“...So I’m not the only one... ;-)...”
No, my friend... you are NOT alone...!!
I was about two seconds away from literally throwing it across the room, then I got the bolt back in place correctly, and it slid in like a glove... and I felt VERY stupid and childish for the tantrum.
It was a lesson in patience. But like I said - WHAT a tack driver. The newer ones with the bull barrels are nice, but there’s just something about “The Original” that sings...
I have a Walther P22 that is nice to shoot too, but it’s the whole polymer thing... “got no soul”....
It’s like throwing a Kar98K or a Garand up to your shoulder versus an AR... yeah, they’re both sweet... but one is a Rifleman’s rifle, and the other is ... “any guy’s gun”.
(Not disparaging the AR, though... it’s ubiquitous, easy to operate, easy for women shooters to use, and it’s a modern, fast-handling battle carbine that will protect you and your liberty... my flavor is Bushmaster, and it’s a great carbine.)
Love ‘em all.
If I had some extra cash on hand, I be bidding on one or two of those lots myself...
The MKI (or II) is one instance of “gun karma” for me. I showed a newbie at the range how to take one apart and reassemble it, and in doing so didn’t get to shoot.
The next day I found a Smith 27 no dash in 99% condition for $500.
What goes around comes around.