Oddest/Most Interesting/Weirdest Gun Purchase You've Made

[Mr. Zorg]

The two most distinctively different firearms that passed through my ownership were both handguns.

One was a Webley Mark IV .38/200 revolver with safety button near the top of the grips. I understand these were police issue in Singapore and I think Shanghai back in their day.

The other was also a Webley, a .32 ACP (7.65mm) semiautomatic pistol, which as I recall, only used leaf springs, no coil springs, but I might not be 100% correct there.

Both pistols were acquired, and left my ownership, through trades in the 1980's.

I like distinctively different firearms in geneal, I have a Dreyse 1907 with tat funky hinge, an Astra 1921 / 400 9mm Largo, and an Astra 600 9X19mm that I acquired in that same era.

The Mauser C96 has always been distinctively different IMO as the only screw in the assembly is the grip screw.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

The strangest gun Ive ever seen, though I didnt buy it, was a '98 Mauser with German, Arabic, AND Hebrew markings which had a Rock Island M1903 barrel with globe sights screwed onto it, and a straightened and extended bolt handle- the whole thing was set in a fiberglass thumbhole stock. It was like a train wreck, horrifying, though I couldnt look away.

I actually had a Swiss K11 straight pull with a 6.5mm Swede Mauser barrel on it, and a Williams receiver sight. It was a super clean install, the gun functioned perfectly and was very accurate. It was neat seeing the Swiss cross right next to the Swede crown where the receiver and barrel joined. Kinda regret selling it, but I was trying to consolidate the ammo types I stocked at the time.

My Dad has a Belgian 1895 Nagant pistol (not the gas-seal model), originally chambered in .32 French Long, but resleeved for .22lr. It actually shoots good, though you have to keep a chop stick handy to knock out the empties.

 

[P5 Guy]

A FN Belgium made Mauser with a 16 inch barrel in .30'06. Serial #120 and the maker's mark were the only marking on the rifle.

 

[OcelotZ3]

Saw a rare Powers Gun Works 45ACP carbine at a show that I just had to have, and the price was right.

This is what it looks like.

https://www.gunauction.com/buy/14060797

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Saw a rare Powers Gun Works 45ACP carbine at a show that I just had to have, and the price was right.

This is what it looks like.

https://www.gunauction.com/buy/14060797

Neato!

 

[FL-NC]

I bought one of those stupid grendell 380's with the fixed mag that you load through the top, many years ago in a fit of stupid.

 

[indy1919a4]

Saw a rare Powers Gun Works 45ACP carbine at a show that I just had to have, and the price was right.

This is what it looks like.

https://www.gunauction.com/buy/14060797

WOW, I never seen one of those before... I love it.. Any background on that.. How did it work??? How many made??.. I saw the price... is that kinda what they sell for in regular times??? I love it... Oh man you could really work on your British accent while shooting one of those. "Mor bloody ammo, Rito Guvner". Did it use special mags??? Oh please let them not use special custom mags..

Oh Yeah, thanks OcelotZ3.. Every time I get near to be getting done with my have to have list, its people like you that Pull me back in.

 

[indy1919a4]

I bought one of those stupid grendell 380's with the fixed mag that you load through the top, many years ago in a fit of stupid.

Did not know of this.. I am strangely drawn to it.. I love the stripper clip feed.. Maybe I was bottle feed to early as a baby, I don't know

So these guys did a kinda fair review.. It was not kind but it seemed truthful... did yours operate this badly.????.

 

[LiveLife]

"Oddest/Most Interesting/Weirdest Gun Purchase You've Made"

When I built my ARs, never thought about shooting 22LR through them. Then I learned about CMMG 22LR conversion kits and bought two for my ARs.

Using cheapest copper plated 22LR, they produced "weird" BB gun-like pop and recoil but flat shooting enough for training drills. Now I enjoy plinking with them along with 10/22 and T/CR22.

 

[Jim NE]

I recently gave a rifle and a S&W revolver as a partial trade on an old car. That wouldn't qualify as an odd gun purchase for me...but it might for the fellow I traded with.

 

[Rock185]

I don't know about oddest/weirdest, but the oldest and perhaps most unusual in the Modern World, is a 1918 Webley from an old friend's estate a few years ago.

 

[FL-NC]

Did not know of this.. I am strangely drawn to it.. I love the stripper clip feed.. Maybe I was bottle feed to early as a baby, I don't know

So these guys did a kinda fair review.. It was not kind but it seemed truthful... did yours operate this badly.????.

The trigger was horrible and it constantly malfunctioned.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Probably the oddest gun purchase I've done recently occurred because of something I got at our local gun show.
I dropped by the booth of one of the edged tool and weapon sellers and he says, "Maybe you can do something with this."
He pulls out a really ragged and weather beaten gun case containing what's left of a Swedish M1894 carbine.
The fore stock, hand guard, sight protector, rear sight and several other small parts are missing. The rear sling buckle and I.D. disc are replaced with really old plastic wood.
But -
The bore and action are in really nice shape and the trigger feels nice. Nothing important has been cut.
I ask how much, he says seventy bucks, I take it home.

That wasn't the odd purchase.

That came when a THR member decided that they were tired of an after-market Swedish Mauser stock and said that he would send it out for the price of postage just as I finally gave up on the ruined old original stock... .

 

[Archie]

Collecting WWI rifles and Art Deco .32 ACP pistols, I purchase some 'odd' firearms. I bought an FN 1900 pistol (the first pistol designed by John M. Browning) and a Dutch M1905 carbine (made by Austrian Weapon Factory Incorporated, Steyr. It's more complex in German.) I have a an Astra 300 in .32 ACP. (My apologies, the only picture I can find is the Astra.)

Nightlord, that design of Astra ran through several Astra Models. My friends and I referred to it as the 'Pipe barrel Astra'.

 

[indy1919a4]

Collecting WWI rifles and Art Deco .32 ACP pistols, I purchase some 'odd' firearms. I bought an FN 1900 pistol (the first pistol designed by John M. Browning) and a Dutch M1905 carbine (made by Austrian Weapon Factory Incorporated, Steyr. It's more complex in German.) I have a an Astra 300 in .32 ACP. (My apologies, the only picture I can find is the Astra.)

Nightlord, that design of Astra ran through several Astra Models. My friends and I referred to it as the 'Pipe barrel Astra'.

Do Love the astra 300, and I love its after war brother the Astra Falcon 4000, Its a 300 with a hammer..



Do not understand how they came up from 300 to 4000 just because they added an external hammer???

 

[indy1919a4]

The trigger was horrible and it constantly malfunctioned.

Was loading as bad as the You tube depicted..

 

[FL-NC]

Was loading as bad as the You tube depicted..

It was really bad in every way.

 

[drobs]

Not really odd, but I bought this 357 mag Uberti El Patron on Gunbroker for $200. It was missing it's ejector rod housing, housing screw, ejector rod, and ejector spring.

Found all those parts on ebay for $100.

Here it is all complete (middle gun).

I find a lot of small gun parts on ebay for decent prices. No gunsmith required with simple stuff like this.

 

[Speedo66]

About 20 years ago I was in a pizza place near where I worked and the owner knew I was in LE. He mentioned his uncle was moving down to Florida and wanted to get rid of a few guns, was I interested?

Not really, had enough guns, and was about to walk out, but curiosity got the better of me. He takes me down to this dark nasty basement under the store, barely lighted with what seemed like a 15 watt bulb, I'm worried about rats and vermin. Leaning up against the bare concrete wall were three barely discernible long guns.

One was a lever action, one was a single shotgun, one was a bolt action with a scope. Not really interested until he says his uncle only wants $100 each, except the scoped gun was $150. I figure any lever action has promise for a hundred bucks. Looking at the shotgun, I can make out Winchester, same, figure any Winchester is worth that.

The bolt action was a bubba'd WWII German Mauser, barrel cut, nasty cut stock with a cheap scope, not interested. I wrap the two guns in a piece of old carpet, and put them in my car, hoping I'm not bringing bugs with them. I promise to bring him the money the next day.

Can't wait to get home and see what I got. The lever action turns out to also be a Winchester, but odd in that the sides are separate plates. Find out it's an original 1873 in an oddball, to me, caliber, .38 WCF. Never heard of it.

The shotgun winds up to be a Winchester 37, in .410. Do a little research and turns out they're collectables, especially if there's a red logo on the bottom, which this one has.

Sold the shotgun for more than I paid for both of them, so essentially got the '73 for free. It's by no means pristine, looks like it did a lot of time in a scabbard, but it functions and shoots. Found out .38 WCF is .38-40, which to be honest had never heard of either, but I now reload for it and came to realize it's a popular cartridge in old guns and cowboy shooting.

Checked, and the gun was not stolen, so all was well, just got a good deal on an interesting gun made in 1889.

 

[OcelotZ3]

WOW, I never seen one of those before... I love it.. Any background on that.. How did it work??? How many made??.. I saw the price... is that kinda what they sell for in regular times??? I love it... Oh man you could really work on your British accent while shooting one of those. "Mor bloody ammo, Rito Guvner". Did it use special mags??? Oh please let them not use special custom mags..

Oh Yeah, thanks OcelotZ3.. Every time I get near to be getting done with my have to have list, its people like you that Pull me back in.

It works great and is very accurate for what it is.

It uses grease gun magazines, so relatively easy to find them. Trigger spring same as M1 Garand. I paid a bit under $600 at the time for mine. Found it at the Albany, Oregon ARPC gun show.

Made in Powers, Oregon by a master gunsmith. Then someone else started making them up in Washington for a while. I don't recall how many were made but it wasn't many.

 

[indy1919a4]

It works great and is very accurate for what it is.

It uses grease gun magazines, so relatively easy to find them. Trigger spring same as M1 Garand. I paid a bit under $600 at the time for mine. Found it at the Albany, Oregon ARPC gun show.

Made in Powers, Oregon by a master gunsmith. Then someone else started making them up in Washington for a while. I don't recall how many were made but it wasn't many.

Many many thanks for the update.. I do love the look.. Nice on those magazines.. That makes for cheap shooting..

Do most of the parts seem off the shelf like the m1 Garand spring or are they specialized???

 

[OcelotZ3]

Many are off-the-shelf.