Yep! Exactly!

Well Said, Bloomberg Is A Tyrant (at least a wanna-be)

All the best,
Glenn B

No Super Bowl For Me But I Will Watch The SOTU Address

I did not watch the Super Bowl because I cannot stand the apparent ultra-liberal political stance of the NFL, that they seemingly keep pushing into people's faces. That said, I am going to make every effort to watch the State Of The Union Address tonight. I am guessing it will be on all the news channels and PBS. It commences at 9PM EST or 8PM here in Eastern, Texas.

Even if, for some reason, I cannot get to a television to watch, I am guessing I'll be able to watch via my cell phone at this link: https://www.whitehouse.gov/sotu/. 

The Super Bowl may have been a good one but I think this speech will be more uplifting and important by far than anything the NFL could ever produce. As far as I am concerned the networks/cable outlets should go back to showing reruns of Heidi instead of NFL games.

All the best,
Glenn B

If Rush Limbaugh Has The Time...

...and the energy considering his current health crisis, or should his legal team have the time, I hope they can look into this. The this I am talking about is what came up in my auto spell checker while I was keying in a text message to a friend of mine and mentioned Rush by his name but inadvertently failed to separate his first from his last name. Instead of showing the proper correction with his names split - my phone's spell checker showed the word : "Dishonesty". 
 

My guess, and mind you this is only my guess, is that whoever is responsible for programming the spell checker is a Rush Limbaugh & truth hating ultra-liberal piece of garbage!

My phone company will be hearing from me and if I can find a way to send an email to Rush Limbaugh or his representatives I will be doing so (edited to add: email sent via his website). I figure they can sue for defamation of character or whatever and the money be used by Rush to pay his medical bills or to donate to charity.

By the way, my phone company is T-Mobil, the phone is a Samsung Galaxy S6 Active that is several years old and my old phone company was ATT using the same phone. I am not saying any of them is responsible, I gave that info just in case any of you want to check your own phones to see if it comes up likewise.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Day The Music Died

Today is the day that the music died in 1959. It certainly was a day that changed American rock & roll & popular music by stealing away some of the best.


A hat tip to Artie P for reminding me.

All the best,
Glenn B

Praying For Rush

Rush Limbaugh announced today that he has stage 4 lung cancer. I don't know about lung cancer but I do know that stage 4 cancer of other types can be beat with chemo and radiation when surgery is pretty much out of the question. It is not easy and the most important thing I have heard one needs to do is to stay in the fight and complete each and every treatment. When you quit you stand almost zero of a chance once at stage 4. 

It is also like having a bomb dropped into your lap when you hear stage 4 especially when the whole thing comes as a surprise. I think he said that his first symptoms were on the 12th of January (if I understood correctly) and that his diagnosis was confirmed on the 20th. If that is correct, that is a terrible shocker without a doubt.

I can wish him only all the best, and a complete if not also a speedy recovery (there probably is no way it will be speedy at stage 4). He was and remains a champion of the right, of our Constitution and of freedom. By the way, he said he is going to continue with his show as best he can do while going through treatments.

Rush Limbaugh is a great commentator, a pretty good linguist and a political wiz. He also could be pretty funny - something unusual for a talk show host on the right. He was a breath of fresh air when I lived and worked in NYC and then when I lived on Long Island and still worked in NYC. I was truly overwhelmed with relief and pretty much joy when I found his show on the radio where I live now in Texas.

I am not religious but I sometimes say prayers just in case there really is some divine entity out there listening; it's not that I am an atheist just that I am not certain either way. As for the prayers I say, I have rarely said them for myself - even when I probably needed them badly - they are almost always for others just like now except he is getting more than most have gotten out of me. 

All the best,
Glenn B

Texas Gun Control Survey - Whom Are They Trying To Kid

According to a poll run  by the Dallas Morning News - University of Texas at Tyler poll, Texans overwhelmingly want certain aspects of gun control, such as red flag laws and background checks, to be legislated. The thing is they polled only 1,169 registered voters and my guess is they did so at the university (notice what I underlined above) which would likely be a hotbed of liberalism. More at the source. 

