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And then there's today. Didn't even make it to the weekend.
I'm home from work early and decide to get the truck ready for Monday when I head north again for four days. A stranger stops and gets out of his vehicle and I'm like "can I help you". You're Steve right, I said "yes?" Says he has a rifle for me to identify. Made sense then since a friend had asked me if I'd look at something his neighbor had a couple of weeks ago. So he's off to get the rifle, is back in a couple of minutes and it's a bubba'd M43 Spanish Mauser. Not even a challenge to ID. So then it gets to what I think it's worth. I told him probably about $100 in the condition because it can't be saved. Barrel has been cut. Bolt handle cut off and a bent type brazed on, stock cut and heavily sanded, no crest, cracked and incorrect handguard (maybe original) Bore looks fine but the barrel has no crown at all. Am I interested in it, Hell no. More talking, he really doesn't want it or have any use for it. What would it be worth to me. I'm like $25 but told him I really didn't want it. He counters with $20 and I figure it could be a last ditch truck rifle or something and I give him the $20. He then asks if I am interested in other military items and I start down my list and he interupts with helmets. I said yes. He has five in his garage. So I head to his house a couple blocks away. I wasn't expecting much but I see an M42 shell in the bunch along with two Iraqi helmets and a US M1. I screwed up on the 5th and told him it was a Spanish helmet because of the bridge clip but I realize it's on the back not the front and I seem to recall Hungarian helmets had that feature. Again, he doesn't want them, got them for free. What are they worth to me. He doesn't care if I sell them for $500. I told him I'll pay $20 for any helmet so he gives them to me for $100. I'm not sure the M42 is an M42 but it's since been confirmed on another group I belong too so I'm happy with the deal. It's painted silver unfortunately. Thought the US helmet was a French one for a while and still not sure on the liner but I think it's a 70's-80's helmet like I would have had in service. Son in law already want's to give me $25 for the rifle LOL but I'm going to see if I can do something with it to improve the looks. It should at least function.
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We have estate and garage sales that I keep an eye on. Military items are getting scarcer and scarcer but once in a while I see something that I'll take a chance on. My last acquisitions were a little disappointing. The picture didn't have anything in it to give scale so what looked like a pair of artillery shell casings turned out to be two 20mm. casings made by the Bridgeport Brass Co. in 1942. There was a WWI CFA bronze shoulder title and a Victory medal named to a Gunner in the Canadian Field Artillery, Cobourg Hvy. Bty. and what I thought was a piece of trench art turned out to be a salt or pepper shaker made in the shape of an artillery shell with the Arras city crest on it. Research shows that these were made as souvenir pieces for the soldiers.
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