This isn't a posed photo. I'm just sitting on the couch messing around on the computer and my honey says, "Look at this" and shows me a picture she just took of Sasha luxuriating on the floor. Apparently, she has good taste! I guess it's hers now.
The HMG rifle was a good idea I guess but I'm too much of a purist. If I'm paying stupid money for a reproduction, I want it as close to the original as possible. I almost didn't buy one of the FG42's because the internal trigger components were considerably changed.
These are not C&R as they were made in 2009 IIRC. They are cash and carry in the marilifornia socialist republik though. Only 200 were imported from Germany and they currently sell for around 10K. That might sound expensive but it's still only about a third of what you'll put out for a select fire example made in 1944/45 and, because it's only semi-auto, it's a whole lot less hassle to buy sell and take to the range too.
PTR imported 200 of them around 2009. The company has always been tight lipped about production secrets but it's generally assumed that they use original dies and molds that were stored in East Germany after the war. All parts are interchangeable with original examples. Similar to Chicom AK's, essentially all they did to convert it to semi-auto only was to omit the full auto bits in the fire control group, not punch the holes in the lower for fitment of the sear trip pin and spring, and not cut the receiver for the full auto trip bar. For all intents and purposes, it's a true semi-auto MP44 only made almost 70 years later.
Google BD44 or PTR44 and you'll find lots of information. You tube has videos on them too (including one by Forgotten Weapons) and I've also done an in-depth write up on them various places.
When my big ol' German Shorthair was still with us, I could not get any of:
1) Boots
2) Ammo
3) Shotgun
4) Specific hats
5) Anything blaze orange
out of a closet without him physically camping next to it like a statue. Being left out of an outing that might include birds falling out of the sky was agony for him, so he learned to police all upland bird related objects in the house. He would fall asleep on top of such items to make sure nobody snuck them out of the house without his involvement. Man I miss that dog.
They have a way of getting into your heart deeper than you ever thought possible, don't they? Your buddy will always be with you so long as you remember him.
Sasha has her own canteen and she gets all excited when she sees it or hears it. She knows it means an outing a least or a camping excursion at best. She's just over 10 now and I'm gonna be a wreck when it comes time for her to move on.