Now granted, I have only lived in Texas since this past August but let me assure you I have gotten a good feel for how people in less liberal areas think and the are not in favor of gun control by any margin of a majority. In fact, gun control is heavily frowned upon even in large populous zones like the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. I mean any state that can host 18 guns shows over the remainder of the shortest month of the yer, one weekend of gun shows already gone by and not included in the 18 I just mentioned, you have got to figure that state as very gun friendly. And yes, Texas is one of the most gun friendly states of any of the 50 (yes former Prez Obama - there are only 50 states in the US of A).


All the best,
Glenn B

I Need A Drink...

...after seeing this (yeah I know, I am posting it a day late but it applies for today anyway):

All the best,
GB

FUCK THE NFL AND PASS THE AMMO

If you are a gun owner or even not a gun owner but support our Constitution and the Right To Keep And  Bear Arms and then watch the Super Bowl - you are contributing to our demise and the destruction of our Constitution and our rights. The NFL reportedly banned a  pro gun rights / gun company advertisement set to run during the 2014 Super Bowl. This year however, the NFL has approved an ad from that anti-American piece of shit NYC former mayor and ultra liberal politician Michael Bloomberg, an ad that is an outright attack on our 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

I regret my once having watched half of one NFL game this year (pretty sure that was it) and definitely will not watch the less than super bowl today. I can live without football but not without my guns; I may need my guns to defend myself or save the lives of others and or protect our great nation. Gun-grabbers like Bloomberg, I think, should be jailed for violating their oath of office to uphold the Constitution.

Colin Noir explains it better than I can, so watch the video here since for some reason I cannot embed it.

A hat tip to Herr Rich M for turning me on to that video!

All the best,
Glenn B

Happy Birthday Fred

In 1963's The Birthday Party - season 3, episode 28 of the Flintstones - Barney is tasked by Wilma & Betty to keep Fred busy so they can set up his surprise birthday party. Of course, Fred expects a party and tries to get Barney to spill the beans about the 'surprise'. While doing so he asks Barney if he knows what is special about the day and Barney replies to the effect 'It's Groundhog Day'. After that Barney keeps Fred busy and stuff happens and they wind up late, very late, for the surprise party at the Rubble's house and miss it altogether but as usual all turns out well in the end. 

So with that bit of knowledge, that no one else wanted to know - I wish Fred Flintstone a happy birthday because the Flintstones sure made me happy as a kid. Yaba daba doo!

All the best,
Glenn B

End Note: In case you were wondering how I knew that today is Fred's birthday, it's because I decided to watch The Flinstones today and that was the episode I watched while eating breakfast. It was better than most new shows offered on TV today.  

Beyond A Shadow Of A Doubt...

...my mongrel Skye has predicted another 4 years of President Trump making America greater. Forget that Phil the Rodent did not see his shadow because Skye, my mongrel, saw hers. She also saw the shadow of a big man pounding down a stop sign!

What could it mean but President Trump smashing the efforts of so called progressives to remove him from office and stop all the real progress we have made under his leadership and President Trump reelected in 2020 beyond the shadow of a doubt.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Big Event Is Tomorrow

So, tomorrow is the big day, the one fans of the event have been waiting for over the last year as they have done every year before for as long as the event has taken place. There are three sides to it – those who are fans for one side, those who are fans for the other, and those who are pretty much disinterested. Forget about those who show little to no interest and let’s concentrate of they who savor every moment of how it will play out.

Many come to watch it from across our nation, in fact some come from abroad to watch it. They arrive early on the day or even early in the week and stay at local hotels enriching the local economy where events unfold. Others will watch it televised live, some will watch it after the fact but all are enthusiastic some to the point of being frenzied. The news media will give it lots of coverage and talk about it throughout the day. It is an American tradition that has gone on almost as long any memory can serve or so it seems. People celebrate it with food and drink and come together in at least the thousands or tens of thousands to watch it live. Those watching it on TV number in the millions. It is that big of an event.

