Snowflakes in Hell

Rustmeister is blegging for some help in this area:

Have opportunity to buy a Kimber conversion of Swede M96 Mauser to 7.62NATO. Barrel cut down to Ranch rifle and forward sited scope mount permanently pinned into old leaf sight box (minus scope). Price is $250.00 tax & all. Anybody hear of anything about these Kimber conversions? And what scope would you suggest for a “ranch rifle”? Good deal? Bad deal?

If you can help him, head over and visit the comment section.

I am now happy to finally own my very own M1 Garand. I’ve wanted one of these for a while, but since I joined a CMP affiliated club, I decided it was time.

This one was likely produced in 1955. Not a WW II model, but I wanted a good shooter. The history isn’t quite as important to me. The receiver looks to be in good shape. The blueing parkerizing is still very much in tact.

The manual can be rather amusing. Here’s a caution about “M1 Thumb”:

A SYMPATHETIC WARNING ABOUT “M1 THUMB”

The bolt of the M1 rifle can slam shut unexpectedly if the shooter has not strictly followed these instructions. If your thumb or finger is in its path, a painful condition called “M1 Thumb” is a strong possibility. In a half-century of military service with the United States and its foreign allies, the M1 has bitten thousands of recruits in this manner. No one ever died from it, but it did lead to a deplorable expansion of vocabulary in many languages…

… If one day you get careless and acquire an M1 Thumb, think of it not as a digit but a diploma. It shows that you’ve learned not to do it again.

Heh. Now I just need to get some .30-06 and get to the range.

I’ve done a bit of research into this topic, to see exactly how we could be affected by any change in ATF’s stance toward type 03 Federal Firearms Licensees.

Stepped up inspections of C&R FFL holders would be the most obvious way to make licensing uncomfortable enough that a lot fewer people would want to do it.

They could also change the C&R terms.  Title 18, Chapter 44 pretty much leaves this up to the Attorney General, but the standards for a firearm to qualify as a Curio and Relic are part of the Code of Federal Regulations, and to change it would require going through the rulemaking process.   This can be done without an Act of Congress, however, but ATF can’t (at least not without getting into areas of questionable legality, so that’s not to say it couldn’t happen) unilaterally alter the requirements for being on the list.

Eliminating the Curio and Relic license, changing the fee, or adding requirements to own a safe or other such things, would require an Act of Congress.

So my guess is, if ATF is going to start publicaly going after C&R licensees, it’ll likely involve the rubber glove treatment using the inspection powers they already have.   Make you all your C&R holders out there are keeping your paperwork in good order, which you should really be doing anyway.

Ryan thinks ATF could target C&R FFLs once they drive the number of type 01 and type 02 FFLs down to low enough levels. This is not out of the realm of possibility. If there’s one thing a government bureaucracy hates, it’s losing power, funding, and people. If it’s current mission can’t justify an agency that large, they will find new areas to focus on that’s within the scope of their powers.

The whole Curio and Relics licensing system has flown under the radar so far, but there is a very serious risk that could change.

UPDATE: Uncle thinks they will go after home builders first.  I don’t disagree with this, but that doesn’t mean C&R FFL holders won’t get some attention too.   There are a lot of C&R FFL holders though, so to some degree we have the sea turtle defense.  It’s worth noting that ATF didn’t harass “kitchen table” dealers out of business, they started requiring that the licensed premises be zoned properly for the operation of that type of business, which is a standard that most hobby dealers couldn’t meet.  If you weren’t zoned, you weren’t getting your license renewed.  Home builders can be gone after easily because they operate in a tricky legal area that prohibits “manufacture for sale”  So if my buddy buys an 80% lower and asks me to drill a few holes using my jig and equipment, am I in the business of manufacturing and require a type 07 FFL?  The C&R stuff is a lot more straight forward, but ATF can definitely make C&R not worth the hassle.  C&R holders, what are the various ways you think ATF could make our lives miserable?  It’s a good exercise.  Leave your thoughts in the comments.

