mawkie
C&R Whisperer
-For over 20 yrs I've been trying to pry loose an IBM built M1 Carbine from a friend. But he just won't let it go. So I decided that I'd have to do some research and find another if I wanted to add one to the collection. Bought a copy of War Baby! from Larry Ruth and set about learning a bit about the breed.
-Then a month ago Redding lists approx. 50 M1 Carbines for their Armistice Day auction. All came out of one collection and the bulk of them were collector grade. I went into this wary of Redding as M1s in the past were selling for full market and then some. Around $1K on average for what I'd call a service grade example. But with this many selling at once I thought that perhaps I could get collector grade for a service grade price. That was the goal.
-Inspected all the lots the day before while waiting on Bucky's grooming in Gettysburg. Picked out 7 examples I liked: 5 Underwoods and 2 NPMs. In the end I bid on two Underwoods. My first choice was a pristine example but my $1325 bid was $25 short and I moved on. Was successful on my second choice and the example I got is in excellent condition with a mirror bore. Stock stamps are a bit weak but visible. Otherwise it's a gem. Paid just under $1k so the bargain hunter in me is satisfied as well. The previous owner's tag states that it had a C tip sling and IS marked oiler but these were gone. As fate would have it I had a Japanese T99 Substitute that came home from the Pacific sporting a C tip sling! And found an IS marked oiler for only $12 up on Evil Pay. So it'll be complete soon.
-The other two items I took home are both holsters. The first is a WW2 Italian web holster for a .25 Beretta. It's in unissued condition and I paid a whole $2 for it. I've never seen one of these in all my years of collecting so I was shocked when nobody bid against me.
-The other holster is for a 1907 Roth Steyr. This one was originally made with a shoulder strap but around WWI was converted to belt straps and used to carry a Steyr Hahn M1911 which fits perfectly. Did a search of the web and found that many Steyr Roth holsters were converted from shoulder strap to belt loops. Even found a few that were converted the other way from belt loop to shoulder strap. Found two full stripper clips of vintage Steyr Hahn ammo in the side pouch as well, a cool bonus. The GI who brought it home penned his name on the inside of the flap. Will have to see if I can ID him. In excellent condition these holsters have brought from $700-750 in the past. In good condition, like mine, market value will be in the $350-400 range. I only paid a fraction of the low estimate so I'm thrilled. I have a Steyr Hahn that I bought 35 yrs ago and it's a reblued shooter. So I think I'll keep an eye peeled for a nice collector example to mate with this holster.
-Then a month ago Redding lists approx. 50 M1 Carbines for their Armistice Day auction. All came out of one collection and the bulk of them were collector grade. I went into this wary of Redding as M1s in the past were selling for full market and then some. Around $1K on average for what I'd call a service grade example. But with this many selling at once I thought that perhaps I could get collector grade for a service grade price. That was the goal.
-Inspected all the lots the day before while waiting on Bucky's grooming in Gettysburg. Picked out 7 examples I liked: 5 Underwoods and 2 NPMs. In the end I bid on two Underwoods. My first choice was a pristine example but my $1325 bid was $25 short and I moved on. Was successful on my second choice and the example I got is in excellent condition with a mirror bore. Stock stamps are a bit weak but visible. Otherwise it's a gem. Paid just under $1k so the bargain hunter in me is satisfied as well. The previous owner's tag states that it had a C tip sling and IS marked oiler but these were gone. As fate would have it I had a Japanese T99 Substitute that came home from the Pacific sporting a C tip sling! And found an IS marked oiler for only $12 up on Evil Pay. So it'll be complete soon.
-The other two items I took home are both holsters. The first is a WW2 Italian web holster for a .25 Beretta. It's in unissued condition and I paid a whole $2 for it. I've never seen one of these in all my years of collecting so I was shocked when nobody bid against me.
-The other holster is for a 1907 Roth Steyr. This one was originally made with a shoulder strap but around WWI was converted to belt straps and used to carry a Steyr Hahn M1911 which fits perfectly. Did a search of the web and found that many Steyr Roth holsters were converted from shoulder strap to belt loops. Even found a few that were converted the other way from belt loop to shoulder strap. Found two full stripper clips of vintage Steyr Hahn ammo in the side pouch as well, a cool bonus. The GI who brought it home penned his name on the inside of the flap. Will have to see if I can ID him. In excellent condition these holsters have brought from $700-750 in the past. In good condition, like mine, market value will be in the $350-400 range. I only paid a fraction of the low estimate so I'm thrilled. I have a Steyr Hahn that I bought 35 yrs ago and it's a reblued shooter. So I think I'll keep an eye peeled for a nice collector example to mate with this holster.