Military bring backs

[Lafayette Gregory]

Had some conversation elsewhere about the authenticity of military bring backs. For as long as I can remember if a firearm was a military brig back it required papers to authenticate its provenance. When someone would advertise a sks , AK or other as a Viet bring back they were laughed at and ridiculed if no paperwork existed. Especially the sks because so many missed their import marks when thousands upon thousands were imported. It seems now that many collectors are saying a good story is real. We have all heard the gun show stories of weapons taken from tunnel rats and whatever in Viet Nam. Now it seems that if a gun has no import mark and "hav the look" it is n authentic bringback and should command the same value. I still suscribe to old school. Someone may have a good story, but without the papers it is just another one of thousands.
Exceptions being star 1 Viet sks, North Korean sks.
How do y'all feel about this subject. Should we believe the story even if its your BIL best friend from high school?

 

[gsimmons]

Buy the gun not the story.......

 

[East of Here]

But the guy at Mitchell's Mausers said it was all true! They even gave me a certificate of authenticity that they made themselves...

To me, having bring-back papers would add a little additional value to a nice piece, because it actually adds something substantive to the weapon and its history. I may also pay a little bit more for a piece with no import mark or for a piece that has that authentic "been there, done that" look. But that all falls under the generic category of "condition". I am not paying one red cent for a story. A couple of years ago, I ran into a guy at a gun show. He had a pretty typical mixmaster Springfield M1 Garand in a CMP replacement stock. He swore up and down that it was all original and that his grandfather had carried that exact rifle in both WW2 and Korea and then brought it home with him after Korea. Another guy was trying to politely educate him, but he was having none of it.

 

[Gator]

"He swore up and down that it was all original and that his grandfather had carried that exact rifle in both WW2 and Korea and then brought it home with him after Korea."

If that is truly how he came to possess the rifle then he is guilty of theft of US Gov. property.

.

 

[Combat Diver]

Don't get me started on stuff I could NOT bring back from Iraq or Astan!
Webly's Mk IV and VI, Enfields MkII

Polish PM63 9x18 Machine Pistol

Couple MP-44s

Astra 600/43 and 4000

1941 dated Mauser produced P08 (also had a 1915 DWM at one time)

Full factory engraved BHP with Saddams initails in mother of pearl grips. Captured in one of his palaces.

Then there is one thing I did bring back sort of. Still stamped US Property M1919A6 .30 cal Browning. Went back on unit property books and still at Ft Campbell Ky in HHC 5th SFGA arms room.

CD

 

[Scsmith42]

Is that a Ppsh and a Swedish K in one of those pix?

 

[Combat Diver]

Sterlings 9x19, PPSh-41 7.62x25, Port Said 9x19 (Egyptian licensed copy of Swedish K) and Beretta M12S 9x19 SMGs all functional.


CD

 

[Scsmith42]

Wow....

 

[two77]

My dad brought back a Nazi issued Belgian Browning 9mm ( pictured in the milsurp pic thread) and he was a combat infantryman in WW2. He joined 1st Armored division in Africa as a replacement and served throughout the Italian campaign, including Anzio. He never told me any story about how he got the pistol, but he did once tell me that the Browning was worth $15 in a card game in the European Theater. He said the P-38 counted for $10 and a Luger for $25.

 

[Catfish]

I'm willing to pay a small premium for something interesting, and a non-refurb'd war time gun without import marks is interesting. But that's all it is.

 

[dalek]

Sterlings 9x19, PPSh-41 7.62x25, Port Said 9x19 (Egyptian licensed copy of Swedish K) and Beretta M12S 9x19 SMGs all functional.

Wasn't an unlicensed copy of the Swedish K made in the US?

Found it: Smith & Wesson M76

 

[MuzzerFuzzer]

"He swore up and down that it was all original and that his grandfather had carried that exact rifle in both WW2 and Korea and then brought it home with him after Korea."

If that is truly how he came to possess the rifle then he is guilty of theft of US Gov. property.

.

My uncle actually has his M1 Carbine that he brought back from Korea... The thing is, several Korean vets did the same thing. It was sort of a rebellious thing for freezing to death and getting killed in a "Police Action". So many came back with vets, it was basically ignored and given a pass. At least no one has been jailed because of it that I've ever heard of. You have got to remember, some of these guys saw active combat in WWII. Just when they thought peace would return to the world Korea happened. Think how that would affect you? They are here, but like him, and those like him, the bring backs stay in the family. Pawn shops, at least those who value their FFLs, won't touch one. So basically, barring anything illegal, it's another white elephant that not too many of them like to talk about. They'll stay right where they are.
You could get me started about some of the stuff that came back from Vietnam too. There are a lot of others in this forum that can tell those stories. It was a different time and a different view of the second amendment. We haven't always lived under Obama style governance. Guns used to be just guns. If we had lived in such a confined gun space as exists today, I'd maybe be typing this from a jail library computer or hide someplace. Some of you younger members only know what its been like recently. Guns used to only be guns... Nothing to fight over and no silly rules that cover pistol grips and magazines. They were everywhere.

 

[Sharps40]

Dad brought back a Mosin Nagant carbine and oil bottle. Its a true bring back from Viet Nam. But, its still an ugly clunky heavy slow and sloppy $75 rifle, with or without paper and stories!

 

[Jeppo]

My dad brought back a Nazi issued Belgian Browning 9mm ( pictured in the milsurp pic thread) and he was a combat infantryman in WW2. He joined 1st Armored division in Africa as a replacement and served throughout the Italian campaign, including Anzio. He never told me any story about how he got the pistol, but he did once tell me that the Browning was worth $15 in a card game in the European Theater. He said the P-38 counted for $10 and a Luger for $25.

In that case, I've got $35 worth!!

 

[trcubed]

When my grandpa came back from Europe in '45, his CO told his outfit that they could either keep their 1911's and M1 Carbines or drop them in the barrels on the dock when they got off the boat. Gramps said he never had a second thought. He said he'd carried those danged things for 3y 3m 3d, and in the barrel they went.

No telling what those would be worth today, nevermind the sentimental value.

 

[Inglis]

My Father used to say he came home with the best bring back of all, his ass with the original hole.

If you asked him what he came back from the war with he would show you.