Some folks wager on it, others merely predict how it will play out and end, others argue about how it will go, some folks just guess which way it will go who are not really a fan of either side of it. Some quote statistics of the event in years gone by, others wonder if records will be broken and set. Yet others or some of the same wonder about whether or not anyone will be injured and how it will affect their ability to complete their tasks. Everyone who participates as a spectator enjoys it at least to some degree if not greatly – why bother watching if there is no joy in it for you.

I’d like to attend one year before I kick the bucket – it’s on my list. I’ve never been to that grand of an event before that brings so many from so far together in one place. While it would be some great expense for me to travel to where it’s held any given year, I think it would be worth it if only for the excitement factor and man oh man it is almost always edge of your seat exciting – at least for me. I wonder where you will be and wonder more where I’ll set mine arse to watch while it takes place tomorrow, when the opposing sides come together, those who say it will be one way and those who say another, and then at the moment when the anticipation ends and that little furball Punxsutawney Phil is pulled out of his hole and either sees his shadow or not.

Have a happy Groundhog Day and enjoy the Super Bowl while you're at it.

All the best,

Glenn B

Gun Show Prices - As Crazy Here In TX & AR As In NY

I stopped in at a Murphy's Gun Show in Texarkana, AR today and to put it bluntly it was very disappointing this time around. I've been to Murphy's Gun Shows in Benton, AR and I think Little Rock (or Conway maybe both), AR before and I think also once each in Texarkana, AR and Texarkana, TX. Now, while prices of way too many guns were high at each of those shows, there also have been some decent deals at most of them. I did not see any really outstanding deals today on any of the guns I looked at; in fact some of the prices seemed outrageous.

I started looking at the offerings on the back wall, right hand corner as you faced it, and at the very first table I stopped at too look over their guns I was flabbergasted at what they were asking. For instance, they had a Marlin 336, I think an older one albeit in good to very good condition but I did not see anything special about it. They were asking $800.00. I would have asked for more info on that particular gun so as to determine why the asking price was so high but I just started chuckling out loud and had to walk away. The thought had crossed my mind that some sucker might actually offer them that much for it and I found that rather amusing!

Some other examples of gun prices that gave me sticker shock, so to speak, at this show were:

Russian SKS with laminate stock and cloth sling: $900.00; I've seen that while attending at least one prior show, maybe two others, and they have not sold it yet and I do not think they are likely to sell it without a $400 discount at the minimum.

Sears Roebuck Model 25 (essentially a Stevens Model 85 or 87) tube fed semi-auto rifle in 22 LR. They were asking $175.00. At most, I figure it would be worth about $75 considering the stock finish was in dismal shape and the metal was okay but showed an over all patina of light surface rust plus normal finish wear. If I go back tomorrow and they still have, I may make an offer of maybe $65 to $75 probably tops and that may be a bit too much but I'd have a new wood refinishing project with that stock and a fairly nice rifle when cleaned up and refinished.

Stevens 87B (same table as the one with the SR 25) with an asking price of $225.00. Better condition than the one from Sears but not by all that much; maybe worth $100 - $125 in my estimation.

A used New England Firearms Pardner 12 gauge with case colored receiver, accepts 3" shells. They were asking $250.00 - wow that is way over and above what I have seen them sell for recently. I have seen ones in similar condition go for around $75.00 to $100.00, some for even less, closer to $60.

Several Norinco SKS rifles, from fair to good condition, and I think every one of them except one that I looked at was priced at $400; the other one had an asking price of $499. I don't remember any having the bayonet. I bought one not too long ago, end of 2018 or so, for $330.00 in much better condition than any of those, with a folding bayonet and all matching numbers. Had any of those today been in better shape, they might be worth what I had paid but not the asking price, at least not in the shape they were in.

Mossberg 702 Plinkster, used and in 85 - 90% condition, they were asking $150.00; I think it may be worth $75 - $100.

