New toys

So we made it back home from our USA trip. When we landed at Schiphol I turned on my cellphone, which started buzzing with 12 SMSes “SAPS message: Your firearm Licence Ref. 12345 has been finalized. Card can be collected at your DFO.”

Well, OK, fair and well, but I’m not waiting for 12 licences, I’m waiting for a whole lot more, and furthermore they’d only been in the system for two months so no way can they be ready?

Well, turns out they were ready, 28 of the 33 I had applied for. Of the remaining five, three are firearms I handed in during the amnesty, and I know they’re taking a different (and much longer) route, one they’re still thinking about (probably because it’s a semi-auto 22 rifle, and they don’t particularly like people having those) and one (a 38 Special revolver) got denied.

Yea, that’s right, 28 new guns including two 357 Magnums, a 45, a semi-auto shotgun… but not the 38 Special revolver. I guess the “yes” and “no” buttons are very close together on the system.

On the left, a Llama XA in 32 ACP together with my previously licenced Llama XXVIII XV in 22 and Star DKL in 380 ACP / 9mm Short. They’re +- 2/3 size Colt 1911 semi-clones.

To the right of that, a Star B (9mmP) and above it an Astra A-100 in 45 ACP.

Then, a Colt 1903 pocket hammerless in 32 ACP (this one was made in 1920 and isn’t nearly as nice as Tamara’s older models) and above it an Astra Cadix (22 Magnum, 9 shot) revolver.

The little pistol with the white grips is a Llama XVIII “Executive” in 25 ACP and is a lot more fun to shoot than you might think. Above and below that is an FN 1906 Vest Pocket in 25 ACP and an Astra 2000 in 22 Short.

The long barreled revolver is a Llama Ruby XXIV 22 target model.

The Browning 1910 (32 ACP) at the top right is in really good nick, as is the Astra 500 below it. The Astra 500 is an interesting piece — it’s basically a single-action Constable, and they only made 450 of them. Nice rescuing something like that from the cops’ smelters.

I ended up not shooting the A-100 or the 2000 because… I didn’t have ammo. For some reason, when packing, I thought the A-100 was 9mm and the 2000 was 25 ACP. Silly me.

And I only got three shots through the 1903 before the front sight fell off. Managed to find it, will have to make sure it stays put next time.

I also left two of my “new” guns at home — the Llama Comanche III ‘cos it was at the bottom of the safe and I didn’t see it, and the Marlin 1894 because (1) the firing pin is borken and (2) I don’t have any 38-40 ammo at the moment.

I’ll obviously have to repeat the exercise this coming weekend.

Also, another road trip to Witbank is indicated to fetch the other half of the guns from Classic Arms.

(Not pictured is the Ruger 96/22M levergun in 22 Magnum which I shot on the rifle range. Nice gun, will have to find a scope for it).

[Thanks to littlegun.info for the Llama Shooter’s Bible scans]

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