I am one step closer to getting my M1 Garand.  I received this e-mail this morning from the CMP:

We have received and verified your recent order. There is nothing that we will be able to tell you about the order until we have input all orders received ahead of yours into the system. Your order will now advance to our sales area and from there to our shipping area.  Please note, that unless otherwise listed, our order to ship time is 30 days. You will receive other emails as the order progresses.

The one I ordered was a Springfield Armory M1 in Correct Grade.  I hope I end up getting it.

Kim du Toit is getting his Cruffler license. So far I’m up to four pieces gotten with the license, and I don’t think I’ve spent 1000 bucks yet. Not to mention trade discounts at MidwayUSA and Brownell’s.

Well, the new revolver arrived, so I cleaned it up for it to get it’s picture taken:

Cleaned up pretty nice. I cleaned the thick greasy oil out of it and replaced it with some nice Friction Defense Gun Oil, from Brownell’s, and now the cylinder rotates into place and pushes forward rather nicely.

The downside to the Nagant revolver is the price of the ammo. Bitter asked “What’s so unusual about it?”, and my response was “Have you ever seen an uncircumcised penis?” Either way, 40-50 cents a trigger pull is steep, but someone said the other day there’s a way to reload for it. It’s also a pretty weak cartridge, only generating 157 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. No wonder Rasputin lived:

Determined to finish the job, Yusupov became anxious about the possibility that Rasputin might live until the morning, which would leave the conspirators with no time to conceal his body. Yusupov ran upstairs to consult the others and then came back down to shoot Rasputin through the back with a revolver. Rasputin fell, and the company left the palace for a while. Yusupov, who had left without a coat, decided to return to grab one, and, while at the palace, he went to check up on the body. Suddenly, Rasputin opened his eyes, grabbed Yusupov by the throat and strangled him. As he made his bid for freedom, however, the other conspirators arrived and fired at him. After being hit three times in the back, Rasputin fell once more. As they neared his body, the party found that, remarkably, he was still alive, struggling to get up. They clubbed him into submission and, after wrapping his body in a sheet, threw him into an icy river, and he finally met his end there

The trigger pull is brutal too. It’s almost a two stage like trigger. Take up the slack and it rotates the cylinder, but then it takes a quite a pull to push the cylinder into the barrel and drop the hammer.

We’ll have to see how it shoots once I get some ammo, but I got it mostly just to have one.

Dano wants to know what the types of FFL are, and about C&R. So here they are:

Type 01 - Dealer in Firearms
Type 02 - Pawnbrokers
Type 03 - Collectors of Curios and Relics
Type 06 - Manufacturer of Ammunition for Firearms
Type 07 - Manufacturer of Firearms
Type 08 - Importer of Firearms or Ammunition
Type 09 - Dealer in Destructive Devices
Type 10 - Manufacturer of Destructive Devices
Type 11 - Importer of Destructive Devices

The only one you can get being an ordinary collectors is the type 03 FFL, Collector of Curios and Relics. What are defined as:

• Firearms that were manufactured at least 50 years prior to the current date, but not including replicas thereof;
• Firearms which are certified by the curator of a municipal, State, or Federal museum which exhibits firearms to be curios or relics of museum interest; and
• Any other firearms which derive a substantial part of their monetary value from the fact that they are novel, rare, bizarre, or because of their association with some historical figure, period, or event. Proof of qualification of a particular firearm under this category may be established by evidence of present value and evidence that like firearms are not available except as collector’s items, or that the value of like firearms available in ordinary commercial channels is substantially less.

The ATF publishes a list of C&R eligible firearms, though anything over 50 years old is automatic C&R, listed or no. If they are on the list, you can order them from other FFLs, and have them shipped direct to you. You don’t have to fill out 4473, or go through the Brady checks. There are paperwork requirement, and you can be audited by the ATF for compliance with the regulations.

