OK here we go again, I know this post will get me some heated replies but I know of what I speak. Ever notice how groups of really good rifles one rarely sees come out of WGA all at one time? They always know what the tang date is? Lots of neat marks under the wood? He takes everything he sells a part and even sells parts online through auction centers and when certain major parts of a rifle may be faulty he puts things together to sell as collector rifles. The Burns clan has single handily taken the collectible integrity of the M39 rifle by doing this and trashed the value in the meantime by building more profitable for them to sell rifles. It is catching up with them as most dealers at shows have realized this and the going price for a used M39 is about $125 or so. So you keep buying these built by Burn's rifles and recommending that others do that and the Burn's clan is laughing all the way to the bank! He may own the entire amount of remaining M39 rifles but he sure has trashed their value by his practices if you go to sell one used to someone who realizes what I am saying is true. My thoughts are his greed has long ago overcome any principles he may have ever had and he has done the collectors a great disservice in the long run. I only ask you to sit back and think about what I am saying and let your conscience be your guide in who you may tout to buy from. I routinely find about one or two $125 M39's at show lately in various stages of condition matter of fact I bought one recently. They are out there for resale if one takes the effort to look and at least that way you are not greasing the pocket of the wrong people in my eyes. Bill

I am glad no one has ranted badly on my post of what I believe to be the truth about their activities and disservice to the collecting community. What really kills me is people are still paying the prices he has created by cornering the entire supply of M39's! It actually helps me buy nice ones for like I said around $125 each around here because most dealers understand what he has done and realize there is no way to undo it so they just pay less for a piece that could have been humped by him and his clan.

He knows the tang dates on any rifles he sells which should make it obvious to anyone that he takes them apart and that is why the shims are gone and different dates from the receiver are pressed into the cosmoline on the stocks he sends them to you in. He has gorilla's that tighten screws till they scream in pain and the first time you try and take it apart they resist almost superhuman strength to strip and clean. I have received stocks from him with cracks running the whole length of the inside of the stock front to back with a description like slight crack at tang. I just almost cry that he of all people should have these fine rifles to frankly destroy in the name of money. He told me one time on the phone he would make a market for these rifles (at the time they were selling for around $100 give or take a bit) and by gosh he sure has! Most of the collector ones I have in my collection are from earlier dealers who were happy get the average price out the door of about $125 and take their profit from that.

Your ranting again old man! Sorry! Oh final bit of information is that most of the other reputable dealers online have no other source of M39's than the Burn's clan. What part of he owns them all isn't obvious? There are a few grey covered holes in getting a few into the states from a couple of overseas sources which I will refuse to mention for fear of getting someone in trouble that I know and like so that is the whole supply we have available to us as buyers. Smelly situation to my eyes which I am afraid will really show up later down the road in decreased values for spoiled goods caused by unprincipled suppliers. Rant Over next subject!

Crunch if you lived anywhere other than Cali I would ship something in the way of a shooter M39 in the drop of a hat but with the situation in that state I would be afraid to send you anything! I even avoided the entire state on my trike trip to Oregon this summer. No offense meant but I am really glad I live where I do and not in NJ (where I had lived at one time) or Cali and a few other choice states. I am single now and it makes my choice not to live in these places much easier to carry through. At least I got out of Jersey before they had the tax on leaving there in place! huh?

Good Luck in your hunting! Try and be patient and believe me I know how hard that can be! Patience heck I want to kill somebody as the bumper sticker I used to have said! Bill

