I don’t bad-mouth them. I like them. I miss the days when every gun shop I walked into had at least one, maybe several, and from different countries, usually for less than $250. I once tried to make a hunting rifle out of one. Easier just to get a hunting rifle.
Had a [aratrooper model with 20 round box mag. I went to detachables and like an idiot gave the box mag away to a friend. When I sold it I had detachable mags and a folding poly stock on it. It was a bit heavy.
***I miss the days when every gun shop I walked into had at least one, maybe several, and from different countries, usually for less than $250.***
I saw my first in a pawn shop back in 1970. A war trophy from SE Asia. Price was $98 but back then no one had ammo so several pawn shops had a few.
You could buy a new in box Winchester 1894 for $45 all over the area back then.