Gun Pics

[FNU_LNU]

In the spirit of the assignment:

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[STR8SHTR]

My three SIGS. The P226R DAK and the P220R DAK are mine. The P229R DAK with the engraved badge is issued. We are in the process of transitioning to the P229R DAK in .357 SIG.

[NousDefionsDoc]

Nice

[mugwump]

OK, what's this? Bonus points for identifying the background.

I got this rifle because it was what my uncle carried in his first engagement -- it took a lot of searching to find a nice one.

Uncle Ray had two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. Despite repeated attempts, he would never talk about his wartime experiences. "Once I saw a $25,000 pot in a poker game" or "I made the best jungle juice in the division" was all I could get out of him.

I sneaked this and a pint of Jack into the nursing home where he spent his final days and boy, did his eyes light up. "God how I hated this bitch! I fired 300 rounds one long day and then got shot in the thigh an hour after midnight. The next day my shoulder hurt worse than my cracked thigh bone." Now, Ray never even said "gosh" or "darn" and he never mentioned his wound, so those were revelations.

For the next two hours he told me about his buddies who were killed -- what characters they were, their dreams for the future and how they died. Ray wasn't too sharp remembering what he had for breakfast, but I could tell that he could see every detail of his buddies in his mind's eye. He talked a lot about the smells of battle, and how even 50 years later a whiff of an odor could drag him right back onto one of those islands.

He did mention that he carried his grenades in a cloth sugar bag and he kept clips for his rifle in a coffee can at the bottom of his foxhole. I've relayed that info to a few young bucks who were dismayed that their web gear camo patterns were mismatched.


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[lksteve]

Originally Posted by mugwump

Ray wasn't too sharp remembering what he had for breakfast, but I could tell that he could see every detail of his buddies in his mind's eye.

a brief hijack...what your Uncle Ray had for breakfast wasn't important to him...his buddies were...

nice pics...

[Peregrino]

Originally Posted by mugwump

OK, what's this? Bonus points for identifying the background.

Here's to your Uncle Ray. I'm with lksteve - "who cares about breakfast?"!.

I know the Marines didn't get the cream of the crop but I thought the O3A3s were in pretty wide distribution by the start of WWII. That's a very nice O3 though. IIRC the background is one of the Marine poncho/shelter half combos. I remember seeing one years ago - and pitying the poor bastards who got it issued to them. Since it's in such good shape can I assume it's actually Korean War vintage? Peregrino

[mugwump]

Originally Posted by Peregrino

Here's to your Uncle Ray. I'm with lksteve - "who cares about breakfast?"!.

I know the Marines didn't get the cream of the crop but I thought the O3A3s were in pretty wide distribution by the start of WWII. That's a very nice O3 though. IIRC the background is one of the Marine poncho/shelter half combos. I remember seeing one years ago - and pitying the poor bastards who got it issued to them. Since it's in such good shape can I assume it's actually Korean War vintage? Peregrino

Nope, not an 03A3, and not a Marine shelter half. Close on both but no cigar. It's actually a trick question -- the rifle and background are from two different theaters.

[Basicload]

Sringfield M-1903 and WWII German reversable Para Smock/ poncho thingy.

I used to throw the 1903 around in JROTC Drill Team. (no comments NDD) I had to have the front site removed because it would slice the web between my thumb and forefinger when being tossed behind you from order arms.

[STR8SHTR]

A few more.

The 870 was picked up for a $100 from another state agency that replaced them with SIG rifles. It was in like new condition.

The AR with green furniture is issued by the department. The light belongs to me.

The AR with the VLTOR and Leupold is mine. Still a work in progress.

The bolt gun is a Remington LTR in .308 with a MK IV Leupold with TMR reticle.

[mugwump]

Originally Posted by mugwump

OK, what's this? Bonus points for identifying the background.

This is actually a "Modified '03" which was an intermediate version produced prior to the '03A3s. I've been told it was of the type used on Guadalcanal. I got the rifle for $100 in 1997 from an old gentleman who was thrilled it was going to someone who would appreciate it. This is the note he put in the butt stock:

"XXXX,

I assume you know the history of Remington manufactured 1903s, often
referred to a the "modified" or "Remington modified" 1903s, but I'll give a brief
account as I understand it.

