mawkie
C&R Whisperer
-While on the hunt for a Luftwaffe issue Femaru 37M pistol a Femaru of a different stripe showed up in a Google search in a PA auction. As well versed as I am on .22 training rifles this was a critter that I had never heard of. So I started an online search for info. Lucky me there was one solid source that I had used many times before: Manowar's hungariae.com site. He had recently assembled the only info on the Frommer designed, Femaru built Kispuska series of .22 training rifles built from 1929 to 1965.
-The few accounts I could find describe the heavy barreled Kispuska as very accurate. There was little interest leading up to the live auction and absolutely no comps so with nothing to guide me on value I threw a very conservative (aka el cheap-o) bid and got it for even less than that. When that happens I generally get nervous, wondering why the live bidders weren't interested. Figure they might see something that doesn't show up in photos or the description.
-In this case it was a coal mine of a bore. The previous owner was just plain lazy and hadn't cleaned it in who-knows how long. Took quite a while to scrub clean but it did turn out just fine. Between the very heavy barrel, a good trigger and decent sights it should perform well. A receiver mounted rear sight is my only wish. But considering that the Hungarians were looking to train troops to transition to their Mannlicher centerfire rifles that tangent sight is appropriate.
-This example is the 38M version, built from 1938 -1941, one of about 25,000. The serial number dates it to 1938, one of the early 38Ms. These were never exported, the only venue being GI bring-backs, taken from surrendering Hungarian forces who fled West to escape capture by the Russians.
-The few accounts I could find describe the heavy barreled Kispuska as very accurate. There was little interest leading up to the live auction and absolutely no comps so with nothing to guide me on value I threw a very conservative (aka el cheap-o) bid and got it for even less than that. When that happens I generally get nervous, wondering why the live bidders weren't interested. Figure they might see something that doesn't show up in photos or the description.
-In this case it was a coal mine of a bore. The previous owner was just plain lazy and hadn't cleaned it in who-knows how long. Took quite a while to scrub clean but it did turn out just fine. Between the very heavy barrel, a good trigger and decent sights it should perform well. A receiver mounted rear sight is my only wish. But considering that the Hungarians were looking to train troops to transition to their Mannlicher centerfire rifles that tangent sight is appropriate.
-This example is the 38M version, built from 1938 -1941, one of about 25,000. The serial number dates it to 1938, one of the early 38Ms. These were never exported, the only venue being GI bring-backs, taken from surrendering Hungarian forces who fled West to escape capture by the Russians.
