German steel

[usagi_tetsu]

So this year has been a bit stressful: new wife and a new job in a new place, Army running me hither and yon, my parents damn near divorcing after 35+ years of marriage, and my last remaining grand-relative put in the nursing home as his Alzheimer's has really started catching up with him. Oh, and no, still have not managed to fling any paint since I've been back.

However, this past weekend things began to start looking up as I finally found some rec-players right here in my new location of St Joe, MO. Haven't gotten to play with them, but at least the option is there. We're trying for next weekend and I'm all excited to go and fling some paint, FINALLY!

Also this weekend, I added two pieces, quite unexpectedly, to my gun collection: a Mauser 1934 pistol and a Walther P38 pistol. As mom has recently begun to clean up her father's possessions and decided it was probably better if no firearms were left in a house that sat empty most of the time. For those of you that are not big WW2 buffs, the Mauser was the German Navy's (Kriegsmarine) pistol of choice in .32ACP, and the Walther P38 9mm was the successor to the popular Luger (officially named the Walther P08) and used extensively by the German Army (Wehrmacht). Both have seen use, but nothing recent - it is very likely both have not been fired since 1945 when my Grampa acquired them while serving in the US Army. So now I have a new project: find care and usage manuals on these, clean 'em up good and proper, and shoot them on the range. These are definitely not show pieces, and I have always felt it is better to use something for its intended purpose rather than seal it away in plastic and admire it from a distance.

Pictures when I can get them.

Anyone else got anything of significance? It has been way too quiet around here, and we need to liven things up a bit!

[Edwin]

I suggest lots of beer that will usually cure the marriage part of your stress. Don't mix the beer and pistols that will usually terminate a marriage and put you in the slammer.

Nothing special except I have a new laptop and I can finally mess around on the computer while being lazy sitting on the couch!!!

I do need to get a new Upper for my AR as I want to have 6.8SPC for a good white tail round.

Just went to Canada for a wedding and a family vacation to the Canadian Rockeys. It was nice and we had fun...didn't even get into any fights so it was a sucessful vacation. If you didn't know that is how married people gauge their life---degrees of fights. The lower number of fights = better relationship. It has taken over ten years but it is coming along....no one said I was a quick study!!!

Post them pics when you can. I knew the guns but not the specific history. I bet Kaos knew but that is no fair because he was in WWII, right?

[DeuceX]

Nice.. I've got a mauser pistol at my parents house somewhere. Need to get that thing cleaned up as well. Also have a Mauser rifle, at the parents house as well. I already have my AR, 12ga, 410, and glock 17 here at my house in waco and although i have insurance on them, it would be hard to replace my older weapons.

[OUSHOOT12]

Bought it a couple of years ago (14) from a bud who needed money in the car biz, go figure.
Look on the left front upper receiver for the arsenal code, mine was an AC43.
Milling on them was about equal to a Mephisto! The germs could not produce them fast enough and get them to the troops, so they sacrificed a nice finish and smooth milling. It comes apart very easily, a lot easier than my P08 (luger) and the accuracy is quite pleasing. It makes a great racking sound when put into battery!
I re-blued it and sold it for $450 a year ago.
If you type in the arsenal numbers, a whole lot of info will come up on the web.
Talk about a find; friend of mine Dads expired, moms is cleaning out the garage when she comes across a note with 4 rifles, with serial numbers on it.
My buddy goes looking, finds a crate in the attic (after a year and a half), opens the crate, and calls me. He kept the G98 mauser, for deer, he kept the Springfield '03, for moose, I tried to buy the pristine Luger artillery '08 with the correct paddle stock and snail drum (sob), but he did let me purchase (traded a Remington 1100) a beautifull, issue M14 made by IA! The rear sight and barrel are marked NM, after 6 months of research, I found out it was made non-auto and turned into a National Match for the Camp Perry shooting team! I have turned down more than I care to admit for this thing!
I have about 3 more stories like this, but I will save them for later....
Collecting for 20 years, OUSHOOT12 (OH, you shoot one too?!?)

[usagi_tetsu]

Ed - the wife part ain't so bad, just an adjustment period as I've been a bachelor way too long and set in my ways.

Deuce - got another deal from my new in-laws: the uncle my wife is named after (no really - he's Dennis, she's Denise) is cleaning out his gun collection as they're gathering too much dust and rust, and I managed to snag a Mossberg Model 9200 12ga semi for $150! Already looking to replace the plastic foregrip and stock with wooden ones, as well as picking up a tube expansion to run it out to 9-round capacity. Now all I want (specifically... I'm always open to neat pieces) is an AR-15 to practice with between the annual qualification shoots for the NG, a .45 semi, and a 9mm semi. Do I have the extra cash to afford all that? Hell no, but dreams don't cost anything, or so I'm told.

OU - I think I have that Van Halen album (well, cassette) around somewhere, collecting dust, good choice of nickname. I'll have to look and see what numbers are on the P38. I do remember there was a 4-digit number that was stamped in 3 different places, so it's a matched weapon with no replacement parts. The cleaning of Grandpa's house is continuing, and if I remember correctly, he had a stash of WW2 rifles from different armies over in Europe, but haven't run across them yet. Can't remember the specifics, but will report as new treasures are unearthed.

[Edwin]

Yeah I know....I was just fucking around.
It does take a little time to get used to living with the spouse. I think Kim and I drove each other nuts for a few years. A few good TV remote controls were lost during the early household wars. :D

[r a b]

Dude! If you want to play P-Ball sometime come over to Craig's and we can sling some paint. You can come with us on our next outing if you want. Maybe Lawrence, KS?

As far as real guns. What do you want? I'm also a gun dealer. What upper do you want for your AR. Colt, Bushy, Oly, ect.?

[Edwin]

I want a lower with the extra hole :D

[usagi_tetsu]

Rusty - Yeah, I'd like flinging paint with you two chuckleheads, drop me a line about when and where. As for real guns, it's mostly lack of funds that's keeping me from picking up what I'm looking for (kind of like most of my paintball-related projects), not so much lack of where to buy them. I'll let you know, though, when I do have enough $$$ gathered together and see what deals you can get your hands on.

Ed - my mom loves giving me and my sis (and now our significant others) toys to try to keep us children in her eyes, and this last visit, she gave us each a 6-shot Nerf suction-cup dart gun. Oh yeah, me and the wife have already have several running gunfights through the house, and not really sure if we got all the darts found from the last one. They're sinfully fun to play with, especially for watching TV and shooting the annoying people.

[~kaos~]

I want a lower with the extra hole :D
Something for those cold nights when you say the wrong thing to the wifey, eh?

[Edwin]

Trying to find an extra hole every once in awhile is a great way to relieve stress. :)

[usagi_tetsu]

Just not going to dignify either of those with a response...


Did want to say that I finally managed to get out and fling some paint this past weekend. And I sucked, bad. I did have lots of fun, and would be going back this weekend, except it's drill weekend and I've gotta go play like I'm a soldier for 48 hours. *sigh*