Chinese SKS & Browning Hi-Power Vietnam Bringback Documented War Trophys
SOLD FOR: $5,050
LSB#: 240127GS005
Make: Arsenal 26, China. A Vietnam War Trophy Bringback.
Model: SKS, Type 56
Serial Number: 11369536
Year of Manufacture: 1967, C&R
Caliber: 7.62x39mm
Action Type: Semi Auto Rifle, Fixed Magazine
Barrel Length: 20 1/2″
Sights / Optics: The front sight is an adjustable hooded post, the rear sight is a square notched sliding escalator.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The stocks are two piece smooth wood with a pistol grip, finger grooves, ventilated handguard, cutout for the folding bayonet, metal nosecaps, hole for the missing cleaning rod, through bolt, sling loop, and a metal buttplate with hinged door for storage. The wood shows scratches and compression marks which have been finished over. The LOP measures 12 1/2 inches from the front of the trigger to the back of the buttplate. The buttplate shows surface erosion and a brown patina. The stock rates in about Very Good Plus overall condition as refinsihed.
Type of Finish: Blue
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is mostly bright. The rifling is deep. There is erosion in the bore. In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates 7 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This rifle has lost its metal finish. The metal shows scratches, discoloration from oxidation, surface erosion, and areas of pitting. The screw heads show use. Some of the markings are faded. Overall, this rifle rates in about Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. This firearm has not been tested, these are used items. While we have performed a mechanical function check and noted any discrepancies we cannot guarantee the suitability of this firearm.
The bayonet mounts the rifle correctly.
LSB#: 240127GS007
Make: Fabrique Nationale, made under German Occupation
Model: P35 Hi-Power WaA140 Fixed Sight Third Sub-Variant, Vietnam War Trophy Pistol
Serial Number: 278b
Year of Manufacture: 1944 (Page 330 of “FN Browning Pistols” by A. Vanderlinden), brought back from Vietnam in 1968.
Caliber: 9mm Parabellum
Action Type: Single Action Semi-Auto with Removable Magazine
Markings: The left side of the slide is marked “FABRIQUE NATIONALE D’ARMES DE GUERRE / HERSTAL BELGIQUE” and “BROWNING’S PATENT DEPOSE”. The left side of the slide and frame are marked with an Eagle holding a globe with swastika (test proof) and an “Eagle / WaA140” Waffenamt military acceptance stamp. The right side of the slide and chamber are marked “1357b”. The right side of the frame is marked “278b”. The right of the chamber is also marked with a German army acceptance stamp. The left trigger guard bow and bottom of the chamber are marked “MR”. The front of the slide under the muzzle has “WaA140”. The left side of the barrel above the lug is marked with two “WaA140” Waffenamts. The bottom of the slide, sides of the grip frame, and the butt behind the magazine well have a series of factory inspection marks.
Barrel Length: 4 5/8”
Sights / Optics: The front sight is a rounded blade fixed to the front of the slide. The rear sight is a square notch dovetailed to the rear of the slide.
Stock Configuration & Condition: The grips are two-piece checkered wood panels. The panels show several scratches, scuffs, and gashes, notably in the checkering on the right panel. The checkering is generally defined. There are no chips or cracks. Overall, the grips are in about Good condition.
Type of Finish: Blued
Finish Originality: Original
Bore Condition: The bore is dark with scattered erosion and the rifling is defined. In this writer’s opinion, this bore rates a 3 out of 10.
Overall Condition: This pistol retains about 40% of its metal finish. There is notable erosion and pitting throughout the slide and lighter erosion is visible on the sides of the dust cover and grip straps. There is notable finish loss towards the top of the front strap. The slide has taken a plum hue. The finish is generally crude and is characteristic of late war finish. There is thinning at all leading edges. There are scattered dings and scratches throughout the metal. The screw heads are tool marked with strong slots and the slide serrations are sharp. The markings are generally clear, some are shrouded by pitting on the slide. Overall, this pistol is in about Good condition.
Mechanics: The action functions correctly. The trigger is crisp. The slide has slight play to the frame. The magazine disconnect safety is present and functional. We have not fired this pistol. As with all used firearms, a thorough cleaning may be necessary to meet your maintenance standards.
Box, Paperwork & Accessories: This lot is included with the book “War Trophies: Weapons from Vietnam” by Keith Seafield in which both the guns listed are photographed. The rifle comes with a bipod, canvas bipod case, and a Viet Cong style flag. The rifle comes with War Trophy Bring Back paperwork which includes information on the soldier who brought the rifle back. Photos of the soldier in Vietnam are also included. The pistol comes with a black leather holster with one 13-round magazine and War Trophy Bring Back paperwork. Please note, no magazine will be included for purchasers who reside where it cannot be legally transferred.
Our Assessment: The SKS rifle, also known as the Samozaryadny Karabin sistemy Simonova (Self-loading Carbine, Simonov’s system), is a semi-automatic carbine designed in the Soviet Union in the late 1940s. It was developed by Sergei Gavrilovich Simonov, a renowned Soviet firearms designer. The SKS was officially adopted by the Soviet military in 1949 and saw widespread use throughout the Soviet Bloc and other countries during the Cold War.
The SKS is a ubiquitous rifle that has managed to stay in-use by shooters for 77 years, and surely more to come. This rifle pattern has been produced by the millions—more than 15,000,000 by Russia, and more than 30,000,000 by China.
This Chinese SKS was made at the famous Arsenal 26 back in 1967. It was provided to the Vet Cong in Vietnam and eventually captured by U.S. Forces. It was brought home by a soldier.
The Browning High Power pistol is based on a design by American firearms inventor John Browning, and completed by Dieudonné Saive at Fabrique Nationale. Browning died in 1926, several years before the design was finalized. The Hi-Power is one of the most widely utilized military pistols in history, having been used by the armed forces of over 50 countries. The Hi Power name didn’t refer to the cartridge, but to its 13 round magazine, holding five more than the Luger and six more than the Colt 1911. Its magazine capacity and ergonomic grip frame have made it a favorite among civilian shooters as a carry pistol and for home defense. The High Power was adopted by the Belgian military and the early pistols were equipped with a tangent rear sight and a grip that was slotted for a wooden stock. When Germany invaded Belgium, they took over the FN plant and continued making the High Power, but soon dropped the grooved grip after stocks of pre-invasion parts were used-up. Guns made with tangent sights included WaA613, WaA103 and WaA140 inspection marks before the tangent sights were replaced with fixed sights to help increase production. This is a late war pistol, made in 1944, in the WaA140 inspection mark range after the tangent sights had been dropped in favor of fixed sights. The harsh blue finish is also a characteristic of late war production.
This pair of guns are War Trophys brought back from the Vietnam war by LT Colonel Bruno F. Rizzato. The pistol does not have matching serial numbers on the barrel, slide, and frame, likely due to the fact that it was taken from a Viet Cong cadre killed during an attack in Kontum and VC’s frequently repaired pistols by taking parts from similar pistols. This lot comes with a copy of War Trophies: Weapons from Vietnam in which they featured on page 187. This lot, with its War Trophy paperwork, is a real treat for the historical and martial enthusiast. Please see our photos and good luck!
