Kestryll
member
It's not mine nor do I know the owner I am just cross-posting this from Calguns.net:
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=31580
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=31580
We’re trying to locate a stolen M1A rifle, serial number 147432.
The rifle used a Springfield rear lugged receiver, Krieger heavy barrel, special speed hammer (prototype, not commercially available) in a unique trigger group and an adjustable gas system, with a TSA scope mount and was bedded in a custom (not commercially available) McMillan M3A stock.
We believe the rifle was sold as a slightly used personal firearm.
We will repay the current owner what he paid for the rifle, because he/she is a victim and not a participant . . . . that is if they didn’t know the rifle was stolen.
We will also pay a substantial reward for its recovery.
When the rifle was stolen, it easily held 0.375 MOA so the belief is someone is talking about a tack-driver they got at a good price.
There is a strong desire to convict the rascal that ripped it off.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
--------------
The Southern California, Fish Canyon Rifle Range theft was reported almost immediately after the rifle was stolen. The first PD investigation overlooked some eyewitnesses; a PI was brought in and within hours he had located the eyewitnesses. After a few more hours, this PI also located the rascal who was seen loading the cased rifle into the back of his pickup.
Eventually the PD and ATF got around to searching the rascal’s home and his boss’s gun store, but by that time, everything had “disappeared.”
As an interesting side-note, the individual who was seen putting the cased rifle into the back of his pickup, was also busy handing-out his bosses business cards and telling the card recipients that he should be contacted for a good deal.
The PI said that even though’ the local PD said a theft of this sort was unusual, he contacted other So Cal ranges and discovered they too had been reporting stolen firearms.
Because Good Ol’ Cliff, seemed so interested in acquiring customers; was very familiar with the legal side of the “business” and disappeared immediately after the theft for several days, plus the way he and his boss handled the cops led the PI to believe Cliff knew exactly what he was doing and that the rifle was either parted out, was sold to a ready customer or was stored then sold. The PI said Cliff was apparently paying very close attention to the rifle before he snatched it and felt it unlikely he would destroy a such an expensive rifle. But then again . . . who knows?
It’s also my understanding that Cliff’s demeanor during the search provided the cops with every indication that he was confident they would find nothing. This probably means, Cliff sold or stashed during the time he “disappeared.”
So there is an excellent chance someone out there is using the complete rifle or parts of it.
Yes, we do have his name and address - but no rifle.
Regarding the stock, it's unusual because of the smooth finish. It was a solid dark green with two threaded areas on the bottom for a bipod, plus dimples on the sides, exterior to the mag well.
The barrel was partially parked and the California brake was coated with a flat heat resistant paint.
But the give-away is the speed-hammer and the trigger group. It was the first in a series of prototypes.
Here are pictures for reference:
