Somehow I've been lax about doing this one. My five "Money Is No Object" guns, in no particular order:
1 - A correct, numbers-matching, US GOVT PROPERTY marked Ithaca Gun Co 1911A1. This is my one and only grail gun. If anyone has one collecting dust in their safe, please let me know. I will arrange a trade or sell a kidney (only slight defective) to acquire it. I'd actually prefer shooter-grade, not safe-queen. I don't have ANY logical reason for this except one: I have spent the vast majority of my life driving within sight of the smokestack that says "ITHACA GUNS" on a near-daily basis. (That stack is likely coming down soon in the name of progress, also known as high-rent housing development.)
2 - A Boys .55 Antitank Rifle and/or a Lahti 20mm Antitank Rifle. Well, duh. Who *wouldn't* want a large-caliber anti-armor rifle? They're a war apart, and both have unbelievable cool factor. They're also "destructive devices", as the bore is greater than 0.50" and uses a fixed cartridge with no "sporting purpose" (the workaround for things like the .600 and .700 Nitro).
3 - A caliber-appropriate Gatling gun. Hand-cranked. Something like .45-70. Oh, sure, there were some made in .30 of various flavors, but .45-70 is ... well, it's .45. Another one chambered in a less-expensive caliber would be a hell of a lot of fun too. .22LR? .38Spl? I have vaguely toyed with the idea of trying to piece together a .22LR Gatling, but NY's *expletive* magazine laws mean it would go "pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop pop" ... pause for reloading ... (Side wonder: "fixed tubular rimfire magazines" are specifically exempted. Explore this.)
4 - A "best" fitted English double shotgun with a complete barrel set. Better yet, a matched pair of "best" guns; one heavy frame with 10-, 12-, and 16-bore barrels, and a light frame with 20-, 28-, and .410-bore. Holland&Holland, Purdey, something along those lines. You know, guns that cost more than our house.
5 - An Ithaca "Auto and Burglar" scattergun. These are NFA AOWs, *not* short-barrel shotguns. They were never made with full stocks, only pistol grips. Again, cool factor. Manufacturing stopped in 1934 with the NFA and the $200 transfer tax.
Nothing terribly outlandish here. And not one full-auto. I've played with auto guns. They're wicked fun. And wicked expensive to feed. And really, not terribly practical. Not my thing.
7 months ago
5 comments:
I thought AOWs were $5, not $200.
I'm on the same wavelength with you on a .22 rimfire Gatling, but I want a backpack ammo hopper/power supply with a 10,000 round capacity. Just dump the ammo in loose, flip the switch, grab the handle and hose!
Kevin - you are correct, the transfer fee on AOWs is now $5. According to Wiki, that changed in 1960 from $200.
There is, however, a $200 *manufacturing* tax on AOWs that still stands.
Check your eMail.
Always $200 to mfg an AOW. Stamp price has risen from $1 to $2 to $5.
As to the Boys and Lahti, well, they are out there. Lahtis are fairly common. And in most cases for both Boys and Lahti, they are available a bit cheaper if rechambered in 50BMG, thus saving the DD stamp and punitive ammo prices.
Since I have a Krag I'd go for the Gatling in .30-40 HGovt. My brother has an Ithaca 1911A1 but it's finish is barely discernible. It's his East-Bay/Oakland glove-compartment Better Judged By-12 gun. Cousin has an Ithaca 37 for ducks in the Baylands because it shucks hulls down into the boat-bottom.
But I still would rather have a Lewis gun if there's auto-loading involved.
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