Yes, knowledge is a dangerous thing but lack of knowledge is far worse. There are several good books out there, chief among them, IMO, are Canfield's and Brophy's. (I'm partial to Brophy.) If reading isn't your thing, then by all means check out the CMP forums - there are guys there who live and breathe this stuff.
Letterkenny Depot was, and is, a major rehab place for arms and equipment. It's right up the road from where I grew up, and I knew a few guys who worked there. One of those WWII era guys, Harry Walker was his name, brought an M2 Springfield out piece by piece in 1946. He sold it to me 30 years later, my first M2. (Harry's dead now so I guess the statute of limitations is over for him, and I sold the rifle 35 years ago and have no idea where it's at now.)
Another long gone acquaintance was an old guy in the late 1960's-early 70's whose job was to roam around Army and National Guard facilities up and down the East Coast, doing inventories of small arms and declaring obsolete those which deserved it. Periodically he would show up in the parking lot of the small LGS I hung out at as a kid, with his trunk full of delectable objects whose paperwork had been fudged (he being the chief "fudgee" in charge) and was now for sale, cash and carry, no questions asked. I remember 03's, 03A3's, Garands, 1911's and .38's, and even a few Krags he found in some podunk armory. Cases of small arms ammo would be stacked in the back seat. I bought a M1903 Mark I for $40 as I recall, money that was earmarked for school books but ya gotta have priorities dontcha know! One item I'm still kicking myself over, 50 years later, was an absolutely complete Armorer's Chest for 1903 Springfields- all the gauges, tools, and spare parts were in their compartments wrapped in waxed paper and the chest itself was mint. $100 would've bought it out of that car trunk, but I simply didn't have the money. Sigh.... (But bear in mind I was a college kid making $30-40 a week part-time, supporting myself.)
Last edited by gnoahhh; 11/30/21.