I suppose some of the dealers would come down in price but I did hear a couple or few other dealers telling potential buyers for other guns that they could not or would not come down in price - at least that was today on the first day of the show.

I did see a pretty nice Savage Model 99E Carbine in 243. They were asking top dollar for it but I may make an offer tomorrow. After talking to them today, I got the impression they would come down quite a bit in price but time will tell if I get the chance to go back tomorrow and they still have it. I also saw one or two oter potentially good deals that I may make offers on tomorrow. I'll chance going late to the show and hope the dealers still have the guns in which I am interested and will not have sold much else by then and thus still will be hungry for a sale. Then, I'll make my offers if any.

Wish me luck.

All the best,
Glenn B

Plastic Is Gold

What was it the guy told Dustin Hoffman's character in The Graduate? Something about having one word of advice and that was "plastic(s)"? I never saw the movie but did see that clip. I think he may have been right because it seems there is gold in plastic or if not gold then at least there is profit.

I recently bought a toy gun, made out of plastic, at auction for $6.78 plus $12.70 for a total of $19.48. I have it up for sale on an online auction and right now it has two bids, the high one is over $45.00 right now as I type. I must say, I did not know what it is worth; so with two quick bids on it already, I wonder if maybe I should not have set the buy it now price at $100 (which limits the high bid to only $100). If I am lucky it will go that high and I'll remain happy as long as I stay ignorant if it actually is worth a lot more than that. Thing was, I could not find another on the Intraweb of All Knowledge so, I just guessed at what I figured was a good buy it now price and decent starting bid (which was $30 minimum). Whatever, to tell the truth, I am already happy with the bid it has now.

All the  best,
Glenn B

The Zombie Killer Transformed - Just Look At It Now

Remember this:

That atrocity was/is my Mosin Nagant with turned down bolt, the one I decided to paint as a goof for a zombie apocalypse charge at a bloggershoot in New Hampshire some years back. Then, after getting it painted, I think I never used it in the charge, heck I may not have even made it to the bloggershoot but don't quote me on that.

That was back when you could still get a Mosin Nagant 91/30 for about $99.99 fairly in decent condition, so I figured what the heck - they're cheap. Having a turned down bolt, this one was somewhat more expensive, around $150 if I remember right but still I figured what the heck - they're cheap (am I repeating myself). Well, lately I've been to gun shows where I have seen Mosin Nagants of the absolutely nothing special variety, but in decent condition, selling for over $400.00! I've also seen some pretty beat up ones, even with cracked stocks, with asking prices between $300 to $350. I decided to sell the Zombie Killer at a gun show over around Dallas not all that long ago. No takers, mostly I guess because of the color even though I was only asking less than the dealers and would have taken $200 to $225. Oh well.

Anyway, I decided to strip the wood and painted metal parts and refinish the wood. That's exactly what I have been doing over the last few days to a week. Here is what it looks like now (sorry for the crappy pics, poor lighting, I'll try to remember to get better ones to repost here):

I think it came out as passable. I wish I would have matched the color of the original 91/30 wood finish but this will do nicely as far as I am concerned. Note that the paint stripper did not affect the metal except to remove the paint and that was a relief because I had no clue if it would take off the bluing. Still though, some of the metal needed some touch-up and I experimented with Birchwood Casey Perma Blue cold bluing solution. Wow, it did the job perfectly on the few spots where I used it, blended right in. It's not like I wire brushed off any rust, I left that in place and just covered some scratches and such, that stuff worked really well.

So, it now looks presentable, even saleable. The thing is now that I got it looking pretty nice again, I am thinking of keeping it. If I do go to another gun show over in Dallas, I may have to bring it along even if I don't intend selling it. That would be just to show it to the one dealer who laughed at it and me and who said he would not buy it because I probably painted it to cover a crack in the stock. The stock has some small dings but definitely no cracks. The only thing about it that may have been cracked was me for painting it up as the Zombie Killer in the first place.

