Ordered a Omega T53 for $99 shipped

[Crazysarge16]

New member here, so first off thanks for the wealth of knowledge that everyone contributes to this forum. Have learned alot from here but only recently joined cause spent alot of time over at other websites

I've read alot about the Omega T53 imports, about how they were hit or miss, but mainly how alot of people lucked into them when they were $36 plus shipping. Decided I'd bite the bullet and order one as well, mainly cause I had $100 burning a hole in my pocket and I hadn't gambled on anything in awhile

My FFL is delivering it to me tomorrow (ain't it great when your buddy has his FFL and you both work at the same place, but no one can saw anything when a deputy sheriff walks in with your gun). He already told me that FedEx wasn't kind in delivery, and the rifle barrel poked out the box, he looked it over and saw no damage and said everything appears there.

I'm planning on just cleaning it up to be safe to shoot and not get grease on my hands. Other than that, I think I'll leave it alone just to have fun with. Provided it isn't a hunk of junk. Regardless, be a nice addition to my growing collection of M44 and their variates produced by other countries.

I'll try to post pictures tomorrow

[Junk Yard Dog]

Welcome to the board, amazing to thing that Omega is still selling these carbines over 25 years after they got started and for only twice the price they first started out with. $25 in early 90's dollars is about $45 in todays money. Back then we didn't know what to make of them, some of us risked the $25 but as they were competing with $40 Enfields, and $175 M1 Garands they were a tough sell.

[Crazysarge16]

I would have loved to have seen $175 M1 Garand, but I'd probably be buying Enfield's all the time. Next to my new found love for Mosins, the Enfield is probably my favorite rifle. At one time I owned around 5, which wasn't bad on a poor college kids salary.

I'm looking forward to cleaning the T53 as weird as that sounds, I'm a gluten for punishment and get a weird perversion out of cleaning a dirty rifle

[Junk Yard Dog]

Best deal I ever got for the Enfields was three for $100 No1 MKIII*'s, but I also bought some Australian Lithgows for what would be considered pocket change today. That was around 1989-91 The $175 Garand was the least I ever paid for one back then, average before 1993 was $225 for the Garand, $175 for the M1 carbine. That was the happy time for milsurp arms collectors, and we weren't that thick on the ground back then. it ended around 1998 when prices had gone up and supply run down, then the Soviet hoard came in for rear, $25 91/30's were back for a bit, by 2009 you were paying $55-$85 for one, a bit more for the carbines, now in 2017 you can still get all of it, but the sellers will want you to part with important body appendages for them.

[Crazysarge16]

Just Google Omega Weapons, I won't post the link cause believe that's a no no

[ffuries]

Googled them and nothing comes up of them selling T53 rifles. Pm me the link if you dont mind please.

Here's the link for them.

http://www.omega-weapons-systems.com/de ... month.html

[Crazysarge16]

Finally have it in my possession, first glance over didn't look too bad. Had to clean some sterofoam out of the barrel to look through, barrel looks disgusting but I see rifling. Didn't have much chance to look it over thoroughly, had to get back to work and was raining outside when I went out to meet my buddy in my work parking lot.

Will post some pictures when I get home tonight

[King Johhny]

Finally have it in my possession, first glance over didn't look too bad. Had to clean some sterofoam out of the barrel to look through, barrel looks disgusting but I see rifling. Didn't have much chance to look it over thoroughly, had to get back to work and was raining outside when I went out to meet my buddy in my work parking lot.

Will post some pictures when I get home tonight

Do they have any markings or anything? The pictures are not too detailed. Also, any cracks or anything else with the wood? Also, would anyone happen to know about the Chinese Type 24 rifles they are selling? Thanks!

[Crazysarge16]

So far, haven't noticed any visible cracks. got it home and completely unboxed it. Everything has surface rust, doesn't appear to have any deep pitting at this.

I've got the bolt disassembled so it can soak in some transmission fluid just to loosen everything up. Was a mixture of Tula and Izhevsk parts

The bore was absolutely filthy, I cod see rifling but hopefully will clean up alot. Currently I've got some foaming bore cleaner in it while I do a few things around the house.

