If you get deep enough into collecting, you eventually meet up with some of the international arms collectors and dealers - most of whom make me look like a piker, as they're wrassling over... tanks and full size artillery pieces.
Here's some Gunner Zen and a Balance of Karma story from one of my buds in the biz.
I have had it for years. I fought the army 12 years ago to sell me three and some spares. During the procress they stole some of the spare barrels. I ripped into them and got them to ship to [deleted] for free, LOL, and then stored them at that base until I was ready to move them to my place. During the progress to this Port Arthur shooting happened and they wanted to deac my guns as they were not deac and they had put them out in the weather. The engineers skilled enough to deac the guns knew they were mine and refused. During the move down I removed the locks so when an officious army Lieutenant (I think you yanks call them shavetails) form ordnance went out with me to fight over the deac of the guns as they were still on army property. The night before they had rain... I arrived with tilt trucks to remove my guns then and there and to tell them to sod off from damaging them further, the shavetail saw the locks missing (not knowing I had them) and we fought for an hour on verbal issues. The engineers came down on my side saying they were sold to me as agreed and paid for and they were my property and he had no say. As he was outnumbered and getting put in his box he tried to save face pointing out the locks were missing and then went to open the breech that was shut. Even with lock missing it seals with a greased chamber and holds about 2 pints of water. As he went for the operating handle me and the engineers stood back as we all knew what was about to happen. Out of the chamber came the night's rainwater mixed with oil preservative and grease in a nice slurry that spewed all over his nice clean uniform. He was livid and it was the best we could do not to laugh. He had to report to the General of Log Command on his war with me afterwards and was screaming if anyone had clean uniform he could change into and I could "f--k off with my crap " as he stormed away to find showers etc.When we came back later to load the guns and spares and the engineers had a great time telling me how they hated him and it was local legend how I nailed the prick. Well, that is the gun that got him. The three guns were set in for parts for other guns and out the three I would make that one complete and sold the other two off.
Ironically the fellow who bought my tank has recently bought one and then another associate has bought the other so they have changed hands twice since I sold them.
...the fellow who bought my tank has recently bought one... Someday, if my Lottery Retirment Investment Plan plays out, I'll be able to off-hand drop a line like that!
That would look *sooooooooooo* good sitting there between the Castle flagstaffs.
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