We got a tip from Weaponsman that there’s a Brazilian G43 copy, called an M954, closing on GunBroker in a couple hours. These were made in .30-06, and are pretty rare items – and this one has a buy-it-now price of $3975. We don’t know the seller or anything more than the auction notes state, but if you’ve been looking for one, here’s your chance…
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=339925444
These are really scarce. Handled one years ago and have not seen one since. I guess that is a good price but again it’s something so rare and “forgotten” that demand will be minimal I would think. If I wasn’t broke….
Danger Will Robinson!!! Danger!!!
That seller has a poor reputation on every forum I frequent. Doesn’t answer emails; descriptions inaccurate or outright wrong; high shipping; outrageous prices.
…And that’s the good news… 😀
I just checked the listing, which has ended, and it didn’t sell.
Interesting that you should mention these issues with this particular seller, Jackson Armory of Dallas / Ft. Worth, TX. Gunbroker’s feedback ratings for the seller are very high ( A+ ) over a total of 1636 transactions at the time of writing.
Is there something we may not know about, or are you going on the basis of the postings and comments on the forums in question?
Nice tip from Weaponsman on a rare and fascinating rifle. He certainly stays on top of his game. And many thanks to Ian for posting!
Sorry, please note that my May 6, 2013 comment at 5:35 p.m. was an inquiry regarding Rich B’s May 6, 2013 comment at 2:39 p.m.
Wonder why they would tool up to produce a semi auto 30-06 when we were giving M1s to all our friends back then. Brazil has been close to the US and has had US smallarms before they established their own industries.
In part because Brazilians were jealous of the progresses made by both State-owned and private Argentinean companies in the very same field. The Argentineans toyed with the idea of producing a local clone of the Johnson Rifle in 7,65 Arg. immediately after the war, if my memory serves me well (not to mention their arsenal own experiences with StG 44 ‘cloning’).
Could it also have been because there was a desire to at least maintain some level of local design talent with an eye to the future rather than just manufacturing someone else’s products?
Of course, Earl. But I guess that some rivalry between the two South American nations may have played a role in such autarchic industrial endeavours.
True, the history of rivalry among the more prominent South American nations ( Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Paraguay and Uruguay ) goes back quite a way. At any rate, it has resulted in some pretty original and interesting firearms designs, among other things.
Indeed! I have been reading some things about the “Golden Age” of the Argentinean aviation industry in the 40s, namely on the developing of an indigenous twin engined bomber, the Instituto Aerotécnico I.Aé.-24 ‘Calquin’, and the Pulqui I and Pulqui II jet fighter prototypes, the first of their kind to fly in Latin America. Fascinating stuff on any account.
There may yet be the dawning of another Golden Age of South / Latin American aviation. Just look at how incredibly well companies like Embraer of Brazil and Fabrica Argentina de Aviones S.A. of Argentina are doing, particularly the former ( which has established firm and successful footholds everywhere, including the incredibly competitive and difficult U.S. market ).