If you have been around collecting and military history circles for awhile, it is an open secret that the Russians have stashes of captured World War II militaria hidden away in vaults.

 

As part of the resurgent patriotism, as well as a restoration of the church in Russian society, this story has come out about what to do with those old obsolete enemy firearms that are just taking up space.

 

https://www.guns.com/news/2019/01/29/russians-to-pave-military-church-with-captured-german-wwii-era-guns-video?fbclid=IwAR3ggSYs3Ek8pjSKLbniMPUUGPaji2h7zDtUVfOQlawriSoix4Sgef9Pe2Y

 

This all appears on the website guns.com .

 

 

Wow! What a cool thing to do with them! Kind of like making Civil War monuments in America with melted down metal from cannons and stuff! Super cool!

 

Amazing about how many are still left. Guess they need to build a few more cool Military Churches or monuments.

 

Interesting to see. I don't mind seeing them as bring backs, but when seen on a mass stored scale like that . . . brings home the scope of the German military during the very dark time. Very sad.

Forgot to mention . . . I absolutely LOVE the bakelite grips! Amazing! And there is nothing like bakelite when you feel it.

Forgot to mention . . . I absolutely LOVE the bakelite grips! Amazing! And there is nothing like bakelite when you feel it.

 

Bakelite was also used in commercial products. You will find a lot of vintage radios using this material for the casings.

 

Bakelite was also used in commercial products. You will find a lot of vintage radios using this material for the casings.

 

some jewelry too...

We must remember also, that Victoria Crosses are made out of captured enemy cannon from (I think??) the Crimean War. Please correct me if I'm wrong on that.

 

Steve

We must remember also, that Victoria Crosses are made out of captured enemy cannon from (I think??) the Crimean War. Please correct me if I'm wrong on that.

 

Steve

 

Oh, you have to elaborate for me on this interesting bit of info. What era VCs? Super cool!

Found the answer! Off the website of the company that makes all VCs:

 

https://www.hancocks-london.com/the-victoria-cross/

 

How the VC is made

The bronze from which all Victoria Crosses are made is supplied by the Central Ordnance Depot in Donnington. This metal is cut from cannons captured from the Russians at Sebastopol during the Crimean War. When more Crosses are required Hancocks requests a supply of metal and this is then delivered to them by COD Donnington.

Unlike any other award for gallantry the Victoria Cross is not made in a die. It is not struck, as are coins and many other medals, it is cast. Traditionally it is sand cast in moulds usually containing four specimens at a time. The medals are removed from the sand moulds when the metal has cooled, and then the hand finishing process begins. The suspender bar from which the cross itself is hung, is cast at the same time as the medal and receives the same hand finishing. The obverse and reverse are hand chased even to the minutest detail and the whole medal has a special bronze finish applied at the end of the process. This gives a nice even colour to the medal because the bronze from which it is cast does not have an overall attractive appearance. Typically twelve Victoria Crosses are produced at a time.

Boy if the Ruskies wanted to decimate the value of TR stuff world wide they could with their vast cache..

Boy if the Ruskies wanted to decimate the value of TR stuff world wide they could with their vast cache..

 

No kidding! Just think what the Russians could do to the market for P-38 brown bakelite grips!

Terry

They could make some bucks by throwing them in a big pile and charge TR collectors and history buffs to roll around in them for a while.

Boy if the Ruskies wanted to decimate the value of TR stuff world wide they could with their vast cache..

Like the article said, Europe and the U.S. are not allowing the import of these weapons so, uncle Vladimir can't pocket the cash while making the heads explode of those who spent big dollars to have those currently rare weapons, in their collections.

Just wondering. Could they / would they be exported / imported if they were somehow demilled?

 

No kidding! Just think what the Russians could do to the market for P-38 brown bakelite grips!

Terry

 

 

if I'm not mistaken, I read also somewhere they have PILES of TR helmets too. Think of the values Vlad could decimate there too- wonder if he could export those?

Like the article said, Europe and the U.S. are not allowing the import of these weapons so, uncle Vladimir can't pocket the cash while making the heads explode of those who spent big dollars to have those currently rare weapons, in their collections.

There's a black market on everything of value, and these things would be no exception. Kamerad Putin no doubt would not shy away from selling these things if there was enough either money of influence to be had. There are always willing buyers of such thing -- If drugs can be smuggled in such great quantities, why not these pieces.

In the 80's the Russians released many thousands of. TR captured K98s that had been refinished and were stored in salt mines. Originally selling for about 100.00. dollars US they

are somewhat elusive here and approach 500.oo US The RC Lugers and P 38s are also very desirable. If Putin. lets these go.Just apply the maxim, Buy 'em cheap, and stack 'em deep.

It certainly would be nice to be able to afford a decent quality K98 and Luger before I'm 30, but I suppose that's wishful thinking for now.

Just amazing.

I've heard that the Ruskies have offered these for sale, but the current US ban on importing weapons from Russian combined with the Russians asking full retail value has kept that from happening.