I saw this particular auction on a site that posts local auctions.This rifle was in a mix of 5 more guns being offered couple of pump shotguns and old 22 rifle.
My 1st bid was on the the patches and pins and ribbons in the wood box with cig lighter.' $25.00
My 2nd bid was for all the papers including scrapbook which no one even removed out of the bottom of a old box that they had been in for 50 years..$15.00---this is the most valuable thing that I brought home in my opinion!!!!!!
The old pictures you see are only half of what I have.!! All from overseas..Also included in pictures below is his BAR Machine Gun qualification scores from 1944..3rd auction was for the rifle.Man it is rough but it still has the dirt and mud from being picked up in 1945!!! It is a early model 99 that had the bi-pod and it still has the anti aircraft sights.
I seen lady's son that was at the auction he was a very educated guy in his mid-50's and told me he had 2 more pieces of the rifle in a bag at home in Nashville and he would ship them to me hes said it was a bolt and spring.
I asked him the history of the gun and here was his quick story,I will get the rest as I e-mail him for a full story.But all the scrapbook and pictures everything adds up and this is a real battlefield pickup with the mud and dirt still intact from that day in 1945!! You can tell it has been in a very dry home and not messed with by anyone.I don't believe it has been handled very very little since the day it was picked up.
My question is should I leave this as is or should I clean it?
