Because most philosophies that frown on reproduction don't survive.

Thursday, March 30, 2006

History Comes Knocking

Our friendly neighborhood UPS man came by yesterday and left two heavy, long packages with Darwin's name on them. I'm told the girls wanted to open them themselves, but Mommy prevented them, and so the contents were not discovered until evening.

The contents consisted of a German K98 Mauser and a Russian 91/30 Mosin Nagant rifle, both manufactured in 1942 (the Russian one I'm sure on, the date is stamped on it, but the German one might have been manufactured in late 1941, I'm still researching) -- and since the Mauser is one of the few made with an enlarged trigger guard to allow a soldier wearing gloves to fire it, it's probably a good bet that both were headed for the Eastern Front around the time of Stalingrad.

They need some good cleaning up, but both appear to be in pretty good condition. The girls are thrilled -- perhaps a little two thrilled as the first thing they asked me early this morning was: "Where are your guns, Daddy? Can we see them again?"

I've informed girls that guns are locked away until the weekend when Daddy will work on cleaning them. Good to seem them showing and interest, but there's a definite limit how much interest in guns a 2.5 and 3.5 year old should have...

I'm thinking the 1-2 year goal is to get one each of the combat rifles issued by the major powers in the European theatre in WW2, which means I still need an Enfield and an M1 Garand. We shall see.

12 comments:

Pro Ecclesia said...

No pics?

Darwin said...

I'm old fashioned -- I only have film cameras. (Borrowed a digital for the baby.) So pics have to wait for a roll to finish.

Darwin said...

What can I say, Rhonda, it's better than "Jay blah blah blah blah Adriana Lima blah blah blah Darwin blah blah blah pictures." I'm trying to be a good influence here... ;-)

Rick Lugari said...

Mauser... mistress...

It doesn't matter, I got the nod for a mail-order Spanish model, and that's all that matters to me.

;)

Darwin said...

Did Fidei find you something Franco's troops carried?

Fidei Defensor said...

Darwin, I sent you an Email similar to Ricks about the Spanish Mausers that were used from 1916-1970's (hence rechambered in .308) and of course carried by Franco's Nationalists, didn't you recieve it? Check!

Anyway, way to go on the Mauser and the M91-30. I can't wait till the pictures are up. Who did you order from?

Now the real fun starts, taking them apart, getting all the cosmo off, and putting them back together. You'll also have to tells us about the markings and stuff (where they were made etc.) You can also start hunting for bayonets on Ebay!

Good luck on the Enfield and Garand! If you want to get really particular with the WWII rifle collection you might need a 1903 Springfield, Japanese Ashkira, Soviet M-44, and all 3 types of Enfield. Not to mention an Italian Carcano 91/38.

Rick Lugari said...

Yeah, Darwin. The same day he sent me information on a Spanish Mauser model from Barcelona, Jay sent me information on a Spanish swimsuit model from Brazil.

Not a bad day for the inbox. ;)

Pro Ecclesia said...

"Spanish swimsuit model from Brazil", huh? I think she's a Brazilian swimsuit model from Brazil. And she probably speaks Portuguese rather than Spanish.

This is an interesting discussion, but just think: last week at this time we were all having an important conversation about the virtues (or lack thereof) of Miss Adriana Lima.

Darwin said...

I don't think I got that email... (The one about important things like rifles, that is.) I'll have to drop Fidei a note.

Anonymous said...

Oh, cool. These are shooters, right? I've got a 1942 Ishevsk M-N 91/30 myself. It's a blast to shoot and surprisingly accurate for a weapon whose makers were obviously in a major hurry.

Oh, and ammo is ridiculously cheap, at least in North Florida.

No Mausers yet, but it's probably only a matter of time.

Bernard Brandt said...

Under the circumstances, I have but two words for you:

Gun safe.

For the sake of the ignorant, I'll expatiate just a bit more.

A gun safe is a safe, secured by a combination lock, in which the owner (or owners) of guns put them until they are needed. This has the double advantage of preventing them from being found and misused by children who have not yet been trained in how to use them, and also gives an element of deliberation which tends to militate against them being used to punctuate an argument which probably should have continued with just words.

Of course, if you have the means of doing what the renaissance folk used to do (and all decent folk in general), you will simply construct a gun room in your house, in which all of your weapons are placed (and locked) until needed.

Just a thought.

Darwin said...

I had strongly considered the gun room option, but I'm not sure any of the childre want to share their trophy heads so that I might decorate it appropriately, and the butler doesn't want to give up his pantry, which is the only room of the appropriate size available.

Right now, to put at ease any restless minds, I keep all the guns in locked hard cases, but since each case only holds one gun, you quickly run short of space, and so I am thinking a gun safe might well be in order.