What's your favorite item in your collection?

[Jeff L]

And why? Sorry I should have specified your favorite item that's not a firearm.

-Jeff L

[SteveC]

Springfield Armory M1A is my favorite. Why? - Mainly because my Mom and Dad gave it to me. Best Christmas present I ever got, it covered the two Christmases I spent in Germany and I got to "open" it (celebrate Christmas with my family) in October of 1986. Secondary reason of course is the M1A is something of a "product upgrade" to the finest battle implement ever devised. That is my "cold, dead hands" rifle, I won't give it up until the Lord calls me home. And then I hope my son will cherish it as I have! Thanks for asking Jeff!

[5MadFarmers]

My wife. Without her the rest of it wouldn't happen. :eusa_shhh:

Rarest isn't really "favorite" is it? I have some rare guns, one of a kind really, but those aren't necessarily my "favorite" item. Family items mean more but I'm not sure those are "favorite" either.

Hard to pick one. If I had to, and I think maybe it's a mood thing, today it would be the Remington Model 8. $60 at an estate sale. Stuff was going to be half price the second day so we returned. The owners were there and we had a chance to talk to them about the stuff - to include the Remington. They were very elderly. He was happy it went to a private owner and not a dealer.

It's what we do I think - just take care of the stuff until the next generation takes over.

[John Sukey]

That's an impossible question to answer.
No1Mk3 Prize rifle
Commercial Long Lee with target sights
Lee enfield Cav carbines
R.I.C. carbines
NZ carbines, (only 1500 made)
E.A.L Rifles
Martinis
Sniders,
.22 cal No1mk3's and No4's
Lee Metfords
Long Lee with .22 aiming tube
etc. etc.
I won't even start with the handguns
or machine guns.

[JBinIll]

I think one of my favorite items is probably worth the least and would be of little interest to anyone else.A WW2 7th Division patch my Uncle gave me when I was a youngster.He fought in the retaking of Attu and was wounded there severly enough to be discharged a year or so later.

[Michaelp]

1911A1 I got back from VN.
Gave it to a good friend recently.
Now a G33/40 I got from a friend who took it from a dead German paratrooper in France.
Complete with hood, sling, and rod. Also LW buckle from original owner.

[Larry G.]

My favorites are the two American Flag arm bands that my Dad wore in WW2. One is marked Southern France ,Operation Dragoon, Aug15,1944. It was his first action,a glider assault near the town of Lemuy. The second was marked Battle of the Bulge. His unit was attached to the 17th Airborne which went into action on Dec.26th,1944. He was a member of the 550th Glider Infantry Battalion. After the Bulge his unit and the 193rd Glider Infantry were so decimated that they were disbanded and the remnants formed the 3rd Battalion 194th Glider Infantry.

[raiderkin]

The 4 "cornerstones" of my collection would be an unissued M3 fighting knife with unissued M6 leather scabbard- Viner Bros 1943, a 1941 Johnson, with 3 barrels, ons sporter 30.06, one original 30.06 and one Mexican 7mm, original bayonet and the $49 bucks receipt that my dad paid for it back in the '60 s. My dad's 1944 Willy's jeep with .30 cal Browning MG that I built out of a Sarco parts kit, and lastly, my Uncle Tony's WWII USMC 1st Raider Battalion collection that my family had kept after he was Killed in Action on Guadalcanal during the battle for Edson's Ridge. 2 complete uniforms, ID card, Etched Purple Heart, Grandmothers Gold Star, Western Union telegram from Marines notifying them of his death, Original promotion orders from Col. Edson to PFC, and alot more. I wish that I had the opportunity to know him instead.....TOM

[Dan Shapiro]

MY dog tags.

[pcox]

My original dog tags from 1966, and my dads dog tags from WW2.

[John Sukey]

Missed the not a firearm thing.
Then it would be my Waterloo medal. or maybe the Victorian period Artillery uniforms

[thorin6]

My Camillus M4 Bayonet. It's a rubber handled bayonet most likely redone in Japan under contract to the US. My father carried it in Korea 1952-1953, and it was the start of my collecting milsurps and other militaria. If everything (non-firearm) were to go, that would be the last thing, along with my father's K98k WWII bring back and my Martini-Henry Mark II my son brought back from Afghanistan.

[LMDawson]

Mine would have to be two very basic items that my very best friend gave me. An M1-Garand En Bloc Clip from WW2 and a P38. I did a girl thing and strung them up together so that they make a ringing sound:icon_queen:

Best Regards
Lisa

[jaie5070]

Tough one. One would be the geman bayonet my dear grandmother bought her 13 yr old grandson one summer. It took me 25 yrs to figure out it went to an 1891 argentine mauser. The neat thing is that I recently picked up a rifle that is less than 1200 away from having the same serial #.
The other would be a little book I found in a junk shop titled ARMY FRENCH. It's dated 1918.
john

[PhillipM]

My grandfather's 21 jewel hamilton railroad watch. He would often say, occasionally the sun and moon may get a little off, but this watch is always right. Mine is my ebony handled buck knife. Limited to militaria, I have five gold stars supposedly worn by Ike. I've been meaning to get some pictures uploaded to see what they really are.

