Quoted:
Er uh .. Oh yes!
That was actually the Mini 14 which was developed during the war for use by the OSS. In 1958 they just learned how to make them bigger so everyone would want one.
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Kicking myself in the butt with both feet!!!
At a gun show in 1999, one table had the only Mini-14, and it DID look like it HAD seen action, probably in a war or two. I was assured by the seller that all those blemishes and a glue job here and there on the furniture only INCREASED its worth, because it added authenticity and historical value.
Same with what seemed to be hints of rifling in the barrel, though the guy was cussing about how the previous owner had removed any fouling (but not the pits) accumulated in numerous covert operations, and thus knocked the condition down from 95% to 90%.
Also, I had heard of such a thing as rust bluing, but this gentleman told me how the OSS had uncovered a Nazi variant of this process (and applied it to certain parts for select few of their OWN weapons), so secret that it is hardly known in the trade.
This specimen had, as he said, obviously been one of the few to have the barrel done this way. I had some doubts about what seemed to be flaking, but he assured me that it was necessary to avoid light reflections that might compromise behind-the-lines missions.
He had this WWII Mini-14 marked down from $1,875 to $1,500 but for some reason he was not taking credit cards - said the machine was down. I would have gone to the bank, but something held me back. Later I went by there again and he put a "sale pending" tag on it just as I arrived. "What a bummer", I thought as I turned around. He sure was a friendly fella, waving madly as I left. Too bad, imagine what it would have been worth today.