pegasusrider

I placed 2 orders on 2-7 and they backordered 3 times. The 2nd order number was about 500 higher than the first.  My first order was shipped last Friday and 2nd order now shows as shipped but tracking indicates it has not been picked up yet.  

Maybe someone in your area would do a group buy. 

I just looked again and realized that is the C&R FFL price.  

Century Arms has the best pricing on cans right now.  $87.87 plus $12.95 flat rate shipping under $500.

I've found PW Arms marked rifles to be of better quality and CAI to be the worst. 

Until SHTF, you can't hand out radios and operate on any frequency without disregard to the other users unless you want to incur penalties.     General Mobile Radio Service also known as GMRS is the most sensible radio system to invest in.  MURS is limited to 2 watts and 5 frequencies.   Repeaters are illegal on MURS. A Ham licenses does not cover individual family members, each must have their own license to transmit.   I know some people are using marine band non-commercial freqs on land and that is not legal. CB radio is prone to interference from skip during certain times of the year and sunspot cycle. FRS is a joke, those 3 inch antennas just don't radiate well, even if they have the higher power GMRS channels built in. These radios cannot even be used on a GMRS repeater, they are simplex only.    GMRS mobiles and repeaters can operate up to 50 watts of power and there are no restrictions on antenna height.  Although the range on VHF is a little better, UHF GMRS signals penetrate buildings better and the signals bounce off buildings in urban environments.  There are 8 simplex freqs where 50 watts are allowed and 7 more simplex freqs for 5 watt handhelds.  A license is $85 for 5 years and covers immediate and extended family.  You can   put up your own GMRS repeater or may find someone nearby with one already on and willing to let you use it for sharing the cost or for nothing.   There are retired "wideband" only UHF radios that have flooded the used radio market in places like Ebay that can be bought for a song and reprogrammed for GMRS use. 

I've got a "surplus" 55 watt 18 volt solar panel from a retired highway arrow sign trailer on top of my hunting shack.  It is 13 years old and the power output has degraded on it to about 25 watts.  I use a 10 amp regulator like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/10A-Solar-Charge-Controller-Regulator-12V-24V-Autoswitch-100W-Solar-Panel-10A-/110871881175?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19d07aa5d7 to charge a 100 amp deep cycle sealed battery that was surplus from an industrial user.  I use about 10 feet of 12 gauge wire to get power to the battery. It works well enough to power a cb or ham radio for a few hours.    The regulator is pulse width modulated and in addition to being about 5% more efficent in charging, it helps prevent sulphation of the battery making it last longer.  I'm a firm believer in those pulse width modulated chargers and have used them for over 20 years to maintain backup batteries in a remote site.  The disadvantge of them is they will not charge a dead or totally discharged battery, it must have some charge. 

CAI is Century Arms. http://www.centuryarms.biz/ Other importers I've seen are RGUNS  http://www.rguns.net/ And TGI in Knox TN that came from Classic.  I have several PW Arms inported guns and they have always looked great and been all matching except in one instance.

Last bunch were PW arms, same as Classic sold.

Wideners now has them in stock, 219.99.    http://www.wideners.com/itemdetail.cfm?item_id=7006

Got a 1944 with war time stock and a 1945 with post war stock.  44 is all matching, 45 has floorplate force matched.  Both are PW Arms imports.  

If you have the time to inquire before you order, ask who the importer was.  I've found PW Arms imports to be of higher quality and CAI to be the worst. 

You are correct, it was AIM. I got it confused with the 1938 carbine that I got last week from Classic. The 43 had some rust and pitting on the barrel bands and retaining springs along with some light rust  on the barrel under the handguard/stock area. That was easily removed.  I'll replace the bands and springs some day.  I've dealt with Classic twice and the rifles they sent were acceptable but I expected a higher quality than what I got.  I've ordered a couple of their 44 mosins and  the brown truck is coming on Friday with them. 

Last week they sold "shooter grade" Mosins for 89.95 each. These were described as not "collecter" quality and had dark bores.  I sprung for two.  Opened the first box and found a 1927 hex Izzy in good condition, all matching and the other box had a 43 Tula, all matching, Got matching bayonets but no other accessories.  These were P&W imports.  Bores look great after a good cleaning.

Mine came yesterday. 43 Izzy, post war 44 stock. Barrel is stamped with a 5 under the date. Receiver is really rough on the finish and yes that is a ridge on the top in the center. Underneath it looks even worse. Buttplate and trigger guard are force matched.