1199: Chapter One Thousand One Hundred Eighty-Two: More Than Just a Box Cannon 1199: Chapter One Thousand One Hundred Eighty-Two: More Than Just a Box Cannon Watching Jack and the old gun seller recognize each other, Gao Yang and the other two fell silent.
The old gun seller extended his hand to Jack, shook it, and then pointed to his head with a helpless smile: “I’m getting old and my mory isn’t very good, sorry I don’t rember your visit.”
Jack replied anxiously: “No worries, Mr.
Federer, I’m curious why you’re selling your collection.
Didn’t you always claim you would never sell it?
If I had known you started selling, I’d really be happy to buy all the items you’re willing to sell, as everyone knows, Mr.
Federer’s collection is of fine quality.”
Mr.
Federer spread his hands helplessly: “I’m having so financial troubles.
If I want to keep collecting, I must sell part of my collection.
Gun traders have visited my place, but their offers are too low.
So, I thought I would try to sell at a fair price at the gun show.
Luckily, this gentleman just said he wants to buy everything, but he hasn’t had ti to discuss the price with yet, so I don’t know if the transaction will actually go through.”
Gao Yang imdiately said: “Mr.
Federer, we are together.
Uh, I want to ask now, how much are you planning to sell these guns for?”
Mr.
Federer thought for a mont, after looking over a few guns, he finally raised a palm and said solemnly: “All together, fifty thousand dollars.”
Jack cracked a smile, the guns were indeed expensive, way too expensive.
Normally, cutting fifty thousand in half would be more like it, even twenty-five thousand wouldn’t be cheap.
That’s the problem with buying from collectors; they purchased their collections out of love, and when forced to sell, they set excessively high prices based on their affection.
Logical buyers naturally wouldn’t purchase guns much above the market value, but with buyers like Gao Yang, it’s different; passion matters.
Mr.
Federer thinks this batch of guns is worth a high price, and Gao Yang agrees, so that’s enough.
“Fifty thousand dollars, then?
I’ll buy!”
Mr.
Federer looked at Gao Yang sowhat unexpectedly, nodded, and said: “Are you sure you want them all?
Well, you can buy them, I’ll sell them to you.”
At this mont, Cui Bo looked at Gao Yang with eager eyes: “Brother Yang, let have one, just one, please!”
Li Jinfang swallowed and said: “Brother Yang, this, this, can I just take one too?
You pick first, then give us what’s left, I’ll pay for you, is that sincere enough for you?”
Seeing Gao Yang’s disdainful face, Cui Bo imdiately said to Mr.
Federer: “Sir, do you have any more to sell?
Sell a few?”
Li Jinfang also realized that grabbing from Gao Yang was impossible, so he quickly said to Mr.
Federer: “And , how much more do you have, we’ll take them all.”
Before Gao Yang could speak, Mr.
Federer suddenly said: “Sorry, gentlen, can you tell what these guns are called in Huaxia?”
Cui Bo casually picked up a gun, frowned and said: “It’s called a box cannon, also known as a breech-loading gun, ah, but you won’t understand it if I speak Chinese.”
Mr.
Federer shook his head, turned to Li Jinfang, who scratched his head, picked up a gun, weighed it, and frowned: “That’s correct, it’s a box cannon, we also call it a magazine gun, there’s no other na.”
Mr.
Federer shook his head, pointed to Gao Yang, and said: “These guns are all functional; I have a private shooting range.
If you’d like to test them, you can try them at my range.
Also, I have several other guns I plan to sell.
If you’re interested, you can co and take a look at my place, and I might sell them to you.”
Jack, excitedly poking Gao Yang, exclaid loudly: “Mr.
Federer is a collector specifically of Mauser C96, a great collector, you’re lucky, no, your luck is too good!”
Overjoyed, Gao Yang quickly said: “That’s wonderful, thank you for the invitation, Mr.
Federer, I’d really love to visit.”
Mr.
Federer smiled, extended his hand to Gao Yang, and while shaking hands, smiled and said: “If I must sell my beloved collection, then handing them over to soone who understands and loves them is clearly the best outco.
My na is Norbert Federer, I’m pleased to et you.”
Gao Yang smiled and said: “My na is Gao Yang, I’m really happy to et you, Mr.
Federer.”
After letting go, Federer spread his hands towards Cui Bo and Li Jinfang and said helplessly, “Sorry, gentlen, I cannot sell the guns to you, because you are obviously not true collectors.”
After finishing his sentence, Federer smiled at Gao Yang and then pointed to the guns in front of him, saying, “Mr.
Gao, I think you should explain to them the correct nas of these guns in Huaxia.”
Gao Yang nodded, looking proud, and picked up a gun, saying: “See, knowledge is power.
Without culture, people won’t sell to you.
Listen carefully, this is called the Big Eye Box, why is it called this?
