French MAS at Cut above pawn

[bolus]

French MAS I saw at Cut Above Pawn today. $399 though they will haggle and will be less for cash. Looked pretty nice to me. wood was in good change and probable 98% metal parts.

Read More

 

[MountainBear]

I can't leave anything alone. If I bought that, I'd end up turning it into something like this...

 

[STUKA]

I can do ya one better..Maybe more MountainBears style..
$199 at my local pawn shop-they too will take less!
(Dont believe Ive ever seen such workmanship as the screws they used on the scope mount)
Otherwise,it's really nice..

 

[bolus]

You guys probably know. Why do sporting rifle versions have the shorter wood stock and the military versions have stocks that go almost to the end of the barrel? Is that purely an aesthetic reason or is it a functional reason?

I see all these milsurps at the gun shops with socks cut down.

 

[STUKA]

I know a lot of K98's and Arisakas came back with the Vets that way-"duffle cut" ,its called.
A majority however were done because they were a cheap hunting rifle,surplused after the war.Still being done today,unfortunately!
I think the reason is weight reduction,and the American spirit of individualizing things,for better or worse-Think of Hot Rod's,etc.
In the case of firearms,it's ALWAYS worse..

 

[MountainBear]

Volume of fire makes for a hot potato I imagine. The longer stock protects the hands better.

 

[MountainBear]

This is the absolute epitome of making a silk purse out of a sow's ear...

 

[SkeetAt40Below]

I know a lot of K98's and Arisakas came back with the Vets that way-"duffle cut" ,its called.
A majority however were done because they were a cheap hunting rifle,surplused after the war.Still being done today,unfortunately!
I think the reason is weight reduction,and the American spirit of individualizing things,for better or worse-Think of Hot Rod's,etc.
In the case of firearms,it's ALWAYS worse..

Duffel cut is not the same as sporterizing. In common usage duffel cut rifles were cut for ease of transport back from the war (in a duffel bag) and returned to their military state after they came to the US. They were cut (ideally) in a non visible spot (like under a barrel band) so they could be reassembled to "stock" military configuration. Sporterized means it was altered to look, feel and weigh like a hunting rifle of the time. That's not to say that duffel cuts were not sporterized- but every time I hear the term it's to descrive a military bring-back in it's military configuration

 

[STUKA]

Hahaha.
OK.

 

[Old Gun Owner]

The wood on the barrels was also to protect the barrels. Rifles in combat are subject to unmentionable rough treatment and have to still function accurately. Any protection it has is going to contribute to it's main purpose and that is it goes bang when you pull the trigger in a life or death situation.

 

[Hun Shooter]

98% condition, never been fired, only dropped once?

 

[Stomper]

98% condition, never been fired, only dropped once?

Dammit... I was furiously scrolling to the bottom of this thread to say that!

 

[Hun Shooter]

 

[Ura-Ki]

A different reason the Service Rifles of the day had full length wood was to facilitate the bayonet charge, or to use as a club against an enemy up close and personal! A heat sink sort of solution! Plus, it also gave more support when shooting prone off of an improvised rest and provided a convenient place to store a cleaning rod! Things like this would have little use on a hunting arm, and so many were Sporterised to remove the un used parts! Some actually look good when done correctly, others just look odd!

 

[Ura-Ki]

This is the absolute epitome of making a silk purse out of a sow's ear...

View attachment 299185 View attachment 299186

That is an improvement of a funky arm into something useful, and damn sexy! Thanks a lot, now I want one of these, Damn you! Sort of what I did to an old FN-49 parts rifle!

 

[MountainBear]

That is an improvement of a funky arm into something useful, and damn sexy! Thanks a lot, now I want one of these, Damn you! Sort of what I did to an old FN-49 parts rifle!

Yeah, I know. I had the same reaction when I saw it. Now I want one, and it's an otherwise less than desirable rifle...

 

[Andy54Hawken]

These rifles actually handle very well and shoot good to boot.
The sights are nice and point quickly.
That being said they are about as ugly as watching two possums hump each other LOL
Andy

 

[Brutus57]

I know a lot of K98's and Arisakas came back with the Vets that way-"duffle cut" ,its called.
A majority however were done because they were a cheap hunting rifle,surplused after the war.Still being done today,unfortunately!
I think the reason is weight reduction,and the American spirit of individualizing things,for better or worse-Think of Hot Rod's,etc.
In the case of firearms,it's ALWAYS worse..

Yeah, I saw a really nice Smith Corona A303 sporterized at Caballeros last week....Sigh, $399.00

Brutus Out

 

[MountainBear]

Unless someone did and amazing job, I can't really justify paying more than $300 at most ($200 is more usual) for a sporterized 1903 or 03a3. The only time I broke that rule was because the rifle had a nice griffin and howe side scope mount.
That being said, if it said Hoffman, Griffin and Howe, Neidner, Owens, or even Sedgley on the barrel, I'd likely pony up...

 

[tac]

98% condition, never been fired, only dropped once?

Tell that to the many thousands of French soldiers who fought the rearguard action that allowed a very large proportion of the British Expeditionary Force to reach Dunkirk and safety.

British casualties amounted to 68,000, while French losses totalled around 290,000 with many more than that either missing or taken prisoner. - See more at: Dunkirk: Victory or Defeat? | History Today (http://www.historytoday.com/patrick-wilson/dunkirk-victory-or-defeat#sthash.H3mOb1nx.dpuf)

tac