1930 commercial Mauser C96 in 7.63 Mauser.
I traded a Colt WWI commemorative (Meause Argonne) without case. I received the Colt (one of a set of 2) as a commissioning present. Carried its brother as my service pistol. It shot hardball perfectly, but I had no love for either, so I traded it to a brother officer (Marine 0801) for the C96.
So, Jacksonville NC, early 80’s, try to find 7.63 ammo. However, if you’re resourceful enough and have an unlimited supply of 5.56 NATO brass, a case trimmer, set of 7.63 dies and a reamer, you can cold form cases. It work hardens the brass, but fire forms the case nicely first time through the gun.
Some .32 ACP FMJ bullets and a dose of reckless abandon and those little pellets really zing out of that long barrel. All good until I broke the bolt stop.
Having had my fun, including buying and then refitting a repro shoulder stock while she was still a poppin’, I then found a nice gullible 2nd LT who just wanted one of them German pistols. Previously we had shot it on the 300 yard line at Flatwoods gun shop and actially hit a silhouette targer about 3 out of 10 shots, so it was a straight up trade for a M1A standard from Springfield Armory. And yes, he knew about the cracked bolt stop but also knew he could source a part.
M1A sat in my closet for almost 10 years, when I then started shooting for the Navy team. I had purchased a M1 Garand in 7.62 NATO, hand built by one of the team guys (his spare rifle) and used it for a year earning a bronze EIC. The guys convinced me I’d do better with an M1A. I brought my old trade to Sam Dayton, a civvie shooter who built rifles for Navy Team guys.
He cleaned up the receiver, welded double lugs, a Krieger 1-10 4 groove 7.62 stainless barrel, worked the trigger to 4-1/4 lbs, added NM sights, op rod, recoil system, flash hider, and bedded the McMillan heavy urban camo stock in marinetex. He also filled the cleaning kit recesses in the stock with lead shot. It was like humping a BAR at 18 pounds, but it’d shoot X’s @ 600 every time if I held hard. I got another 14 EIC points with that rifle for 20 altogether before I retired. That rifle also got me the first deer at a bit over 200 yards after coming home. It (the M1A - not the deer) is still in my gun safe.
But, I still miss that old Broomhandle!
