A good friend and I went down to check it out. (I convinced her not to wear her "O**** 2012" shirt, at least.) She was half-looking for a decent .22 with nothing specific in mind.
We got there late morning, paid the six bucks to get in, and started making the rounds. It was busy but not overly crowded, and prices ranged the gamut from "market" to "you're funny!" (Case in point: S&W M&P15 Sport. Dealer 1: $685 (market). Dealer 2: $779 ($40 OVER list).)
She wandered around and poked at a few .22s, and very nearly bit on a Remington 341 which was in mostly-good shape... but then we did some quick research and found that parts are likely a nightmare to find and it was priced a touch high. If parts had been more available, I think she'd have taken it home. No denying it was a good-looking rifle. There were a few others that caught her eye - a few Savages and Marlins - but nothing that really screamed "take me home".
I brought along my AR and the Dragoon to fish for sales or trades. Lots of nibbles on the AR - but no one reached for their wallet either. A dealer made me a sort-of fair offer on the Dragoon but wouldn't move the last thirty bucks it'd have taken to come up with a deal. (Dragoon with ammo and some cash for an M&P15-22.)
And then ... my friend found the rack of Mosins. She looked them over, accepted that they were priced a little higher than she might otherwise find, but decided she wanted one.
So, for $130 out the door she has a 1943 Izhvesk 91/30 - in pretty good shape. The bore is clean and the rifling is sharp, and it came with the standard accessories. Not what I'd have picked for a first rifle, but not a bad choice, either!
3 comments:
Is that cherry wood? Whatever it is, it looks to be in great shape and well cared-for!
MHA - that is a 1943 Soviet laminated stock. AKA "plywood". Thoroughly soaked in cosmoline.
*snicker* love the transition from .22 to .holycrap. :)
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