I just signed up for trade discounts from MidwayUSA and Brownells, which should more than pay for the 30 dollar cost of the C&R FFL. Even though having a type 3 FFL increases your risk of a government anal probing, I think it’s well worth it for the discount, and being able to order C&R eligible firearms direct, at lower prices than you’d get from your corner gun store.

It’s one of the few beneficial upsides to these crappy laws: the C&R is a useful signaling mechanism to retailers that you take your hobby and sport seriously, and are likely to be a frequent customer. I certainly will start patronizing Midway and Brownells more than I have in the past, so it’s a good deal for all parties, I think.

Buying a new surplus SKS is not for those who don’t know how to completely strip down a rifle and reassemble it. I don’t mean field strip either, I mean strip down every part, clean, and reassemble. I picked it up from the UPS depot on Tuesday, and got to work immediately. I learned that Bitter frowns on the practice of using a tin foil tray in the toaster oven to melt off the excess cosmoline from the smaller parts. After a mishap, I ended up with a new toaster oven. It was a tough battle, but I think I’m happy with the result:

It’s now ready to take to the range. I can’t wait to shoot it. It had quite a lot of cosmoline on it that had to be removed. Turns out Gunzilla doesn’t work as well as Hoppes No. 9 on cosmoline. It works decently, but just not quite as well. That’s probably because Hoppes is mostly kerosene, which is going to solvate a heavy grease better than most other things.

What has me stoked is that it’s in really good shape. No rust, very little wear on the finish. Shiny barrel without any evidence of pitting. Good stock, which looks like it’s seen some use, but in decent shape. The kit that came with it has someone’s name written inside, which I thought was a nice added touch.

Due to circumstances, Bitter and I aren’t seeing each other this weekend.  True to my pledge, that means I need to buy a gun to comfort myself.  Last month I sold my Romanian SKS with the intent to get a new one.  I have my eye on one of these:

The Yugoslavian SKS.  Excellent to New Condition.  w/ grenade launcher and folding bayonet.

I just got this in the mail from the ATF.

To assist you and your customers to better understand this provision, ATF is clarifying the Firearms Transaction Record (ATF Form 4473), to make it clear, for example, that any person who has been found by a court, board or other lawful authority to be a danger to self or others is prohibited from purchasing a firearm or ammunition. We will provide you with additional information about this change in the Form 4473 in the near future.

It seems like every time I’ve bought a gun I fill out a different version of 4473.  As a Cruffler, I don’t deal with 4473 for C&R transactions, but they still have to be filled out when buying non-C&R firearms.

It occurred to me to check the C&R market for a .22LR target pistol, since it would be easier for me to pick up something with my license than to run around to 20 different gun stores or wait for a gun show to find something I liked. I’ve discovered that the Colt Woodsman seems to be the most common C&R target pistol out there.

In good condition these seem to go from anywhere from 400-600 bucks. Anyone have any experience with these? Or know of any other C&R .22LR target pistol I should consider? I’d consider revolvers as well.

My CZ82 pistol has arrived. I was rather disturbed to come home to find it between my security door and storm door. The Nagant came 21+ signature required, so I had to go to the UPS depot and pick it up. I’m glad I don’t have to drive anywhere to get it, but I would gladly do that to minimize the risk of it being stolen.

It arrived tucked away inside its holster. Like my Makarov holster, this one is designed to be collected. I find it hard to believe anyone would actually carry this. It would seem it’s designed to make it as difficult as possible to draw and fire the weapon.

It’s a good looking pistol. It fits nicely in my hand, and has a very nice trigger pull. I also like that the magazine is drop free, and can be released with the shooting hand. It also comes with a cord. I noticed in Paris the police having what looked like a phone cord attached to their pistols and then to their body. This seems to me to be ideas politicians come up with who don’t have much regard for the lives of their officers.

I’m a little disappointed that the importer’s markings chipped the paint up so bad. I think I can probably correct this though.

If this pistol is used, whoever it was issued to hardly ever fired it. The feed ramp, bore, and chamber are all bright and shiny, and there’s no sign of mechanical wear anywhere on the pistol. The rifling in the bore is very difficult to see, which is because the CZ82 uses polygonal rifling. To a casual observer, the bore would appear to be totally smooth.

