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.:)