All the best,
Glenn B

Corona Virus Will It Be 14 Monkeys or Resident Evil

Take your pic. I am hoping it's essentially much ado about nothing but China reportedly has been taking drastic measures, such as to quarantine the infected area among other things (over 41 million people in quarantine - source). This made me almost immediately suspect that a bio-weapon was the culprit virus. Then I learned that Wuhan within 20 miles of a bio-weapons biological facility (source); if it is then I am more convinced I may be right that a bio-weapon has gotten out.

In addition, it has been reported as being a 'new little known corona virus'. Such could have been a natural occurrence but also could be the result of a bio-weapons program. Regardless of its origin, I think the world may be in trouble as in 14 Monkeys or Resident Evil (as far as an outbreak not the zombies or monsters) but I certainly hope not; yet, what the Chinese have been reported as doing to corral this virus makes me think the worst. Additionally they are building at least one new and very large hospital (source) as a direct result of this outbreak. I mean they certainly are doing an awful lot more than they would do for the flu - aren't they!

It's not only the actions of the Chinese that are of concern in this brewing epidemic. The U.S. has also initiated drastic actions and plans to evacuate all U.S. citizens from the stricken area. More here. This just adds to my suspicions that the current outbreak is more serious than they are letting us know directly. As for them bringing back folks who are potentially infected with a deadly bio-agent - just try to remember it is the government that's doing it and yes the government is that screwed up that it would put the rest of the nation at risk to do the politically correct thing like evacuate citizens in the face of an epidemic and thus potentially cause a pandemic.


The outbreak has spread to 29 of 31 provinces (source) in China and to many other countries as well. One thing which is a possible bright ray of sunshine is that the virus is supposedly not as deadly as the flu or SARS. That may be all well and good if the Chinese are reporting accurately; however, the drastic actions they are undertaking seem to quite possibly indicate otherwise. If this is a bio-weapon - imagine if you will - initial infections seeming to be of flu like severity or less, then at a later date those who were infected become ill again with deadly result. Yeah, I know, its just imagination on my part right now but why is China taking the extreme measure they have been taking to try to control the outbreak if indeed the virus is as "mild" as claimed.

I think I need to stock up on medical supplies - alcohol being number one on the list. By the way, if you are lacking medical supplies, you may want to get them now, shortages of respiratory type face-masks have already been reported (source) in some parts of the country. Stay healthy my friends.

Edited To Add: Well, not 10 minutes at most after I hit enter to post the above, I was made aware of this article. If what it says in this is true and correct - we are in big trouble. They are now claiming an 83% infection rate and a now 15% death rate due to this virus. This actually could be TEOTWAWKI! Be prepared as best you can.

All the best,
Glenn B

So Now We Know Why The Dems Waited...

...they waited for Bolton's book. Since he and Trump got along like old enemies, I can only imagine he will try to screw Trump however he can since Trump is why Bolton is no longer in the limelight of public service.

All the best,
GB

Evidence Of Bigfoot Here In Texas?

Well, that's a pretty big foot in the ph0to, size 13 EE, but the track in the slimy red clay of Texas is definitely not evidence of Bigfoot and my foot in in the picture just for scale. As for that track, it's merely evidence that I need to be more careful when walking my mongrel Skye. Damn, I almost lost my footing and took a header when I slipped in that red Texas clay. The ground around it, within a few feet, is hard sun baked clay that even when a little wet is hard as stone. Had I fallen I might not have been able to get up!

All the best,
Glenn B

Oh Well...

 

 ...there went my favorite set of shooter's muffs and a few targets and such. I suppose it could have been worse; I could have left my wallet out for her to destroy.

All the best,
GB

Politics - Who Needs Em

All the best, 
Glenn B

Hump Day or...

By the way, that was one of the best, if not THE BEST, show ever on television!

A hat tip to Artie P for the gif.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Zombie Killer Mosin Nagant - Moving Along Nicely

This is what the Zombie Killer's stock looks like now after having been stripped naked.

This is what the Zombie Killer looked like before stripping it.

