Junk Yard Dog wrote:Was Kevin a gun Hoarder? At least if so he was hoarding interesting things, milsurp is a milsurp no matter if it shoots or not. To me the most interesting ones are the beat up examples. You look at them and just wonder how they came to be that way, they served during interesting times. The only type 53 I ever paid money for was the bringhome, I bought that one right from the man who brought it home. I knew about it's existence for years, and one day he took me by surprise when he asked if I wanted to buy it. Back then Vietnam wasn't that far in the past yet, the relics of that war had no collector following, the guy had kids who were getting to the age were they get into everything and he wanted no guns around. I would have just locked it up, but I guess he also wanted nothing around to remind him of a less fun time in his life. That's also the only matching type 53 I ever came across. I ended up with four rifles from that conflict before suddenly they became sought after and prices shot up.
I know the Chinese imports you are talking about, I own some of them, not a pile, a few was enough in my case. Wall hangers, relics of history, I wouldn't fire one on a dare. In 1987 or 1988 you could have bought one for ten bucks.
The more I hear your awesome stories the more I wish I was born sooner sometimes. Or just would have been more attentive to my military surplus needs when I was younger.
I personally have only come across one Vietnam bring back, it being an early year (can't find paperwork where I wrote it down) Norinco SKS. Had definitely spent some time in the rice fields, got it at a gun show for $180 bucks a few years back. A dealer had just bought it off a Vietnam veterans wife, even had the paperwork . Apparently he brought back several weapons, and they were all on one form so I didn't get the original paperwork just a copy of it. It had gunk coming out everywhere, cleaned it and shot the snot out of it. Eventually sold it to a friend for what I had in it so he could present it to his dad, another Vietnam.veteran who wanted it.
Always like to try to help other veterans out, especially cause I had a few Vietnam guys help me out and gift me stuff when I came back from military surplus haitus.
"Stay classy gentleman, and remember no one touch my snickers" -Cpt Barry Ammons, 2-23 IN 4/2 SBCT