Remington began production of the 1903 Springfields in early 1942 as a
backup for the then rare Garands. As production proceeded Remington made
modifications to the rifle to reduce production time. The final modification was
eliminating the sight base in front of the receiver and moving it to the receiver
bridge. Because this was such a major change the rifle's designation was
changed to Model 1903A3. But the first 300,000 were called 1903 modified.

This rifle is barrel dated 9-42. This barrel date agrees with the serial
number suggesting the rifle has never been rebarrelled. The sight base is in
front of the receiver, but the lightening groves machined into each side had
been eliminated by then. The front barrel band/bayonet lug is of the
machined variety and marked with the Remington "R" while the rear barrel
band is stamped metal. The magazine housing and floorplate are machined
and marked with the letter "R". The buttplate is stamped and marked with an
R as is the rear sling swivel. The bolt is also also marked with the Remington R
and is correct for the piece.

The finish on the metal is dark brown Parkerizing finish and is uniform
through out showing almost no wear. This color is consistent for the late
1942 production rifles.

The stock is a wide grained walnut, finished to a dark brownish-red. There
is one ding under the bolt handle. The modified 1903 stocks were thicker
through the stock wrist than the earlier 1903s and the later 1903A3s. The
stock has the correct thick wrist for a modified 1903.

The barrel has four groves. The riflings are sharp, but the barrel does not
have the mirror finish seen on some later 1903A3 suggesting that it saw some
service with corrosive ammunition, and has some greying of the groves.

I hope that gives you a better sense of the rifle's history. Please pass this
note to the next owner of the rifle. If you can, try to insure it goes into hands
that will appreciate its history."

[mugwump]

Originally Posted by Basicload

Sringfield M-1903 and WWII German reversable Para Smock/ poncho thingy.

Close enough. It's an original WWII-era German zeltbahn, or shelter quarter, in ‘Splinter A’ camouflage. They were most commonly used as ponchos. It was given to me when I was a child by my next-door neighbor, Mr. Schneider, who was the nicest guy (and whose daughter I was twice madly in love with; age 8-ish and again age 15). All the kids in the neighborhood loved Hans Schneider -- he was a "cool" Dad.

Total cognitive dissonance: Mr Schneider was a ME-109 pilot in WWII and had a leg shattered by .50 cal fire from a B-17 waist gun. As a child I couldn't believe this, as all Germans who fought in WWII were bad guys and Mr Schneider was one of the nicest guys I knew. You couldn't walk past their house without Mrs Schneider hauling you in for a cookie. WTF?

True story: Hans was a member-without-papers of the local VFW post. Apparently there was quite a stink made by a bunch of REMFs, but the combat vets -- including two 8th Air Force guys -- pulled rank. Ray told me one guy said "I have more in common with him than you, you Lucky-stealing quartermaster so-and-so." Hans gimped down our Main Street proudly carrying an American Flag every Memorial Day.

[HOLLiS]

There has been a lot of Remington '03 on the market recently. maybe CMP's releases. I have one in near in the box condition.

[kgoerz]

Two others I left out. Berretta Vertec and Remington 700 with M-3 Ultra. Oh and my other two home defense Weapons. Good pictures above. Is there a thread on Painting Weapons? Did the search but came up empty

[mugwump]

Originally Posted by kgoerz

Two others I left out. Berretta Vertec and Remington 700 with M-3 Ultra. Oh and my other two home defense Weapons. Good pictures above. Is there a thread on Painting Weapons? Did the search but came up empty

Jeez, I'd rather go quick via the 700 than face those hounds.

This painting link is from a guy called Stickman who is considered something of an artist on Arfcom. He uses Norrell's moly resin exclusively and bakes it on -- reputedly very tough, and the same coating used by various firearm manufacturers.

mugwump

[STR8SHTR]

Is there a thread on Painting Weapons? Did the search but came up empty

That is the next thing on my list to do. I have the Brownells Aluma-Hyde II in the closet waiting to be applied.

Thanks for the painting link mugwump.