I bought a 1943 Sako M39 which the fellow started the look see by saying the rifle came from WGA and normally I just say no thank you I will buy nothing from them because they screw with rifles and there fore are totally uncollectable in my eyes. I knew he would like as not get over $125 from anyone in the show so I told him I would go $175 and let him look around and see if anyone would equal it. About an hopur later he came back and said he would take my offer. We talked a bit and he bitterly complained that he had paid $280 plus shipping and that the rifle was an antique being dated at 1898. I told him that only makes a difference to people that like as not should not own rifles and everyone here was on the up and up as far as I knew. He took my $50 over offer and I took the rifle home for a tear down and check. I found the usual the seems to follow all WGA rifles. The screws were so tight I had tostruggle with them to get it apart and the rifle was one of the ones that is covered with that black grease the Finn's seemed to love. I looked real close at the action before removing it from the stock and noticed a big spot smudged with the remains of a hand print in it so I knew the clan had looked under the wood and priced it acordingly at least. I then removed the action and looked real close at the tang area of the stock and saw a large font 98 and arrow pressed into the remaining cosmoline in the stock. Hmm he told me the truth I guess it indeed was an 1898 action in this rifle at one time. I flipped the action over and checked the tang area to see how and what it was stamped, it was in small font numbers stamped thusly 1898 and the sesty marking.

I ate $50 value to make my point but there you have it the only one I knew was WGA I have bought in years and the action was from another stock. I have others and the pattern is there all the time blatant humping of rifles to increase more value with little attempt to even cover their efforts. I will take pictures if I can maybe later this month but if they don't come out I have dozens of others available at the first attempt of suit.

Do you guys see why I am so against this outfit they are cheating every collector who has a rifle from them and others who just have M39 rifles of the value and I believe the later value of them as a collective piece. OK if you just want a shooter the value is almost not important to you till you go to sell it and then you will eat the bear so to say! Even if by chance they put it in a stock that it likes and it shoots well will you ever know how well the Finn's setting for the rifle would have shot?

Nasty thoughts and frustration abound here! I just like to think that every dog has his day and hope God is a just and swift God on judgement day! Bill

I don't know about the lawsuit as I only got second hand information on that as it was before my time here and with them. I do know that Burns lost there license through non cooperation with the ATF and sold only antiques out of a private collection until a family member was able to get a license back again in a different name. He cussed and told the ATF people to get out of his shop he wasn't doing what they asked for and was shut down on the spot after calling his lawyer and asking what he should do. Little late for that action but he had no choice after what he did. He tries to control any of the dealer prices that he sells rifles to and if you don't cooperate you don't get rifles. Again what part of he owns them all don't you understand?

I am not calling anyone a sucker for buying from him or any other name just trying to make you realize what you are dealing with. Heck I just told you I just bought one which I know came from him and found the usual. He owns them all how can you avoid it? Most of his imports are through TG Gun or Tennessee Gun so I pass on them usually unless I am buying them for parts rifles as they should be sold as to my way of thinking. I ask where they got them from and if they say WGA or Burns name I pass them on to others. I am surprised that you have found ones from him going through CAI as I counted them as safe, bad news there! Most of my M39's are from a dealer long out of business and who has passed on also. He was opinionated and ornery but most of all he didn't mess with nothing he sold them at about $100 or so out the door and made a living.

I would guess the rifles with good unworn bores would shoot just as well as you would want but I can't help but wonder what they shot like in the original stocks and set-ups the Finn's gave them. Nothing and no rifle should be taken fromWGA or the Burns clan with any guarantee that they are as imported and in original states. As I stated in the past there are boards that were shorted sponsor money by them, people that were not payed for services they performed for them, and may others who have been victimized by them and their practices. Maybe that is why they got sued in the past I don't know.

I know that I can send C&R to California, Massachusetts, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey but I choose not to do so because I frankly don't agree with much these states do and attempt to enact. Same reason I do no business with Fleebay and Pay grabber! You have got to stand up for what you believe in these days! I know one person can not make a difference but it is a start. Sorry Crunch and others! I lived in NJ and moved (before they enacted a leaving tax) and then moved from Delaware to WV to support a state that has rules I can believe in and policies that seem to support the 2nd amendment rights our government nationally wants to take? Too much politics coming out here so I will end there.

Don't ever ask for me to be politically correct because it is far too hard for me to support people and things that deserve little or none! Bill