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PaperclipPerfector  6mo ago (text post)   3442 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for June 7, 2024

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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If you don't already have one, CMP Garand, yesterday. Sometimes they have carbines, and you need one of those too.

Other than that, if you're into turn of the century bolt-actions, I'd suggest a P17 Enfield (so you can still get ammunition for it), a Lebel/Berthier (if you feel like hunting down 8 Lebel) or MAS-36 (components for 7.5 French are a lot more available), a K31, a Carcano (they go on sale every President's Day but you need the right .268 projectiles or you'll need a second shooter- get one of the 17.7" barrel ones or even one in 7.35 though ammunition for that is even rarer), a Type 38 Arisaka (but if you get a long Carcano get a Type 44 instead), a K98, and a Mosin. That should cover all of the great powers (cheating a bit with England, but the P17 is just a P14 in a better cartridge anyway; if you need to fill that niche and already have a P17, get a No. 1, as the No. 4 is just a P17 with a 10 round mag and in a worse caliber- conversely, if you already have an '03 Springfield, then you'll want a P14 or No. 4) and also give you some variety in the collection.

For non-US semi-autos, I'd suggest a PPS-43 (or an SKS), an AG-42, and a MAS-49 (yeah, I know, but they would have fielded it if MAS wasn't busy- if that doesn't count, then SVT-40).

After that, as far as I know you're into the 2000+ dollar range with everything else that's interesting (i.e. the German semi-autos, RSC1917, etc.) so at that point it's just going to come down to what you like shooting more at the time. But 2000 dollars could buy a lot of great power pistols, and the order you should collect those is Steyr-Hahn 1912 (or Frommer-Stop), M1935 (A or S), Webley, M1917 (S&W or Colt, pick the one you don't already own), TT-33, Nambu, P38 (mainly because the Beretta 92 is the exact same gun). C96es fetch a really high price so they also don't make this list and you probably have a 1911 already anyway.

I’ve got a handsome (but postwar) Garand and a misbehaving carbine. Love them to death.

My Lee-Enfield is already a No. 4, I’m afraid. PPU makes .303 ammo at tolerable prices, so…I’ll manage. If I ever see a P14/P17 around, I’ll be very tempted.

And you’re of course correct about the 1911. I hadn’t even considered the other mentioned pistols. This will keep me busy for a while.

…are you serious about the President’s Day thing? That’s the kind of humor I can get behind.

Yeah, they did it.

I tried to go for "pistols that are still relatively unique in the grand scheme of things"; the Steyr-Hahn is clip-fed (and the "ejects all the rounds into your face if you press the 'slide release'" one), M1935s (well, one of them, can't remember which) are stupidly-accurate proto-P210s in a caliber that you can actually get/make now, the Webleys are top-break revolvers, the M1917s shoot .45ACP from moon clips, the Tokarev is a Colt 1903 firing lighter projectiles at ~1500 FPS, and Nambus are... uh, pretty weird. It's unfortunate that the weird German designs are as expensive as they are, because the P38 is pedestrian by comparison even though it is the successor to the C96 with that locking block design.

Come to think of it, does the No. 4 still do the thing the No. 1s do where you can slingshot the safety off when the rifle's cocked? I've never seen anyone ever talk about either rifle having that function (which to my knowledge no other rifle does).

Yup, it’s got the cool little lever safety by your thumb. I’m told you can break something in the firing group if you engage it after the bolt has been removed. Maybe that’s why it didn’t catch on?

CMP garands are still available? I thought the whole thing was pretty much done after the Obama regime made a point of not cooperating with them any more.
Didn't they destroy M1s rather than give them to the CMP? There was a huge lawsuit over it.

Yes, they're still available.

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