterday evening and bought it this morning!

1941 Lend/Lease

Found this one in Sept for the whopping price of $175 out the door!
arisaka
It's deer season around here and everyone wants a new deer rifle!

 

[NUTT]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

I'm going to pick up a CMP Garand this winter, they are going to disappear soon.

 

[Joop]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bd1023</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I actually found one yesterday evening and bought it this morning!

http://forums.thecmp.org/showthread.php?t=59776



Found this one in Sept for the whopping price of $175 out the door!
arisaka
It's deer season around here and everyone wants a new deer rifle! </div></div>
Stop! Thief! You just stole two guns!

Great scores on both counts. Next time you go gun shopping, take me with!

John

 

[whitetailnut]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Joop</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: bd1023</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I actually found one yesterday evening and bought it this morning!

http://forums.thecmp.org/showthread.php?t=59776



Found this one in Sept for the whopping price of $175 out the door!
arisaka
It's deer season around here and everyone wants a new deer rifle! </div></div>
Stop! Thief! You just stole two guns!

Great scores on both counts. Next time you go gun shopping, take me with!

John </div></div>


The Arisaka I knew a little about, the garand is a different story. If it wasn't for the guys over on odcmp.com I would have left it on the shelf as well. They definetly steered me in the right direction!

I've learned that right before deer season and right before Christmas is a good time to stop by local gunshops and check their used racks.

 

[81Z4ME]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

I still get "sticker shock" at the gun shows.

I bought my Colt 1911 (made in 1917) in 1978 for $195.

I bought my 03A3 for $95 at a Herman's Sporting Goods in Alexandria in 1978 or 1979.

I bought my 03A4 at a pawn shop in Arlington in 1978 or 1979 for $135. Got the scope (Weaver 330C) the next year for $60.

I bought my 03 Mk1 for $135 in 1977.

I bought my Winchester M52B for $35 in 1979.

These days I just can't bring myself to buy more of these old guns at 5 to 8 times those prices.

Some day my boys will get mine - if they still act like they want to keep them and shoot them. If I think they'll just end up selling them then I'll sell them myself.

 

[Dixiedog1980]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

You can still buy a Mosin Nagant for under $100.00 but on Classic Arms web site a warning is posted that the price is going up the first week of Dec. A K-31 can be had for under $300.00 but the ones with walnut stocks are getting harder to find. In a few years will we wish we had bought any of these?
I have my M1 but watched them for years go out of the CMP without getting one. The price I paid would have bought two a few years ago and is less than you can get one of the same grade now.

 

[Beef_Supreme]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

I want a Swiss K-31 bad, I guess I should start browsing for one and snatch it up before it is too late. I like waiting for the 'Grandpa had it in his closet' guns of which I have had a few and hope for more. Alas, it truly is up to us to instill in the kids what these old guns mean. I have a while as twins are 3, so they will fully appreciate the pair of Swedes I have for them. Kar-98 and 1917 for the 6 year old.
I have an Arisaka I am going to do a LOT of work to, but it's already bubba'd, bolt handle cut and ARC welded, drilled an tapped (thankfully straight) and stock chopped. Barrel is pretty bad too, so it one of those 'no other choice' guns.
Hoping for some others to come knocking some day.

 

[kraigWY]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> it truly is up to us to instill in the kids what these old guns mean</div></div>

That's it right there. I cringe when I think what will happen to my surplus rifles and pistols when I go under.

I'm trying to educate my kids and grandkids, but some times I woneder.

 

[VJJPunisher]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: kraigWY</div><div class="ubbcode-body">
Ever try and find a unmodified USGI 1911/1911a1 lately?</div></div>

funny thing is Kraig, the CMP HAS all the Gubments old 1911's sittin in one of the warehouses down in Anniston. Problem is they cant do anything with them, something to do with the Government's initial contract/agreement with the CMP that handguns would not qualify and could not be sold like the rifles.

 

[Beef_Supreme]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

Kraig, I was on business up in PA with some VERY serious guys here a few weeks ago solving problems with their black guns. An old guy on the team, 63 got to talking to me and found out that despite being a black gun mechanic, my true passion was fine European guns. That was all it took and after a long conversation he is sending me pics of some of his collection so I can find appreciative homes for them because his son has no interestnd he wants someone to get them that knows what they are what they mean.

