I have always felt there are generally two types of people in the gun community. Collectors and shooters. The collectors want everything original, correct, papered, every variation, maker’s mark, etc. etc. etc. You get the idea.
And the more of those variables you string together in one rifle, the more expensive things become.
The other type of person is the shooter. Guys who shoot quite a bit. Maybe compete. Maybe take a lot of classes. Really get into understanding the technology they are using. Ballistics, parts, times, splits, finding personal boundaries and then pushing past them.
But something happened one year up at Camp Perry that forever changed my thinking on that. It wasn’t on the firing line. The Wimbledon Cup wasn’t in play. The USAMU wasn’t kicking ass and taking names. Actually it was on vendor’s row.
In one of the buildings, I saw a dealer selling reproduction “sniper” scopes for vintage style rifles. And a light went off in my 2-cell-pea-brained head, “Hey! If I break one of these scopes, it’s not a national tragedy!”.
Ever since then, just to break up the pace and trying to keep things fresh, I put down my high-speed, low-drag, $7k rifle and just goof off with a milsurp re-pop at 100-200 yards on a IDPA silhouette steel target. I shoot for groups (rarely). I shoot positions. I setup mini-drills. Sometimes I just shoot to hear the steel ring!
The photo above is not my rifle. I don’t own a German sniper variant. But this photo gets me thinking I want to build one just like that. He’s got period correct re-pop or reasonably priced parts, a german style camouflage fabric cover, tossed into the back of a Kubota, out having fun. Shooting steel? Shooting deer? Who cares? He’s shooting it!
And the best part? If he slips down the hill and busts up that rifle, not THAT big a deal. Clean it off and fix what needs fix’n. And get back out there. I have no desire to “collect” Nazi sniper rifles. Frankly, I’m not that down with even owning Nazi stuff. Not my thing.
But…I sure as hell want to put a few thousand rounds through a WWII German sniper rifle before I pass on! I’m sure some of you do too!
Sincerely,
Marky
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www.john1911.com
“Shooting Guns & Having Fun”
Areas of focus: Defense and National Security, Modern Light Weapons, Small Arms, Weapons Training.
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