Here I was just the other day, in the thread about lever guns, going on about how I ought to make my way over to my buddy's gun shop and snag one of the new Miroku Model '71's that had been languishing on his rack for the last couple of years. Well today I did just that. Only to find out he had finally sold it about a month ago. Rats. Or so I thought...
Turns out it had already made its way back. Seems the guy who bought it had no idea what he was getting into, as far as the care and feeding of the Model 71, with its unique .348 Winchester chambering. He was well and truly discouraged when it came time to find brass and bullets. So he brought it back to sell on consignment.
This rifle was just shy of $1,500 when I was looking at it new. I just walked out with it today, plus RCBS loading dies and a really nice leather/nylon Boyd's soft case, for $950. He had also mounted the very same Williams receiver sight that I would have added myself, and some weird "firesight" fiber optic front (that I will likely replace).
So, talk about positive reinforcement of one of my worst habits - procrastination. I kept putting off buying this thing, and wound up really making out in the end. And I know right where to get brass, jacketed bullets, and a bullet mold - my old friend Dave Gullo at Buffalo Arms over in Idaho keeps all of this stuff in stock.
Sometimes we get to win one...
