Interesting item on the Bay
 

For those among us who enjoy old catalogs:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/VON-FRANTZIU...item4866b2fb85

I don't get this sort of thing as they just make me sad... :crying:

Here's a couple of photos from this item to wet ur whiskers:

Jerry

It never hurts to keep these prices in perspective. According to a Google search average yearly income in 1923 was approximately $1,300.00, so that would work out to about 65 cents an hour for a 40 hour week. That Luger on the right cost more than a week's salary.... the same with the Bolo Mauser on the left... and you couldn't eat either one.

I've been a programmer nearly my entire life - a profession that didn't even exist back then so to me a loaf of bread would have looked a lot better than a pistol.. I often muse about what I'd be doing for a living 90 years ago, how would I have lived.

Jerry

What's the story behind your avatar?

The story? You are looking down the muzzle end of a 1/10 scale Russian SU-152. While I maintain a collection of Mauser C96 pistols 1/10 armor is my main hobby and the main reason why my Mauser collection is static.

( and yes that's a 1/10 scale Hetzer in the background)

From the side and top:

What is meant by the term "baby machine gun" in the Luger ad?
Marc

Marketing hyperbole. It has a drum magazine so to them it looked like a machine gun.

Very few Lugers were ever converted to "Full Auto". Most of these conversions are well documented. I've been lucky enough to fire one example.

I've read about these... What was it like? Did it have that "floaty" feeling others have described with a Thompson? What sort of rate of fire? (I'd guess 20-24 rounds a second) I had an Erma ep-22 go auto for 3-4 shots, they went pretty quick!

I've fired a lot of full-auto and have a Uzi SMG.....I ...ahem...."fiddled" with the sear bar on my 1936 S/42 a little too much one time looking for a lighter trigger pull....it was easily 1700-1800 rpm...way faster than a MG42..the 6 rounds in the mag made one loud roar, and it was pointed at the sky.....a little scary, yup.

Neato!!!! Where do these models come from?

The gun is very fast at 1,200-1,400 RPM. The action does feel odd as there is no pushback but an odd climb. With a stock and Trommel mag it is still a fun experience.

I now forget which period conversion this was, but the gun belongs to a local collector and is the one featured in Sturgess's book.

Yeah, I would like to know some more about the models too. Is that thing all metal?

I, also, had a Luger go full auto but I only had 3 rounds in the mag. Boy, that toggle train action is FAST!! It just sounded like one round. Needless to say, it got my attention, and the folks at the range. I have tried to make sure that it does not repeat that episode.

A full-auto Luger will empty a 8-round magazine before you can get your finger off the trigger. It will empty a 32-round drum magazine in under a second. The lock time on a Luger is phenomenal.

I did a little research. Here's a decent link:

http://www.big-tanks-plant.com/

I build and collect in 1:10 scale, more common in Europe than in the US.

All my 1:10 scale models are aluminum and steel, mostly.
You can see what I do here: http://tanks.linite.com/

I've slowed down a bit over the last year or so for various reasons. One prime reason is the "detail bar" is constantly being raised and more fine detail just takes longer.

The SU-152 was built by a fellow in the Ukraine and is
very rare. I'm glad to have it. The Hetzer was built by me as
well as the transmission that drives it.

All told I have some 35+ models in 1:10 scale. I do my own machine and foundry work. Over time I've realized I want to 'save myself' for making things I can't buy. Given the chance I will buy what I need; tracks, detail parts and the like assuming I can afford them. There aren't a large number of 1:10 scale models on the market. 1/16 and 1/6 abound. I also collect 1/16 but 1/6 is too large and many are not made well being mostly plastic or fiberglass. There a maker in England who probably makes the best 1/6 but to my eyes while they're well made they take creative license and they are fairly sterile being 100% CNC. There's a company in China - MetalBox who makes some quite interesting models but their range is small. !/10 has quite a few followers and a few manufacturers but has never caught on in the US. 1/16 has the largest following of all rc armor scales. There are other scales; 1/4, 1/5, 1/7, 1/8, 1/25 come to mind but they aren't as popular as the others.

It's a fascinating hobby. Thanks for the interest...

Jerry

Thanks to all of you for the likes. I should point out that while many, will most actually of RC armor's followers run electric powered models and go to great lengths to have them sound
like the full size machine I don't do that with my 1/10 scale models. My active 1/10 scale
models are all powered by model engines; small glow powered engine. Actually the power to weight ratio of my Panthers for example is very close to that of the full size machine.

The Panther ( A ) in the photo above weighs about 70-75 pounds and the Webra 6,5ccom /.40cid engine puts out about .8 bhp on a good day at 14,000rpm - however I never run mine at full power or overly lean.

Below is a video of one of them running. Now I'll warm those of you who will expect the sound of a Maybach 22l v12 - it isn't going to happen! What you will hear is the sound of a small glow engine. Due to constraints of available space and heat considerations there is only so much that may be done to attenuate the sound....

Just so you know....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVDHM...1&feature=plcp

Jerry

I like that the tank moves at a scale speed and does not take off like a sports car like so many other RC models. Is the turret and gun powered as well? Are the tracks steel links or a thermoplastic?

The tracks on this particular model are a polypropylene type but it also has aluminum tracks as well.

This model has 3 forward speeds + reverse. In 1st gear, much of the running in the video was in 1st gear, it is very powerful and capable of damaging its surroundings and itself. Another model that suffered a jammed track pin ended up bending a 1/2" output shaft and breaking off several teeth from a hard steel module 1 gear.

The turret and main gun ( elevation) are both powered.

They're toys in name but require care and planning to run. Certainly require maintenance.

Jerry