[C5M1]

My favorite is the most useful. Spend a lot of time out doors and can't imagine doing it without a canteen cup. Making coffee to purifying water over a campfire, would be lost without it.



regards. dennis

[RobUSMC]

My Great Grandfathers Canadian Expeditionary Force lapel pin from his service in WWI. Followed by the Sgt. Chevrons that were used when I was promoted to that rank in 1988. One of the backing pins was lodged into my collar bone and had to be removed at the BAS afterword. However the rank did "stick" as was intended.......those wonderful days in the Old Corps :)

Semper Fi, Rob

[Guamsst]

I don't even know if I could answer that if I had a year to think about it. I have so many Jap items I am proud of.

Field accordian
Type 30 NLF bayonet with cloth cover and blood spatter
Bamboo wrapped Baton ( I refer to it as the POW beating stick)

Oddly enough my favorite is probably the....... OH MY GOD!!! MY HUNGARIAN GIRLFRIEND JUST TOOK HER FIRST DOSE OF "GREEN DEATH" FLAVOR NYQUIL. Wish I had video of her reaction. She said it tastes like Christmas trees....LOL

Anyways, it is a silk waist wrap for a kimono and it has hand sewn golden kites (phoenixs) and each feather has hand sewn veins on it. They feel like real feathers. Not a battle item but I still really enjoy the quality and work involved.

[SOF 18C]

LOL Guamsst: I've never licked a christmas tree but it's a good description. I guess mine would be the Confederate belt buckle I found at Mine Creek Battlefield recently. I was looking for deer tracks. Pretty cool find.

[Liam]

Not worth a toot to anyone else, but I have a favorite .50 cal ammo can. I've held onto it for 26 years and it reminds me of my service. Still has the PRAVDA sticker I bought in Heidelberg. Used to keep it in my M151 jeep (before our unit switched to HMMVs) and use it to fill the void between the front two seats. That way I could recline and sleep in the vehicle where it was warm. It was never on the load out list, but no one ever questioned it. Looked military enough I guess. Here's a facsimile (the original resides at home):
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u23/Liam_068/AmmoCan.jpg

[Embalmer]

grandfathers k98 bayonet he picked up off the battlefield after battle of the bulge and brought home.

[Doug Douglass]

One item? My mint 1905 SA bright blade bayonet dated 1906 serial number 4139 in a krag hanger 1907 RIA scabbard

[Michaelp]

Grandfather's hospital corp Bolo knife he used in WW1.
Plus a lighter made by other grandfather using an aircraft wing wire turnbuckle and German button.
Also father's 506th PIR items from WW2.

[macPA]

Mine is a staff sword from the Span-AM period. It has been in my family for years and came to me as the keeper of the archives,.
What makes it interesting is the photograph if its owner, my great grandfather's brother in law in uniform.
The other is my Dad's filed manual from WW2, not only does it talk about the M1 but also how to saddle your horse
and put a gas mask on it.

[Hal O'Peridol]

My favorite is my M1009 CUCV, because I use it every day. A blast to drive.

http://enfielditis.net/jeeps/cucv.jpg

[Liam]

Hal - I wish this forum had a "Like" button. Do remember to wait for the warm-up light before starting!

[Hal O'Peridol]

Hal - I wish this forum had a "Like" button. Do remember to wait for the warm-up light before starting!

Oh yes, the wait light!

Drove any a CUCV while on active duty back in the day. Just had to have one to pull the 1944 GPW Jeep to shows.

[ncblksmth1]

At a recent gunshow I picked up a "M8" army knife. 75.00 bought a mint condition guard marked Case M3 knife with a near mint M8 scabbard. I think thats my coolest.

[Sarge]

Hard to say a single non firearm item is my favorite so I'll list 3 or 4?
My mint 1944 SS dot pattern camo uniform from a vet in 1961 (I also have the matching pants). My Mint water pattern Fallschirmjäger jump smock from a gun show in about 1965. My Knights Cross u. German crosses. My SS typewriters - all have the SS rune key.
Sarge
7694769576967697

[Art]

When the Soviet Empire collapsed and they were selling off everything in sight there was an outfit called "Sovietski Collection" that marketed the cooler stuff. My favorite, and I have some very cool stuff, is the Spetnatz survival tool I bought from them. This has to be the most overengineered cutting tool ever made. It is a short very thick bladed combination machete, ice axe, intrenching tool, saw and battle axe and those are just the major functions. It also incorporates a navagation quadrant, parachute riser cutter leather punch/needle and a butt container with matches fish hooks etc. It cost me $65.00 and was one of the more expensive items in their catalog. It came in the typical cheap commie pasteboard stapled box with the instructions (in Russian of course) and stays in the back of my car as an emergency tool.

I gave one to friend who uses it as sort of a multi tool in his woodshead to do things like knock off the rotten spots and strip bark. He told me it's almost impossible to dull the thing.

I know the Commies only were supposed to have issued these little gems to special forces troops and pilots but the cost of manufacture of these tools had to be very high. No wonder they went broke.

[pelago]

that is so neat!!!