[Ronin48]

We were asked by a late friend's widow to help sell his "8-10" Japanese rifles. When we arrived at the widow's home on our way home after a two week trip we found a few more than "8 or 10." We logged and hauled off 44 rifles that went home with a friend/B'zai member who will bring them to JAG in Louisville, KY next month. There are approximately 25-30 rifles left included a Mukden 99 which we may acquire on our next trip North. Among the goodies was a T-22 carbine, a Finnish-marked T 35, several nice 38s and early 99s with all the "goodies," two late 11th series Nagoyas w/o DC grooves and one late 11th 99??? SN "rope hole." There was also a Naval Special carbine. About half of the 38s and 99s had mums, but there were also a number of ground rifles.

On collection security there is a gadget called a "Burglar Bomb" (I think) It's a spring loaded housing that holds a can of pressured "nasty gas." (very nasty.) The device is mounted on a wall, door frame, etc. Don't remember the prescribed method of mounting, but I had to modify mine. When I leave the "gun room" I remove a safety pin holding the spring release plate in position. If the door is opened with the pin removed the spring release plate disengages, a spring loaded arm pushes down on the nozzle of the can of "nasty gas" and no one without a gas mask will touch your collection for at least 45-60 minutes. Don't ask me how I know it's "nasty gas" or the time it takes to clear the gas from a house! The "Bomb" has been advertised in SGN and/or The Gun Digest and costs around $70.

 

[Ronin48]

Revel Technology Inc. They can be reached at 800/235-6961, www.burglerbomb.com. One of the non-Japanese rifles in the collection mentioned above is a Norenco copy of the Browning .22 "take-down." I'd like to buy this, but don't know what to offer, what they originally sold for, any idea?

It's to each his own on guns in a safe vs. guns on the wall, but if I had to keep mine locked up out of sight I don't think I'd have over two or three. But maybe two-three are enough, T 30, 38 & a 99?

 

[Ronin48]

"..step on toes." That would depend on the circumstances. If a person was selling his collection and told someone he could have first pick then for one of us to try to worm oneself in to cherry-pick would be major toe stepping. On the other hand if it was a widow trying to sell her late husband's collection and you offered a fair price for the items that caught your eye, you would be doing the person coming later a favor. He would have less items to deal with. In our case we do it as a favor to the families of passed friends/subscribers. Just MHO.

Many years ao a young collector was sitting with me behind my table at a Birmingham show. A guy walked up and asked if I was interested in a Nambu rig. Before I could say no (they were fishing line weights to me then) my young "friend" jumped up and said "I AM!"

He went home and called me the next day raising hell with me, when he disassembled the 14 he found that the locking block was missing. Behind my table, cutting in on a possible buy, then later raising hell with the table holder because he screwed himself. That's stepping on toes. Needless to say he was never offered a seat again.

 

[Ronin48]

Crash, Probably the same collection. All Nambus gone, one holster and three mags left, few Japanese helmets. You would have been welcome to buy any rifle(s) you needed. Sure wish you went home with all those with the ground receivers - ha.

Talked at a dealer at the CO show a few weeks back. He buys every decent ground rifle he finds and strips them for parts, $150 stocks, $75 bolts, etc. I've parted a few dogs, but hate to part a nice rifle just because most collectors have become "flower" people and ground rifles won't sell.

Some where I asked about the price of a Norenco, 22 cal take-down Browning copy. Garfield's Dad looked it up, $200 NIB, VG $125. I'll buy it for $150 being the nice guy that I am - ha (on the nice guy, not the $150.)