A 6.5 X 55MM Swedish find, almost.....

[Adam Helmer]

Today, being Saturday, is yard sale day. I hit a few that were all toys or kids clothes and then I found a great pile of hunting/shooting stuff. There were several firearms that did not interest me; a single barrel 20 gauge and a few .22 single shot rifles. Then I saw a Swedish M-38 Rifle in very good shape, with matching numbers and a nice bore with 2 boxes of Remington 140grain ammo for $200.

I was admiring the 6.5 when a young fellow about 25 years of age asked me if that would be a good deer rifle. I told him it would serve him well in PA. He asked if I was buying the rifle and I told him, "Not if you are buying it." He asked if the price was fair and I said I thought so, so he bought the rifle and ammo. Next problem: He never fired a rifle and was not a club member.

I told him to drive 5 miles to my gun club and wait for me there while I went home for targets, ear muffs, cleaning gear and spotting scope. We wiped out the rifle bore and put up 25 and 100 yard targets. The rifle was zero for windage at 25 yards and about an inch high. At 100 yards the rifle was about 2 inches above point of aim and windage was zero. We fired off one of the two boxes of ammo and now my neighbor is ready for rifle deer season. I also suspect we have another vintage military surplus arm collector in our midst.

Adam