Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1908-02-21
TRANSFORMING
OLD FIREARMS
BEIGIAN GUN MAKERS mr.
CONSTRUCT DISCARDED ARMS
Radical Change In Equipment of
Armed Forcc~ Throw Larwc Guam
titles of War Materials on the Mar
kct Nc Great Pecaniary Loss to
Countries - Dclglans Purchase
These Arms ana Make Them Into
Modern and scrviccabie Weapons.

Consul II. AiuoiA behhsNhs sh 49,
following report from Lege, de-
sorIbes the Belgian industry OF max.
Ing over old army rifles and how they
are sold;
owing to the many and At times
radical changes that have taken place
In the equipment OF the armed forces
OF the leading nations OF the world.
large quantities OF war MATERIAL
hardly the worse for wear but hav-
ing become obsolete. must from time
TO time bo discarded M unserviceabie
and disposed Of as a rule, as de-
elded peeuniary loss. This fact is
particularly noticeable In the case OF
small firearms. ms few implements OF
war have been more largely htlu-
enced by inventive ingenuity than the
military rifle.
The purchase OF these discarded
weapons usually sold at public aue-
ton. their subsequent transformation
and eventual disposition form rather
an important element OF the firearm
Industry for which this locality Is so
well known.
II Is quite generally supposed that
none but new firearms. the product
for the most part OF the larger fac
tories. are shipped from Liogo. but
visit to one OF the several transfor-
nation workshops affords convine-
int evidence OF the fact that the ex-
port trade In firearms from this re-
zion is far from being exclusively
confined to the newly made article
Among the well known makes OF
firearms already transformed or un-
dergoing transformation at the hands
of the Liege gunsmiths may be mem
toned several thousand Martini rifles
discarded by the Roumanian govern
ment; nearly the same quantity OF
Gras rifles superseded In France by
the Lebel. as well as a number OF
comhlaln and Albini rifles, formerly
used and, TO limited extent still In
use by the Belgian civll guards.
Methods of AlteratlOn---Salc Prices.
All of these arms of the single bar
rel type are transformed Into the
old fashioned flinAock and percus-
sion guns In order to effect the
change. the barrel. together with the
breech mechanism. has to be remov-
ed and Is replaced by muzzle load
ing barrel: the lever Is discarded,
the wooden stock only remaining In
tact. The elongated cartridge can
not. of course, be used In these con-
verted guns. which must return "a
the oid-time leaden bullet. In q
word these weapons are antedated. Sc
to speak, some three or four score
years. returning to the type OF small
arm that was used by the Napoleonic
Troops. These transformed weapons
like other kinds OF merchandise, have
their current prices subject to the
Quotations of the market. At pres
ent prices range from about so cents
to So. The old Beaumont gun of the
Dutch army is quoted at 81, while III
original cost was $i2. The Aibini. q
first class arm and In good condition
sells at 80 cents.
Out of some 5000 gunsmiths who
ply their trade In their own homes, 0
large proportion are engaged In pro-
ducing antiquities, so to speak. as full
ly so per cent OF these transformed
guns that are exported from Liege are
flintlock piece.
A large profit In this business Il
also derived from making use of tht
unchanged parts of these second
hand guns, parts that are usually In
a condition to be profItably utilized
and substituting In their places parti
of a decidedly inferior grade.
Restricting Sale OF Repeating Rifles
In many cases, among the discard.
ed arms purchased are to be found
excellent and servlceable repeating
rifles, such as the Austrian Mann.
licher and the German Mauser
quoted today at IS and So respect.
lively. These arms are sold, as 6
rule. to the governments of certain
remote countries generally classed al
uncivilized and are disposed OF with
out undergoing any modification
With regard to the German rifle, Il
may be mentioned that the GeEmaf
military authorities require the pay.
ment of 10 marks (about s2.50) or
that the arm will not be sold to saw.
age tribes nor to irregularly organ.
ized troops, this guaranty being re-
funded on the presentation of a re.
ceipt of sale showing that the armi
were not sold to unauthorized per.
sons.
These Austrian and German rifles
however, are classed as choice grades
of arms, and the Sultan OF Morocco
for instance, has not purchased ar
article of this class, although thii
potentate has on several occasions
made rather important purchases o.
secondhand arms In Liege. No
long ago he bought some 40.00t
Gras rifles at prices ranging from
$1.90 to 50. Abd-el-Azlz has alss
purchased few mitrailleuses dis
carded by. some Of the armies o.
Europe, and an entire set of militar,
tents that had been used by the stat
Of the Belgian army during the an