I've wanted a Swede Mauser for a long time, but didn't want to roll the dice on a mail order gun. I found a nice, all matching, m96 at a gun show today and just had to have it. The bore looks like new. Bright and sharp lands right to the muzzle. I'd rate the metal finish at 90%. The trigger breaks crisp and sweet. All the stuff I've heard about these rifles seems true. The fit and finish of the metalwork is a beauty to behold. Can't wait to see how it shoots.

Oh, and I picked up an unissued Yugo M48A for $140. Then stopped at Fleet Farm on the way home and stocked up on some Turk 8mm. Interesting note on the Turk ammo. The 3 boxes they had on the shelf had all been opened and 2 were taped closed.  I stopped at the counter to ask for some tape and the store employee said they had received a bulletin warning about split cases and they had to go through all of the stock to check for this.

I think that you will like the swede. The first one I owned was a sporterized M94 w/ an actual sporter stock vs. cut down military. It made a real good woods deer carbine. Deer hit with it pretty much dropped on the spot. Had a NIB M700 Classic but traded it. Still have my M70 FWT and the first three shots will shoot around 1/4" with a best of .330" at 100 yds. After three shots the FWT barrel heats up and 5 shot groups start to open up.  The rifles are well made and the cartridge is excellent. Have fun with it.

I suspect FF heard about the '47 Turk and they are weeding it out. Most of this is 1940, with a few bandoleers of other dates (1935, and one rough looking bandoleer with what appears to be Cyrillic numbers?). It's packaged 3 bandoleers to a box (all on stripper clips) for 210 rounds at $15.99. Last time I looked, that was in the ballpark with what's available. Eh, what?

Quoted: Have only seen one bad round of all I have shot. 1947 is considered to be a bad year though, so avoid it like herpes.  If you have that year, take it back.

Always an exception to the rule.  I got a 700 round case of '47 Turk a while back.  I've shot about half of it and have had no malfunctions of any kind.  I did find a round where the bullet was loose, but the bullet channel held it and it shot just fine.