Zeebill collection part II

[joe7170]

Well, as all of you probably know by now, I was at zeebill's place Saturday playing with the Remingtons, well of course I took time to take some pics for you guys too!! I don't have really any full rifle pics, mainly I took receiver shots, but you guys should be able to ID most of the stuff by those

Some of these you have seen before from racerguy00 trip down there in early March, but hey, can you ever get enough of seeing a collection like this

And to top it all off, the biggest safe we couldn't get open!!!


Bill's pinup!



How about a carcano or 2?




Brand spanking new Type 38 Arisaka


How about a original M1 cabine Paratrooper??



Swedes anyone??









I'll let these speak for themselves:







Oh, and i can't for the life of me remember what this rifle was, but i know it was old

[desdem12]

[Rangerflip]

[jonnyboy091373]

Wow.

[BuckeyeSgt]

Good gooogly moogly. I don't think I have words. and I can't keep from drooling That Arisaka is just beautiful. and so is that first poster. but the Arisaka

[Junk Yard Dog]

I thought I was the only one with the habit of stuffing things into plastic shopping bags and then stuffing them into the vaults

[joe7170]

Good gooogly moogly. I don't think I have words. and I can't keep from drooling That Arisaka is just beautiful. and so is that first poster. but the Arisaka

And that was just the action. The whole rifle was like that, right down to the sling with the Japanese markings on it

[andrewd41]

[evildog]

[Three_Dogs]

[bunkysdad]

Sweetest thing I've seen in awhile.

[zeebill]

The rifle Joe could not remember was a Kropochnik, I have probably spelled that wrong but I just picked that up recently for $125. It is funny I have one Pawn Shop Owner who I really enjoy because he has had some bad things he surely did not deserve happen to him. He has taken such good care of me over the years I have to pinch myself and I walked into his shop and was saying Hi when I spotted this tall and long rifle which I had not the clue what it was. So I asked him and he said I don't know either, we arrived easily at a price and I bought something which I had no idea about until later that night I found a match for it online via checking the markings. I use this as an example of my buying technique of if it talks to me I buy it. I have come up with just as many duds as winners but I still keep doing it.

I had a bad safe day when Joe and his Dad were here and actually got most other than the big one that contains some of the really neat ones adding up to close to 100 rifles. That night after doing some other work and looking at the rifle Joe brought back I walked past the big one and spun the combo one more time and it opened right up. I am greatly scared of the electronic combo ones but these tumbler ones have been giving me fits lately! The main problem is I have picked up some smaller cheap ones of late and they run their combo's in different directions and without the turns required by the better made Heritage ones so I get totally confused and brain dead for a bit. Very embarrassing and happening way too frequently. My Safe man has said he can switch mine over to the electronic ones but I am like JYD and scared of those. Us older guys are set in our ways I guess. Bill

[Junk Yard Dog]

M1886 Portuguese Kropatchek Bill, and if the numbers match then it's a great score, these trade in the $300-$400 range in non matching, but solid condition. Electronic gizmo's break. That rifle fires the 8x60r

[zeebill]

Dog that is just how I feel about the tumblers working without worry but this bad safe day thing is really bugging me. I can't for the life of me remember whether or not that Kropatchnik is all matching or not and it is not in this book in the house yet.

One of the shots Joe took is of an Italian made 38 short rifle stamped with the Finnish SA. You will note on the badge plate area there is a 2 stamped like the ones on certain Finnish rifles. That stock while finished nicely is made like it was carved by hand or something. Very roughly made compared to the other 38's I have and that fact is what makes me think maybe the the no 2's we find on the Finns indeed may mean 2 grade stocks at last and maybe the lower grade of shooter too. Really decent reliable 7.35 ammo is so hard to get (even the newer stuff is all over the place) that I can not really say my thoughts may be right? I have tried all vintages and there is always the occaisional dud or flyer whichever rifles I try and shoot. One of the M38's is also stamped with a unit designation too. The one with the threaded end turns out to have barrel channel stock issues which I am trying to figure which way to go on as of now. The stock is nice would but not stamped at all like most of them are. Maybe that is pointing toward the possiblity of them being used by partisans behind German lines as being true, I don't know?

The safes not opening is bugging the daylights out of me and I am torn between having them switched over to electronic still with all my disstrust of that system. Bill

[TopperT]

Your collection is simply stunning. Truly stunning. Congratulations.

I have a theory on the "2" stamped M39's..............it "appears" ,to me at least, that the barrel length is SLIGHTLY shorter than my other M39's.
Just a bit, but it IS shorter as measured side by side....I haven't done a really scientific measurement but it sure looks shorter when measured side by side with the other M39's..........

[qz2026]

OMG

[zeebill]

There are so many things we will never know about almost any rifles as far as numbers and markings that they alone could fill a book. I will have to check the lengths of rifles versus the number 2 marked ones. I have the other Carcan'os to cheack against the last one I got. It will be awhile though as the last threaded one needs some stock repair. Cracked following the grain from the forestock threw bolt. It will require a twist and a clamp so I got to figure out how I want to repair it.

Marks on Mosins are very tough to follow at times. Take the Christmas tree marking on some 91/24's, it is said that indicates a cut chamber repair but none of the other 91/24's I have differ in any dimensions, either barrels or stocks? Kind of knocks the heck out of that theory in my mind. Who knows that is what makes these Mosin's so interesting! Bill

[joe7170]

There are so many things we will never know about almost any rifles as far as numbers and markings that they alone could fill a book. I will have to check the lengths of rifles versus the number 2 marked ones. I have the other Carcan'os to cheack against the last one I got. It will be awhile though as the last threaded one needs some stock repair. Cracked following the grain from the forestock threw bolt. It will require a twist and a clamp so I got to figure out how I want to repair it.

Marks on Mosins are very tough to follow at times. Take the Christmas tree marking on some 91/24's, it is said that indicates a cut chamber repair but none of the other 91/24's I have differ in any dimensions, either barrels or stocks? Kind of knocks the heck out of that theory in my mind. Who knows that is what makes these Mosin's so interesting! Bill

I know one thing if a person sit down, and tried to research, and find all the different markings and meanings and such, on your rifles alone bill, they'd go nuts. I know it was unreal sitting there and Bill just keeps pulling even cooler stuff out. Just when I thought it couldn't get better it did

[Junk Yard Dog]

The Kropatchek was in service for a very long time, some even into the 1960's with colonial police . The rebuilding of them tended to be a matter of parts swapping until it worked, stock splits are common. That one looks nice

[TulaTom]

As always.. thanks for sharing, Bill. Beautiful collection!