[MVP]

G&G,

With the new laws a lot of Germans are dumping their guns really cheap or giving them away so they do not have to buy a safe. My friends there now tell me the bulletin board at the Sindelfingen range is full of good deals. Just remember you cannot bring all of those good deals back to CONUS. Some examples are the Walther PPK (too small) or any version of a Mauser that started life out as a military gun. I would consider staying clear of any rifle that used a Mauser 98 action just to preclude problems. In 2002 I had BATF turn down my import permit for two 98s that were clearly commercial production by the serial numbers. Despite my best efforts and submission of information from a book on Mauser sporting rifles they would not relent.

There is also another avenue to good deals; the KriegsWaffenBeseidigungsDeinst. May have misspelled the name but it is sort of an EOD organization that also acquires guns from different places that they either sell or destroy. They are located near the range but you cannot get to them directly. There is however a German hunter/shooter who is at the range weekly who can. You sort of place orders for him on what you would like and he makes enquiries and informs you when interesting stuff comes along. Best contact to him is thru the club I mentioned previously.

I once bought a pre-war Mauser African Model with the longer stock (not a Mannlicher style) from a younger hunter on the range. It is a double-square bridge with factory claw mounts and a Hensoldt 4X. Paid about $400 for a $2500-3000 rifle. He wanted a more modern gun, a lot of Germans are like that, they want the newest tech stuff. Really nice BHPs are cheap, most Germans want the new plastic pistols. The moral is: keep your eyes open on the range and if you see something interesting that is old don't hesitate to ask if they might sell it. SIG 210's are in abundance and very nice for 1930 pistol technology. Euro exchange makes them pricey just yet but still very nice guns.

Couple of other points:

1. Learn some German, it will serve you well and help get you invited to hunt.
2. Make all possible efforts to hunt with Germans so you can experience the traditions you will miss hunting game on US. Installations.
3. Buy and read the German gun/hunting magazines. That is how I began learning the langauge and was at a 3/3 when I last tested. I was not sent to formal training until I was at a 2+/2 and I got there by reading, chasing women and drinking lots of bier. Unfortunately most single German girls speak good english these days so learning German via the "long-haired dictionary" is not so viable now. They may tolerate you struggling along for a while but pretty quickly they will give up and speak only english unless you find one who grew up in the East. My frau speaks 4 languages and when I met her I thought she was an American because her english was so good. If you are single or perhaps especially if you are single, cultivate German friends and contacts.
4. Don't go bar hopping with other soldiers, expand your horizons and perspectives. Keeps you out of the "ugly American" incidents and reduces your signature (Individual Protective Measure). Drunk soldiers are often loud and obnoxious.
5. Stay away from the Irish Pubs, they are typically American hangouts ergo: great target environment for Foreign Intelligence Services and terrorists. I have known many soldiers who's first action when going to a new place is to find the Irish Pub, just not a good idea overseas.
6. As Stras said, DO NOT WEAR CAMOUFLAGE HUNTING OR TO THE RANGE!!! The club at Sindelfingen has gone so far as to post a sign saying this at the entrance to the 100m range. I remembering seening US military personnel taking the hunting course showing up there in uniform and believe this is what caused the sign to be posted. Try to blend in as much as possible, they will identify you as an American as soon as you open your mouth but don't announce yourself from a distance.

In a nutshell: enjoy what there is to enjoy and experience while being a quiet professional...

MVP