The stock is very dry, will remove all of it and do very minimal cleaning to it minus oiling it just so it doesn't continue to dry out. Does have some rack numbers painted on the left side, which I absolutely love cause I'm crazy about rack numbers

I'll try to post the pictures but this will be my first time trying on hisnsite

[Crazysarge16]

Pictures of said rifle

[Crazysarge16]

Sorry if the pictures are huge, trying to make them smaller but they keep getting bigger

[Crazysarge16]

Not a number matches, but I think if bore checks out good and Headspace's find it's going to be one of my favorites. Has that look of "been there, done that" that I absolutely love

[Lotema]

In todays market, that's a steal at $99. I might have to order myself one when my next quarterly budget is given by the CFO (aka Wife)!

[Junk Yard Dog]

He didn't do you that bad with that one, odd the bayonet is off it, that's something I don't recall seeing back in the day. Some of the offerings I saw back then looked like they were recovered off the bottom of the sea after being dragged there across a continent behind a tank. Things jammed in the bores, very bad, even bug eaten wood splintered and oil soaked. That's why I avoided the damn things at the time, I have two that were gifted to me by dealers I did a lot of business with back then, and one brought home from Vietnam and sold to me. The only one in shooting condition is the VC one, the others are shot out wall hangers. The VC used them hard, but the Chinese harder still, or maybe they just had them longer, oh I see the bayonet now, you took it off. Bluing, that's something else I don't recall seeing on the type 53's back then, not until we started seeing the Albanian hoard a few years back.

[Crazysarge16]

Thanks for the responses everyone!

The bayonet was actually off the rifle when I received it, was wrapped up in plastic inside the box. It has surface rust on it, but I believe it will clean up quite nicely

The bolt was also wrapped up in plastic in the box, got it broken down soaking in transmission fluid to loosen up all the gunk it's got in it. Figured I'd do that considering I've got the bucket with it already and need to reassemble the bolt for my 1943 M44 project which is on my work bench to make room for new project

Got the rifle completely taken apart at this time. Underneath the handguards and stock thankfully there was no surface rust, just alot of dirt and grime. The trigger guard/magazine screws were extremely loose and came out without any trouble

Let the bore cleaner do its thing for about 30 minutes, then gave it a quick clean up just to see the condition of the barrel. Looks like it's going to have nice rifling, but still hard to tell at this point how she'll shoot. It looks possible that end of rifling is the most worn, but hopefully continues to clean up well. Between the foaming bore cleaner and the kroil patches I ran through it, I'm going to need more patches from look of the patches that came out

Had to stop for the night , left some Kroil in the barrel to break loose all that gunk still in it. Thankfully I'm off the next few days so I can get some work in while wife is at work. Which reminds me, need to get a new barrel brush for this rifle

[Crazysarge16]

The bluing is actually very nice with a good patina on it, I'm hoping she's a good shooter. Honestly reminded me of one we found in Afghanistan, if only these rifles could take

Haven't found the import mark yet in this rifle, wasnt under the barrel like normal. Also checked side if receiver and no luck there.

[Pahtu]

Bought a Finn M91 stock from Omega years ago, someone cut it down to a 91-30 length & did a kinda poor job in the process with a bit of sanding on the very end/side/forward portion of the stock.....since the price was real reasonable I did not send it back...so the stock just sat in a corner of the house for several years. Bought a M27 barreled action & fit the action to the stock....turned out great & was a fun project.

I never did buy one of their T-53s, shoulda, woulda, coulda....but never did - If he had a nice all matching one stashed away with a cleaning rod, I might bite, especially a 1960 dated one, but I suspect not.

I bought a real nice all matching example a few years ago at a local show, but foolishly sold it off when I needed some $$.....

Pahtu.

[Crazysarge16]

Doesn't bother me not all matching cause he did tell me on the phone it wouldn't match, though I was hoping with fingers crossed to luck out and receive one squirreled away

I'll eventually get a cleaning rod for this one and my1943 M44 since both are missing them. For now, I'm just spending my time slowly but patiently cleaning this rifle and fighting the urge to get Chinese food for lunch today

[Junk Yard Dog]

The import mark will be very small, up by the muzzle and probably lightly stamped. These were imported in another age, import marks were required in the late 1980's but they didn't yet have to be banner sized.

[Crazysarge16]

How I wish that was still the truth. My most recent Russian M44 acquisition is like a billboard for IO