My adventure travel agent everybody's favorite uncle has told me it's time for another trip. Being a gun guy I have nominated myself to research and facilitate a commemorative firearms group buy.
My questions to those who have experience with facilitating or being part of a group buy are:
1) who did you all use?
Please feel free to add anything you think would pertinent to anything above or anything helpful.
Google is your friend for anything collectible, unless you belong to a private club with a secret handshake admission policy. What do I look for? A weapon owned by a famous person, or manufactured in a limited run, in honor of the famous man or woman. For example, there is a .45 ACP M15 reproduction made to honor Dwight D. Eisenhower, one of the most famous generals who ever lived.
https://www.collectorsfirearms.com/products/104166-american-historical-foundation-general-dwight-d-eisenhower-commemorative-com2198.htmlThe next weapon is a one of a kind gift given by Remington to General H. Norman Schwarzkopf.
https://tampamagazines.com/the-interview-general-norman-schwarzkopf/Alas, Remington went bankrupt, not once, but twice. Stormin' Norman is no longer with us, and his widow has remained low key, probably honoring Norman's final wishes. A commemorative weapon in honor of Schwazkopf is probably not in the cards, unless you are referring to a folding knife.
Beretta issued a handgun in honor of Operation Desert Storm, but without the general's name on it.
And this leads me down another path, in search of rifles inspired by the M14 and its derivatives, the M16A2 and M21. Where can we learn more about the rifle that Randy Shughart carried in the Battle of Mogadishu? The M14 has been criticized by some, but soldiers make do with what the army gives them. The heroes elevate their performance far above expectations, and become legends in military history.