Mausers, Springfields, SMLE's, 1917 & 1914 Enfields were often available for very little money, in a category I'd call cheap. They were all bargains. I think the Springfields were less than $10. When we went to where dad bought all his reloading material we'd see wooden barrels filled with different WW2 and WW1 rifles.
I don't recall seeing Japanese rifles in this store, I do recall a lot of bitterness towards the Japanese. A lot of uncles and cousins and neighbors went to that Great War. There were a lot of people in the area where I grew up that were immigrants from Germany who avoided Nazis. So Germans were not so bad.
I remember Springfield barrels going for $.98 - new - in Cosmoline which you could order through magazines.
Dad bought three or four Springfields and a few Mausers. That's where my first rifle came from a 7.92x57 which was converted to 6mm using a Sharon barrel and a Herters stock.
I also remember seeing the Siamese Mausers for sale, but only in magazines. Dad had no need or desire for large rimmed cartridges though. My brother's and I were quite happy with the 06's and the reworked Mausers.
Last edited by Bugger; 12/19/16.
