Over the holidays my son-in-law, a fine young man in the country music business, brought me a blanket in which two rifles were wrapped. He told me that he had found them on the shelf of a closet in his mother's house and that they had belonged to his father, who had passed away in 1995.
I carefully unrolled the blanket and inhaled rather sharply at what was revealed there before me. My son-in-law said, "I don't know what these are but I wonder if you could check them out and let me know what I have here."
After making certain that neither rifle was loaded, I rolled them both carefully back into the blanket and took them to my gun safe, saying that after all the grandchildren had left I would take them into my shop, give them a detailed strip and clean, check them out, and provide him with a written summary of their provenance.
This is a summary of what I gave to my son-in-law along with the two rifles in new and matching gun cases, owner's manuals retrieved from the Internet, a box of new ammunition for each rifle, and both pieces cleaned, lubricated, waxed, checked, and in spotless condition after having been rolled up together in a blanket for at least the past 15 years:
1. CZ BRNO Vz24
The first rifle was a CZ BRNO Vz24, a Mauser-type rifle the serial number of which showed that it was manufactured in 1925 by the Czechoslovakian Arms Factory in Brno, Czechoslovakia. The rifle is chambered for the 7.92x57mm military cartridge, the civilian designation of which is commonly known as the 8mm Mauser. Based on the property marks which are barely legible on the receiver ring ("E, Rampant Lion, 25"), the rifle was probably originally issued to the Czechoslovakian Army and would have seen service in World War II after Czechoslovakia was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938. Variations of the rifle were produced for many countries around the world, with some still being in official service. The type has seen extensive use not only by military and police units but also by rebel forces in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa, and Central and South America. The rugged simplicity of the Vz24 has also caused it to be adopted by many sportsmen for target and hunting purposes using the civilian 8mm Mauser cartridge.
Although the stock of the rifle showed signs of heavy use, the bore of its barrel was in surprisingly good condition. Also, after a thorough cleaning and lubrication, the Mauser action was as smooth and solid as Mauser actions are supposed to be.
2. WINCHESTER MODEL 94
The second rifle was a Winchester Model 94 issued as an Illinois Sesquicentennial Commemorative in 1968 by Winchester U. S. Repeating Arms Company in New Haven, Connecticut (being one of 39,699 Illinois Commemoratives produced). It is, of course, chambered for the 30-30 caliber cartridge. The Winchester Model 94 was designed by John Moses Browning in 1894 and is one of the most famous and popular hunting rifles ever produced.
As with the CZ BRNO Vz24, the bore of the Winchester Model 94 was in excellent condition -- so much so that it showed no real evidence of ever having been shot. And after a thorough strip and clean, the lever action operated as smoothly as it would ever have done. Although the rifle is a commemorative piece, it is fully functional and ready for the field.
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Oh, to be young again.
[size=10]Edit: Typos.[/size]
