You gotta be kidding

me! On www.AuctionArms.com a guy is trying to sell a Miroku Japanese muzzle loader that looks very much like a T/C Hawken. It is stamped miruko, but........
What's unusual about that?
He says it was made in 1948! :crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
You gotta be kidding me! In 1948 Japan was still glowing from a couple atom bombs we layed on a couple incinerated cities, barbequing around 160,000 people in thier front yards!
Anything made for export during the post was years was by law marked "Made in occupied Japan."
I really, really, doubt they were building muzzle loaders in 1948.
Wonder if anyones gonna bite on that one? :what:
It wasn't one of you guys what posted that rifle was it? :huh:

 

[musketman]

They claim the gun was made in 1948 for SEARS by: miruko...

First off, there is a difference in type face on the stamps on the barrel...

Second, the barrel has stamped "For Black Powder Only" on it, that's a 1980's thing, no muzzleloader ever built in the 40's ever had that stamped on it! There was ONLY black powder back then for muzzleloaders, so why state it! (again, different type face)

Thirdly: It's a T/C Hawken that was rusted and stamped (by hand) and he's trying to sell it for ventage...

:imo:

 

Good eye dude!
Wanna be a detective? :master:

 

[Zonie]

Ya know, people who pull that kind of krap really P1$$ me off.
This anal orifice is trying to steal someones money, and will undoubtably get away with it.
Ahh, makes me long for the old days when the best that could happen to people like that was to get tarred and feathered. The worst thing? I can't say without the ACLU and other bleeding hearts decending on our fine Forum. :curse: :curse: :curse: :curse: :curse:

 

[trent/OH]

I own a Dixie Gun Works Tennessee Mountain Rifle, also made in Miroku. The number 4508 is stamped into the metal right beside the word Japan. I have always assumed the number is a serial or sequence number for the rifle. Maybe this rifle came back in time 2500+ years instead??? Yeah, sure.

 

[Liver eatin’ Johnson]

Looks like a kit built gun to me - the market was flooded with import T/C wannabe kits in the 80's :m2c:

 

[bob1961]

possible serial number to me........................bob

 

[sse]

Don't know the answer to the mystery, but it is no mystery that Miroku makes d*mn good stuff.

Regards, sse

 

sse: You're right. Miroku makes quality goods, but not in 1948.
I think the 1948 could be a serial number.
Sure looks an aweful lot like a T/C Hawken that's seen some hard abuse.

 

[Zonie]

Well, either Mr Miroku copies each line and twist and mark of the lockplate and the hammer engraving with skills few can hope to obtain, or that is a TC lock.

I just spent 3 minutes comparing the photo to my TC lock and hammer and can find only one tiny place where the photos gun is just a little deeper on two engraved lines.

Yes, I know it is stamped and not engraved but creating a duplicate stamp that good is hard to do.

Oh, the 1948 is not stamped like TC stamps their S/N. TCs S/N is professionally stamped in nice crisp numbers/letters, in a nice straight line.

IMO anyone who can reproduce the TC lockplate and hammer that well wouldn't stamp the year or S/N in unevenly spaced, High/low impressions that look like they were made with individual hand stamps.

The guy is still a crook in my book. :curse: :curse: