They
 

Well, the first of the guns I bought overseas arrived yesterday. An Austo-Hungarian Roth-Steyr 1907 in 8 x 19mm, made by Steyr in 1909. Very neat gun, it has a 10 round internal magazine loaded by clip from the top (like a Mauser Broomhandle) and a semi-cocked striker trigger mechanism not at all dissimilar from a Glock.

This one is regimentally marked to the 10th Dragoon regiment (Dragonerregiment Fürst von Liechtenstein Nr.10), garrisoned in Krakow and serving (actually in a mounted role) on the Russian front until 1917.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...rothsteyrR.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...rothsteyrL.jpg

Nice. I hope you get the rest of your guns soon

Nice weapon, I'd be interested in seeing it fired.

So would I, but 8 x 19mm ammo and espescially the clips are about as rare as rocking horse poop, so I'm not holding my breath on it in the short term.

That's a damn shame. It'd drive me crazy if I had a gun I couldn't shoot

My Artillery Luger (Properly Luger Lange Pistole 08) and schneckl trommel magazine arrived yesterday, and it's a beauty. Every single part is serial numbered, and every number but the magazine matches.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/SDC10003.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/SDC10005.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/SDC10008.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/SDC10007.jpg

Nice. I've always liked the look of the Model 1907. And of course what can I say about the Artillery Luger that hasn't been said in the past? Did you purchase these from dealers in Asia? I guess I'm not real clear on that. I know that one can find some great collector pieces in Pakistan. Very nice.

No, I bought them from various dealers / collectors in Canada via the internet. Didn't have much to do with my off time over there so I prowled my various online gun haunts and found some good deals. More on the way yet I'll post as they arrive. They don't let locals bring weapons into the base bazaar anymore, both for security reasons and they were starting to remark all their guns with antique dates so they could sell them. It was turning into a legal nightmare.

Oh, and you might be able to tell from comparing the two sets of pictures, but I also bought a new camera.

4 more arrived yesterday. It was a good day.

First was a Boer Mauser M1896 in 7 x 57mm Mauser made by Ludwig Loewe. This is one of the one's made for the ZAR (South Africa Republic, aka the Transvaal), one of the two Boer Republics which had a militia system where farmers were issued a rifle by the government, but provided their own horse and formed commandos where they elected their own officers. As they were natural bushmen and marksman, they proved very effective during the Boer War, espescially as the Mausers shot further and flatter than the British Lee-Enfields. As the rifles were an individual Boer's personal property, many of them carved their names into the butt with varying degrees of skill, this one just has the owner's initials.
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/SDC10064.jpg

Next was a Canadian-issued Snider-Enfield Mk.I* in .577 Snider, which was coverted from a P53 Enfield made in 1960. The Canada was actually one of the first users of Snider rifles, buying 30,000 in 1867 in response to the Fenian Raids of 1866. And then, in true Canadian fasion, the government decided they had to much invested in the Sniders and refused to purchase enough Martini-Henrys to arm the militia when it came out 1873, and we ended using them until the turn of the century.
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/SDC10063.jpg

I also got a 5-shot 2nd Model Gasser Montenegrin revolver in 11.75 x 36mm Gasser. In 1874, the king of Montenegro, which also had a militia system, decreed that each of his subjects would own a Gasser-pattern revolver (coincidentally, he owned stock in the Gasser factory). The original Gasser Montenegrin was solid-frame with a loading gate and pivoting ejector rod (so it could be carried stuck through the belt in the Balkan fasion), but the second model was a Pryse-stye break-action. However, Gassers were expensive, so alot of Belgian companies made copies to undercut the price as the decree only said Gasser-pattern. The 11.75 x 36mm was the most powerful revolver round of its era, and the case is actually both longer and fatter than a .44 Magnum.
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/SDC10058.jpg

Lastly I got an Austrian-army Steyr 1912 in 9 x 23mm Steyr, made at Steyr in 1918. This one also has post-WW1 Czech reissue marks and unit marks, so it's a pretty neat gun. Unfortunately it's in somewhat rough shape - the pitting I can live with, but someone cut off the ends of the slide-locking wedge so I'll definately need to find a replacement for that.
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/SDC10069.jpg

I like that Hawg Leg. Like something out of the novel Prisoner of Zenda . Wow. Do you have any 11.75 x 36mm ammo? Do you plan on firing it? Is it safe to shoot or is it now more of a decorative piece?

That Gasser is about this Metal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u83V9_vSYcs&NR=1

I don't have any 11.75 x 36mm, the rounds are collector's pieces themselves. You can make it by cutting down and resizing .45-70 cases, but of course it's loaded to black powder pressures only. If I can make up some cases (and find bullets!) I'll definately shoot it! It's actually surprisingly well made, and it locks up very tight, so I'd trust it.

That would be something to see.

Seeing as all the handguns arrived, and the weather was perfect for it, I snapped another picture of the entire handgun collection today.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/SDC10080.jpg

How does the Radom shoot?

Quite well. It reliably feeds anything I load it with, espescially compared to the Lugers and P.38. They can be kind finnicky.

Almost bought one once, but I was saving for my 4506

I think you have every early 20th centry pistol ever made

Where did you get the P38? It's one of my favorite handguns!

Oh, believe me, I don't have every one - I still have about 100 pistols on my wish list (some of which are admittedly 19th century).

I got the P.38 from another collector, I think I paid about $500 for it. Other than the recent glut of Russian imports P.38s are probably the most common WW2 pistol to find. And honestly, although my collection definately needed one, I'm not a big P.38 fan. Great technical acheivement, but it's one of the bulkiest pistols I own (espescially for a 9mm) and doesn't handle well.

The P38 always looked a little unwieldy to me

Awesome collection. The Luger artillery model with the snail drum mag on top, I've heard they're pretty rare. Is that true?

The Artillery Luger is pretty rare, yeah. In that States that gun would probably sell for $2400 - $2800 in that condition (all matching, minor pitting, missing the original mag). The drum is extremely rare, I've seen them sell for $1800 in the same condiion. The loading tool (not pictured) for the drum is even rarer - I had to buy one from Europe. I'm also going to pick up an original stock, which will probably cost me $750.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/SDC10105.jpg

This was actually the first gun I bought since I came home - a Mexican Mauser M1904 carbine in 7mm Mauser, made by DWM. It's a true cavalry carbine, with no bayonet lug and side mounted swivels, and quite short. Mexican Mausers are very hard to find, but espescially ones that date to the revolution - 10 years of heavy fighting in the hands of irregular troops is not exactly the recipe for a high survival rate. It's been rearsenalled several times, and the Mexican crest and receiver markings can only be seen under good light, but it's in great shootable condition.

Interestingly, this was sold to me as a Mexican-made M1910 carbine, but when I got it you can see it's a German-made contract gun. Which is both rarer and far more interesting, as production of the M1910 didn't really get up to speed until the 20s, after the revolution was essentially over.

I bet it's nice to own a piece (or several) of history

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/SDC10106.jpg

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/SDC10108.jpg
Greek crest on the receiver.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/SDC10109.jpg
Greek cross trench art on the butt.

Another one I've bought since coming home - this was too good a deal to pass up. It's a Greek Mannlicher-Schönauer Y:1903/14 rifle, made by Breda in 1927. It shoots a 6.5 x 54mm round from a unique rotary magazine. Combined with the improved Mannlicher turnbolt (it has a reinforcing rib to prevent bolt wobble) it's supposed to be really smooth to operate - though I don't find it any better than a Mauser 98 and not as good as a Lee-Enfield.

It's hard to find militay Mannlicher-Schönauers in any condition for a few reasons - up until the end of WW2 they were really well-regarded high-end sporting rifles, so the military ones tended to get sporterised more than other models. The Greeks were actually the only military ever to issue them in any number, as the rotary magazine was expensive and didn't offer any real advantages. They were used in 6 wars in 40 years, all of which went badly for the Greeks, so they're hard to find today.

The other interesting thing about them is the Greeks always had trouble getting them in wartime - mostly because they ended up going to war with the country supplying them. They fought on the allied side in WW1, cutting themselves off from Steyr in Austria who was originally the ones making them. After WW1, when Austrian arms production was limited by the treaty of Versailles, they contracted from Breda in Italy - who of course ended up invading Greece in 1940. By that time they'd also ended began supplementing them with Mauser Model 1930s from FN - which of course was cut off when Germany invaded Belgium. If ever there was an argument for domestic arms production, there it is.

