[troy2000]

Quote:       Originally Posted by Capt'n Mil Coll

Wow Troy that Westinghouse is sure nice looking. A lot different then the battle beaten Chatterault I have.

If you don't want that beat-up old Chatterault with history written all over it, Cap'n, I might be persuaded to take it off your hands. I have a thing about taking in stray Mosins and giving them a good home...
I bought this N.E.W on gunbroker.com for sixty or seventy bucks; I don't remember the exact price. The American walnut stock had been cut back, and the comb shaved down really thin for some reason. But the rifle itself was almost immaculate. The guy selling it told me he had bought it at a yard sale ten years earlier, from a man who said it had belonged to his grandfather.

I got the stock first and went looking for a gun to fill it, to tell the truth. The stock came from another member who said it was off a Russian 91/30. I was surprised when it arrived and turned out to be a Finnish m91 stock instead, and ecstatic when I peeled the cruddy, sticky black finish off it and found all that gorgeous Arctic birch burl wood. I tried to do the wood justice when I refinished it: I rubbed it silky smooth, stained it, and French-polished multiple layers of tung oil into the wood. Then I topped everything with a layer of carnauba car wax, to protect it.
Here's the picture from the Ebay listing. Pretty heartbreaking, isn't it?

[SwedeSteve]

WOW! How could someone think that was somehow better than the original?

[Capt'n Mil Coll]

Somehow that pic is kinda unsetteling.

[SwedeSteve]

It just ain't right! Poor thing looks, looks, .....neutered or something!

[troy2000]

As I mentioned, they also planed down the comb until it was really thin, and thinned the rest of the stock too. My guess is that they were trying to lose some of that 9 1/2 pounds these things weigh (probably closer to ten, with a walnut stock). And when it was still heavy, they must've hung it on a wall somewhere instead of carrying it, because there's hardly any wear at all on it, inside or out.

I like 'em both ways: pretty and unused, or battle-scarred with history all over them. So I'm happy.

[overunder410.22]

I have a double barrel over/under 410/22 breach load. Anyone know when these were made?

[texnmidwest]

Welcome O/U!!! What are some of the markings and manufacture? Need more info to answer your question. Really may be a good idea to post this in the general rifle forum as well.

[overunder410.22]

made by Stevens

[texnmidwest]

Those were made for quite a while. What you may do is get your hands on a copy of Blue book of Gun Values from a used book store. They have manufacture dates by serial number in there. There may be something in there.

[Scioneer]

So, I guess this makes my Stevens 15a sort of a little cousin to the New England Westinghouse Mosins.

[Mike82]

Troy2K, you my friend have peaked my interest....a tube-fed bolt action 410....how neat :grin: only stevens i got is a J Stevens & Co bolt action 20ga with the (stainless?) bolt and the 2rd clip(3 total including chamber). I wanna know how much was given for this bolt action tube fed 410....cuz now i really want one....this has moved up the list to number one....thanks alot for giving me an idea to get myself ANOTHER x-mas present.....

[Ken in Iowa]

Great stuff Troy. Thanks for posting!

Now if we can just find more info on the Fox sub contract.

[wrench ranger]

I have always liked how firearms are so much a part of world history. It's true that our planet has always been at war. So, to me all milsurp weapons are individual pieces of history. As a retired soldier, I try to imagine if my two mosin nagants were ever in combat and were the soldiers who carried them good soldiers regardless of the ideals of thier country/ army. Thanks for the history lesson.