I've kept at it over the weekend and today and so far all the metal parts except the butt plate have been stripped of that horrendous pink paint. I've also stripped the wood; in fact the wood is just about ready for a coat of finish. I am guessing that I am going to use a pretty dark color in keeping with the original look of the rifle - more or less. I'm thinking of getting a MinWax or similar brand of finish that has both the finish color and the poly-urethane (or whatever) already mixed into it. Then again, I may just use a finish coat for color and then some tung oil or maybe even spar varnish atop that. If I really feel energetic, I may also re-blue a few parts that need it with a cold bluing. Then again, covering them with the finish and a top coat may look more authentic.

I thought I had some finish on hand but can't find it in my apartment. Chances are I either threw it out before leaving NY or left it at my son's place in AR. No big deal, a trip to Homer's Depot is in order for later today.

Edited To Add: Well, I was at Home Depot and picked up some stain. Had to use Varathane brand - no MinWax here at Homer's. Anyway, using a nice red walnut on the Zombie Killer stock. I also stopped by Academy Sports and picked up some Birchwood Casey Perma-Blue bluing.

So, what metal was almost white now is blued (surprisingly it looks good too) the wood is stained and all that remains is putting a top coat on it. I would have sworn I had some tung oil that I brought down here from NY but I'll be damned if I can find it. Maybe it's at my son's place in AR. Anyway, I guess it is going to mean a trip to Lowes (they have MinWax brand and it appears my favorite brand Formby's has been bought out by MinWax) to get some more because I am not driving to his place just to get that and regardless of going to his place to get it (if it is there) or not going - as I recall that stuff was high gloss. Probably better not to use a high gloss on a Mosin Nagant - either a low gloss (in stock at Lowes) or satin finish would be more like the original or so I think. I'll have to mull over which to use and of course whichever I choose, it will have to be available near me. 

All the best,
Glenn B

Water Expired? Heck We Drink The Same Water As Did The Dinosaurs...

...or so I have heard it said by a noted paleontologist on a show about dinosaurs some years back. Yet, one the the four (so far) government officials in Puerto Rico, Carlos Acevedo the director of Puerto Rico’s Office of Emergency Management, who was just fired because a warehouse full of emergency supplies was discovered unused after sitting there for two years, reportedly said in part that he did not dispose of the supplies because they had expired! Imagine - water expiring. More at the source.

Now, correct me if I am wrong, but I seem to recall that the governor of Puerto Rico and many others in government (mostly liberals/democrats) accused President Trump of not supplying PR with supplies fast enough nor in good enough amounts to aid Puerto Rico after a Hurricane Maria, a natural disaster that devastated Puerto Rico couple of years ago! I also seem to recall the governor, back at that time, bad mouthing Trump while standing in the middle of a number of the supplies that the president had sent. Now these suddenly have appeared after yet another natural disaster!

Do you think maybe, just maybe, these were hidden away by his political opponents back then just to try to bolster their claims that he had not sent enough quickly enough! No - probably not - that couldn't be it - could it! My guess would be even demoncrats are not that dumb; I figure they probably were going to sell the stuff on the black market once they thought it was safe and were just biden biding their time. I have to give their seemingly inherent dishonesty at least that much credit.

All the best,
Glenn B

The Zombie Killer Mosin Nagant Just Goes To Show...

...that I am indeed THE Great Procrastinator. It was back on January 29, 2017 that I bought a can of spray on paint remover to change it from what's pictured below to its more or less original finish.

I tried selling this recently at a gun show - no takers. One dealer told me he'd buy it if he could be certain that the stock was not cracked. He said he thought that maybe that's why I had painted it. I explained I had painted it as a goof for a blogger shoot zombie bayonet charge and while he got a good laugh out of that I did not get a penny.

I will admit, I started the job back then, but that spray can version of the paint stripper was not very effective so I shelved the project - that is until yesterday. Somewhere there inside the almost two years (only 13 days shy as of yesterday) that have passed since then, I bought a can of liquid paint stripper to try again. Then, instead of starting over, I put it on the shelf only to (at most) think of starting the job again in all that time. 