Because it has a caliber of 11.43mm, and the muzzle is large, hence it’s called the Big Eye Box.
It was manufactured by Taiyuan Arsenal while Yan Laoxi occupied Jin Province.
Look here, it’s engraved, although it’s a replica, the quality is quite good.”
Cui Bo took it over, puzzled, and said, “Are there these differences?”
Gao Yang shook his head, picked up another, and said loudly: “Look at this one, this is called Big Mirror Surface, why is it called that?
Because the magazine sides are shiny and smooth, nothing engraved on it, it looks just like a mirror, and thus it’s called Big Mirror Surface.”
“Look at this one, Big Red Nine, why is it called Big Red 9?
Do you see the red 9 on the grip?
This is a 9mm caliber, after World War I, Germany modified so of the Mausers to 9mm calibers, to avoid loading the wrong ammo, a red 9 was carved on the grip.”
Li Jinfang shook his head and said, “I really didn’t know there were so many distinctions in the box cannon, what about this one, it has characters engraved, is it made in Huaxia too?”
Gao Yang nodded and smiled, saying: “Correct, this one is called the Self-loader.
Why?
This is a replica of the M712 from Hanyang Arsenal in Huaxia, with twenty rounds, an automatic handgun, engraved with ‘Self-loader’ on the gun body, so the real ‘Self-loader’ is only the model you hold in your hand.”
After finishing, Gao Yang sighed and said, “Speaking of this M712, I must start from the beginning, it ca out in 1895 as the C96, basically a semi-automatic handgun with a ten-round fixed magazine.
Later in 1931, the Mauser Factory improved the C96, producing a modified version with a twenty-round detachable magazine, the M712.
Before the M712, there was no such thing as a rapid-fire box cannon, and after Hanyang Arsenal imported the blueprints in 1932, they started the replication.
The batch that was replicated were called Self-loaders.
Do you understand now?”
Li Jinfang nodded and said, “I really didn’t know there was so much to it.
Now that I know, what is this one called?”
Gao Yang glanced and said, “This one is called Big Belly Magazine, also a twenty-round magazine, because it holds more bullets, it’s called a Big Belly Magazine, calling it Twenty Shots is also correct, sa thing.”
Cui Bo holding a gun, asked:”What about this one?”
Gao Yang laughed, saying: “This is called Twenty Shots Long Barrel Big Mirror Surface.
This gun is from Spain, although it has a twenty-round capacity, it has a fixed magazine that cannot be detached, and the magazine sides are also very smooth, so it’s called the Twenty Shots Long Barreled Big Mirror Surface.
Here’s another tip, the basic Mausers from Germany have short barrels, although there are so with long barrels, they are very rare, so when you see a long barrel, it is usually a replica, almost without fail.”
After finishing, Gao Yang looked towards Federer, smiling and said, “Mr.
Federer, what I know is actually quite limited, luckily the few guns here are quite representative, and I can still recognize them, I’m just not sure if I got anything wrong.
If so, please correct .”
Federer shrugged and smiled, saying, “I know these guns have various nas in Huaxia, so for , it’s almost impossible to understand all the nas.
Fortunately, these few guns are relatively common, so I still know them.
What you said is the sa as what I know, your words are very accurate.”
Cui Bo sighed and said, “Alright, no fighting for it, don’t even feel like fighting anymore, Brother Yang, it’s all yours.”
Li Jinfang also put down the gun he was holding with a face of regret and said helplessly, “Who knew there were so many intricacies to a box cannon, truly Brother Yang knows goods.
Keep them well in your collection.”
Just then, Federer spread his hands and smilingly said to Gao Yang, “If you buy them all, then my guns are sold out.
After the formalities are completed, I will be leaving.
If you have no other matters, you can co to my house with to have a look.
If you still have other matters, feel free to call at your convenience, I await your call.”
Gao Yang couldn’t wait any longer, imdiately saying, “Let’s go with you, looking at your collection and then coming back won’t be too late.”
Federer nodded, turned around to find the forms for Gao Yang to fill out, at this mont Jack smiled at Gao Yang and said, “You know, buddy, you like the Mauser C96, today you have found the right person, Mr.
Federer might be the biggest collector of this model, additionally, his collecting of C96 has a reason.
Do you know why?”
Gao Yang thought for a mont, then suddenly had an epiphany, eagerly said: “Mr.
Federer, Mr.
Federer, the Mauser C96 was designed by the Federer brothers, but when it was ti to file the patent, it was applied under the na of the owner of the Mauser Factory, Mauser.
Could it be, Mr.
Federer, that you are a descendant of the Federer brothers, the true designers of the Mauser C96?”
Jack smiled faintly, and said, “Congratulations, you guessed right.”(To be continued.
If you like this work, you are welcod to vote for recomndations and monthly tickets at Qidian(qidian).
Your support is my greatest motivation.
Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.)
User Comments
0 comments from readers