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Gun show was good to me this weekend. Found these two VN bringbacks...a 1960 factory 26 Type 53 ( papered ) and a somewhat uncommon M21 marked Type 56 (SKS) whose papers have been lost. The veteran that brought them back, however, scratched his ss number inside the receiver. These old war horses have definitely been around the block. Thought you guys might like to see them.
Bring backs are always interesting and something of a dying breed. I know with my own tour that battlefield trophy firearms are pretty much non-existent, anything we captured or seized was turned over and went "away" but I do not know where. My platoon had an RPG-7 that was supposed to go through all the proper channels to be shipped back to the unit in Canada for trophy display, but it's been a decade and I still haven't seen it. I imagine something has gone awry with that.
I cannot say with 100% certainty, but to the best of my knowledge there were no authorized trophy firearms for individual soldiers during my visit there, there may have been exceptions but none that I know of.
I know of one unofficial trophy from another tour, that was later crudely deactivated by the owner out of fear for being prosecuted for possession of it.
Thinking back, given what it was, and that person's firearms licences, it may have qualified for actual legal possession but that's all the past now.
Back to these rifles, the jungle was not a kind place to wood and steel was it?
I see trophies for sale every so often at the gun shows (I go to just about one every weekend ) and they usually are incredibly expensive, especially with documentation. The price on these were more than reasonable, so I had to have them.
And no, a tropical climate was not kind to wood and steel!
I presume you are referring to the Canadian Army?Quote:
Originally Posted by Sentryduty
The US Army permitted bring backs at least untill 1971 as I have papers that late. I brought back 3 in 1970, with trophy papers.
Here is my current bring back collection. I have trophy papers for all but the AK 47 which was brought back in 1966 and registered in the 68 amnesty.
Sarge
Attachment 70815
Indeed I am, we had some small items get brought back, but I am unaware of any complete firearms.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarge
We were not allowed bringbacks in Desert Storm. Our unit, company size was permitted 3 small arms for training purposes. Somehow, we managed to get a 105 howitzer shipped back along with the three rifles but I think one of the command units confiscated it before we could put it on display. Also brought back a Humvee which we assembled from parts.
Canada has never really had a bringback policy, certainly not to the extent America does. The reason pretty much all Canadian vet-bringbacks are pistols is because those could be easily concealed, as you technically weren't allowed them. I am not too sure about the Boer War era, but after that point, they certainly didn't like it. I have been told by vets about how when the night before they got into Halifax they were told if they were caught with any firearms, they would be charged. They all say that night there was quite a few 'plunks' into the water, and quite a few people going to 'smoke' on the upper decks (as they could smoke below decks back then, so normally there would be no need).
Its like how back in the 80s and 90s (and I am sure later and earlier) soldiers when coming back from exercise from the states the troops would load up the gun vehicle with liquor as border services were not allowed to search that vehicle!