Granddaddy's Gun...

[hattaresguy]

I heard this song on the radio today and it got me thinking about my grandfathers M1 Carbine that still sits in my safe. He carried it from the Philippines to Japan than walked off with it when he got back from the war. I wish I asked him more about it when he was around, because I heard parts of some very interesting war stories from my uncles and I suspect he would have filled in the blanks if asked. Now its worth a few bucks because its as rare of an M1 as they made, but as the song says it sure ain't for sale.

My grandfather has been dead for awhile now but its a link to him and another time.

Who else has family heirloom firearms?

 

[hattaresguy]

Story of how he acquired the carbine, I only have parts because again I didn't ask him directly. I'll always regret that.

I remember as a kid we used to boat a lot and talk boats. A few times in conversation he mentioned especially after seeing the Normandy Beach scene in Saving Private Ryan, that when he was on landing craft the guys used to take off the governors and run those motors past the stops. They wanted every last bit of speed to get on and off the beach's as fast as possible. Also when on the beach they did not hesitate to firewall it backwards and let the props chew out of the sand to get off...I suspect under heavy fire.

Anyway he was on a landing craft somewhere in the Philippines, don't know where. It was his first time in combat, and he ended up swimming. Either the landing craft dumped them offshore and they had to swim or it was hit. Either way he was swimming on what was probably a pretty nice tropical beach except that the Japanese were eagerly pouring fire down on them. So he came up with nothing. He got to the beach and grabbed around until he found a gun that shot, which was this M1 that had the initials of the previous owner scratched on the stock. He carried that rifle to mainland Japan than took it when he got back to the states.

Anyway I wish I asked him more while he was alive because that's all I know.

 

[JHZR2]

While a nice story, isn't that M1 technically stolen?

 

[L_Sludger]

"So what's it worth?"
"About 25 years."

 

[GreeCguy]

Excellent story and God bless your Grandfather with eternal peace.

 

[JimPghPA]

My youngest brother has our dads Browning 12 gauge. And the stock is cracked, and it darn sure ain't for sale.

 

[shDK]

Just last night i did see a tv program with the subjekt on how the danish army have made lot.s of money selling there old garant rifles and later the old m75 (some kind og heckler and koch riffle) and now some m96 to american private consumers. Especially the old garant rifles who was dropped in the mid 70es was verry popular. But why? I just dont get it ? I am sure they will be pretty worn out.

 

[Astro14]

Not a gun, but I have the sword presented to my 4x great grandfather by his company just after the battle of Gettysburg. He was with the 101st Pennsylvania during that battle. Now, during the battle, he was a 1st LT, and on 01 August, 1863, he was a CAPT, presumably, that promotion was the occasion for the sword. The escutcheon has only date, unit, and name....

I just ordered a Garand from the CMP. A gift (for my 50th) from my brother. I've always admired the M1, carried one in officer candidate school in 1986, and the chance to own a WW II weapon is a connection to that era. If nothing else, they are fun to shoot...

 

[default]

Originally Posted By: shDK
Just last night i did see a tv program with the subjekt on how the danish army have made lot.s of money selling there old garant rifles and later the old m75 (some kind og heckler and koch riffle) and now some m96 to american private consumers. Especially the old garant rifles who was dropped in the mid 70es was verry popular. But why? I just dont get it ? I am sure they will be pretty worn out.


Unless not properly cleaned after firing corrosive ammo, even guns that were used in combat are usually still quite serviceable. I have a 1942 Mosin Nagant M91/30 that was definitely used heavily pushing the Germans back to Berlin, still has a good bore and meets head space specs. Only thing it needed when it was re-arsenaled was a new bluing job and the stock refinished. Same for my 1943 Enfield No4 mk I*, but that was re-barreled after the war.

Its very, very rare to wear out a properly maintained gun. Look at people who shoot shotguns heavily, many go a million rounds without trouble aside form perhaps some new springs, extractors, and other small and/or normal wear parts. Same for target pistols.

 

[L_Sludger]

Originally Posted By: default
Originally Posted By: shDK
Just last night i did see a tv program with the subjekt on how the danish army have made lot.s of money selling there old garant rifles and later the old m75 (some kind og heckler and koch riffle) and now some m96 to american private consumers. Especially the old garant rifles who was dropped in the mid 70es was verry popular. But why? I just dont get it ? I am sure they will be pretty worn out.


Unless not properly cleaned after firing corrosive ammo, even guns that were used in combat are usually still quite serviceable. I have a 1942 Mosin Nagant M91/30 that was definitely used heavily pushing the Germans back to Berlin, still has a good bore and meets head space specs. Only thing it needed when it was re-arsenaled was a new bluing job and the stock refinished. Same for my 1943 Enfield No4 mk I*, but that was re-barreled after the war.

Its very, very rare to wear out a properly maintained gun. Look at people who shoot shotguns heavily, many go a million rounds without trouble aside form perhaps some new springs, extractors, and other small and/or normal wear parts. Same for target pistols.


A million shotgun rounds would cost $240,000 to run.

 

[xxch4osxx]

Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
Originally Posted By: default
Originally Posted By: shDK
Just last night i did see a tv program with the subjekt on how the danish army have made lot.s of money selling there old garant rifles and later the old m75 (some kind og heckler and koch riffle) and now some m96 to american private consumers. Especially the old garant rifles who was dropped in the mid 70es was verry popular. But why? I just dont get it ? I am sure they will be pretty worn out.


Unless not properly cleaned after firing corrosive ammo, even guns that were used in combat are usually still quite serviceable. I have a 1942 Mosin Nagant M91/30 that was definitely used heavily pushing the Germans back to Berlin, still has a good bore and meets head space specs. Only thing it needed when it was re-arsenaled was a new bluing job and the stock refinished. Same for my 1943 Enfield No4 mk I*, but that was re-barreled after the war.

Its very, very rare to wear out a properly maintained gun. Look at people who shoot shotguns heavily, many go a million rounds without trouble aside form perhaps some new springs, extractors, and other small and/or normal wear parts. Same for target pistols.


A million shotgun rounds would cost $240,000 to run.
Not if you reload instead of buying them all new