Post by mg34dan on Oct 23, 2013 20:35:07 GMT 1
I have two water cooled Brownings. Both are fully functional, legally registered, and fully transferrable.
The first Browning is my "ersatz" Argentine 1928 Colt commercial with the correct M35 type tripod. Less than 1000 were sold by Colt to Argentina between 1928 and 1930. All were built to Colt commercial standards and had a fire blue finish. All the internal components were nickel plated. This flavor of the Browning featured a captive recoil spring assembly, flash hider, and a safety lever on the back plate. My gun has all original components except for the left side plate, bottom plate, and right side plate, hence its ersatz status.
My second Browning is a real, honest to goodness, purpose built, Rock Island Arsenal WWII era 1917A1. According to Dolf Goldsmith it was manufactured in November/December 1942 and was part of the original September 1941 US Government contract to RIA. It was issued to the US Navy and served with the US Marine Corps in the South Pacific where it sustained battle damaged. In 1948 is was scrapped as surplus war material and ended up in a steel scrap yard in Norfolk Virginia. There it was deactivated per government regulations and was sold to an 18 year old kid for $50, including a deactivated M1917A1 tripod. The kid covered over the deactivation scars with automotive body putty and a can of spray paint. He kept it in his basement for 50 years. In 1998 it was sold to a museum in Portsmouth Virginia. There it was placed on display for ten years. In 2009 the museum closed and I purchased it during their close down sale. It took me over two years to find all the correct components to repair the deactivation damage. After completing, and paying the tax, to reactive it, I waited patiently for the Uncle Sam's permission to reactivate it. After a four month wait, Uncle Sam's permission was received and I had my project completed. It runs 100% and is totally correct for a WWII issue weapon.
(No, that's not me in the picture. I was manning the camera.)
In the pictures above the gun is fitted with Israeli .308 conversion parts and is firing South African surplus 7.62 NATO ammunition. In addition to 30.06 and .308, I also have a conversion to shoot 8mm Mauser ammo. Whatever ammo is available, I'm ready for it.
The first Browning is my "ersatz" Argentine 1928 Colt commercial with the correct M35 type tripod. Less than 1000 were sold by Colt to Argentina between 1928 and 1930. All were built to Colt commercial standards and had a fire blue finish. All the internal components were nickel plated. This flavor of the Browning featured a captive recoil spring assembly, flash hider, and a safety lever on the back plate. My gun has all original components except for the left side plate, bottom plate, and right side plate, hence its ersatz status.
My second Browning is a real, honest to goodness, purpose built, Rock Island Arsenal WWII era 1917A1. According to Dolf Goldsmith it was manufactured in November/December 1942 and was part of the original September 1941 US Government contract to RIA. It was issued to the US Navy and served with the US Marine Corps in the South Pacific where it sustained battle damaged. In 1948 is was scrapped as surplus war material and ended up in a steel scrap yard in Norfolk Virginia. There it was deactivated per government regulations and was sold to an 18 year old kid for $50, including a deactivated M1917A1 tripod. The kid covered over the deactivation scars with automotive body putty and a can of spray paint. He kept it in his basement for 50 years. In 1998 it was sold to a museum in Portsmouth Virginia. There it was placed on display for ten years. In 2009 the museum closed and I purchased it during their close down sale. It took me over two years to find all the correct components to repair the deactivation damage. After completing, and paying the tax, to reactive it, I waited patiently for the Uncle Sam's permission to reactivate it. After a four month wait, Uncle Sam's permission was received and I had my project completed. It runs 100% and is totally correct for a WWII issue weapon.
(No, that's not me in the picture. I was manning the camera.)
In the pictures above the gun is fitted with Israeli .308 conversion parts and is firing South African surplus 7.62 NATO ammunition. In addition to 30.06 and .308, I also have a conversion to shoot 8mm Mauser ammo. Whatever ammo is available, I'm ready for it.
