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Can someone tell me what "arsenal refinished" means?
- Thread starter mpawul
- Start date
That means that the gun is probably a military piece and the govt arsenal that maintains the guns refinished it after working on it. The last complete 1911A1 that the U.S. military recieved was in 1945. After that all they did was buy parts that needed replenishing, guns that were broken were stripped and the good parts kept and sorted. I had a 1911 assembled at the Springfield Armory (had little SA stamps all over it) using a Colt slide and Remington Rand frame. It was reparkerized and issued new in 1962 or whenever the Bay of Pigs was.
If you are a COLLECTOR, then beware of arsenal refinished guns! Well, maybe I'm being a little harsh - let me explain.. Ask who it was refinished by. As Jeff said, it is SUPPOSED to mean that a government arsenal reworked it back into a condition that is good enough to give to the troops.
HOWEVER, there are some C&R guns that were "arsenal refinished" by a private company that bought some crappy guns and tried to clean them up. A good example of this is some German K98 mauser rifles that were captured by the USSR during WWII and later "refinished" and sent to the US. Another example is the "unissued" Enfield No1 MkIII rifles, which were actually put together from scrap parts by a private company. These guns have a SUBSTANTIAL loss of value to collectors!
If you are looking at a particular gun, we might be able to give you a better idea about it. For instance, many US battle rifles that are on the market today were arsenal refinished by a US government armory. This is okay and should be expected. However, as time goes by, we are seeing more and more guns that were privately refinished by import companies. These guns are worth much less.
I hope my long-windedness was of some help,
Gino
HOWEVER, there are some C&R guns that were "arsenal refinished" by a private company that bought some crappy guns and tried to clean them up. A good example of this is some German K98 mauser rifles that were captured by the USSR during WWII and later "refinished" and sent to the US. Another example is the "unissued" Enfield No1 MkIII rifles, which were actually put together from scrap parts by a private company. These guns have a SUBSTANTIAL loss of value to collectors!
If you are looking at a particular gun, we might be able to give you a better idea about it. For instance, many US battle rifles that are on the market today were arsenal refinished by a US government armory. This is okay and should be expected. However, as time goes by, we are seeing more and more guns that were privately refinished by import companies. These guns are worth much less.
I hope my long-windedness was of some help,
Gino
To summarize what Gino said.
An arsenal is whatever someone says it is.
A refinish is whatever someone says it is.
Actually, some "arsenal refinish" is done well. I recently purchased a Luger that (if I did not know what the original finish looked like) could be taken for nearly new. Other "arsenal refinished" guns are junk with grinding wheel marks, rounded corners, worn barrels, dipped in a hot blue and hammered back together with all the care and attention of the guy who handled your luggage on your last airline trip.
Jim
An arsenal is whatever someone says it is.
A refinish is whatever someone says it is.
Actually, some "arsenal refinish" is done well. I recently purchased a Luger that (if I did not know what the original finish looked like) could be taken for nearly new. Other "arsenal refinished" guns are junk with grinding wheel marks, rounded corners, worn barrels, dipped in a hot blue and hammered back together with all the care and attention of the guy who handled your luggage on your last airline trip.
Jim
I am awaiting the importation of a arsenal refinished #4 British Enfield I bought in Ireland. The gun is as new with a new barrel and finish. Made during the Great War it is in pristine condition. Aquired it via government connections while working in Ireland for the last two years and was aided in getting the paperwork done to get it sent to the United States. I became a fan of the Enfields while shooting in Ireland and couldn't pass this one up. Local constabulary has thousands of like new Enfields in storage that were redone at various locations after the war and put into storage. I can't wait to shoot it.
Desert Dog
New member
Kevlar4me,
I do not want to sound skeptical, but where did you go shooting in Ireland? I lived there for four months, and I tried to find shooting sports. Guns are ILLEGAL in Ireland. Even the Garda (police) don't have guns. No offense, but I didn't even see shotguns...
The thing is, guns weren't needed. There was always some store or shop being robbed at KNIFEPOINT...
Mike
------------------
.45 Super... Fat and FAST...
"No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority" - Thomas Jefferson
I do not want to sound skeptical, but where did you go shooting in Ireland? I lived there for four months, and I tried to find shooting sports. Guns are ILLEGAL in Ireland. Even the Garda (police) don't have guns. No offense, but I didn't even see shotguns...
The thing is, guns weren't needed. There was always some store or shop being robbed at KNIFEPOINT...
Mike
------------------
.45 Super... Fat and FAST...
"No provision in our Constitution ought to be dearer to man than that which protects the rights of conscience against the enterprises of the civil authority" - Thomas Jefferson
kevlar4me, one of the top snipers from GB used an Enfield rifle. 38 shots in 60 seconds all hit within an 8 inch circle at 300 yards. Now that is some shooting. And people question Oswalds 1 shot per 3 secs rate of fire, this guy was going nearly twice that fast at five or six times the distance.