Nyles you have a terrific collection. It's obvious you're single though. I have twenty-five pieces and I'm able to add one or two pieces a year to my collection. However it stays stable because I periodically trade two for one instead of purchasing one. Ironically as I've gotten older I have more money (which they say should happen if everything goes right), but I also have kids, a mortgage, ect.

So basically what I'm telling you is that I'm envious. And that I hate you. ;)

Yeah, I'm single (serious relationship didn't survive the deployment), and my overseas contract doesn't expire until the end of the month - I built up a hell of alot of leave over the past two years! Lest you think I'm completely irresponsible with my money, I also saved a down payment on a house while I was over there - once I get a decent job I'll be buying my folk's house from them (at full market value, unfortunately).

I'm still waiting on the 1898 Krag I bought sometime around Christmas, as the guy I bought it from has been on course since I got back and hasn't been able to send it. And the same guy who had the Schoenauer has one more very interesting rifle I'm gonna try and scoop, but that'll be it for awhile. I already had to pass on a US Navy Remington-Lee 1885, and believe me it was painful!

And if it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty jealous of your Colt-buying wife! My ex was not so supportive.

Fuuuuuuu...

Oh I figured you were responsible. It's only been in the past ten years that I've been able to afford purchasing firearms on a steady basis. For the first eleven years my wife and I were together I literally added two firearms to my collection. A Sig P220 (45acp) in 92 and my Lithgow Lee Enfield Mk III* in 99. That was it. So at the start of my collecting (or accumulating) career in 2000 I owned seven firearms. What's interesting is I still own five of those pieces.

Yes my wife has come a long ways since we started dating in 1988. Back then just being around a firearm would give her the heebie jeebies. The one time she fired my father's Colt Woodsman she started shaking and crying. But that was twenty-two years ago. While she isn't a gun buff she can certainly handle my Colt Detective Special and Browning Buckmark without losing control of her emotions.

I've learned to watch Broadway musicals and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She's learned a thing or two about handguns and can even catch the occassional gun goof in a movie now.

It's a marriage.:)

Just received this Colt M1917 revolver in remarkable 95% condition, made in1918 and came with a 1917-dated M1909 holster and a dozen moon clips.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/SDC10184.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/SDC10185.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/SDC10189.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/SDC10190.jpg

Here's a picture of it compared to my British contract .455 New Service, which came out of commercial production. You can see the rougher finish on the M1917 (the New Service is mirror blued), the wood vs rubber grips, the straight vs stepped barrel, different shaped front sight, and if you look close you can probably see the M1917 has a wider gap in the back of the cylinder to accomodate the moon clip.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/SDC10186.jpg

Just received (after a month-long mixup in shipping) this Portugese Mauser-Vergueiro M1904 in 6.5 x 58mm. The Mauser-Vergueiro was an interesting rifle - the Portugese army wanted the Mannlicher-Schoeneuer (see above) but couldn't afford it, so they went with a native design that combined a simplified Mannlicher-style bolt and receiver with a Mauser style magazine and stock. It's very rare to find original M1904s, as almost all were converted to 8mm Mauser and had the barrel shortened in 1939.

What makes this extra special is the DMGLM mark on the stock, which stands for Direçao General Militar de Lorenço Marques, the main military depot in Mozambique when it was a Portugese colony. That makes it one of the approximately 2000 Vergueiros used in the East African Campaign of WW1. As Portugese troops on the Western front carried British equipment, the ones used in East Africa are the only Vergueiros that were ever actually used in combat.

Interestingly, as the Germans in Africa fought what was basically a guerilla campaign after being cut off from Europe, they quickly ran out of ammo for their Mausers and Gewehr 88s and had to use captured arms. Mostly they used long Lee-Enfields taken from the British, but their favorite were captured Vergueiros. I guess because the German Askaris tended to be fairly small and appreciated the lighter recoil.

http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/SDC10196.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/SDC10206.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/SDC10204.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...3/SDC10212.jpg