Well, for some reason, a gotta get it started again bug crawled up mine arse and I actually pulled all the things I needed off the shelves and started the job yesterday. I have had to apply the stripper three times, so far, to get the paint off of the steel. I figure 99% of it or so is off every metal piece, except one, that had been painted pink (it was supposed to be a crimson red but I guess the guy who made up the paint chart was color blind). The one piece that is still pink is the forward barrel band since it is still on the barrel. I cannot figure how to get it off without removing the front sight and have no clue how to do that - so I'll probably leave it on the barrel and strip the paint off of it there.

As for the wood, that is probably going to be another story. That drab olive green paint is stubborn. That is the paint on which the spray-on stripper was pretty ineffective. I am pretty sure though, if I keep brushing gobs of the liquid paint remover on it and then wipe it off using a medium coarse steel wool, maybe even wire brushing it a bit with a brass brush, I will be able to get the paint off eventually. Of course, the varnish or whatever they used as a top coat will come off with it but that is of little concern. My guess is after I apply a new top coat the stock and hand guard are going to be very nice looking pieces of wood.

Now if only I keep at it until the job is done, it may be stripped, if not completely refinished, by Sunday. If not, then who knows, maybe I'll get back to it in another two years.

All the best,
Glenn B

A Little Cleaning Required For...

...the two new Zastava M70 pistols, in 32 ACP, that I received today from RGuns via my local dealer/FFL. I just sold off some of my other guns, a shotgun & a couple of rifles and while i certainly did not have a glut of cash to spend on more guns, like these, there was enough to convince me I had to take advantage of the deal RGuns has on them. They were $225 ea. plus $15.00 shipping (for both). Add on my FFL fee of $25.00 ea. and I spent a total of $515.00 for both of them. Considering that they each came with two magazines, a holster and a cleaning brush - it was a good deal. It will have been an excellent deal if they are actually in new condition. As far as I can see, through the downright sticky gloominess of the Cosomolne that envelopes them, they are as RGuns claimed - new old stock or as they I think describes them better - New Old MilSurp. Whatever, they do look new and that was a darned good deal on pistols for which so far I have seen only good reviews. Now, of course, that sticky mess that is covering them could be hiding blemishes, only time and a good cleaning will tell.  As to how well they operate - only time, a cleaning and a trip to the range will tell.

That may take me several days at least or maybe until the weekend after this coming one since I am already in the process of stripping the paint off of a Mosin Nagant 91/30 that I painted as a goof for a Zombie bayonet charge at a blogger shoot several years ago. Started that this evening in earnest and must say so far the paint is coming off of the metal nicely (some metal parts were painted a deep pink. It was supposed to be red but paint container was mislabeled or the guy who mixed the paints was colorblind (or both). Anyway, I figure I'll hold off on the M70s until I at least get the metal done on the 91/30.

More on these once I get them cleaned up and to the range.

February 9, 2020, Edited to Add:

By the way, when I purchased these they were advertised as being:

"UN ISSUED NEW OLD STOCK"

These pistols are not new as far as I can tell. The fact is, to me, they appear to have been lightly used. I am in no way saying the dealer used false advertising when selling these, they were probably told they were new and maybe some in their stock were new but evidently at least not the two I received. Here is why I think so: On each of the two I bought, there is evidence of wear on the slide rails of the frame and on the inside of the slide. There also was fouling in the bore and chamber and fouling in each magazine (even though each pistol and both mags with each gun had Cosmoline (or the equivalent, on them). While the fouling could have been solely from an initial test fire, the fact of the finish wear on the slide rails and such probably indicates otherwise. Though, I suppose that could have also come from test firing but, while it is not bad, it seems a bit much to be from test firing. Each also has small scratches and or dings in the exterior finish of the slide and frame finish. 

If I was gong to associate the word 'new' with them, it would be to say 'almost as good as new'; that of course being in my estimation. All things considered though, both were in what I am guessing is 95-98% cosmetic condition and nonetheless they were an excellent deal for the price.

All the best,
Glenn B