[Milsurplus] Springfield '03 A3 (was: Ham mods)

Eric Jones ejones at hiwaay.net
Mon Jun 16 16:53:43 EDT 2008


de N4TGC Eric

Good discussion (argument? cussing?) re: mods.  My nickel's worth: 
revisionists = correctionists; the true liars are the Court Historians; or 
in effect, they themselves are the "revisionists", if you want to use it as 
a derogatory term as they do.

The military use of gear is relatively unimportant: sorry, Mike, but most 
soldiers haven't a clue what rigs were inflicted on them; fewer still even 
care.  They were not put to any valid use til AFTER the war, by Hamguys who 
sliced and diced them into something that didn't kill, in a war that 
shouldn't have been fought against people who weren't our enemies.  Like 
now, in Iraq, et al.

If not for Hams, the stuff would have been scrapped and/or land-filled long 
ago.  We are the caretakers/curators, and if we want anything to be saved, 
it's up to us.  So, take Tauson's ARC-guide, flesh it out with "perversion" 
info to help ID hacked units and how to restore/re-use them, and hope 
somebody eventually cares besides us.  Like the rock-band in the basement 
example: the brat hated his father for using Ham radio as an escape and 
neglecting his familial duties.  Do we do that?  While VP of the local Ham 
(repeater) Club and thus publisher of the Newsletter, I profiled a member 
every month, and encountered family resentment nearly every time!

As a hobby gunsmith, if I didn't have info on the hacking/conversions for 
the '03A3 ad infinitum, I would have a much harder time knowing what to do 
about it. For example, my favorite .30'06 is an Eddystone Model 17, on which 
someone whacked off the sight wings and dropped it in a Herter's stock. 
Still one of the sweetest-shooting rifles I've ever handled, and just as 
good, to me, as an original M-17 (if not better!  It was a dang sight 
cheaper!)

Whenver someone wants to get into Ham radio, gunsmithing, or any kind of 
collecting field especially, my advice is always to spend your first $100 on 
books:  you'll still wind up buying unsuitable stuff you'll want to sell 
later, but at least you'll be making more informed decisions along the way. 
Or if you buy a few pieces and realize you don't know enough about it, 
having the collector's info out there on CD, internet, or for us old farts, 
in print, is veddy veddy useful.
    e 



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