Every now and then I get lucky. I am an ecclectic collector. I like lugers. I just plain like firearms, Especially military and vintage target firearms. I like the accuterments. A fellow died here in Louisiana that was an avid sharpshooter and his family put his weapons up for sale on consignment at Clark's Custom Guns here in Bossier. I immediately purchased a Clark's 1911A1 "Hard Baller" circa 1968.
I fingered a Springfield National Match 1903A1 from the estate. There was so much wrong with this rifle I knew it couldn't be legit. It had a 1927 receiver and a 1924 barrel. It was a put together, I decided. The more I fingered it, the more I was convinced that it was a piece that was totally wrong and totally fake. For months I watched the price drop. Every month, a few hundred off, and then a few more hundred. It went from $2,000 down to $800.00 in six months. I decided this month @ $740.00 it was worth Parts. So I bought it. And I started to research it. Well, everything was wrong with this gun for a 1924 or a 1927 NM because it was sold through the DCM in 1930 and had been rebuilt, then mildly customized by it's competitive owner. There is nothing more pleasing to me than owning a weapon that is more accurate than I am. And this rifle is accurate, this rifle is right and it is legit. Knowledge is power and the more I learn the more I appreciate how much I don't know and every now and again I get lucky in my ignorance.
