Third Party Press

Recent visit to Simpson Collection & Gustloff KKWs

Bob in OHIO

Senior Member
Had the chance to get to Galesburg, and stopped in unannounced. Bob S. was in, very welcoming, and I was invited to see the .22 collection. What an impressive group of guns!! The quality of the shop and hospitality were unmatched.

One question I had answered was about when (by serial) did Gustloff start numbering bolts? Bob S. answered "The best way is to look at guns". From what I could determine, the 254xxx to 255xxx is where the change occurred. The early ones having unnumbered bolts.

Another rifle I wanted to see was his branded Paatz..... here it is from the orig auction sale...what a beauty!

https://classic.gunauction.com/search/displayitem.cfm?itemnum=6309272
 
Pretty impressive pile, isn't it? Have spent many an hour in that basement. Observation of the guns "in hand" is always one of the best sources of information on them!
Steve
 
The guns never lie

As my mentor Richard Carey used to say. "The guns don't always supply all the answers, but they never lie, and will point you in the right direction."

I am tickled you got to see those Bob. No where on earth, was there ever (not even in the Third Reich - in Germany) so many, by so many different makers, in one location. Yes at the factories maybe, but only one maker.

The marriage of the period documents, period photographs of the guns in use, and the collective cooperation of many generous students of the gun still presented as many questions as it answered.

That is what makes collecting and studying trainers in particular fascinating.
 
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