The sights on the CZ82 are a marked improvement over typical Makarov sights. You can actually see the front sight post without having to twist your wrist around searching for it. The sites are a little yellowed, but a fresh dab of paint should fix that right up.

The only drawback to this pistol the fact that it employs a non-metallic biological decocker (your trigger finger and thumb). While the hammer is blocked if the trigger isn’t pulled all the way back, a slip up at the moment of truth and you have an accidental discharge on your hands. The pistol does have a safety for carrying it cocked and locked, but the hammer isn’t blocked when the safety is on. I wouldn’t carry it in this mode. Given it’s very smooth and gentle double action trigger pull, carrying with the hammer down would definitely be recommended. The firing pin is held back with a spring, so it won’t have the Makarov’s relatively scary sound of the firing pin moving back and forth.

Overall I’d say it’s a better carry gun than the Makarov, but the true test will be once I get it to the range.

UPDATE: Sailorcurt asks about ambidextrousness.  I didn’t even consider that, but on that subject:

The pistol is completely ambidextrous.  The contours of the grip are the same on both sides.  Holding it in my left hand feels pretty good as well.  Both the safety and mag release are ambidextrous.

The ATF recently reclassified the CZ-82 as C&R, so I decided to place an order for one.

I already keep 9×18 Makarov in stock, so this pistol doesn’t require me to keep yet another caliber of pistol cartridge in stock.  I’ll get the Nagant revolver later I think.  It comes with a spare magazine.

I’m pretty sure this pistol is safe for concealed carry.  I’ll have to check it out thoroughly when it arrives.  I can get used to the idea of ordering new carry pistols off the internet.

I sold two of my collection in a private sale.  My Romanian SKS, and a CM-11, both to my friend Jason.   The CM-11 I never shoot.  To tell the truth, I aquired it back when I first started buying guns because I thought it looked scary enough that it might eventually get banned, in which case I could cash in.  Maybe I sold it too soon, but I could no longer justify the room it was taking up in my safe, for something I never shot.  Jason has a full auto M-11, and the uppers on the full auto and semi-auto versions are interchangeable, so he can use it.

This is the first time I’ve sold part of my collection.  I plan to aquire a new SKS with my C&R license.  The CM-11 sale was just making room in my safe.  The one complication is that the SKS is C&R eligible, and although I acquired it before licensing, I’m selling it post licensing, so I’m not sure whether I record it in my bound book.  I have to call the ATF to find out for sure.  I have seven days to find out.  I’m pretty sure the answer is no, I just have to record the disposition in my personal firearms record.

Either way, my current plan is to get a Yugoslavian SKS, and a Nagant revolver.  Later, hopefully, I can get an M1 Carbine, and M1 Garand.

I’ve always heard for shooting corrosive ammo, the best thing to use for cleaning is soap and water. Straightarrow suggested ammonia solutions. Others have suggested Windex. After shooting the AK-74 in Texas, I tried Windex, and had no rust spots on the firearm. A few days ago I tried soapy water, and found the results to be less than pleasing, with rust splotches on the flash hider and in the gas tube. Windex would seem to win hands down.

But I doubt Windex is effective because of the ammonia. I think it has more to do with the fact that Windex has much more effective surfactants in it than plain soapy water. The ammonia is immaterial, other than its power as a detergent, which can be explained by the chemistry in the primers.

Corrosive primers contain mercury fulminate, which is strike sensitive, and an amalgam of potassium chlorate as an oxidizing agent, and rosin as a binding agent and fuel. The mercury fulminate gets the reaction going when the primer is struck by the firing pin, and gets hammered against the “anvil”. The potassium chlorate and rosin begin reacting violently to create a jet of hot, burning gas which then ignites the main powder charge. The problem with this reaction is that one of the byproducts is potassium chloride, which ends up on metal surfaces and attracts moisture, which quickly starts the corrosion process. The purpose of using warm water is to dissolve the potassium chloride, and wash it off of the gun. I suspect Windex works well because it has surfactants that will dig into the powder residue, get to the surfaces, and help wash away more of the potassium salt.