 

[Remoah]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

I'm not sure what it's like in the US, but how many original Vietnam Era M16A1's are sitting around in unissued form, or with perfect furniture?

Even now, down here in Oz, i cringe when i see someone talk about how they 'sporterised' their old .303 that was probably in armoury condition with original wood. Or converting to .303-25.

Sitting in my safe is a 1943 issue, No1 Mk3*, never issued, and bought by a now deceased friend of my pop's back in the 50's or 60's. The only modification is a small clamp mount on the side of the action to accommodate a peep sight for F-Class shooting. Even that, i think, is tantamount to butchering what would otherwise be an original, all-matching, vgc-mint condition rifle.

Once i'm working (uni student at the moment), I'm planning to get my hands on one of every issued rifle from WW1/2. Or maybe trying to restore as many bubba .303's back to their former glory.

Damnit man, you can't club a zombie to death with a free-floating barrel and a thumbhole stock!

EDIT
And try not to think about all the Garand's, M14's M1A's and M1 Carbine's that were scrapped in 1996 due to the banning of semi-automatics here in Oz.

 

[sr15match]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

I should take more time and look at the collector / older rifles. I remember about 20 years ago when living in Spokane going into a couple places that had barrels of .30cal carbines of all makes. I'd pick through the barrel and see what looked good but never bought any. Looking back they were dirt cheap and I should have bought a dozen of them but raising a family on Airmens pay kept me from doing such things.

Now older and a "little" smarter the hunt is on for interesting older military guns.

 

[BasraBoy]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Remoah</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

Damnit man, you can't club a zombie to death with a free-floating barrel and a thumbhole stock!

</div></div>

An AI Heavy Target barrel would help but it still doesn't beat a rifle that is capable of having 16" of finest cold steel attached to the business end!!

Zombies or otherwise - "They don't like it up 'em, Capt Mainwairing!"

 

[powderBurnz]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

I recall going to Woolworth's on the south side of milwaukee every weekend with my dad to look at the surplus guns they had for $50-$200. Mausers, Enfields, and even Garands. I always wanted a Garand back then but my dad wouldn't spring for the $200! They had these things just stacked up against each other in an isle. This was at a dime store in a mall in metro milwaukee!!!!! Mind you it was 20 or 25 years ago.

 

[longguntoter]

Re: The Next Generations Lost Treasure

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Kilo-Sierra</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Didn't want to hijack another thread so I figured it would start this one.

If you stop and think about things that were thrown away so easily by previous generations, that we would now consider nearly priceless, it really is quite interesting. For instance, how many WW2 era aircraft were blown up as drones in missile tests? I have seen videos of B17s and B29s being destroyed, and how many of those are there left flying? 2 B24s, 1 B29, and a handful of B17s? I can't imagine the days when 1903s and 1917s could be had for just a few dollars at hardware stores. Now, for a nice one you have to spend a lot more money, and lots of time looking. Thanks to the CMP they can be easier to come by, but how many of our grandparents bought them from stores back then and did things many of us would never dare do to an old warhorse?

What will my kids sit around and pine for the "good old days when...."? I tend to think it will have more to do with the liberties we are fast losing. However, if I am not able to get each of my kids an M1 Garand (by far my personal favorite military arm) will they look at them at gun shows where they are selling for 2k each and find it hard to believe I ever got one for the price I did? I don't know maybe I am way off. but it seems to me that the WW2 generation and all the things that went with had such an impact on my life, that I can't imagine what in recent history could have a similar impact on their lives. Before WW2 was there the same kind of attachment to Civil War era guns? what would they have considered "vintage" </div></div>Not trying to knock the "greatest generation" because my parents were from that time, but really when you look back at the stuff that went on then, you would be surprised at how much of their liberties were stepped on by government. You would be surprised at how uneducated and currupt some were in "their" time as well. I tend to think it comes down to the population. In WW2 there were half the number of people in the U.S. than there is now. Lets not even get into the other social issues. Consider, for a moment, what it would be like around our country, and the world for that matter, if HALF of the population just up and disappeared! I think about half of the problems we are facing now would disappear with them. The people in the past threw everything into a land fill and got away with it because there were not as many of them making as much junk to throw away. Just saying.