......and I must say, my wife is a WONDERFUL woman!

Last year for Christmas, she got me an M24/47 Mauser. Well, let's say she went with me to pick it out. She even let me clean it up so it was ready for Christmas. It was a Preduce44 (or however you spell and say it). It was in very good condition, I got to pick it out of the 3 or 4 the Dunham's I went to had. The wood doesn't match (dark stock, light handguard) but it was in excelent condition. It shoots well, too!

Fast foward to this year. The wife and I decided that we would wait till after Christmas to get ourselves something since money was running out from getting the kids stuff. Well, we went today to exchange some of the clothes the kids got and, while we were out, I stopped at Dunham's, originally just to look and maybe put a rifle on lay-away. While looking, I checked out the 4 M24/47s the store had and came across an excellent condition M24/47. This one is a 1.TRZ and may be in better condition than last year's (looks good so far but I will have to strip the cosmo to make sure)! I was just going to put it on lay-away since we still don't have a lot of money, payday isn't till next Friday. However, I had received $50.00 in gift cards (prepaid Visa cards) from other family members and the rifle was on sale for $134.99 (regular price $159.99), so the wife shells out some $$$ she had stashed! God, what a woman! She made some comments about getting another M24/47 when I already have one but I patiently explained that it's not the same, that this one came out of a different rebuilding facility. She didn't understand (or care if she did understand), but she humored me, like she normally does.

I will post pics after I get it cleaned up. God, but it's CAKED with cosmo! The firing pin barely creeps forward when you pull the trigger, it's so caked with cosmo! Last year's M24/47 took me the better part of a week to clean the metal, the wood took a couple weeks. This one is even worse, it may take me a month. But, it will turn out to be worth it, with the way it looks now.

Well, I now have 2 8mm Mausers. How many more different variations does that leave to get? Somehow, I have a feeling the wife won't be so understanding next year! If all she cares about is different rifles, I may have to start on Mosins. Decisions, decisions!

Bub