Another by product of of the primer reaction is elemental mercury, which can form amalgams with brass. If you ever wondered why the Soviets use steel cased ammo, this is one of the reasons. Over time, mercuric primers can leech enough mercury into the casing to weaken the brass, increasing the risk of rupture when it’s fires. Using steel casings minimizes this risk, even with very old ammunition.

Modern non-corrosive primers use lead syphnate, which doesn’t leave moisture attracting salts. The lead syphnate is bound up with ground glass as a frictionator, tetracene as a sensitizer, along with an oxidizing compound, typically barium nitrate, and a fuel source, such as antimony sulfide.

Non-corrosive primers are more prone to degradation than corrosive primers, in large part because tetracene makes the primer a lot more heat sensitive. There have been a lot of advancements in primer technology lately, particularly with non-toxic primers, and I won’t pretend to be an expert on this.

But I will say that Windex is definitely your friend if you shoot corrosive primed surplus ammunition out of your firearms. It seems to get the job done better than soapy water.

I have recently returned from the range, and before I begin with reviewing the little C&R pistol I just shot, let me tell you it is nice to be shooting at an outdoor range again. With the exception of two ranges (the NRA HQ range and the range at USMA at West Point) I despise with indoor ranges with a fiery burning passion. Anyway, on to the Beretta.

A little history, first. The 1935 Beretta is a .32 ACP blowback operated semi-automatic pistol that was used as the primary sidearm of the Italian Air Force and Navy during WWII and up until the 1951 Beretta was adopted. Functionally, it is exactly the same as its bigger brother, the ‘34 Beretta, which is chambered for the larger .380 ACP cartridge. During WWII, the ‘35 Beretta was also found with German officers, and was popular with GIs as a capture item, who were fond of its light weight, simplicity, and durability.

I picked mine up off of Gunbroker, and my first impression was very favorable. Mine was manufactured in the 50s, so it’s collector value is low - but I didn’t buy it to have it sit on a shelf. I was also pleasantly surprised to find out that this is the easiest firearm to field-strip that I have ever owned in my life. Drop the mag, lock the slide to the rear, pull the barrel out of the “Beretta” slot in the slide, then unlock the slide and pull it off the front of the weapon. Done. I can literally take it apart and put it back together again in under 20 seconds, it’s that easy.

So, off to the range I went with it. I wasn’t planning on carrying this gun for serious social work, as it’s got a very annoying safety that has to be rotated 180 degrees to bring the weapon into battery; the safety is also in an awkward position to manipulate. At the range I had a box of Speer Gold Dots (20 rounds), and a box of good old Winchester white box (50). All shots were fired at seven yards, due to the rather rudimentary sights on the old gun.

The very first round failed to feed from the magazine, it went nose up. The 50 year old spring was apparently still going strong - good for it. Once I figured out to just load 6 rounds, the gun ran fine on the WWB ammo. Group size at 7 yards isn’t really worth mentioning, however I was able to keep rapid fire strings in the A zone of an IDPA target. The only time the pistol failed to run properly was with the Gold Dots (which is too bad), as the hollowpoint nose would sometimes snag on the ramp. I could fix this if I wanted to carry the gun, but since I’m just going to use it for busting dirt clods on the farm, I’m not too worried.

Ejection was clean and positive; the extractor is located on the top of the pistol so empties would often land in my hair, a mildly disconcerting side effect for someone who shoots mostly revolvers. Recoil was mild to nonexistent, and once I figured out where to put my mitts on the thing, the slide didn’t bite my hand.

