Re: Navy Arms' Springfields (Japan or Italy)...
Hallo!
Just to add...
The first of the Navy Arms Springfield's was the M1863 Type II (aka "M1864") that came out in 1974 (I bought one for $185, and my pards thought I was daft as Zouaves could be had for $65-85.) The were offered finished as well as kits.
The very first production batch had patent breeches with no separate breech plugs. The N-SSA would not approve it (always a problem with Val Forgett's status in the N-SSA). Changes were made in 1975.
At any rate, there are still of the "1974" and "1975" era "M1864's" floating around.
(As well as some late 1970's Mike Yeck, of Dundee, Michigan, nice M1861's, 1862 Richmond's, and M1863's but the lack of quality control did him in and he quit making them after a few years of problems. These were, IMHO , the BEST Springfields ever offered but at $250 and then with QC problems they were doomed.)
Curt
Hallo!
Just to add...
The first of the Navy Arms Springfield's was the M1863 Type II (aka "M1864") that came out in 1974 (I bought one for $185, and my pards thought I was daft as Zouaves could be had for $65-85.) The were offered finished as well as kits.
The very first production batch had patent breeches with no separate breech plugs. The N-SSA would not approve it (always a problem with Val Forgett's status in the N-SSA). Changes were made in 1975.
At any rate, there are still of the "1974" and "1975" era "M1864's" floating around.
(As well as some late 1970's Mike Yeck, of Dundee, Michigan, nice M1861's, 1862 Richmond's, and M1863's but the lack of quality control did him in and he quit making them after a few years of problems. These were, IMHO , the BEST Springfields ever offered but at $250 and then with QC problems they were doomed.)
Curt
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