Ditto. Rifle is not pristine but has been subjected to obvious use. Therefore, sparing firing will not deminish its significance or appearance, in my opinion.Quote:
Originally Posted by Roadkingtrax
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Ditto. Rifle is not pristine but has been subjected to obvious use. Therefore, sparing firing will not deminish its significance or appearance, in my opinion.Quote:
Originally Posted by Roadkingtrax
I've shot just about everything I own, and the ones I have'nt shot yet is only due to time constraints. Eventually they will all be "used" with the exception of one, my M1861 Amoskeag Musket. The bore on that one is just not good enough for me to take the chance.
I see no problems at all with someone modifying anything they own. I may not like it but it's not mine so who am I to say what someone should or should'nt do with their property. I'm also into antique cars and I can't stand to see people modify them or chop them into street rods. Thats does'nt mean I'm going to go nuts because of it. It is what it is.
"No one can truly own anything. You only have access to it during the dash between the beginning and ending years which will be inscribed upon your tombstone."
Thats pretty much my rule.
I may have a large collection of firearms, but I am not a firearms 'collector'. Unless the barrel is shot out or the piece is otherwise unsafe for modern ammo, it gets range time. That is assuming that I myself can get range time. Way too many guns and not enough free time or ammo to shoot them all anymore. Being an adult with a full time job tends to interfere with my hobbies.;)
I had an 1896 Krag rifle dated 1897. The muzzle swallowed a 30 cal bullet. Since i did not shoot this rifle anymore and the MCL detachment had an abomination of a Krag carbine hanging on the wall I donated it to the detachment so they would have a real weapon Marines carried. Could I have kept it? Sure but since I shoot everything I own I thought the detachment would be a better place for it.
Mack
Are you saying that a "true collector" will know every single solitary little minute to minute detail of the manufacturing process as it happened? So therefore it is impossible for "true collector" to be wrong? A "true collector" has learned everything that there is know to about the subject and can never learn anything else about it again?Quote:
Originally Posted by Rick B
I have collected (hoarded) Lionel trains for over 45 years. At least once a year, if not more, some "set in stone" detail about a "collector's item" is proven to be incorrect. Manufacturers are in business for one thing and one thing only. To make a profit. They care not whether something leaving the factory will be considered "correct" by some "collector" 50 years later. They only watch the bottom line and be sure that as many parts as possible are used in the finished product, with as little waste as possible. If they don't, they are quickly out of business.
The daily manufacturing worker cares only that a part was put into the product that functions as it should so that he can keep his job and get his paycheck. Even if those parts are "documented", people make errors and documentatioin can be very, very wrong. When you are trying to meet a product deadline it is inevitable that shortcuts will be taken and something will slip by.
I submit that it is absoulutely impossible for one person to know every single detail of any mass produced product and that there is always room to learn. If you stop learning, then you must be dead.
I'd say a true collector is one who knows there are no absolutes and is open to evaluating a specimen on a case by case basis to determine what -may- be original.
Note use of the word original and not correct for a true collectible piece.
I'm trying to imagine what previous generations would think of us taking a perfectly good tool and not putting it to use because of a perceived historical significance. I'm pretty sure my "Appalachian American" ancestors would find that to be the silliest notion they'd ever heard of. " I know there's no food, but dag nabbit you ain't shootin' that deer with that rifle, it's a collectible!" Makes as much sense as a gold plated shovel. My ancestors had no use for a tool that wasn't to be used, and would not have hesitated to modify an existing tool to fit a purpose.
Maybe it's a sign of the times. We don't use our tools we acquire them and discuss how they're to be used. I see it all the time with bicycles. Some guy with more money than sense drops a few grand on a road bike to look the part. Italian frame, Campy parts etc. A year later the bike comes in for a tune up. Flat tires and dust from sitting. It's his right, but it's a damn shame to see a fine piece of equipment sit.
To me History is about the stories of people and things. I love old things not because they are old, but because of their story. My Garand receiver was manufactured in '45. It's a mixmaster with an importer stamp. It has no "collector value". That does not change it's story. It's been places I'll never go and seen things I'll never see. When I'm done with it someone else will use it and add to it's story. When I have the money saved it will be "Mini'ed" and that too will be part of it's story. To me my rifle has more "historical value" than a rifle that's pristine correct and unused. After all how many stories can an unused rifle tell?
Welcome Bicyclewrench!
Good First Post
Welcome
None of us were at Springfield when the M1 was being made. How about if an otherwise correct NFR was found to have a short-fork follower rod? This would not be "Correct" according to current wisdom. Yet it could be nothing more than that a box of them was found somewhere. Under a bench ? Lost in Inspection ? Today's assessments are a "Best Guess" and nothing more.
You can tie s/n range to barrel date to cartouche. Beyond that, ?