All in all, this gun is one of those guns that you don’t really own for any good reason, other than it’s a lot of fun to burn ammo with it. Which, when I think about it is more than reason enough. I did have one thought about the little Beretta, however. Due the fact that it’s very user friendly, accurate, and easy to field-strip, I think with one design tweak (that damn safety), this would make an excellent carry gun. Actually, I’d like to see that. Make the safety more like the type on your 1911s; chamber the pistols in either .32 ACP or .380 ACP and they would sell like hotcakes, I guarantee that. A pistol like that would be able to give the Bersa Thunder a run for its money in the “economy sub-caliber” market.

I’d buy two.

I think some gun folks may be a bit confused as to the law (an easy thing when it comes to the NFA. I won’t claim to be an expert either). I’ve heard a few pro-gun folks say recently:

Having a “machine gun” permit, you open up your house to the ATF to come in and search your house any time they want

Whether this is true or not depends. If you get a fully transferable pre-86 machinegun because you paid your NFA transfer tax, filled out ATF Form 4, and undergone the background check, police permission and fingerprinting, and the ATF issues your stamp, you’re good to go from that point. The ATF can’t just walk into your house without a warrant because you possess an NFA tax stamp (which is, in effect, your license. Legally, it’s just proof you paid the tax, which is required for possession.).

The only time ATF inspections become an issue is if you become a licensed Class III dealer (or SOT - Special Occupational Taxpayer). These days you can’t do that if you don’t have a fixed place of business, with regular hours, that’s zoned for such purposes. The “kitchen table” dealer is largely a thing of the past.

If you have a Class III SOT and FFL, you can obtain pre-86 and post-86 dealer samples. To obtain post dealer samples, you have to have a signed letter from the local police department on letterhead stating that they wish to have a demonstration of a certain machinegun. If you get a post-86 dealer sample, you’re permitted to possess firearm as long as you retain your SOT status. For pre-86 dealer samples, you may retain the firearm even after your SOT status expires or is relinquished. Pre-86 dealer samples are generally firearms imported prior to 1986, but after 1968, when the Gun Control Act made importation of fully transferable machineguns illegal. My understanding is that prices on pre-86 dealer samples are not really any lower than fully transferable machineguns.

Many collectors obtained their own FFLs and Class III SOT status to trade in these firearms before the practice was ended, so that’s where the idea that the ATF could come into your home without a warrant probably came from. If you hold a type 1 or 2 FFL, the ATF can conduct inspections at your place of busines, and if that’s your home, then they can come into your home for inspections.

If you’re thinking of getting into NFA collecting, don’t let that fear stop you. If you get a fully transferable pre-86 machinegun, along with your stamp, the only business you need have with the ATF beyond that point is filling out ATF form 5320.20, if you want to transport your NFA firearm out of your state of residence, or to a new residence out of state.

Interesting factoid. If you possess a valid C&R license, and your NFA machinegun is C&R, you do not need to fill out 5320.20; your Type 3 FFL will do. Type 3 C&R FFLs subject you to possible ATF inspection, but not in your home. If the ATF would like to audit you, they will arrange a time at an ATF office. You don’t surrender your 4th amendment rights by having a C&R license.

Ah, yes. The joys of “reasonable gun regulations”

The Ten Ring points out what may turn out to be a bit of floor saving advise on the Walther P-38:

You could chamber a round and then flip the safety decocking the hammer. (Given the state of Germany’s wartime production, I recommend that you don’t try this feature unless you’re at a range with the muzzle pointing in a safe direction.)

I wasn’t aware the safeties on late war models were a problem, and I planned to pick up a P-38 on the C&R license at some point.  I doubt I would have ever tried to use the de-cocker on a loaded pistol, since I’m interested in this pistol as a collector rather than carry piece.  But it’s good to know not to ever try ahead of time.

Ahab of WWJWD asks an interesting question about C&R carry guns:

After my recent experiment with the Hi-point pistol and the sundry disappointment that followed, I started thinking about “what if someone carried a C&R?” I ruminated on it for a while; and I did have a couple of germane thoughts. A lot of these older guns are military pieces, designed to ridden hard and put up wet. Apart from the abysmal sights on a good percentage of them, you could do a lot worse for a carry gun that packing a Star Model B (or whatever). Again, I’d say wait a month and buy a used GP100 for $300, but if all you’ve got is a surplus CZ50 (.32 ACP) and you can shoot it, it beats a pointy stick.

Makarovs are pretty good carry guns. I carry a Bulgarian Mak loaded with Corbon Pow’rball ammo in 9×18mm in my front coat pocket, or on a belt holster from time to time, as a backup gun, or in situations where I can’t carry my Glock. Most Maks, including the Bulgarian, aren’t C&R eligible, but Soviet Military Maks are. There are some out there on the market. They cost a bit more, because they are more collectible, but you can get it delivered to your door by the brown truck of happiness, just like anything else on the C&R list. You’ll feel like you just joined the KGB!

Let me just say, it’s pretty cool having the UPS man bring a rifle right to your door, after you ordered it off the modern Internets. Today’s delivery was a Mosin-Nagant M91/30, which is a rifle you would have been well familiar with if you were a Soviet soldier in the Great Patriot War. Of course, you wouldn’t have been familiar with it for long, because your life expectancy as a soldier in the Red Army was probably measured in hours. What makes the Mosin-Nagant a great rifle isn’t that it’s a particularly great rifle, it’s that you can go look in your sofa to come up with the money to pay for one. It’ll also happily fire ammunition that’s been buried in a farmer’s field in the Ukraine since the First World War, which he’d probably be happy to trade for a liter of vodka.

Shipped from Century Arms, in from the Great State of Vermont, nicely packed in the box:

Wrapped in the local paper, the Milton Independent.

I love what makes the front page there. A quiet day on Lake Arrowhead!  I’m really glad they are getting that mold problem under control though. Must be from all the moldy Massholes moving in ;)

The whole deal showing right here. This rifle is arsenal refinished, so the furniture looks pretty good. A few dings and scrapes here and there, but nothing awful.

The receiver markings show this comes from the Izhevsk arsenal in Russia, manufactured in 1944.  You can also see the hammer and sickle, certifying the rifle as 100% commie.  It’s a shame though, the Russian Imperial markings were much nicer and more ornate than the Soviet era ones.

Like every other rifle I’ve ever gotten from Eastern Europe, it’s packed in a good bit of cosmoline, which will have to be cleaned off before it gets shot. I have an idea of how this must go:

“Igor, you know the Americans, I have heard they love cosmoline.”
“It is true, they can never have enough! Pass me some more will you, Sascha.”

So once the cosmoline comes off, I will have to give a try.  I’ll post a range report when I get around to it.  Time to enter this one into the bound book and put it away for now.  Also on my list for C&R aquisition: Soviet Military Makarov, Nagant Revolver (the pistol that put the ‘Russian’ in Russian Roulette), an M1 Garand, M1 Carbine, a decent Mauser, and anything else interesting I run across.  I’m still going to be mostly an EBR shooter, but I figured I’d round out my collection with some historical pieces.  Might as well as long as I can get them delivered to my door.  I think they need to make the C&R license apply to everything though.  My checkbook, however, probably will disagree.

Up until now I’ve been pretty much an Evil Black Rifle guy, but lately I’ve been wanting to collect older stuff, since surplus is cheap, and I’m currently dumping a lot of money into remodeling a house. To that end, a few months ago, I obtained a C&R Federal Firearms License (FFL) from the ATF. I don’t notice too many gun bloggers blogging about C&R issues, so I figure I’d post some things about the subject from time to time.

The C&R license basically allows you to recieve and send firearms on the ATF C&R list, or any firearm over 50 years old in interstate commerce, from other licensed dealers, importers and wholesalers. Last night I completed my first purchase under the license; a Mosin-Nagant M91/30 from Century International Arms. I have to admit that it’s pretty cool to order a rifle off the Internet as if you were ordering a DVD on Amazon. It’ll be well worth the 30 dollars the license costs, since I intend to collect a few pieces. Needless to say, prices are lower when you can bypass your local dealer FFL and just order directly.